Does anybody reload rimfires?

[ds92]

Hi everybody,
I have never reloaded before but i hope to get in on the action soon. However, i know next to zilch in terms of reloading. Does anybody reload for their .22lrs, or any other rimfire, or is it just not worth the money?

Thanks

 

[TAB]

You can't.

 

[zammyman]

Sadly, rimfires cannot be reloaded; the primer is part of the case, thus the casing impact point.

 

[RyanM]

You can use a swaging press to turn the empty cases into jackets for .22 caliber centerfire bullets, though. Hornady got started out doing that.

 

[Galil5.56]

I remember reading that Native Americans soaked the heads off of matches, and used the compound to "reprime" the rims. Sounds like a long shot, but who knows. I believe modern rimfire rims have the priming compound distributed centrifugally; and could be reprimed if so inclined and had the tools/priming compound.

 

[jcwit]

Yes it can be done. I've read articles in The Backwoodsman mag. about it. As with most things their are ways to do it, however it it pratcical NO, recommended NO, cost effective No. For $2.00 a box of 50 rds. why would you want to? I've read articles on how to make Blackpower or gun power using red rust from steel, am I going to try it NO WAY. But it probably CAN be done.

 

[Bad Penny 03]

You can reload them.
But again, why would you want too ?

I read about a guy in Europe so desperate for ammo he routinely reloaded rimfires.
He made a punch to pound out the firing pin dimple in the rim. He described something like a flat tipped punch, ground out on one side. so the "foot" would reach into the rim. He would pound it out both downward against the case head, and against the rim in an anvil with a rounded groove he made.
This was after he hit it with a propane torch to anneal it first.
He then poured priming compound in that was salvaged from a boxer rifle primer.
The case mouth was sized with a neck sizing die while the middle of the case was held in a collet.
Then powder added and a bullet seated.

I think he said the bullet was actually a swaged shot pellet, because he couldn't find the airgun pellets he was accustomed to using.

Sad state indeed.

 

[rcmodel]

Years ago, some company had empty primed .22RF cases available for sale. Don't remember who it was though.

rcmodel

 

[PO2Hammer]

Silhouette shooters used to dismantle live .22lr rounds and 'reload' them with heavier charges of powder and heavier bullets for and edge in competition.

not the same thing, just FYI.

 

[ranger335v]

"Does anybody reload rimfires? "

No. There is no ready source of bullets with rebated heels.

 

[ds92]

yeah thats what i suspected. still, good to know. thanks guys

 

[Bush Pilot]

A friend of mine worked in Mexico back in the late fifties, the only gun he took with him was a .22 rifle. He told me the Mexican kids would follow him around to pickup the spent .22 casings to reload. He couldn't remember the exact procedure except that they used match heads and homemade bullets. Is it worth it?, no, can it be done?, yes.

 

[Myles]

*I AM NOT ADVOCATING THE FOLLOWING! INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY*

US TM31-210 (Improvised Munitions Technical Manual) details how to reload spent primers using the tips(only) off of strike anywhere matches. The friction sensitive tip is mixed into a paste, carefully packed into the reformed primer cup, anvil replaced, then reseated into the brass. The remaining match head powder (the non-friction sensitive) is loaded as your powder. I would imagine that the same principle could be applied to a rimfire.

*I AM NOT ADVOCATING THE PRECEDING! INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY*

I once knew a young man who tried it once, and one time only, to reload a .32 S&W Long with a pencil eraser. The red rubber eraser was deeply embedded in a palm tree. Foolish young boy. That was an extremely stupid thing to try for kicks.

 

[rcmodel]

Sounds like a good way to get a new nickname.

Like Flash, or Lefty, or One-eyed Jack!

rcmodel

 

[KegCommando]

The red rubber eraser was deeply embedded in a palm tree

And I always thought it was the pointy end you'd put your eye out with.

 

[1858rem]

i might have to give the match head trick a "shot". i shoot 22 mag and at 10-18 bucks a box of 50 it would be worth it i think, they use regular 22 center fire .224 bullets. funny story i got the 925m cause' i didnt want to spend a lot for centerfire ammo and didnt want to reload. well la month and a half i got into reloading anyhow!!!:banghead: if i could have the faintest idea of whatever i may do in the near future i could literally save myself thousands (only about 800 in reload stuff but tack on a 250 dollar rifle, all the non reusable 22mag, bout 300 bucks worth)!!!

 

[depoloni]

There is indeed a gentleman who developed a series of cartridges based on reloaded, necked down 22LR and 22WMR cases.

Seems like a TON of work for very little return, in the end, but if you can find reference to the .14 Eichelberger Dart or the .10 Eichelberger Dart, amongst others, you'll see what I mean.

http://www.ammoguide.com lists references and info for each of them, limited as it is.



PS - oops. Just checked myself, and although there are indeed Eichelbergers based on the 22WMR the "Darts" I was speaking of are formed off of 25auto cases. Which to me seems just as pointless but whatever floats your boat

 

[rcmodel]

You might note that it was/is non-reloadable though.

Mr. Eichelberger simply removed the bullet & powder from a rimfire .22 to get the primed case.
Then necked it down and put a smaller bullet & powder back in it.

Once again, there is no practical or safe way to re-prime a fired rimfire case.

I suppose it can be done if you are desperate enough.
But so can a suicide bombers vest be made, if you are desperate enough.

rcmodel

 

[Speedo66]

Well, It certainly wouldn't be cost effective for .22s, but there are other, more expensive, rimfires out there it might be practical for.

Might also be required for some cartridges that are no longer available and you had cases for.

With the cost of .44 Henry rimfires it might make sense if you had plenty of time on your hands.

 

[depoloni]

Good point RC - he reloads those cases but they're only good for one firing. Eichelberger (et al) does NOT reprime the brass once they're fired. Thus it seems like a huge effort at a hobby, rather than any sort of effective product in the end.

 

[RyanM]

Might also be required for some cartridges that are no longer available and you had cases for.

With the cost of .44 Henry rimfires it might make sense if you had plenty of time on your hands.

Dunno. Maybe it's just me, but I think it'd make even more sense to buy a replica in .44-40 and shoot that instead of an original. Might be able to cut down the cases a little if you want to be able to fit 16 shots instead of 12.

 

[AgentAdam]

supposedly in europe some people would re prime them with match heads and load with a piece of buckshots.

 

[Sheldon]

Before the .17 rimfire got so commercially popular there was an article in some gun magazine of a guy who was doing conversions for people and he was also loading and selling the ammo for it as well. The article mentioned he bought the primed cases and loaded them using his own data.

 

[hiker44]

About the only use for expended .22 cases I have run across is to use them to swage .223 bullets into. I never did it, but Corbin has the info in a book I got from them years ago. My $.02 worth.

 

[Lightenin']

I read of Phillipino's reloading .22 rimfire cartridges while fighting the Japanese during WW II by using match heads as described above. However, they were never reliable. Many times the cartridge had to be repositioned in the gun and fired several times before getting ignition.

It seems that about anything can be possible if one is desperate enough but I doubt if you are there yet.