New guy with .22 lr cartridge questions

[Bud11]

Been thinking about getting my first gun and thought I would start with a .22 revolver that takes the lr cartridge. I think I understand the difference between rimfire and centerfire cartridges, but realyy not sure in actual applications.

For example, if I were to buy a S&W 317 revolver for .22 lr, would I have to buy one or the other of the two types of cartridges? Or, is either O.K. for that gun?

I understand it is a rimfire gun but not sure what that means exactly. Better with rimfire?

Any help here for a newbie is appreciated. Thanks. Bud

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

.22 Long Rifle is a rimfire cartridge. Can't be anything else - if it were centerfire, it would have to have a different name, because ".22 Long Rifle" is already taken, for a certain .22 rimfire cartridge with detailed specs.

The same holds true for ALL other cartridges. Once you pick a cartridge, there is absolutely no choice to be made as to type. It is either one or the other, and when you picked a gun which takes a particular cartridge, you done picked whether that cartridge is RF or CF. Most cartridges other than .22s are CF, and some of the .22s are, too. There are few CF .22 handgun cartridges in use these days, but a fair number of CF rifle cartridges. There are also a few obsolete systems that are neither RF nor CF, but you'll probably never run across them.

Except for the possibility of reloading, there should be no major concern over RF and CF. You MUST be very cautious to use only cartridges for which the manufacturer has designed the pistol, but ALL cartridge designations include an implicit specification of length, diameter at various points, primer location, allowable pressure, and a few other things.

 

[Bud11]

Thanks - that clears it up nicely. Bud