shooting .22LR in a .22L firearm?

Mr. Buttons

Mr. Buttons

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Quick question - My father in law has an old (circa 1930s I'm guessing) FN slide action .22 rifle (similiar to a browning trombone type of rifle). According to the info on the barrel it is chambered for .22L.

I understand that he's been shooting (very occasionally) .22LR through this firearm.

My question - it is safe to shoot .22LR through an older rifle chambred for .22L or should he stop this practice immediately?

Please advise.

Thanks very much in advance. :)
 
No firsthand experience here but I'd have to say it's a definite no. There are several calibres where similar cartridges will fit. They may work for 1 shot, 10 or even hundreds. Eventually there will be a problem. In your father in law's case I would expect a pressure spike and possible case failure. At the very least he might get a nice powder burn. I'd worry about the chamber exploding.
 
Some rifles made for .22 Long have slower rifling twists than standard for .22 Long Rifle and may not be accurate with .22 LR for this reason.

.22 LR can also be loaded to higher pressure per CIP and SAAMI, which may be problematic with some older .22 Long forearms. I think I would prefer not to tempt fate unless that specific model was also made in .22LR.
 
Get ahold of some casting compound and see if you can get a cast of the chamber to the rifling. You'll then be able to compare the length of the chamber to the length of .22 LR. I assume that due to the chamber being designed for .22Long you'll find that LR is pushing the projectile into the rifling and is likely to cause over presure at some point, possibly leading to a severe failure.
 
This is all very helpful info - thanks very much. I'll ensure to warn my father-in-law to stop using this rifle with .22LR.

Thanks again. :)
 
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