.22LR reliability?

[bladeracer]

Years ago I had quite a collection of dud .22LR rounds, all of which I'd hit numerous times without success.

It occurs to me now though, in the last 3000-odd .22LR rounds I haven't had even one single dud.
Has the priming improved to such an extent in three decades that the "unreliable rimfire ignition" is now pure history?

[Gamerancher]

No. You just don't shoot enough.
They can still be subject to reliability problems, a lot of which has to do with storage and handling. Extremes of temperature are not good for it. A mate who recently moved fron N.Q down to Albury has been getting about 30% FTF with match grade ammo he brought down with him. ( two cases in total , that's 10000 rounds ) Anyone want to buy some cheap 22 ammo?
A recent batch of a high grade European brand that I use has been giving me roughly 1 in 40 FTF, not happy about it, but I reckon it's a similar problem given the heat we've been getting here over summer. Sh*t happens.

[Gwion]

That sucks. You should be able to get some come back from manufacturers, I reckon.

[GLS_1956]

I've found that while 22 ammo is now more abundant than it has been for a few years, the reliability of said same ammo has improved. While I do tend to buy the cheaper stuff as a whole and most of what I do buy now is bulk packed, I've notice that I do get fewer FTF than I was just a few years back, especially the years preceding the reduced availability.

The worst performing, when it came to going bang, was the Remington Thunderbolt ammo, which I would have the greatest FTF on a first strike, and more than any other brand wouldn't go off with repeated tries even in a gun which would strike harder on the rim. Now I get less than 3 FTF per 50 rds.

[bladeracer]

No. You just don't shoot enough.
They can still be subject to reliability problems, a lot of which has to do with storage and handling. Extremes of temperature are not good for it. A mate who recently moved fron N.Q down to Albury has been getting about 30% FTF with match grade ammo he brought down with him. ( two cases in total , that's 10000 rounds ) Anyone want to buy some cheap 22 ammo?
A recent batch of a high grade European brand that I use has been giving me roughly 1 in 40 FTF, not happy about it, but I reckon it's a similar problem given the heat we've been getting here over summer. Sh*t happens.

Point one is absolutely correct
I wonder if he took some back up to Qld if it would go back to what it was or if it has "gone off" permanently?

I've got some very old ammo - T22, SuperSpeed, ICI Civic High Speed LR and ICI Civic Long, that so far also works just fine. We don't think Rose's dad bought any fresh ammo since the eighties at least.

[deye243]

funny you brought this up BR as just the other day I had 2 fail (Winchester subsonic) now what made me

think because in the last 15 bricks of that cheap Winchester 555 in the last 3 years I have had not 1

FTF but I will say this I had a bit of water ingress in the gun room last spring and the 2 cases that were duds

were heavily discoloured so I put this down to moisture as I have only ever had 2 winsubs FTF even from as

far back when they were in a white box (who remembers them) .

[bladeracer]

The only reason I thought of it was I was reading about hostage rescue teams that will carry a suppressed .22LR pistol or rifle to take out security lights and such. Obviously they're not relying on it functioning 100% like their primary and secondary weapons, but the historical reliability that .22LR has, it made me wonder why they would even consider integrating it into their methods.

[deye243]

I don't know if they still do but vicpol used to have some cz 22 with mufflers for the same reason and street lights .

[Gamerancher]

Bladeracer said "I wonder if he took some back up to Qld if it would go back to what it was or if it has "gone off" permanently?"

My thoughts are that it's a moisture problem, the high heat/humidity in Townsville where he was, somehow allowing moisture in to the powder column. When he traveled south the condensation from cooler weather ruining the powder? He struck this problem with some handloads for his .45-70 at the Lever Action Silhouette Nationals in Melbourne a few years ago. Had a heap that wouldn't fire and when we pulled a couple of bullets found the powder had "congealed", couldn't even get it to light with a match. His .44 Mag loads were fine, only difference was he loaded those rounds with a crimp.
Now I know that .22 LR rounds are crimped but if you grab hold of the bullet, you will find that most are easily turned in the crimp. It is usually not a tight crimp.

[bladeracer]

Well...after my post last night, you wouldn't read about it
I just had a MiniMag do a slow burn followed by a phut. No sound or sight of a bullet hitting the ground ahead.
Pulled the bolt to make sure the bullet left the bore. It was clear but with a heavy layer of powder residue laying in the bottom of the bore.

So, although it doesn't end up as the start of a tub of dud rounds, I think it still counts as a failure

[Gamerancher]

It's a bit like telling someone how you haven't had a flat tyre, battery, whatever in ages. Guarantees you one the next day!
No matter what it is, there are always two kinds of people: those that have had it happen and those that will have it happen.

Don't forget to "lock-up" your collection of "duds". Still counts as "live" ammo as far as the authorities are concerned. Stupid I know, but that's the rules.
I just pull the bullet, tip any powder out and turf the case.

[deye243]

[b]It's a bit like telling someone how you haven't had a flat tyre, battery, whatever in ages.[/b] Guarantees you one the next day!
No matter what it is, there are always two kinds of people: those that have had it happen and those that will have it happen.

Don't forget to "lock-up" your collection of "duds". Still counts as "live" ammo as far as the authorities are concerned. Stupid I know, but that's the rules.
I just pull the bullet, tip any powder out and turf the case.

you forgot the windscreen and yes I have had all over the years

[Gamerancher]

Worst thing someone can ask me, "Gee, you have a lot of wheels on that truck, do you get many flat tyres?"

[on_one_wheel]

Iv'e mainly had misfires with ammo that's been subjected to extreme heat a few times.

Now I store less ammo at home to avoid using old ammo and I don't store boxes in places that get hot.

[Gamerancher]

Short of putting air-conditioning in the gun room, it's a bit hard trying to keep things cool here. While Sydney was "sweltering" in extreme "record" temperatures of 44C, out here in the west of the state we were cracking 50's. The BOM's record temperatures are a farce, they refuse to take into account any historical data. If it wasn't "officially" recorded it didn't happen. Charles Sturts exploration party recorded temperatures of up to 69 degrees C whilst stranded at Depot Glen in 1845.

[p3seven]

I have had 3 missfires in 2 brands with over 1500 rounds fired since l started shooting again. All fired when l rotated them away from the original strike mark. So that was a primer material distribution problem.

Of more concern is batch to batch variation. My latest brick of standard ammo is shooting 1/2 MOA on average worse than the previous brick. Buts that life, l'm only a brick away from being a better shot.

[straightshooter]

Just about all 22 rimfire misfires can be traced back to some sort of issue with the firing pin blow.
I have Czechoslovakian ammo from the early 50's and ICI ammo from the 60's both of which will function reliably in my Brno but are very unreliable in my Krico.
When misfires happen with newer ammo in the Krico it means dismantling the bolt and giving it a good clean.

[Gamerancher]

Yeah, no. Sometimes it is the firing pin, sometimes it is faulty priming, sometimes it's a mismatch of chamber/bolt and ammo, i.e. headspace.
When you get a misfire that you then rotate, fire again, misfire, rotate, misfire....then pull the bullet only to find a congealed mess of what should be powder, you have a contamination problem. Whether it is from moisture or melted lube, who knows. I just know from experience that it usually coincides with the ammo having been exposed to large temperature/humidity variations. This is in my experience after firing tens of thousands of rounds.

[Carter]

How many years is "years ago"?

Like 5 or 20?

[on_one_wheel]

So this happened today.

Dud round

20170301_122348.jpg (780.34 KiB) Viewed 5100 times

I was thinking of this thread when I left home today so I grabbed the oldest packet of ammo I could find

After missfiring I held my aim for 10 seconds in case I had a hang fire.
Once I was happy the round wasn't going to fire like some kind of fused bomb I removed the round and reloaded it to strike another part of the rim ... same again ... nothing.

Old box

20170301_123223.jpg (1.74 MiB) Viewed 5100 times

This particular box of ammo is quite a few years old as you can tell by the old style packaging. It has been stored in what I would consider high temperatures several 40 + degree days over several years in a lockbox inside a shed that gets very hot.

Powder

20170301_123409.jpg (694.57 KiB) Viewed 5100 times

As you can see some of the green priming compound has come out with the powder. There is evidence of powder sticking to the underside of the projectile indicating that the wax has possibly melted and wicked it's way inside.

Inside after tipping out the power

20170301_123701.jpg (616.13 KiB) Viewed 5100 times

Powder and possibly priming compound sticking inside the case.

Inside 2 after tipping out the power.

20170301_123732.jpg (612.01 KiB) Viewed 5100 times

This pack has had atleast 2 in 5 shots noticeably under powered and 2 missfires.

Remember SAFETY FIRST always hold your aim for a period of time after a missfire incase of a hangfire ( delayed shot )

[deanp100]

I fired thousands and thousands of rounds during my childhood , usually Ici civic, or eley or even cheap Stirling and didn't have a misfire, ever until recent years with magtech and some cheap bulk back Winchester. I think manufacturing has increased tenfold but quality control has slipped.

[deanp100]

I fired thousands and thousands of rounds during my childhood , usually Ici civic, or eley or even cheap Stirling and didn't have a misfire, ever until recent years with magtech and some cheap bulk back Winchester. I think manufacturing has increased tenfold but quality control has slipped.

[Cooper]

I found a unloaded case in my 555 Winchester bulk the other day. I probably don't shoot .22 enough can't remember even having a dud in a rifle. Used to shoot a .22 pistol as a Junior 20 years ago. Had a few that didn't go bang.

[Oldbloke]

In 44 years only had 1 or 2 misfires. Perhaps 5000 rounds at most though.
Use all my ammo on a 1st in 1st out basis.
Always stored in more or less cool environment.