Three sizes of .22 cartridges, from left: .22 Long Rifle, .22 Long, .22 Short. Few ammo companies manufacture .22 Long cartridges these days; CCI still does.
Ammo History: The .22 Rimfire
It’s a 160-year-old cartridge with puny ballistics that’s no good as a self-defense round—yet the .22 continues to be one of the most popular gun chamberings ever. Here’s why.