"Classic Rimfires"
1963 Remington Nylon 66 (United States) .22LR
1934 H&R Sportsman Model 999 (United States) .22LR
.22 long rifle occupies a strange place in the collective consciousness of American gun owners. A cartridge which is reviled, but beloved. Routinely underestimated, yet completely overrated at the same time. While other caliber debates like 5.56 NATO vs 7.62x39mm tend to revolve around ballistics charts and observable history, discussions surrounding the .22LR by contrast often devolve into unintelligible blatherskite, as both sides of the argument trade blows with the stupidest points you've ever heard.
Those espousing the supposed dominance of .22LR will serenade you with the same trite list of debunked myths we've all heard. Wacky stories about it supposedly being the "deadliest caliber in the world" or some nonsense about the round's supposed propensity to "bounce around" inside of a human skull or zip through soft body armor.
Those seeking to disparage the .22LR will often regale you with some bullshit about .22LR being unable to penetrate dense fog, much less a winter jacket. Or erroneously allege rimfire ammunition is so unreliable you'd be lucky to get two rounds to go off in a magazine of ten.
You'll find idiots on BOTH sides of this argument.
Silly myths and internet lore aside, .22LR is a spectacular little round. Despite being introduced all the way back in 1887, this little rimfire cartridge consistently staves off obsolescence. While some may waste time arguing minutiae about its ballistic capabilities, there is certainly no argument that .22LR is a ton of fun. While definitely not my first choice for self-defense, a hail of 40 grain bullets zipping through the air at 1200 feet per second will make just about anyone break contact and scram while you get to safety. As the old adage goes: the .22 in your hand is always better than the .45 you left at home.
