22 Long Rifle for Old Guns

[Larry in MT]

I have 104 year old Winchester '06. It doesn't seem to mind HV long rifles but I feed it CCI or Federal Standard Velocity when I can find them.

[HangFireW8]

Any major brand standard velocity load will do, but the safety will be primarily determined by headspace and cartridge support.

Some Stevens Favorites are so loose-goosey now they can fire without proper lockup, even with the lever held shut.

[3006guns]

A precautionary note about Remington .22's.......

About twenty years ago I bought a case of Remingtons because they were on sale at our local hardware store for $25. That's right, $25 a CASE. I took them home and immediately brought out my Remington 514.....my first rifle......and started plinking. Every round failed to extract. I examined the extractor, puzzled because the gun was still like new. No problem there, still a nice sharp hook and a good spring. I then looked at a few of the cases I had pried out and every one of them had a "hump" right where the extractor groove was in the breech. The cases were so thin that the pressure caused a bulge so that the extractor hook rode right over the top, leaving the case in the chamber.

I sold that case to a guy I didn't like anyway, so at least I got most of my money back, but I've avoided Remington ammo since. I have no idea if they ever solved the problem or not.

[303Guy]

I bought a heap of Remington ammo because it was cheap. I got got tired of the blow back into my face. I still have most of them. I plan to try them in other rifles to see if the same thing happens. They might work OK in one of them.

The point made by Ballistics in Scotland concerns case support, not gun strength.

There are some conditions of other firearms which are worth inquiring about by name, as someone here is likely to know. For example the 19th and early 20th century Marlin rimfires had a deep cutout behind the bolt which was fine with standard velocity ammunition but could crack with HV. They modified it in 1932, so any Marlin 39 with an H prefix to the serial number is safe, as is any 39A.

A competent person could soon ascertain whether the rifle is safe with higher pressure rounds or not. However, standard velocity or subsonics might be more accurate.

[victorfox]

my BIL has an old double barrel derringer (we call them "garrucha", spoken like "gar-oo-sha")and we only run std ammo on it. Like others spoke, std velocity/subs is fine. high or hyper velocity, risky. They may not destroy your gun, but I wouldn't take unecessary risks.

[bpd303]

I realize this is a very old thread and I haven't logged on since before that. However I have just acquired a very nice Stevens model 10 Junior rifle and researching it, found out about not using Hi Velocity ammo in it. The problem with Hi Velocity rounds is the stress it puts on the breech block, not any danger of blowing up the barrel. I went through my stock of 22 ammo and found I have a lot of standard velocity ammo, some dating to the early 50s. That case being, I will be prudent and only shoot the recommended standard ammo in it.

[dtknowles]

How to be sure that standard velocity ammo operates at a lower pressure? Lower velocity does not always mean lower pressure.

Tim

[Hannibal]

The brass on new manufacture ammunition is not as thick as it once was. Brass costs have increased and newer rifle designs have fully supported chambers. If you have a rifle manufactured long ago that does not have a fully supported chamber due to the extractor design you will quite possibly experience case ruptures in the extractor area.

Not much to be done about it either. It is what it is. Went down this rabbit hole myself about 6 months ago so I am well educated in the problem. The particular rifle I was experiencing trouble with was a Remington #6. I'm sure there are plenty others.

[M-Tecs]

The brass on new manufacture ammunition is not as thick as it once was. Brass costs have increased and newer rifle designs have fully supported chambers. If you have a rifle manufactured long ago that does not have a fully supported chamber due to the extractor design you will quite possibly experience case ruptures in the extractor area.

Not much to be done about it either. It is what it is. Went down this rabbit hole myself about 6 months ago so I am well educated in the problem. The particular rifle I was experiencing trouble with was a Remington #6. I'm sure there are plenty others.

I was not aware of that. Thanks for the info.

[higgins]

Havlin Sales is a supplier specializing in parts both original and of their making for Mossberg .22s. They recommend .22 standard velocity in the old guns. I decided that is not so much an issue of chamber pressure as it is the increased slamming effect high velocity would impart on the semiauto actions. Some parts of those old semiautos cannot be replaced if they break.

[popper]

Most non-bolt action 22s state no 'stingers' - etc.