Before the Long Rifle: BB caps and Shorts
The .22 LR is the descendant of some of the earliest self-contained cartridges. According to Wikipedia, its family tree runs back to the .22 BB Cap of 1845 and the .22 Short of 1857. The Short was introduced for Smith & Wesson's first revolver and is still made today. Our review of the Aguila .22 Short case shows it is still sold in bulk.
Then came the .22 Long in 1871, with a longer case. In 1887, Stevens combined the Long's case with a heavier 40-grain bullet. The result was the .22 Long Rifle, which made the older .22 Extra Long obsolete and eventually displaced most of its relatives.
How a rimfire works
The "rim" in rimfire describes where the priming compound lives. Instead of a separate primer in the center of the case head, a rimfire case has priming compound spun into the hollow rim. The firing pin crushes the rim, igniting the compound and the powder.
That design has three consequences that shaped the .22 LR's history:
- Cheap to make. No separate primer, and a thin case that uses very little metal.
- Not reloadable. The crushed rim cannot be reprimed, so every round is new.
- Low pressure only. The thin rim limits how powerful a rimfire can be, which keeps it small, quiet and gentle.
The .22 LR also uses a heeled bullet, where the bullet is the same diameter as the case and a narrower heel fits inside. That is why many .22 bullets are lubricated or plated on the outside.
A century as everyone's first cartridge
Because it is cheap, quiet and has almost no recoil, the .22 LR became the cartridge Americans learned on. It powered:
- Single-shot youth rifles and farm guns for pests and small game.
- Gallery and carnival shooting galleries.
- Military and police marksmanship training.
- Competitive target shooting at the highest level; Wikipedia notes it is used in precision rifle and pistol events at the Olympic Games.
Through the 20th century, semi-automatic .22 rifles and pistols made it even more popular, and they also made shooters burn through ammunition much faster.
Why it comes by the brick
Most centerfire handgun ammo is sold in boxes of 50, and rifle ammo in boxes of 20. The .22 LR has its own units. Wikipedia describes them this way:
| Unit | Typical count |
|---|---|
| Box | 50 or 100 rounds |
| Brick | 500 rounds (10 boxes of 50, or 500 loose) |
| Case | 5,000 rounds (10 bricks) |
Some makers also sell loose bulk packs of several hundred rounds or more. The brick became standard because the rounds are so small and so cheap that a 50-round box is gone in minutes with a semi-auto. Our post on why ammo comes in boxes of 50 explains the packaging history for centerfire.
Shortages and the .22 LR
For a cartridge made by the billion, .22 LR has had some surprising shortages. Buyers tend to stock up on it during panics because it is cheap per round and easy to store in large quantity. When that happens, shelves can empty quickly. Our ammo shortage history covers how the big shortages unfolded.
The practical lesson for bulk buyers: buy .22 LR when it is easy to find, not when everyone else is panicking.
What history means for your next brick
A few buying tips follow from all this:
- Not all .22 is equal. Cheap bulk loads are fine for plinking, but some guns are picky. Test a box before buying a case.
- Know your velocity class. Standard velocity, high velocity and subsonic loads behave differently in semi-autos and suppressed guns.
- Do not mix up .22 LR, .22 Short and .22 Magnum. They are different cartridges. Only fire the one your gun is marked for.
- Store it like any ammo. Keep it cool and dry. Rimfire priming is in the rim, so avoid damaging or deforming rounds.
Velocity classes: the .22 LR's family within the family
Over its long life, the .22 LR has split into several distinct load types. They all fit the same chamber, but they do different jobs, and buying the wrong one in bulk is a common mistake.
- Subsonic loads stay below the speed of sound. They are quiet, especially from a suppressor or a long rifle barrel, but some semi-autos will not cycle reliably with them.
- Standard velocity loads usually sit near the speed of sound. Target shooters favor them because the bullet does not pass through the turbulent transition from supersonic to subsonic in flight.
- High velocity loads are the common bulk plinking choice. They usually cycle semi-autos well and are what most bulk packs contain.
- Hyper velocity loads use lighter bullets pushed faster. They are specialty items, not bulk staples.
Bullet types also vary: lead round nose, copper-plated round nose, hollow points, and lead-free options. Plated and copper-washed bullets are common in bulk packs because they handle and feed more cleanly than bare lubricated lead.
For bulk buyers, the practical rule is to match the velocity class to the gun. A semi-auto rifle or pistol typically wants high-velocity ammo to run reliably. A bolt-action or a suppressed gun may do best with standard velocity or subsonic loads. Buy a few boxes of two or three types, see what your gun likes, and then buy the brick or case.
Why .22 LR is still the cheapest way to practice
Even with price swings, .22 LR almost always costs less per round than any centerfire cartridge. That makes it the best tool for high-volume fundamentals: sight alignment, trigger press, follow-through and safe gun handling. Many shooters keep a .22 version of their main rifle or pistol, or a similar rimfire trainer, for exactly that reason.
It is also the easiest cartridge to store in quantity. A full 5,000-round case is compact compared with the same number of centerfire rounds. That is one reason the .22 LR has stayed at the center of the bulk market for well over a century.
Safety basics that never changed
The .22 LR's small size can make people careless. It should not. Treat every .22 as a real firearm, follow the standard safety rules, know your backstop, and keep rimfire ammo stored as carefully as any other ammunition. A .22 bullet can travel a long way, so be certain of your target and what is beyond it.
Frequently asked questions
When was the .22 LR invented?
The J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company introduced it in 1887 by pairing the .22 Long case with a heavier 40-grain bullet.
How many rounds are in a brick of .22?
A brick is typically 500 rounds, usually as 10 boxes of 50. A case is typically 10 bricks, or 5,000 rounds.
Can you reload .22 LR?
No, not practically. The priming compound is in the rim, which is crushed on firing.
Is .22 LR the most popular cartridge?
It is widely considered the most-produced cartridge. Some estimates put annual production at 2 to 2.5 billion rounds.
Why does .22 LR sometimes go out of stock?
Buyers often stock up on it during panics because it is cheap and easy to store, so demand can spike quickly.
Editorial note: This history draws on Wikipedia's .22 Long Rifle entry and other published references. Production estimates are approximate. We have not tested products hands-on. Prices and stock change. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links to Ammunition Depot. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial choices are not influenced by commissions. Check current price, stock and specifications directly with the retailer.