.22 wrf

[lsgh70]

Can anyone give me the lo down on this calibre? Is it exactly the same as a .22LR...probably not as it doesn't feed properly into the pum I own.
Any help would be appreciated. Tried Googling but nothing conclusive.
Thanks,
Willy

 

[NorthCoastBigBore]

Winchester Rim Fire - no not the same as .22 LR. Don't have "Cartridges of the World" at the ready but I am 90% certain the dimensions are not the same. Used to have some .22 WRF around here, not sure where it is to measure.

 

[53moose320Elk]

.22 Winchester Rimfire From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search .22 Winchester Rimfire
Type Rifle
Place of origin USA
Production history
Designed 1890
Specifications
Bullet diameter .226 in (5.7 mm)
Neck diameter .2435 in (6.18 mm)
Base diameter .2455 in (6.24 mm)
Rim diameter .300 in (7.6 mm)
Rim thickness .050 in (1.3 mm)
Case length .965 in (24.5 mm)
Overall length 1.180 in (30.0 mm)
Rifling twist 1-14"
Primer type rimfire
Ballistic performance
Bullet weight/type Velocity Energy
45 gr (2.9 g) standard velocity 1,050 ft/s (320 m/s) 105 ft·lbf (142 J)
45 gr (2.9 g) 1,450 ft/s (440 m/s) 210 ft·lbf (280 J)
40 gr (2.6 g) hollowpoint (high velocity) 1,440 ft/s (440 m/s) 185 ft·lbf (251 J)
Source(s): Barnes & Amber 1972

The .22 Winchester Rimfire (commonly called the .22 WRF) is an American rimfire rifle cartridge.

Introduced in the Winchester M1890 slide rifle, it had a flat-nose slug, and is identical to the .22 Remington Special (which differed only in having a roundnosed slug).[1] It uses a flat-based, inside-lubricated bullet, which differs from the outside-lube slug of the .22 Short, Long, LR, and Extra Long rounds.[1]

When introduced, the .22WRF "was the first notable improvement in the killing power" over the .22LR,[2] and was able to kill cleaner at up to 75 yd (70 m). It is somewhat less accurate than the .22 LR[1] and is most suited to hunting small game such as rabbits or prairie dogs.[2]

A variety of Winchester, Remington, and Stevens single-shots and repeater rifles were offered from 1890 onward, but new rifles are not made for this cartridge. .22 WRF ammunition is periodically offered by commercial makers for use in the old guns.[1] It can be fired in any rifle chambered for the more powerful .22 WMR.[1]

 

[53moose320Elk]

The 22 W.R.F. is an "old timer" cartridge compared to the 22 WMR. It was invented by Winchester in the year 1890 (specifically for the Model 1890 Slide-action rifle, and adpoted for use in the Model 1885 Single Shot Rifle). In its original form, it was loaded with a 45-grain flat-nosed lead bullet and 7-grains of FFF black powder. The listed velocity was 1140 fps. In the late 1890s, Winchester began to offer it in a smokeless powder loading that duplicated the black powder ballastics. In recent years, both Winchester and CCI manufacture it in both a 45-grain lead and 40-grain JHP loading. The 40-grain JHP is in the 1350 fps range.

The 22 WMR was invented by Winchester in 1959, and it is a relatively hot cartridge as compared to the older 22 W.R.F. Winchester listed it at 2000 fps with a 40-grain JHP.

The 22 W.R.F. can be used in any firearm so chambered, and in any firearm chambered for the 22 W.M.R., as dimensionally, it is the same diameter, but is .10" shorter. It is essentially the same thing as shooting a 22 Short in a 22 Long Rifle chambered gun. On the flip side, you can not shoot 22 WMR ammo in a gun originally made and chambered for 22 W.R.F. (or 22 Remington Special, which was Remington's version of the 22 W.R.F.).

 

[53moose320Elk]

The .22 WRF
The .22 Winchester Rim Fire (WRF) is all but obsolete. It was designed for the Winchester Model 1890 pump action rifle and was later adapted to Remington and Stevens rifles as well as Colt Revolvers. Winchester .22 WRF loads used a flat point bullet.

Remington manufactured the cartridge, loaded it with a round nose bullet, and called it the .22 Remington Special. The two are actually the same cartridge and are completely interchangable.

I mention it here because Winchester .22 WRF ammo will fit in a .22 Magnum chamber, but not the reverse. The WRF fires a 45 grain, copper-plated, lead semi-wadcutter style bullet at a velocity of 1,320 fps and 175 ft. lbs. of energy at the muzzle of a 22" rifle barrel. The sectional density (SD) of the 45 grain WRF bullet is .128. It hits with noticeably more authority than the .22 LR. Winchester also offered a 40 grain hollow point bullet.

Because its case is slightly larger in diameter than a .22 LR case (as is the .22 Magnum), the WRF will not go into LR chambers. Like the .22 Magnum, the WRF uses standard .224" bullets (like most centerfire .22's), not .220" bullets like the Long Rifle.

It is actually quite a useful cartridge, as it hits harder than the .22 LR and is less expensive and less destructive than the .22 Magnum. Unfortunately, sales have diminished almost to the vanishing point and .22 WRF ammunition is no longer cataloged by Remington, although Winchester and CCI occasionally produce runs of .22 WRF ammo. Note that CCI warns against using their .22 WRF ammunition, which is loaded with a JHP bullet, in .22 WMR guns.

 

[bobbyjack]

There are so many old 1890's and 62's and such arcaide guns out there and so many

people still write Winchester about the ammo,that Winchester rather than spend money

on replys still issue it a couple of times a year.

Same as the 375 Win ,just a few times a year. I have sold my Win Mod 1892 but still

keep all my old WRF shells to shoot in my 22Mag pistol.

Bob

 

[jackrabbit000]

I have a 1890 in .22 wrf. WSS had a bunch of .22 wrf ammo last summer and I bought every box they had. Haven't seen any since, it's pretty hard to come by.