The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have been manufactured in this caliber.
It is occasionally referred to by its metric designation of 5.6x15mmR. The cartridge originated from the Flobert BB Cap of 1845 through the .22 Smith & Wesson cartridge of 1857, and was developed by the J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company in 1887 by combining the casing of the .22 Long with the 40-grain (2.6 g) bullet of the .22 Extra Long. For many decades, it has been a very popular cartridge around the world. It is one of the few cartridges that are accepted by a large variety of rifles, as well as pistols.
Virtually every manufacturer of cartridge firearms makes at least one model chambering it, and this has been true for more than a century. The .22 Long Rifle and related cartridges (.22 Short, .22 Long and .22 Extra Long) use a heeled bullet, which means that the bullet is the same diameter as the case, and has a narrower "heel" portion that fits in the case.
The low cost, minimal recoil, and relatively low noise make the .22 LR an ideal cartridge for recreational shooting, initial firearms training, and pest control, and it is often purchased in bulk. The round is popular among novice shooters and experts alike. .22 LR is commonly packaged in boxes of either 100 or 50 rounds, and is often sold by the brick, a carton containing either 10 boxes of 50 rounds or loose cartridges totalling 500 rounds, or the case containing 10 cartons totalling 5,000 rounds.
Handgun .22 LR Recreational Shooting
Handgun .22 LR Conversion Kits.
