.22 Long

.22 Long
.22 Long (left), .22 Long Rifle (middle), .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (right)
Type	Rimfire Cartridge
Production history
Produced	1871–present
Specifications
Parent case	.22 Short
Bullet diameter	.222 in (5.6 mm)
Neck diameter	.226 in (5.7 mm)
Base diameter	.226 in (5.7 mm)
Rim diameter	.278 in (7.1 mm)
Rim thickness	.043 in (1.1 mm)
Case length	.613 in (15.6 mm)
Overall length	.888 in (22.6 mm)
Rifling twist	1-16"
Primer type	Rimfire
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy 29 gr (2 g) RN 1,038 ft/s (316 m/s) 67 ft·lbf (91 J)
Source(s): Cartridges of the World

.22 Long is a variety of .22 caliber (5.6 mm) rimfire ammunition. The .22 Long is the second-oldest of the surviving rimfire cartridges, dating back to 1871, when it was loaded with a 29 grain (1.9 g) bullet and 5 grains (0.32 g) of black powder, 25% more than the .22 Short it was based on. It was designed for use in revolvers, but was soon chambered in rifles as well, in which it gained a strong reputation as a small game cartridge, and sold very well.

In 1887 the .22 Long case was combined with the heavier 40 grain (2.6 g) bullet of the .22 Extra Long of 1880 to produce the .22 Long Rifle giving a longer overall length, a higher muzzle energy and superior performance as a hunting and target round, rendering the .22 Long and .22 Extra Long obsolete. For a time there was a considerable price difference between the .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle, and the .22 Long held on with budget-minded shooters until the price advantage finally disappeared. No new firearms are designed specifically to use .22 Long and the largest three producers of .22 Long ammunition ceased production (although it continues to be made by CCI, Aguila, and others). Many firearms designed for the .22 Long Rifle will chamber and fire the shorter round, though the .22 Long generally does not generate sufficient energy to operate semi-automatic guns. The one prominent survivor of the .22 Long is the .22 CB Long, a long-cased version of the .22 CB.

While the original .22 Long loading used the same powder charge as the .22 Long Rifle, the .22 Long bullet was significantly lighter, and the combination did not result in higher velocities for the .22 Long when fired from a rifle. The large barrel volume to chamber volume ratio of a .22 rimfire rifle means that the powder gasses have expanded as far as they can well before the bullet reaches the muzzle of a normal length rifle barrel, and the light .22 Long bullet has less inertia than the .22 Long Rifle. This means that the .22 Long bullet (and to a lesser extent the .22 Long Rifle in most loadings) actually slows down significantly before it exits the barrel. For those working on a farm, or those who only hunted squirrel or cottontail, the shortfallings of the .22 Long when compared to the Long Rifle, were of little concern. Often the lower report, and less penetration were actually desired.