.22LR out of a .22WMR?
First off, you all will have to pardon my ignorance regarding the subject. Not too keen on ballistics etc. My question is: Can I fire a .22 LR out of a gun chambered for .22 WMR? For instance the Marlin 783 bolt action. any advice would be helpful.
IJ
IJ
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You'll likely get mixed answers on this, but I've done it a lot. For a bolt gun you shouldn't have any trouble at all, but you might have to load 'em one at a time if it doesn't feed right. It's akin to shooting .38 specials out of a .357 magnum.
They have made quite a few guns that are chambered for Shorts, Longs, and Long Rifle. However, I can't recall ever seeing one that also included .22 mag - not saying they never made 'em, I just can't recall one.0 -
.22 WMR has the same Diam. Bullet but has a Case that is longer and about .014 larger Diam.
I know a few people that say they do as you do,but I believe any Manufacturer would recomend that you not do this.
I persoally do not do that.
I am confused at times.
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The bullets are the same diameter, but as s.gun notes, the LR casing is smaller in both diameter & length. Over time, you would find a build-up of lead and powder residue in the chamber which could well impair use of the proper cartridge until you scrub it out. Of far more concern (to me) would be the resiliency of the LR casing. Brass is the material of choice for cartridges because of its elastic properties - it expands to seal the chamber and contracts for comparatively easy extraction. The problem comes when it expands more than "X" amount, exceeding the elasticity of the metal; the case will rupture. This may / may not be an issue with this combo. In a true emergency, I'd not hesitate, as it certainly won't cause the firearm to fail, but I'd not count on more than one shot, as it might not be possible to extract the fired case without poking it out from the muzzle or engaging in some other unusual procedure. There's a good reason - beside liability - manufacturers don't encourage such practices. My Ruger single six came with two cylinders - one for regular .22 and the other for the WMR - and instructions not to shoot the smaller round in the WMR cylinder . . . and I can't think of an action which could be cleared any easier than a single action revolver! This is not like shooting Longs or Shorts in a LR . . . the casing is not supported adequately.
And, iron, the only dumb questions are those you don't ask.0 -
I forgot which cylinder was in and accidently loaded 22 long rifle rounds into my single action revolver. They would not fire. I've never tried it in a rifle but I suspect that just as a constant diet of .38's in a .357 mag will sometimes cause a build up that prevents .357 ammo from chambering, you might have the same problem firing 22 LR in a 22 Mag. 
Semper Fi
Remember Ruby Ridge.
edit = I didn't mean to beat a dead horse here, Iconoclast and I were typing replies at the same time.0 -
they do have the same size bullet(.22), but the case is larger(.22lr: .225, 22WMR: .24) and the "Rim" is a different size (22lr: .275, 22WMR: .29), which is part of the ejection problem. The cases I measured were both manufactered by CCI.
Glock 19C
Henry Lever Action 22Mag
Marlin/Glenfield Mod 60
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I've done it in a Ruger single six they shot ok , never tried it in a rifle but I would guess you could do it IF YOU HAD TOO but I don't think its a good idea , the 22mag case is larger the the 22lr , you can take spent 22lr and slide it inside a spent 22mag case , if you really wanted too you can take and cut the head off of 22mag cases and use them as inserts , but thats a lot of work and the 22lr case likes to stick inside the mag case , much easier to just buy a 22lr rifle 0 -
A few years ago I had a Mossberg 22 Mag. bolt rifle brought in. The young guys said that they couldn't hit a thing with it. They had been firing 22LR ammo in it. There were 18 bullets stuck about 1/2 way down the bore and a slight bulge had developed. The 22LR casing did not expand enough to seal the chamber and allow the pressure to send the bullets completely down the barrel. They were very lucky that they did not fire a magnum round after plugging the barrel.
The practice of firing 22LR ammo in a 22 Magnum chambered firearm should be avoided entirely (unless you have a revolver with an accessory cylinder).
Bambihunter: I must disagree with your example of 38 Special/357 Mag. as being the same idea. The 38/357 use the same cartridge/bullet diameter; however, the 22/22 Magnum does not use the same diameter. The 22 Mag. casing is quite a bit larger(as mentioned earlier) in diameter than the 22LR and even the bullet diameter is different (22LR is .223 and the 22Mag is .224). You are correct in that they do not make a rifle for 22S-L-LR and 22 Mag. interchangeably.0 -
Its a good way to have a case failure, the 22WMR has the same bullet diameter as the 22LR but doesn't use a recessed hollowbase bullet. On a 22LR the bullet is narrowed at the back so the bullet and case are nearly the same diameter. It would be more akin to shooting .380ACP in a 9mm Makarov, it can be done, but its a good way to hurt yourself or the gun.
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I am in complete agreement with Ronald J. Snow... and will repeat this A 22 LR bullet is NOT the same diameter as the 22 WMR
Bert H.
Real Men use a SINGLE-SHOT!0 -
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO DO THIS INSANE TRICK??
I WOULD RATHER BE DUCK HUNTING.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Bert H.
A 22 LR bullet is NOT the same diameter as the 22 WMR
I also agree that there are two different bullet diameters used for these two rimfires, and I strongly recommend that you DO NOT fire .22 LR in a .22 WMR chambered firearm of any type.
.22 LR ammo uses a bullet diameter of .222"
.22 WMR bullets (as well as barrel groove diamter) are .224" (same as .22 centerfire calibers such as .222, .223, .22-250, .220 Swift, etc)
Case diameter for the .22 LR is small enough that a case rupture would indeed be quite possible in a Magnum chamber.
Mark
WHEELGUNS..... is REAL GUNS!!! [;)]0
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