Ammo Expert. Why are centerfire bullets more reliable than Rimfire?

Any .22 that is centerfire. I think it has to do with how the primer is spread around the edge that makes it somewhat less reliable.

Obviously the 223 is ever so slightly larger than a 22, but do Any 22LR have a center fire? Probably not.

Do they not use a different primer in centerfire rounds also, like fulminated silver or something? the only rimfire ive ever seen are .22, id imagine the thicker brass on larger calibre rounds means the hammer has to hit the edge of the round way harder, meaning more wear on the parts? i guess this is less of an issue with primers as they can be thinner metal than the rest of the round and still maintain enough integrty for the expansion pressures inside the round when its struck.

It wouldn't be a .22lr if it was centerfire. .22 WMR is centerfire.

i meant to say centerfire primers, here.

I think ive figured it out, i guess with center fire calibres the triggering of the primer means the expansion gasses of the powder travel outwards in a bubble and if the primer is at the side, the pressure of the expanding bubble hits the lead projectile at a skewed angle, creating a less realiable pressure dynamic inside the round, whereass when the primer is in the center the center of the bubble hits the center of the lead projectile first and the pressure dynamic is more unified towards the center of the projector thus the rounds realiability is more assured.

Also ive just read that rimfire has significantly less pressure, and the brass is actually much thinner too, as the hammer has to hit the round edge.

Correction. .22 WMR is not centerfire, i though it was. .22 Hornet is.

I know they say .22 rimfire are less reliable. I have fired hundreds of thousands of .22 rounds. I have only had a few( less than 5) not fire when struck. I have had dozens of centerfire rounds fail to fire. In my experience .22 is at least as reliable. Mileage may vary.

Centerfire much more reliable. They have a self contained primer built for that purpose.

Because the primer bead is built into the casing on a rim fire, there are more manufacturers defects.

I don't think u find rimfire larger than .22 & if your weapon was rimfire that would account for the centerfire fails

This is really about me wanting a 22 pocket pistol and the general concensus is that rimfires aren't reliable enough for self protection. Do they make a 22WMR pocket pistol?

What do you consider the most reliable brand 22? CCI?

Reading material....

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Use CCI rimfire . 99.99999999999 percent success rate.

CCI is good ammo.

Rimfire does not, per se, have a separate primer.

Centerfire does have a primer in the center of the cartridge casing.

Rimfire uses a lower charge and much smaller bullets than centerfire ammunition. And fires at a much lower speed in terms of feet per second travel of the bullet once fired.

They do. Look at the North American Arms derringer. You can get one that has two cylinders, one for .22 long rifle and the other for .22 WMR.

The concern for rimfire pocket pistols isn't as much ammunition failure as it is the potential effect, or lack thereof, of a 40 grain lead bullet fired at, compared to centerfire ammunition, low speeds.

If you're up close and personal? It'd would likely suffice. If you're at a distance likely not so much.

Why the interest in that caliber as a pocket pistol?

I want a really small pocket pistol and it doesn't get much smaller than 22. I'm looking at the ruger LCPII 22LR. I think that the CCI Velocitor would do the job.
I had an American Arms 5shot 22 and it was actually too small for me. My DIL carries it, or at least she has it. I saw her packing a 40cal recently.

Last Edited by Bennder on 05/31/2020 11:19 PM

Rimfire priming compound is spun into the rim of the casing.
If it’s not evenly distributed misfire can happen.

Cartridge rims can cause magazine feeding issues.

A 22 rimfire also is a poor self defense ammunition.