The .22 rimfire is the most versatile cartridge available today. There are hundreds of brands worldwide, and hundreds of different types of .22 ammunition. There is a .22 made for every possible purpose one can imagine. Many shooters get confused with the many types of .22's available. Some of these cartridges are interchangeable and others are not. Dealers, as well as, shooters sometimes mislabel or misidentify different types of .22 ammunition. The following is a brief description of the current .22 rimfire being manufactured. It will only discuss size characteristics in relation to one another.
1) The Flobert BB Cap from RWS is the smallest .22 rimfire currently being manufactured. It is about half the size of a .22 Short with a lead BB atop. Case length is .284 inches. Overall length is .343 inches.
2) The Flobert CB Cap from RWS is the only "true" Conical Bullet cartridge, thus the name "CB". It is still about half the size of a .22 Short. The Flobert CB Cap uses the same case as above.
3) The .22 Short is the oldest American cartridge. It is normally loaded with a 29 gr bullet. The case length is .423 inches. Overall length is .686 inches.
4) The .22 Long. This is where the confusion begins. The .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle are often thought of as the same cartridge, but they are not and may not be interchangeable, depending on the firearm. The .22 Long uses a .22 Long Rifle case (.595 in), but is loaded with a .22 Short bullet (29 gr.). The overall length of a .22 Long is .880 in, while the .22 Long Rifle is .975 inches long. Try shooting .22 Long out of a firearm designed to shoot only .22 LR and you will quickly understand the difference - Feeding problems!
5) The .22 Long Rifle cartridge is the most common today. As discuss before, .22 LR cartridge is a different size from the other .22 rimfire mentioned. It is important to note here that there is no danger in shooting one of the smaller cartridges in a .22 LR firearm, but if the firearm is an auto-loader or magazine feed bolt action, the smaller .22 rimfire will not function the action, and likely jam any feeding tubes or magazines. The smaller cartridges must be loaded one at a time in an auto-loader or bolt action to prevent this problem. However, you cannot shoot a .22 Long Rifle in a firearm design only for one of the smaller cartridges listed (1 to 4).
6) The .22 WRF (Winchester Rimfire) is still being produces in limited quantities. This cartridges was designed for the older model Winchester 1890. The .22 WRF is very similar in size to the .22 Magnum, but with velocities in the 1400 fps range. The .22 WRF and .22 Magnum cartridges are NOT interchangeable.
7) The .22 Magnum (WMR - Winchester Magnum Rimfire) has a case length of 1.052 inches and an overall length of 1.35 inches. The .22 Magnum cartridge has a larger case diameter than the other 1 through 6 listed above, thus one should not shoot any other rimfire cartridge in a firearm designed for a .22 Magnum.
8) The .22 Winchester Automatic has been produced in limited quantities and is currently available. This cartridge is NOT interchangeable with any other rimfire cartridge.
There are other rimfire cartridges that are not listed because they are no longer in production. These obsolete cartridges are not interchangeable with "modern" rimfire ammunition of today. Collectors seek out most of these cartridges and those shooters who still have the old guns. The obsolete cartridges are: 5mm Remington Rimfire Magnum, .22 Extra Long, .22 Remington Automatic, and .22 ILARCO (.22 Short Magnum).
Welcome to the world of the .22 Rimfire. Enjoy what other .22 shooters have already discovered - the endless section and variety of cartridges available.
