Why aren't there semi-auto .22 Hornet rifles in the UK?

[Len the dog]

Maybe one is on its way - if this takes off….

Winchester Introduces 3,000 fps Rimfire Cartridge

Winchester officially announced the .17 Winchester Super Magnum cartridge today, and it does appear to be the fastest and most powerful rimfire cartridge ever.Two flavors have been announced so far; a 20-grain bullet reaching 3,000 feet per second, and a 25-grain bullet traveling at 2,600 feet...

www.thefirearmblog.com

Will this still suffer from split necks?

 

[25 Sharps]

Oh, my bad, I thought it was rimfire.

OK, so the follow on question:

People spent a lot of brain power coming up with MARS rifles so that they were (at the time) UK legal. Why hasn't anyone made a big .22 rimfire cartridge? Bigger than a 22WMR?

Because the uk market is tiny and developing and launching a new cartridge is expensive. Adapting an existing rifle design with a couple of new parts is not.

None of the uk ammunition suppliers (Eley) are going to bother.

A shame as the .17 WSM would be great necked up to .22 and I still think they missed a trick not doing a .20 version.

This cartridge probably wouldn’t be great in semi though, the rims are very thick so require a strong spring for the striker. Very noticeable on the savage rifles and I don’t think it would work well on a blow back semi.

 

[25 Sharps]

Maybe one is on its way - if this takes off….

Winchester Introduces 3,000 fps Rimfire Cartridge

Winchester officially announced the .17 Winchester Super Magnum cartridge today, and it does appear to be the fastest and most powerful rimfire cartridge ever.Two flavors have been announced so far; a 20-grain bullet reaching 3,000 feet per second, and a 25-grain bullet traveling at 2,600 feet...

www.thefirearmblog.com

It’s been around for ages and it hasn’t taken off on either side of the pond!

 

[Husky]

But..... Can you imagine your FEO'S reaction if there was a .300 magnum rim fire and a semi auto to use it in

 

[25 Sharps]

But..... Can you imagine your FEO'S reaction if there was a .300 magnum rim fire and a semi auto to use it in

Wouldn’t be legal though, it has to be .22…..

 

[Husky]

Wouldn’t be legal though, it has to be .22…..

Dam, would have been funny tho

Edit, a rim fire 223 and semi auto

 

[Foxyboy43]

It’s been around for ages and it hasn’t taken off on either side of the pond!

Aye, only one I know of is a scattergun. Proverbial barn doors are totally intact.

 

[harrygrey382]

A shame as the .17 WSM would be great necked up to .22 and I still think they missed a trick not doing a .20 version.

This cartridge probably wouldn’t be great in semi though, the rims are very thick so require a strong spring for the striker. Very noticeable on the savage rifles and I don’t think it would work well on a blow back semi.

They exist. I know a bloke who imported a 17 WSM M4, was a hoot to shoot with 20rnd mags

 

[25 Sharps]

Dam, would have been funny tho

Edit, a rim fire 223 and semi auto

I mean you can get ar15 clones in .22 Lr and .22 magnum, which are fun!

 

[25 Sharps]

They exist. I know a bloke who imported a 17 WSM M4, was a hoot to shoot with 20rnd mags

Probably quite good for defeating body armour to boot!

 

[Oracle]

Rimfires have, I think always been small bore rounds. (Although probably someone will be along shortly to refute that, so maybe I should say mostly always). The obsolete pin fire system was used in larger calibre pistols, but that died out for a reason. A few reasons really, when compared to more modern systems (such as rimfire and centre fire).

The original Henry rifle developed in the 1860s shot a .44 calibre lead rimfire cartridge at about 1100fps and muzzle energy of around 600ft lbs. Think it was generally known as the Henry Flat and was able to be shot in .44 rimfire handguns of the same era.

 

[badmolassesaccident]

I was thinking someone could make a .22 rimfire which uses the same 55 grain bullets as in an AR, with a rimfire case and coming out about 2000 fps.

 

[palmer_mike]

I was thinking someone could make a .22 rimfire which uses the same 55 grain bullets as in an AR, with a rimfire case and coming out about 2000 fps.

Dangerous game to play……
If rimfire ammunition was developed to mimic (or even come close to) the performance of 223/5.56, I’d expect a ban on semi auto rimfires to follow swiftly on.

 

[enfieldspares]

Dangerous game to play……
If rimfire ammunition was developed to mimic (or even come close to) the performance of 223/5.56, I’d expect a ban on semi auto rimfires to follow swiftly on.

Yes and done under the clause that those friends of shooting aka the Tory Party when in Government had written into Mrs Thatcher's 1988 ban.

 

[palmer_mike]

Yes and done under the clause that those friends of shooting aka the Tory Party when in Government had written into Mrs Thatcher's 1988 ban.

I feel confident that the Labour Party would do the same if they were in power at the time

 

[Namman]

Dangerous game to play……
If rimfire ammunition was developed to mimic (or even come close to) the performance of 223/5.56, I’d expect a ban on semi auto rimfires to follow swiftly on.

Exactly that .

 

[Smellydog]

It is perfectly reasonable to have an automatic 22 rimfire built on a blow back design of much more power than WMR.
There are delayed blow back designs.
Put simply the blow back is two stage. Stage #1 unlocks the partially locked or interupted bolt arrangement and stage #2 is full blow back from residual pressure to cycle the action.
To aid the heavy spring loading of the bolt in powerful cartridges used in a blowback design the chamber can also be fluted to aid the cartridge releasing from the chamber wall a little sooner after peak pressure drops. It increases functuallity.

 

[Muir]

It is perfectly reasonable to have an automatic 22 rimfire built on a blow back design of much more power than WMR.
There are delayed blow back designs.
Put simply the blow back is two stage. Stage #1 unlocks the partially locked or interupted bolt arrangement and stage #2 is full blow back from residual pressure to cycle the action.
To aid the heavy spring loading of the bolt in powerful cartridges used in a blowback design the chamber can also be fluted to aid the cartridge releasing from the chamber wall a little sooner after peak pressure drops. It increases functuallity.

A lot of things are possible that aren't feasible. ~Muir

 

[Bowland blades]

Let us not forget that the 22 hornet was the 22 cf black powder pistol cartridge before we put nitro in it and turned it into a rifle cartridge ( all the first where actually made from rechambered RF rifles ) hence the 223 / 224 thing
It would not be a great feeding rifle due to the rimmed case, which often is a feeding / loading issue in / from the magazines
The 223 is however a wonderfully designed semi auto cartridge , likewise the 222 which also came close to Nato selection at one stage

 

[Smellydog]

Let us not forget that the 22 hornet was the 22 cf black powder pistol cartridge before we put nitro in it and turned it into a rifle cartridge ( all the first where actually made from rechambered RF rifles ) hence the 223 / 224 thing
It would not be a great feeding rifle due to the rimmed case, which often is a feeding / loading issue in / from the magazines
The 223 is however a wonderfully designed semi auto cartridge , likewise the 222 which also came close to Nato selection at one stage

I have no reference to it being a pistol cartridge. Only that Winchester adopted it from Springfield experimental trials and started producing it before any rifles were available. No mention of pistols.
And please, if it was a pistol cartridge, why must we not forget it?