Way back in prehistory, before I knew better, I had at least four 21s in the house. I would frequently wander around Miami with one stuffed in each of the front pockets of my Columbia shorts. My wife carried one in her purse, or in a cheap UM soft holster in the small of her back while she was out exercising. My versions were 100% reliable as long as I fed them CCI Stingers - which, in the day, were cheap and readily available.
Even back then, I had no expectations of "stopping power" from a .22 LR, but I'd drilled into my wife's head that, should she need it, she needed to shove it up under her attacker's jaw and pull the trigger until it stopped shooting. I, on the other hand, routinely practiced Mossad-worthy eye socket shots from close range.
Ah, youth...