Oleg Volk has written a excellent series of articles comparing three pistol-variants of full sized rifles, each chambered in a different caliber and compared ballistic performance and handling characteristics. I highly recommend reading the series.

I originally dismissed them as loud, awkward, and ballistically compromised, but an opportunity to test them side-by-side was too good. My friends and I went to the range with one in each of the common calibers: PLR16 in .223, Spike’s ST15 in .300 BLK and Arsenal SAM7K in 7.62×39. Each of these guns has been customized a bit, so the test reflects non-stock configurations.

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Besides the penetrating ability, .223 is also far easier to shoot at longer ranges. At 100 yards, a bullet from even a long-barreled .22 revolver would drop 17-18 inches, while .223 ball would only drop 3.5 inches. When aiming at small to medium game, this is a significant difference. In defensive use, the somewhat awkward handling of the larger pistols is compensated by the increased power and the ability to shoot one-handed.

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Part 1 of the series can be read here at AllOutdoor.