JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT..22LR CENTERFIRE CARTRIDGE

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oldrookey617

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If 22LR is so popular, Why don't they make a 22LR CENTERFIRE Cartridge ? THE SAME SIZE, NOT bottle-necked, and a nice S&W Revolver, and Rifle to go with it.. Would that be a lot more dependable for Competition, Small game hunting, If you like, Self Defense ? They sure make a lot of other's in centerfire.. and a BIG BONIS Should that be a lighter trigger pull ? Maybe 6#, Instead of 11#, and If It's your cup of tea, RELOADABLE.. CCI Stinger must have a strong case at 1640 FPS, Will need a small centerfire primer. Will cost more to make, but have seen some rimfire at $.20-.30 cents a round.. Just something I'm throwing out there..
 
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Nothing wrong with the technical side of your idea but in reality, it will never work simply due to the untold gazillions of rimfire .22’s that already exist.

Much like Glock’s adventure with the .45 GAP cartridge. The idea was sound and it made sense but trying to replace something that’s been established and loved for 100 years and is still outrageously popular is nearly impossible.

It would be on the order of designing a brand new railroad train… engines and cars, all of which might be better than what’s used now but requires a set of train tracks that is 2-1/2 feet wider than what’s used now and since the 1800’s. You might have invented the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it has a snowball’s chance in hell of ever coming to life.
 
Krogen said:
I'd say the .25 ACP is pretty darn close to what you suggest, oldrookey617. The primer pretty well fills up the .25 ACP case head. I think it would be tighter yet in a 22 caliber. And if you wanted a heel bullet like 22 LR, the head would be even smaller.
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^^^This^^^
Seems to me that I read somewhere that when JMB designed the 25ACP cartridge and the Colt Vest Pocket Pistol that fired it in around 1905, he chose that caliber because it was the smallest cartridge design he could come up with that would accept a standard small pistol primer.
So basically, standard 22 caliber brass is too small in diameter to accept a small pistol primer - which is why straight-walled 22 caliber ammo is rimfire only.
Now if you want to step up to larger diameter bottle-necked cases, then the sky is the limit.
22 Remington Jet, 22 Hornet, .223, 5.56mm NATO and several other cartridges are all 22 caliber projectiles with center-fire brass - but the brass is all much larger in diameter than a 22LR.
Hope that helps.
 
I believe the Russians have a compact semi auto pistol often issued to female officers that uses a bottle necked .22 caliber round with a 40 gr FMJ bullet and center fire primer with ballistics similar to the .22 LR.
 
Not sure about this one.

I do wonder why no one has developed a slightly bottlenecked, hard plastic cased shotgun cartridge, especially for semi/full auto and military applications.
 
I do think the 22 K Hornet or even a case like that shortened would even work in revolvers. Maybe even a Jet case straightened. My Jet shot fine but too much taper so set back limited velocity and useability. I have seen a couple revolvers chambered to 22 K Hornet but never got to shoot one. Fun in a Contender though
 
Sevens said:
Nothing wrong with the technical side of your idea but in reality, it will never work simply due to the untold gazillions of rimfire .22’s that already exist.
...
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Not really. The 22 LR is not easily reloadable. I would like the idea of a reloadable 22 Long Rifle. Casting bullets is easily learned. A pound of powder would probably last for years of shooting!

Kevin
 
Let us not forget the currently available and somewhat popular .22 TCM, an Armscor product. Works well in a semi-auto pistol and could be adapted to a revolver with moon clips I would guess.
 
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There was once a 5mm RF Remington, and also a centerfire version of the same caliber. But it was a commercial failure. In short, nearly no one saw a need to buy an expensive cartridge in an oddball caliber (or the rifle that used it), having little if any advantage over the .22 WMR. So it died a well-deserved death.
 
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Sevens said:
Nothing wrong with the technical side of your idea but in reality, it will never work simply due to the untold gazillions of rimfire .22’s that already exist.

Much like Glock’s adventure with the .45 GAP cartridge. The idea was sound and it made sense but trying to replace something that’s been established and loved for 100 years and is still outrageously popular is nearly impossible.

It would be on the order of designing a brand new railroad train… engines and cars, all of which might be better than what’s used now but requires a set of train tracks that is 2-1/2 feet wider than what’s used now and since the 1800’s. You might have invented the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it has a snowball’s chance in hell of ever coming to life.
Click to expand...

AGREED^^^^^^ It would be like pushing electric vehicles when all the infrastructure is designed for internal combustion engines. Oh wait?!?!?
 
StrawHat said:
Not really. The 22 LR is not easily reloadable. I would like the idea of a reloadable 22 Long Rifle. Casting bullets is easily learned. A pound of powder would probably last for years of shooting!

Kevin
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Well, I meant that it would be a commercial failure because it would not be enough of an improvement over what’s already established and available. I don’t mean that there is a lot of .22LR ammo, I am saying that there are so many .22LR firearms that already exist.

The .45 GAP comparison tells the story. The .45 GAP was a fine idea EXCEPT that it was impossible to sell to the world that was already in love with .45 ACP.
 
Yes, the .45 GAP was a classic example of grossly misreading the market. But it is far from alone. Remember the Remington electrical rifle and cartridge? The Gyrojet? The Tround? The Daisy VL? Displacing the .22 RF is an impossibility because of the enormous installed base of .22 firearms worldwide. And there is nothing wrong with the .22s rimfire ignition that it needs changing to centerfire. That is why it has survived and thrived for 170 years. It is a 100% certainty that a CF version of the .22 RF that sold for probably triple the price of the RF would sell like pork in Mecca.
 
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Actually the 5mm RF was selling pretty well. It really eclipsed the 22 mag by far. but....always a but ya know...they had trouble with that 5mm blowing holes in the cases. Rather than fix the problem...the brass cases...they dumped the whole project...Remington already had a big project on their plate...the 700 Trigger. I was also told that much of the 5mm ammo w loaded by Remington subsidiary in Mexico . You can still sometimes find new made ammo for the 5mm and it's still better than the 22 WRFM or the 17 HMR. Still got a box or two of that Mexican ammo
 
Years ago there were 22 long rifle ammo loaded centerfire. These are quite uncommon to encounter and are collectors cartridges. In 50 plus years of cartridge collecting, I have yet to add one to my collection.
 
Okay, sounds like they just need a stronger case, and a smaller primer, The main thing is a more dependable 22LR cartridge.. Centerfire will be a lot better than a Rimfire, A lot less duds.. It may fill a niche for some people..
 
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