.

22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire

.22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire

.22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire

Type Place of origin

Rimfire United States

Production history
Designed Manufacturer Produced 1959 Winchester 1960present

Specifications
Parent case Bullet diameter Neck diameter Base diameter Rim diameter Rim thickness Case length Overall length .22 WRF .224 in (5.7 mm) .242 in (6.1 mm) .242 in (6.1 mm) .294 in (7.5 mm) .050 in (1.3 mm) 1.055 in (26.8 mm) 1.350 in (34.3 mm)

Rifling twist Primer type

1-16" Rimfire

Ballistic performance
Bullet weight/type 30 gr (1.9 g) HP Velocity 2,200 ft/s (670 m/s) 1,910 ft/s (580 m/s) 1,650 ft/s (500 m/s) 300 ftlbf (410 J) 324 ftlbf (439 J) Energy 322 ftlbf (437 J)

40 gr (2.6 g) JHP

50 gr (3.2 g) JHP

Test barrel length: 24 inches (610 mm) Source(s): Cartridges of the World
[1]

The .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, more commonly called .22 WMR, .22 Magnum, or simply .22 Mag, is a rimfire rifle cartridge. Originally loaded with a bullet weight of 40 grains (2.6 g) delivering velocities in the 2,000 feet per second (610 m/s) range from a rifle barrel, .22 WMR has also been loaded with bullet weights of 50 grains (3.2 g) at 1,530 feet per second (470 m/s) and 30 grains (1.9 g) at 2,200 feet per second (670 m/s).

History
The .22 WMR was introduced in 1959 by Winchester, but was not used by Winchester until the venerable Winchester Model 61 slide rifle could be chambered for it, well into 1960.[2] By that time, Smith and Wesson and Ruger had revolvers for it, and Savage had come out with the Model 24, a .22/.410 combination rifle. It was the only successful rimfire cartridge introduced in the 20th Century. [3]

Dimensions & Loading

The .22 WMR uses a larger case than the more popular .22 Long Rifle, both in diameter and length. The .22 WMR case is a lengthened version of the older .22 WRF (.22 WRF may be fired in most guns chambered for .22 WMR but not vice versa). The .22 WMR's case is thicker than that of the .22 LR, allowing higher pressures. The combination of more powder and higher pressures gives velocities over 2,000 feet per second (610 m/s) from a rifle using a 30-grain (1.9 g) bullet, and 1,500 feet (460 m) per second (460 m/s) from a handgun. A .22 WMR round will not fit into the chamber of a .22 LR firearm but is possible to chamber and fire .22 LR rounds in a .22 WMR firearm. This is potentially hazardous due to the difference in case diameter. When fired, the .22 LR case expands in the chamber, which can cause the case to split open or become stuck. Also, the long rifle bullet will travel in the magnum chamber unsupported for 0.4" before entering the barrel causing leading in the chamber.

Uses
Since the .22 WMR generally uses the same weight bullets as the .22 Long Rifle, it is used in similar situations. The 40-grain (2.6 g) .22 WMR at 100 yards (91 m) still retains the same velocity as a .22 LR at the muzzle, which can provide improved penetration at all ranges and more reliable expansion at longer ranges with expanding bullets. If sighted in for maximum point blank range on a 3-inch (76 mm) high target, the 40-grain (2.6 g) .22 WMR can reach ranges of nearly 125 yards (114 m). This makes the .22 WMR an effective short to medium range varmint rifle cartridge. The relatively quiet report and negligible recoil also make it a very pleasant round to shoot for extended periods. The .22 WMR can take down small game such as rabbits, groundhogs, prairie dogs, foxes, racoons, and even coyotes at close range.

Firearms using .22 WMR

It first appeared in the Savage Model 24 combination rifle, followed by Winchester's own Model 61 pump action rifle. A number of single-shots and repeaters were offered in .22WMR. The .22 WMR operates at pressures beyond what normal blowback actions typically handle, but the self-loading Jefferson Model 159 was introduced for cartridge.[2] Until the 1990s, most .22 WMR firearms were bolt action rifles. In 1977-1985 Harrington and Richardson made the first American-made semiautomatic .22 WMR. In the 1990s semi-automatic .22 WMR rifles were also introduced by Sturm Ruger, Savage, and Marlin, and more recently Remington and Kel-Tec. Revolvers in .22 WMR are made by Smith & Wesson, Taurus, North American Arms, Tanfoglio, Heritage Arms, and Sturm Ruger. The Argentine EDDA submachine gun uses the .22 WMR round. Semi-automatic pistols for this cartridge are (or were) produced by Kel-Tec, Grendel and AMT, the latter two now defunct (AMT has been since resurrected by High Standard). The Grendel, AMT and Kel-Tec designs used specially designed chambers with flutes or gas ports, designed to lubricate the long, thin cartridge with gases from the chamber, overcoming the Blish effect and allowing easy extraction of the cartridge.[4] High-standard produced various models and versions of their classic two-shot over/under derringer in both .22 WMR and .22 LR.

Ammunition

.22 WMR Ratshot The .22WMR is little more than an enlarged, more powerful version of the much earlier .22 WRF[2] (which can also be fired in any firearm chambered for .22WMR).[5] It was for a time the most powerful rimfire round available,[6] and even outperformed the .22 WCF.[7]

While more powerful than the .22 Long Rifle, ammunition is not available in as large a variety as .22 LR. Availability is also not as great, either; while the .22 WMR is by no means hard to find, nearly every retailer that sells ammunition will carry .22 LR. The price of .22 WMR is substantially higher than almost all .22 LR, though it is less expensive than the new .17 Rimfire calibers. Since many of the rifles that chamber the .22 WMR use tubular magazines, bullet noses are generally flat or blunt to allow smooth feeding.[8] Recently, new bullets have emerged from Remington, CCI, and Hornady and have 30 or 33-grain (2.1 g) polymer plastic ballistic tips.

.22 Long, .22 LR, and .22 Winchester Magnum, respectively. While a pointed bullet is not going to rest against the primer of the round in front of it (as in a centerfire cartridge), a pointed bullet could still hang on the manufacturer's stamp, which is found in the middle of the base of the cartridge. Bullets for the .22 WMR are generally unlubricated lead with heavy copper plating, in either solid nose or hollow point style designed for small game hunting or pest control (varmint hunting). Due to the limited selection of commercial ammunition, the .22 WMR was the case used by a small but dedicated group of wildcatters for handloading high performance rimfire ammunition. Generally these loads would use more aerodynamic pointed bullets, the same type used by .22 caliber centerfire cartridges. While often heavier than standard .22 WMR bullets, the sharp nose and tapered tail retained velocity better, and delivered more energy downrange. Other wildcatters would neck the .22 WMR down to smaller calibers, such as .20 (5 mm) and .17 (4.5 mm) or even smaller, in an attempt to get maximum velocity and the flattest possible trajectory.[citation needed]

Applications
The .22 WMR is effective out to 125 yd (115 m) on varmints such as fox or coyote. When loaded with hollow-point bullets, it is too destructive for small game (under 50 yd [45 m]), such as rabbits or prairie dogs or anything intended for eating.[2] In 2011, Speer released a .22 magnum version of their Gold Dot Personal Protection ammo, and Hornady of their Critical Defense ammo.[12] Both are optimized for the short barrels found in selfdefense handguns. Both are made for self-defense.

See also

5 mm caliber List of handgun cartridges List of rifle cartridges List of rimfire cartridges

References
1. ^ Cartridges of the World 11th Edition, Book by Frank C. Barnes, Edited by Stan Skinner, Gun Digest Books, 2006, ISBN 978-0-89689-297-2 pp. 490, 492 2. ^ a b c d Barnes 1972, p.275, ".22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire". 3. ^ Frank C. Barnes, ed. Stan Skinner. Cartridges of the World, 10th Ed.. Krause Publications. ISBN 9780-87349-605-6. 4. ^ "AMT AutoMag". Archived from the original on June 16, 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20090616032529/http://www.highstandard.com/amt_automag.html. 5. ^ Barnes 1972, p.275, ".22 Winchester Rimfire (WRF)". 6. ^ Barnes, p.275, ".22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire". 7. ^ Barnes 1972, p.275, ".22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire". 8. ^ Sparano, Vin (2000). The Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 9780-312-26722-3. 9. ^ "Remington Magnum Rimfire: 22 Win Mag PR22M1 33-grain AccuTip-V". Remington Arms Company, Inc.. Archived from the original on 2008-05-30. http://web.archive.org/web/20080530170242/http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/rimfire/m agnum_rimfire.asp. Retrieved 2008-06-17. 10. ^ "CCI: Varmint 0073 22 Magnum RF V-MAX 30-grain poly-tip". CCI. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080516032801/http://www.cciammunition.com/ballistics/rimfire.aspx. Retrieved 2008-06-17. 11. ^ "Hornady: 22 WMR 30-grain V-MAX". Hornady Manufacturing, Inc.. http://web.archive.org/web/20090210190834/http://www.hornady.com/shop/?page=shop%2Fbrowse&c ategory_id=9b26ee2729baf268e4ae1c61acde17cc. Retrieved 2008-06-17. 12. ^ "Hornady: 22 WMR 45 gr Critical Defense". Hornady Manufacturing, Inc.. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. http://web.archive.org/web/20110723150254/http://www.hornady.com/store/22-WMR45gr-Critical-Defense/. Retrieved 2011-05-14.

Barnes, Frank C., ed. by John T. Amber. ".22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire", in Cartridges of the World, pp. 275. Northfield, IL: DBI Books, 1972. ISBN 978-0-695-80326-1. Cartridges of the World 11th Edition, Book by Frank C. Barnes, Edited by Stan Skinner, Gun Digest Books, 2006, ISBN 978-0-89689-297-2 p. 479