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Old 05-13-2018, 02:30 PM
rct269 rct269 is offline
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WOW!!

In the beginning-----1920's: Somebody (Remington?) came out with a "new and improved" 22 Long Rifle cartridge. For those of you not familiar with corporate speak, "new and improved" is thought to translate to "not yet proven to be defective".

So, here we have a "new and improved" cartridge which sends its bullet out at a higher velocity---sent out by higher pressures----which coincidentally was blowing out the cartridge rim every now and then----sending hot gas and brass particles in inconvenient directions. Panic reigned supreme!

Two different groups of folks set out to solve the problem. The first group had not been to Problem Solving School---the second group had. (As an aside, the first thing one is taught in Problem Solving School is to make sure you're working on the real problem--so as to avoid expending valuable resources treating symptoms.)

The folks at S&W went right to work developing a recessed chamber to protect their customers and innocent bystanders from hot gas and brass. They speak with great pride that the Straight Line Single Shot was the very first handgun with a recessed chamber. The folks at Remington stopped using cheap brass, and the REAL problem was solved. (In all fairness, or in an effort to avoid seeming to be chastising S&W, it was certainly possible yet another "new and improved" hot rod .22 cartridge could once again start blowing out its rims----and S&W would protect the folks.)

And that's the way it happened---in Springfield, Massachusetts and Ilion, New York---or wherever.

And recessed chambers do indeed unduly complicate the cleaning process!!

Ralph Tremaine

Last edited by rct269; 05-13-2018 at 02:38 PM.
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