What happens if I fire a 17hmr in a 22WMR rifle?

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casio02478

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Hi, I got 2 savage 93 rifles. One in 17 hmr and another in 22 wmr. They use the exactly the same type of magazine and here lies my problem. What if I accidentally chambered a 17 into a 22 and fired in down the barrel? I know the 22 won't chamber in a 17 but a 17 will definately chamber into a 22. I know I should be careful when using any firearms and 17 is bottlenecked while 22 is not, but i want to know just in case. Will it just rattle down the barrel and exit with no issue? will it do damge to any part of the rifle? Or there is nothing I should worry about. Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
Unless the squirrels are laying down a thick blanket of covering fire, why not just pay attention to what you are doing?
 
The necked-down portion of the brass is likely to split...accuracy will be worth less than 'A Hoot in Hades'

Bullet will PROBABLY come out, but could wedge in there at a bad angle...next shot gets you, at the very best, a damaged barrel, at worst, the dreaded KaBoom!

Maybe a small splash of paint/nail polish, etc..red for .22Mag, green/yellow/blue (or whatever spins your fan) on the magazines of .17, and a small dot of corresponding color on the rifles.

Same effect as 9MM in a .40 or .40 in a .45 handgun. . . badly swollen if not split brass, low velocity, no accuracy.
 
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I am going to head off the issue and trade it for my buddys' Marlin 17 and use a different mag to avoid any confusion - thanks for the advice foghornl and Art.
 
id be most worried about the dreaded squib load, as foghornl already mentioned. 17HMR isnt a big piece of lead but its not worth destroying your rifle or eyesight if you lodge one in the barrel
 
Bullet will PROBABLY come out, but could wedge in there at a bad angle...next shot gets you, at the very best, a damaged barrel, at worst, the dreaded KaBoom!
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The length of the .17 projective is too long for it to get wedged in the .22 barrel.

The bullet will exit provided there is nothing wrong with the load. It will have very little, if any, spin to stabilize it. It will likely touch the barrel in a few places but not do it any harm. The case neck will expand to the .22 chanber dimension and may or may not split. You won't destroy the .22 mag rifle by shooting .17 HMR through it. The bore will get pretty dirty though.
 
Why not just take one, or the other when you go plinkin' or whatever... Keep the two completely seperated by using different ammo cases to keep the respective accessoies in (ammo, mags, etc...) and use the afformentioned color coding method or some variation thereof...
 
+1 to what HKSW said in post #8.

In todays legal world, no manufacture is going to sell you something that will harm you or the rifle, even if it's the wrong rifle!

People have been setting off .22 LR in .22 Mags, .380's in 9mm, 9mm in .40's, 38-40's in 44-40's, etc. for years without incident, other then a bulged or split case.

It's not smart, but it isn't particularly dangerous either!
A .17 in a .22 bore would generate almost no pressure, and certainly wouldn't harm you or the gun.

rcmodel
 
What happens if I fire a 17hmr in a 22WMR rifle?
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Kinda like askin' "What would happen if I used a bananna for a baseball?" It probably wouldn't hurt anything, it would make you look foolish.
 
*Probably* wouldn't let gas escape back through the breech, so probably wouldn't hurt you. Like they said though, you won't win any competitions for accuracy.

This is a reason to get variety in your guns. I've got a Marlin in .22 mag, and a CZ and a Savage in .17 hummer. So no chance of a problem.

In todays legal world, no manufacture is going to sell you something that will harm you or the rifle, even if it's the wrong rifle!
Click to expand...

You sure about that? :)
-.45 super in a compact plastic .45 acp?
-Garrett or Buffalo Bore .45-70 in a trapdoor springfield?
-Turkish 8mm in an 88 Commission rifle (nearly a sure-thing serious-injury Kb)?
-Garrett or BB Bore "+P" .45 colt in a Taurus Tracker?

They all fit just fine....
 
casio02478 said:
What if I accidentally chambered a 17 into a 22 and fired in down the barrel?
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Sometimes it happens that one's sole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others ;)
 
-.45 super in a compact plastic .45 acp?
-Garrett or Buffalo Bore .45-70 in a trapdoor springfield?
-Turkish 8mm in an 88 Commission rifle (nearly a sure-thing serious-injury Kb)?
-Garrett or BB Bore "+P" .45 colt in a Taurus Tracker?
Click to expand...

You don't have to get nearly that obscure for bad things to happen.

.308 in a .25-06 or .270 will ruin your whole day.
 
Same effect as 9MM in a .40 or .40 in a .45 handgun.
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a .40 will fall straight through a 45 barrel! as for the 17 through a 22mag, WHY?! if you bought the wrong ammo, either return it or post it for sale in one of the free ads (like in grocery stores) around town. somebody with the correct firearm will buy it. if you loose a buck or 2 on the deal, chalk it up to experience. all you are going to do shooting the wrong ammo in your gun is waste ammo, if nothing bad happens. you would probably be lucky to be m.o.yards!
 
You don't have to get nearly that obscure for bad things to happen.

.308 in a .25-06 or .270 will ruin your whole day.
Click to expand...

Ha, funny you say that. You are correct. Met a lady who told me a story; she was out hunting with her husband. She used .308, he used .25-06. He came back to camp upset; seems he took shot at huge buck; big boom; pain in hand, buck gets away. He had grabbed her .308 rounds and chambered one; Ruined a Steyr rifle and injured his hand/arm where the detachable mag blew out.

OK, back to topic.... :p
 
Do people still read the whole thread before answering anymore? :banghead: I don't want to shoot a 17HMR down a 22 WMR rifle. I did not buy the wrong ammo and don't want to take it back. I have both rifles calibers in savage 93 and they share the same mag design. I just asked the question foracademic purpose only. I want to know what will happen, I already know how to prevent it. I have already traded for my buddy’s' marlin 17 so now they use different mags design. Problem solved Yes I will be careful and pay attention. As someone who actually came under enemy fire in combat I already learned that lesson long ago. Thank you for educating me and God Bless :).
 
Your solution of trading that rifle for a different brand was the smartest, safest thing to do. Good idea.
 
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