What killed the Large Caliber Rimfires?
- Thread starter Zorro
- Start date
The large caliber centerfires did. 
I believe centerfire primers are much more reliable and effective in igniting the charge. Ever notice you have more duds with a .22 than a centerfire caliber? Yep.
The downside to centerfire primers is they take up more space than rimfire, so you can't fit em on a .22 or these new .17s.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
I believe centerfire primers are much more reliable and effective in igniting the charge. Ever notice you have more duds with a .22 than a centerfire caliber? Yep.
The downside to centerfire primers is they take up more space than rimfire, so you can't fit em on a .22 or these new .17s.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Mike Irwin
Staff
Reloading, reliability, cost, and power.
You can't reload rimfire cases without special equipment and without handling quantities of raw, explosive priming compound. Not fun. And, reloading a rimfire still doesn't iron out the indentation on the rim. You would have to, on subsequent loadings, orient the rim properly or have a misfire.
Reliability Fatcat has touched on.
Cost is the fact that it takes special, and expensive, equipment to fold the case heads.
The power aspect comes from the fact that folded heads, by their very nature, have to be thin to allow the firing pin to deliver a sufficient blow to detonate the priming compound. In today's high-intensity rounds, the thickness of the hollow rim would have to be extreme to contain the pressures.
And, generally, another consideration is that many of the rimfire rounds never proved to be all that accurate. Why, I'm not sure.
You can't reload rimfire cases without special equipment and without handling quantities of raw, explosive priming compound. Not fun. And, reloading a rimfire still doesn't iron out the indentation on the rim. You would have to, on subsequent loadings, orient the rim properly or have a misfire.
Reliability Fatcat has touched on.
Cost is the fact that it takes special, and expensive, equipment to fold the case heads.
The power aspect comes from the fact that folded heads, by their very nature, have to be thin to allow the firing pin to deliver a sufficient blow to detonate the priming compound. In today's high-intensity rounds, the thickness of the hollow rim would have to be extreme to contain the pressures.
And, generally, another consideration is that many of the rimfire rounds never proved to be all that accurate. Why, I'm not sure.
Modern Improvements...
May get the design and manufacturing boys looking afresh at rimfire loadings in larger calibers. F'instance, the powder used in the new .17 HMR, according to the article on this new loading in the March 2002 American Rifleman, is the "reletively new Hodgon propellant called Lil'Gun. I've loaded .22 Hornet with this powder, and it has one notable charicteristic... significantly lower chamber pressures in max loads than the older powders. If it works in the little cases, and the old loads like 44-40 used by the Cowboy shooters, it may be a modern answer to the larger rimfires as well.
May get the design and manufacturing boys looking afresh at rimfire loadings in larger calibers. F'instance, the powder used in the new .17 HMR, according to the article on this new loading in the March 2002 American Rifleman, is the "reletively new Hodgon propellant called Lil'Gun. I've loaded .22 Hornet with this powder, and it has one notable charicteristic... significantly lower chamber pressures in max loads than the older powders. If it works in the little cases, and the old loads like 44-40 used by the Cowboy shooters, it may be a modern answer to the larger rimfires as well.
Master Blaster
New member
.17 HMR is a very small .17 cal .17 grain bullet, Its purpose to sell more guns.
.22lr is large caliber by comparison.
Reliability and reloadability are very important factors in any round.
.22lr is large caliber by comparison.
Reliability and reloadability are very important factors in any round.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Zorro, big rimfires is what they did before they learned how to do better. Sorta like the change from solid tires to balloon tires, be it bicycle or car. Manufacture lasted as long as it did only because of the existence of shootable rimfire pistols.
Basically, there ain't nuthin' a big rimfire will do that needs doin', that ain't done better by centerfire.
Never forget that folks go into manufacturing because a demand exists. First the demand, then the product. When the demand drops away, manufacturers go to different products. That's why there's a dearth of buggy-whip manufacturers. "If I build it, they will come." is a sure-fire recipe for Chapter 7.
, Art
Basically, there ain't nuthin' a big rimfire will do that needs doin', that ain't done better by centerfire.
Never forget that folks go into manufacturing because a demand exists. First the demand, then the product. When the demand drops away, manufacturers go to different products. That's why there's a dearth of buggy-whip manufacturers. "If I build it, they will come." is a sure-fire recipe for Chapter 7.
, ArtJake 98c/11b
New member
Mike, I don't know what you do for fun but to me dealing with quantities of explosives IS what I do for fun, and one of the reasons I joined the military in the first place. Don't see much fun in trying to reload rimfires though.
Mike Irwin
Staff
Remind me to sit on the other side of the restaurant from you, Jake.
And I think I have a T-shirt for you, too...
And I think I have a T-shirt for you, too...
