Читать книгу The Gun Digest Book of .22 Rimfire. Rifles·Pistols·Ammunition онлайн
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The rimfire cartridge was developed by producing a cartridge case with a flange or rim of larger diameter than the body by folding the rear of the case over on itself. The rim was hollow and allowed the priming mixture to be contained within it. The priming mixture was placed in the case while wet and spinning the case caused the mixture to fill the hollow rim. When the primer was dried, it then became sensitive to shock. Crushing the rim by a forward blow of the firing pin caused the primer contained within it to explode which in turn ignited the powder charge.
A short, self-contained 22 caliber cartridge called the Number One Cartridge (essentially identical to the 22 Short of today except for primer and propellant) was introduced in 1854 by Smith & Wesson for use in a small revolver. The revolver was designated as the Smith & Wesson Model 1 First Issue produced from 1857 to 1860. It was followed by the Model 1 Second Issue that was produced from 1860 to 1868 and the Third Issue from 1868-1881. All issues of the Model 1 had a hinge that connected the barrel to the top of the frame at the front end. It was opened by means of a latch at the bottom of the front edge of the frame that allowed the barrel to be tipped up so that the cylinder could be removed for loading and unloading. The cartridge employed a 29-grain bullet that was propelled by 3 to 4 grains of black powder contained in a case that was slightly longer than that of the BB cap. A patent was granted on August 8, 1854 for the rimfire cartridge that was the precursor of the 22 Short. While certainly no powerhouse, the 22 Short has been used as a target load for many years in firearms designed specifically for that cartridge. As strange as it may seem, the 22 Short was originally viewed as a self-defense load! In modern times, small semiautomatic pistols chambered for the 22 Short have been produced for concealed carry and self-defense. The 29-grain bullet from the 22 Short high-velocity load has a velocity of approximately 1,095 ft/sec while the 27-grain hollow-point bullet has a velocity that is a slightly higher.