Like stagecoaches, swinging saloon doors and Pony Express riders, there are many innovations of the Old West that have long faded from use and live on only in Western movies and history books. But there are still a few frontier staples that were so effective and ahead of their time that they remain in use today. Take, for instance, the intimidating octagonal barrels commonly found on the repeating rifles of that period. These heavy-duty workhorses sported added mass and extra weight to aid in heat absorption, making them the forerunners to the bull barrels used on modern target and varmint rifles.
Caliber Dictionary
The Below Information Has Been Provided From Our Gun Caliber Dictionary And Is Meant For Informational Purposes Only. It Is Not Intended to Describe The Unique Specifications For This Ammunition.
The 22 Magnum is properly called the 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire or 22 WMR. It uses a considerably longer 1.0551-inch than the .22 Long Rifle and propels a 40-grain jacketed bullet at considerably higher velocity, up to 1910 feet per second. Other choices include lighter bullets, down to 30 grains at 2250 fps; and heavier bullets up to 50 grains at 1530 fps. The 22 Magnum was introduced by Winchester in 1959. It has remained popular ever since, but although it is much faster and more powerful it has never approached the 22 Long Rifle in popularity. It is offered by all firms who load rimfire ammunition, with wide choices in both rifles and handguns. A historic problem is that it has been very difficult to make it function consistently in semiautomatics, but it offers capability for small and game varmints to at least 125 yards, thus filling a gap between the .22 Long Rifle and centerfire .22 Hornet. — Craig Boddington
