.22 short question Was there a problem?

[john lee]

A friend gave me a large mug of various .22 cartriges. I sorted out the long rifle, longs and shorts. Last week I shot some shorts in my Bearcat. They fired fine and gave a louder report than I expected.

Today I decided to burn up some of the longs in my Marlin 39M. I loaded the tube and included some shorts to make sure the gun would feed and shoot everything. The first short didn't seem to make a sound even though the bullet had left the case. I was afraid the bullet was stuck in the barrel but looking down the barrel I determined it was clear. Shot some more longs and shorts. Every short failed to make a sound although they apparently left the barrel. The cartriages are marked with a large letter C which I think would indicate CCI.

I shot shorts all the time as a kid in a BRNO rifle and never remember silent shots. Would the four-inch Bearcat and 18 inch Marlin be the only difference? I don't think I'll put the shorts I have left through the Marlin if I have to check the barrel every time I go shooting. I felt it was a bad omen when my dog refused to get out of the car. :shock:

 

[Snake45]

They might have been CB caps, which would be darn close to silent in an 18" barrel.

 

[hawkeye]

John,

I have fired CB caps out of my Winchester 9422 and only thing I could hear was the sound of the hammer clicking on the receiver when I pulled the trigger. They are almost silent...great for critters in your back yard.

 

[AzRebel]

Like the above posters said, they're probably CCI CB shorts.

They're pretty loud from a pistol, and nearly silent from a rifle.

They're handy to have around for taking care of pests in the garden.

Daryl

 

[john lee]

Thanks for your replies. I just had so many of the shorts I didn't think they could be CBs.

 

[AzRebel]

Thanks for your replies. I just had so many of the shorts I didn't think they could be CBs.

They come in 100 rd plastic boxes, like CCI mini-mag boxes, but marked differently.

I have several boxes in my supply. I've had them for several years, 'cause at one shot per varmint they last a while.

Which is probably why you have so many mixed into those you were given.

Daryl

 

[Cholo]

"The first short didn't seem to make a sound even though the bullet had left the case. I was afraid the bullet was stuck in the barrel but looking down the barrel I determined it was clear. Shot some more longs and shorts. Every short failed to make a sound although they apparently left the barrel."

How much ear protection were you using? I've shot CCI .22 CB longs for well over 30 years out of a shortened to 18 1/4" barreled Rem 581 and the report is mild. but hardly silent. I've read many years ago :roll: that the longs were actually a little less potent then the shorts, though I never chronographed either.

If yours are silent even without ear protection, I'd toss every one of them. Your "Every short failed to make a sound ..." doesn't, um, sound right.

I've shot both CB longs and shorts in that 581 and the report hardly requires ear protection, but they are far from silent.

 

[mattsbox99]

Your hearing must be bad!

Even a silencer on my 24" barreled Ruger 77/22 still makes an audible noise.

 

[toyhunt]

They might have been CB caps, which would be darn close to silent in an 18" barrel.

Snake45 ,What would be the difference between a cap & short? Neighbor fixed by naa mini & we tried it with a cap? It did make a noise.Last time I shot a short was 40 yrs ago.

 

[Cholo]

Well I'm not Snake, but the difference between a regular .22 short and a CB short is power aka velocity. Both I believe use a 29 grain bullet. I see no need for regular shorts unless a gun is designed to use them. The CB's make a lower report and are great for pest control where noise is a problem or more power isn't needed. I use .22 CB longs for pest control around my place. The Remington's sucked as there were too many squibs. The CCI's are much more consistant, but less consistant than a regular .22.

I consider 25-50 yds the max. distance with a CB anything, though I've shot blue jays out of tree tops at near 100yds when I did my part. Don't count on it. Yup, used to be I could shoot up high way back when there wasn't anything between where I shot and where it landed. If you look you can actually see a .22 CB's flight path, whether long or short.