5 ms·
Sound suppression is largely a function of relatively slowly bleeding off the gas that results from combustion. There is not much powder in a 22lr (22 long-rifl
by bwhite 16y ago
Sound suppression is largely a function of relatively slowly bleeding off the gas that results from combustion. There is not much powder in a 22lr (22 long-rifle) round, which is why it is easily suppressible. I can make no particular comment as to the frequency of their use by the best hit squads in the world.
The subject of the article was shot with a 22WMR (Winchester Magnum Rimfire) round. This round can use the same bullet as the 22lr round but contains lots more powder.
The velocity of the bullet leaving the barrel of the firearm depends on how fast the charge contained in the casing wants to push it and how much the barrel wants to slow it down due to friction. Almost all rifles barrels are between 16.5" and 24". For a average 22WMR round shooting an 40-grain (unit of mass) bullet out of a mid-length rifle barrel one would expect the bullet to leave the barrel at around 2000 feet/sec. The deceleration caused by friction can be altered by changing the exterior-most material of the bullet: a full metal jacket (usually lead totally encased by copper) is potentially slicker than a jacketed soft-point (only partially encased, with the tip exposed).
A Ruger Single Six is a type of handgun. The story describes a single-action revolver, which the Single Six is not, but let's ignore that. It comes in barrel lengths of 2.75", 4", and 6". Out of a 4" or 6" barrel, the 22WMR has about 1400-1600 feet/sec of velocity. This is roughly comparable with the upper (or hot) range for a 22lr fired out of a rifle barrel.
- Zak 16y agoThe story describes a single-action revolver, which the Single Six is not The Single Six is, in fact a single-action revolver. See manufacturer's product page: http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelSingleSix/firearms.html http://www.ruger.com/products/newModelSingleSix/firearms.htm...
- bwhite 16y ago+1. My brain read Security Six. I think I suppressed a mediocre Single Six experience and foregrounded the delightfulness of the Security Six.
- commandar 16y ago> There is not much powder in a 22lr (22 long-rifle) round, which is why it is easily suppressible. Also, .22LR ammunition is generally subsonic outside of hotter loadings. This avoids the characteristic supersonic crack of higher velocity cartridges.
- roel_v 16y agoMy gun shop sells .22LR ammo, and at a premium, a subsonic version (or at least, cartridges in boxes marked as such). Of all the .22LR ammo I've shot, none of it was marked subsonic and all claimed to provide supersonic muzzle velocities. Wikipedia seems to claims that 'regular' .22LR is supersonic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.22_Long_Rifle#Subsonic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.22_Long_Rifle#Subsonic). Do you mean that most cartridges don't make their stated muzzle velocity and that in practice most .22LR is subsonic? (as an aside, subsonic ammo is looked at suspiciously around these parts. since it's mostly used for poaching; when used with a home-made suppressor on a rifle, it's very quiet, like you say, in large part because of the lack of sonic boom).
- Jetlag 16y agoMuzzle velocities are usually listed for rifle length barrels, sometimes absurdly long rifle length barrels to boost the numbers. 22lr out of a handgun length barrel will fall quite short.
- roel_v 16y agoYes that's true, I was thinking about rifles only, but indeed for handguns it would be different.
- mgarfias 16y agoMost manufacturers have quit playing those games. They generally (if you look) tell you what kind of weapon they were tested with, or barrel length failing that. Doing a bit of googling, the .22LR doesn't gain much velocity beyond 14" barrel length, and loses less than 200fps from a 4" barrel vs the 14".