Firing 22 LR in 17 HMR

[chestnut ridge]

I have not tried this. Sooner or later someone will manage to load
a 17 HMR WITH 22 LR. My question; what do you think will happen?
Sounds like a item for "Myth-busters."
I think it will split the case, blow back some gas; but shoot the lead
bullet swaged down to 17 caliber out of the barrel.

 

[texasguy]

I have not tried this. Sooner or later someone will manage to load
a 17 HMR WITH 22 LR. My question; what do you think will happen?
Sounds like a item for "Myth-busters."
I think it will split the case, blow back some gas; but shoot the lead
bullet swaged down to 17 caliber out of the barrel.

The gun would probably explode, bullet would get lodged in the chamber if anything at all.

 

[R.W.Dale]

It'll shoot the bullet out of the barrel rupturing the case but with little or no harm to the gun.

A while back on the NEF forum there was a guy who had fired a 7.62x39 round in his .243, It locked the gun up tight and apoun sending the rifle back to the factory it was found that the bullet had left the barrel, and the only major damage was a bent underlug. NEF fitted a new barrel and returned the rifle.

 

[Chawbaccer]

Since the 17 is bottlenecked, will the 22mag even chamber enough to allow it to be fired?

 

[dfaugh]

Since the 17 is bottlenecked, will the 22mag even chamber enough to allow it to be fired?

He's thinking of shorter .22LR, not magnum, I think. Pretty sure the .22 Mag couldn't chamber, but he's right (I'm guessing) that a .22LR might, and MAYBE made to fire(I think head size is slightly different)...Because of the neck in the .17, and the large difference in diameter, I think the bullet would lodge in the chamber/throat...Then the gasses will go wherever they can...Maybe minor damage to gun (would probably depend on type of gun) but I don't think there's enough force there for a true Kaboom.

 

[hksw]

Agree with dfaugh.

 

[CajunBass]

You'll shoot your eye out.

 

[Onmilo]

I think this is another great reason to add to my "Why I don't like the .17 rimfire." list,,,,,,

 

[Brad Johnson]

Most of the guns I've seen chambered in 17 HMR have enough meat around the breech that I doubt the chamber would burst, or even bulge. You would probably just end up with a face full of gas and grit from the gas vent, along with a really good lesson on what not to do next time.

Brad

 

[Otony]

There have been commercial taper bore barrels made chambered for .22LR, that start out as a .22 rifled barrel and gradually "squeeze" down to .17 caliber. Old tech, really, as the Germans were experimenting with anti-tank rifles similarly made before WWII.

Anyways, the bullet funnels down gradually, and swages itself into a longer .17 caliber projectile. Accuracy is said to be good, with no problems reported. Now this has a long "funnel", mind you, so you aren't kicking the .22 slug directly into a .17 bore, but in a strong rifle, I would imagine the very soft lead of a .22 might actually make for an abrupt squeeze bore!

You may recall the old American Rifleman report of a fellow with a Japanese Arisaka that had been rechambered to .30-06? The owner reported the recoil as vicious, so he sent it to the NRA for testing. And well it should have been vicious, since the rifle had a 6.5mm barrel to begin with! The .30 caliber slugs were VERY ABRUPTLY swaged down to 6.5mm, with zero damage to the gun. It was remotely test fired many, many times, and the action, bolt, etc, checked for dimensional changes. None could be found, but I am quite sure recoil was interesting, to say the least!

 

[CajunBass]

You may recall the old American Rifleman report of a fellow with a Japanese Arisaka that had been rechambered to .30-06? The owner reported the recoil as vicious, so he sent it to the NRA for testing. And well it should have been vicious, since the rifle had a 6.5mm barrel to begin with! The .30 caliber slugs were VERY ABRUPTLY swaged down to 6.5mm, with zero damage to the gun. It was remotely test fired many, many times, and the action, bolt, etc, checked for dimensional changes. None could be found, but I am quite sure recoil was interesting, to say the least!

Thanks Otony. I was trying to remember the details about that story. I knew I had read it, but didn't remember where, or exactly what gun was involved.

 

[gbran]

Was out quail hunting and drew down on a bird. Click, no fire. I had a dud. Jacked the offending round out of the chamber only to find my wintergreen lifesavers. Moral of the story; it is possible to accidently chamber the wrong round.

 

[armedandsafe]

only to find my wintergreen lifesavers

16GA or 20?

ROTFLMAO

Pops

 

[Chipperman]

Well... I guess for the quail, they really were Lifesavers.