So, does .22lr get fat with age, like people do?

[ilikerams]

Went out to the range the other day for a little plinking. I wanted to shoot up some of the thunderbolt that I've had for twenty years or so. In fact all of my supply of .22lr of several different makes is that old. I had two hand guns with me, a S&W mod. 63 and a Ruger MKIII hunter. After about 20 rounds I had to quit because it was too hard to chamber the rounds in either gun. With the Smith I was breaking my finger nails trying to force them into the cylinder and with the Ruger I had to pound on the back of the bolt to get them to chamber, and that didn't seem like a good idea. The ones I was able to chamber all shot and ejected easily. When I got home I miked some of the Thunderbolts and got numbers from .226 to .229 thousandths. I then measured some of my other .22s (rem. target, win., rws, fed.) and the largest measured .225., and they all chambered easily in the two guns. I have shot this ammo in these two guns before and it worked fine. So what happened, any ideas. :?

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I have seen pictures of powder containers that have swollen up with age and some split open. I can't imagine .22's would do that but who knows?

 

[nvbirdman]

Yes, as they get older they get fatter. Send them to me and I will make them lose weight. About forty grains per shot.

 

[GunnyGene]

Speak for yourself. I'm still 200lbs of solid muscle at 72. At least that's what I see in the mirror. :wink: :lol:

 

[ilikerams]

The part of the cartridge I miked was the lead just above the neck, not the case. Maybe I can contact Lee to make me a .22lr fcd with that carbide sizer ring thingy in it. That should do it. Otherwise I could send them to nvbirdman, or maybe I could shoot them in a bolt action where I'd have some leverage to force em into the chamber. Might take a little time tho, I've got over 6000 rounds of the stuff.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

IIRC Paco Kelly used to sell a device to make .22LR bullets fat enough to shoot good in guns that were convertible with .22 magnums. Maybe a .22 magnum shooter might like them.

 

[wizofwas]

They can if not stored properly. I did have a box of 50 that got that way one time. And others that were older, shot just fine.

 

[mikld]

Paco Kelly sells a 22 rimfire sizing kit, the Acu'Rzr. Pictured, tested here; http://www.accurateshooter.com/gear-reviews/paco-kelly%E2%80%99s-acu%E2%80%99rzr-bullet-tool/. I got mine from the Castboolits site several years ago. Works great. My el cheapo Blazer 22 lr would group roughly 3" @ about 30 yds. with my Marlin 81T, but after sizing in my groups shrank to about 1 1/2"- 1 3/4" ( when my eyed are seein' straight). Similar results in my 10-22, and Contender rifle...

 

[K. Funk]

I acquired a bunch of Thunderbolt from an estate. There was just a hint of white oxidation on the bullets that gives me the same problem you are describing. They work fine in lever and bolt action rifles, but a royal pain with revolvers and auto pistols. I have some Sears brand that is much older that is just fine.

krf

 

[Rook]

Maybe your cylinder was getting dirty which would cause the tight fit?

 

[Justice B. Swift]

For what it's worth, I currently have a brick of this same ammo with the same issue. To further explore this condition listen to this: I began to shoot this ammo many years ago in a 10/22 and a Mark ll target model and had NO issues at all. After many years in storage I tried to shoot the remainder of the same brick of shells in the same 10/22. I experienced failures to chamber, but if chambering occurred then all was well. I figured it was a dirty gun. Then I tried it in the Mark ll, same issue. Then I tried to chamber it in my Single Six revolvers (2 guns). One of them would chamber them very snuggly and the other one required great force to chamber. So much in fact that my shooting pal couldn't get them into the cylinder at all. I then tried two other types of ammo, Remington golden bullets and Winchester copper clad solids. Both of these worked well in ALL of the guns. It is clearly the ammo. Close inspection shows just a very slight sign of corrosion on the exposed lead at the junction to the case mouth and on the "bearing" surface just ahead of the case. The ammo was stored in sealed ammo cans with several other brands of ammo, none of which suffered any I'll affects from storage. Only the Thunderbolts "got fatter".
Just say'n... you're not dream'n.