.22 cal ML

[Bretwalda]

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has built and shot a .22 ML. What parts did you use and was it just a small scale model or just a small rifle? Any loading/performance data would be of interest also.

 

[BrownBear]

I've only been around one, built by a friend who's a near-genius machinist. He took an old 22 rimfire bolt action and installed a breech plug for a nipple and standard #11 caps, then did some pretty innovative bolt works. Yeah it's one of "those" in mechanics, but I think it's notable for his ballistic experiences.

He had poor luck with standard pellets with any powder at all. The pellet skirts blew just like an overcharged minie. The only thing that came close to working was magnum CCI caps with no powder at all.

He then switched to lead 22 caliber "BB's" that were once available for pellet guns. Those held together and shot well enough over as much as 4 grains of 4f, but leading leered its head at 5 grains and became a terrible problem any higher. Using 3 didn't help.

He ended up locating some .177 cal lead BB's, patched them with linen, and proceeded to shoot the eyes out of gnats at surprising ranges. I don't recall his top charges, but his accuracy load of 10 grains of 3f was plenty snappy.

All that tells me your project holds ballistic promise, whatever the details on your build. I'd take a hard look at available lead shot and suitable patching material before selecting the most promising actual bore diameter.

 

[BrownBear]

BTW-

I base my recommendation for "standard" balls of some sort on my 40 years of experience casting 22 caliber rifle bullets of one sort or another. I have to guess that sprues and casting methods will be an even bigger issue on little bitty round balls.

 

[wulf]

I made a wheel lock and French pocket pisol in 22
and started off with Benjaman air rifle bullets
that worked like a mini but would blow out the
front if too much powder was used. Then a made a
mold that would cast an exact mini like a 58 cal.
but smaller in a 22 size...That worked well and i
could increase the charge...but wanted to shoot a
ball and got some 22 rb in a pound tin...no longer
available but with a 5 to 8 thousand patch it did
shoot very well. I posted pictures of the two a
while back but stirred little interest...I made these to teach my daughters to shoot without
having to drive all the way to a range for a few
shots before they would get bored...shooting in
the garage got no notice...Good luck.They are fun

Wulf

 

[rafterob]

Our club president showed up with a nice .22, very well made, octagon barrel.I believe he said he got it from an uncle. It is a small rifle but very shootable by an adult. My guess is about a 22" barrel. He has been shooting pellets out of it with about 15 grains 3f, he is trying to find a ball mold. He said he was going to try to talk Rice Barrels (which is local to us) into producing a .22 barrel.

 

[Alphawolf45]

I am curious about this subject as well..I build guns as hobby but just plink with them..I'd as quick build a .22 muzzleloader as any other except that stories circulated about such guns nearly always show them as really bad shooters....I wonder would using a barrel from a .22 cartridge gun be part of the trouble..Probably nobody makes a slow twist.22 blackpowder barrel...Would reaming out the rifling , making it a smoothbore solve any problems?

 

[verbrugen]

I shoot and reload alot of black-powder catridge as well as 22 rimfire benchrest rifles. I feel that a black powder rifle in 22 cal. is going to be a challenge to build and shoot. The first item to consider is the projectile, a black powder charge when ignited really whacks the back side or base of the projectile. As already noted those mini-ball shaped 22 pellets have a tough time standing up to the force & expanding gas of a BP charge. Getting good cast or swagged 22 round balls and patching them is also going to be a challenging as well. If I was trying this I would be trying a flat based slug with a couple of small grooves for bullet lube and/or try paper patching. I would look at something like a Gibbs style setup in 22 cal. The next thing is the twist rate and length of the barrel to be used as this is going to have a big impact on the accuracy. Just my two cents worth.

 

[BrownBear]

....I wonder would using a barrel from a .22 cartridge gun be part of the trouble.

For the life of me, I can't remember the make of the gun my friend used in his conversion. But it was notable in that it had deeper rifling more like a centerfire barrel. My CZ American 22 has similar deep-cut rifling, but more typically rimfire rifles have very shallow rifling. And ain't nobody gonna be hacking on my sweet little CZ! :rotf:

 

[1950DAVE]

Just been watching to see if much would be posted on this subject. I have often thought about this too. Not to hi-jack the post( so tell me if I need to start a new post). But what about other calibers smaller than .32. Maybe .25 0r .27?
Dave

 

[BrownBear]

I bet most of them. I've got a 30, and I have read a lot about 25's, and seen references to a 28.

One thing to remember in all this, and something I discovered with my 30--- You're not going to find things like cleaning jags or even ramrods on many shelves, much less even online. I'd make sure you have a source before picking a caliber, or at least be prepared to make them yourself.

 

[Keb]

I have a .20 cal & a .25 but no .22 caliber.
The .20 is smooth bored & .25 is rifled.