History of the .22LR
11th Sep 2026
History of the 22LR: From the 19th Century to America's Favorite Rimfire
By Vizard's Guns & Ammo | Updated September 2026
Few cartridges have remained relevant for as long as the .22 Long Rifle. More than a century after its introduction, the 22LR remains closely associated with recreational shooting, marksmanship training, competition and small-game hunting. Its combination of mild recoil, relatively low ammunition cost and broad firearm compatibility helped turn a late-19th-century rimfire cartridge into one of the most enduring cartridges in shooting history.
The story of the 22LR did not begin with the Long Rifle itself. Its development was part of a progression of early rimfire cartridges that stretched back decades. Each step experimented with different case lengths, powder charges and bullet weights until the basic combination recognized as the .22 Long Rifle emerged.
Understanding that progression helps explain why the 22LR succeeded where several of its predecessors eventually faded from common use.
Before the 22LR: The Beginning of Rimfire Ammunition
The roots of the 22LR can be traced to the development of self-contained metallic ammunition during the 19th century.
An important early step came in France with Louis-Nicolas Flobert's BB Cap in the 1840s. The small rimfire cartridge relied on priming compound in the rim to propel a lightweight projectile and was associated with indoor target shooting.
The concept was important because the ammunition incorporated the projectile and ignition system into a compact metallic cartridge.
A major American development followed in 1857 when Smith & Wesson introduced its Model 1 revolver. Smith & Wesson describes the Model 1 as a .22 rimfire revolver and the first practical cartridge revolver.
Unlike earlier percussion firearms that required separate loading components, metallic cartridges made loading and firing substantially more convenient.
That early .22 rimfire cartridge became the foundation for a family of cartridges that would continue evolving over the following decades.
The .22 Short Arrives
The cartridge associated with the Smith & Wesson Model 1 became known as the .22 Short.
It used a small lead bullet and black powder charge contained in a rimfire case. The priming compound was located inside the cartridge's rim. When the firing pin struck the rim, it crushed the priming mixture and initiated ignition.
That operating principle remains one of the defining characteristics of rimfire ammunition.
The .22 Short proved that a compact metallic rimfire cartridge could be practical, but shooters and ammunition designers continued looking for additional performance.
The next major step was the .22 Long.
The .22 Long Expands the Idea
Introduced in 1871, the .22 Long used a longer case than the .22 Short.
The additional case capacity allowed a larger black powder charge while retaining a bullet of approximately the same weight used by the earlier cartridge. The result was increased velocity and improved usefulness from rifles.
The .22 Long represented an important stage in rimfire development, but designers continued experimenting with heavier bullets and additional case capacity.
By 1880, another member of the family had appeared: the .22 Extra Long.
The .22 Extra Long Adds a Heavier Bullet
The .22 Extra Long took another step toward the cartridge that shooters recognize today.
It used a longer case and a heavier 40-grain bullet. The heavier projectile offered advantages for applications such as small-game hunting, but the Extra Long would eventually be overshadowed by a cartridge that combined some of the best characteristics of the existing designs.
That cartridge was the .22 Long Rifle.
The Birth of the 22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle is generally dated to 1887 and closely associated with J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts.
Instead of simply continuing to lengthen the cartridge case, the new design combined the .22 Long's case with the heavier 40-grain bullet associated with the .22 Extra Long.
That combination proved remarkably successful.
The cartridge offered greater capability than the earlier .22 Short and .22 Long while avoiding the longer case of the Extra Long. It provided a useful balance of manageable recoil, accuracy, ammunition economy and performance for target shooting and small-game hunting.
The Library of Congress credits Stevens Arms with introducing the .22 Long Rifle, while histories from Savage Arms and CCI also place the cartridge's introduction in 1887.
The basic concept proved durable enough to survive dramatic changes in both firearms and ammunition technology.
Why Is It Called the 22 Long Rifle?
The name can be confusing because the .22 Long Rifle uses essentially the same case length as the earlier .22 Long.
The important difference was the bullet.
The Long Rifle combined the .22 Long case with a heavier 40-grain projectile. Because the longer bullet extended farther beyond the case, the complete cartridge had a greater overall length.
The "Long Rifle" name distinguished the new cartridge from the existing .22 Short and .22 Long cartridges.
Over time, the abbreviated names 22LR and .22 LR became common ways of identifying the cartridge.
The Heeled Bullet Design
One feature of the 22LR that connects modern ammunition directly to its 19th-century origins is its heeled bullet.
On most modern centerfire ammunition, the bullet fits inside the cartridge case and is therefore smaller in diameter than the outside of the case.
The 22LR works differently.
Most of the bullet is approximately the same diameter as the outside of the cartridge case. A reduced-diameter section at the base of the bullet, known as the heel, fits inside the case.
This design traces directly back to early metallic-cartridge construction and remains part of the 22LR more than a century later.
From Black Powder to Smokeless Powder
The original 22LR belonged to the black powder era.
That would change as smokeless propellants transformed ammunition technology around the end of the 19th century.
Smokeless powder offered several advantages over black powder, including reduced smoke and fouling along with the potential for improved ballistic performance.
Rather than making the 22LR obsolete, the transition allowed ammunition manufacturers to continue developing the cartridge.
The propellant changed. Manufacturing methods improved. Bullet designs expanded. The fundamental cartridge remained.
That adaptability became one of the keys to the 22LR's extraordinary longevity.
The Rise of the 22LR Rifle
As the cartridge gained popularity, firearms manufacturers chambered an increasingly wide variety of rifles for it.
Single-shot rifles provided an inexpensive and straightforward platform. Lever-action, pump-action and bolt-action rifles expanded the options available to recreational shooters and hunters.
Semi-automatic rimfire rifles would later add another major category.
The mild recoil and relatively modest report of the cartridge also made 22LR rifles useful for teaching basic marksmanship. New shooters could concentrate on sight alignment, trigger control and shooting fundamentals without dealing with the recoil produced by larger centerfire cartridges.
For generations of American shooters, a 22LR rifle became one of their first introductions to recreational shooting.
22LR Handguns Expand the Cartridge's Reach
The cartridge was never limited to rifles.
Revolvers, single-shot pistols and eventually semi-automatic pistols were chambered for 22LR, greatly expanding the cartridge's versatility.
Target pistols helped establish the 22LR in precision handgun shooting, while more affordable rimfire handguns provided economical practice and recreational shooting.
The ability to use the same cartridge across such a broad selection of firearm types became one of the 22LR's defining advantages.
22LR and Marksmanship Training
Low recoil and comparatively inexpensive ammunition made the 22LR particularly well suited to marksmanship training.
Shooters could practice the fundamentals without the recoil and ammunition expense associated with many centerfire cartridges.
The military also found uses for .22-caliber firearms as training tools. During World War II, for example, .22-caliber pistols were supplied to the armed forces for pistol training and familiarization.
Civilian marksmanship programs, shooting clubs and youth programs likewise helped generations of shooters develop basic firearm skills using rimfire rifles.
That training role continues today.
22LR and Small-Game Hunting
Small-game hunting was another important reason the 22LR became established.
The cartridge offered sufficient performance for appropriate small game at reasonable distances while producing relatively mild recoil and report.
Rifles chambered in 22LR became closely associated with hunting squirrels, rabbits and other small game where legal and appropriate.
Hunters also benefited from lightweight rifles and compact ammunition, making it practical to carry substantial quantities in the field.
The cartridge's combination of accuracy, portability and moderate performance helped establish a hunting role that continues more than a century after its introduction.
22LR in Competitive Shooting
As ammunition and firearms became more precise, the 22LR developed an important role in competitive shooting.
Manufacturers began offering increasingly specialized target rifles, pistols and ammunition. Match ammunition placed greater emphasis on consistency, while specialized firearms were designed to extract as much accuracy as possible from the small rimfire cartridge.
Modern rimfire competition ranges from traditional precision target shooting to practical and long-range-style rimfire matches.
The equipment may be dramatically more sophisticated than what was available in the 19th century, but competitors are still using a cartridge based on the same fundamental design.
How 22LR Ammunition Continued to Evolve
Modern 22LR ammunition is considerably more diverse than the ammunition available to shooters in the cartridge's early years.
Manufacturers now offer ammunition designed around specific applications, including:
- Standard-velocity ammunition
- High-velocity ammunition
- Subsonic ammunition
- Target and match ammunition
- Small-game hunting ammunition
- Hollow-point ammunition
- Plated-bullet ammunition
- Suppressor-oriented loads
- Specialty rimfire ammunition
Bullet weights, projectile designs and velocities vary considerably depending on the intended purpose.
Despite that variety, the fundamental dimensions and operating principles have remained recognizable across generations.
Why the 22LR Survived
Many cartridges introduced during the late 1800s disappeared as firearms technology advanced.
The 22LR did not.
Its longevity comes from a combination of characteristics rather than one extraordinary capability.
The cartridge produces very little recoil. Firearms chambered for it can be relatively lightweight. Ammunition can be produced in large quantities. It works for recreational shooting, training, competition and small-game hunting. It is available in rifles, pistols and revolvers spanning numerous action types.
Most importantly, the cartridge continued adapting.
The transition from black powder to smokeless powder did not eliminate it. Semi-automatic firearms did not eliminate it. Modern centerfire cartridges did not eliminate it. Precision rimfire competition instead created additional uses for it.
The technology surrounding the cartridge changed while the basic 22LR remained useful.
The 22LR in the Modern Era
Today's 22LR market would be almost unrecognizable to a shooter from 1887.
Modern shooters can choose from precision bolt-action rifles, semi-automatic rifles, lever actions, compact pistols, target pistols, revolvers and specialized competition firearms.
Ammunition choices are equally diverse.
Someone looking for inexpensive recreational ammunition has very different options from a precision competitor or a hunter selecting a purpose-built small-game load.
Suppressors have also renewed interest in standard-velocity and subsonic rimfire ammunition because the 22LR can be particularly well suited to suppressed shooting.
What hasn't changed is the cartridge's accessibility.
The same characteristics that made the 22LR attractive generations ago continue to make it useful today.
More Than a Century of 22LR
The history of the 22LR is unusual because the cartridge was never confined to one particular period of firearms development.
Its ancestry reaches back to the earliest practical metallic rimfire ammunition. It survived the transition from black powder to smokeless powder. It became established in rifles and handguns, found roles in hunting and marksmanship training, developed a major presence in competitive shooting and adapted to modern firearms and ammunition technology.
A shooter loading a modern 22LR cartridge is using ammunition whose fundamental design can be traced back to the 19th century.
Few cartridges can claim that kind of continuity.
More than a century after its introduction, the 22 Long Rifle remains a link between the earliest days of metallic-cartridge firearms and modern shooting sports.
Frequently Asked Questions About the History of the 22LR
When was the 22LR invented?
The .22 Long Rifle is generally dated to 1887 and is closely associated with J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company. The cartridge combined the case length of the .22 Long with the heavier 40-grain bullet associated with the .22 Extra Long.
Who invented the 22LR?
J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company is widely credited with introducing the .22 Long Rifle. The Library of Congress identifies Stevens Arms as the company that introduced the cartridge, and modern histories from Savage Arms and CCI also associate its introduction with Stevens in 1887.
What came before the 22LR?
The 22LR developed from a progression of earlier rimfire cartridges. Important predecessors included the BB Cap, the .22 Short, the .22 Long and the .22 Extra Long.
Why is it called 22 Long Rifle?
The cartridge combined the .22 Long case with a heavier bullet. Although its case is essentially the same length as the .22 Long case, the heavier bullet increases the complete cartridge's overall length.
Was the original 22LR loaded with black powder?
Yes. The 22LR originated during the black powder era. Ammunition manufacturers later transitioned the cartridge to smokeless propellants as ammunition technology advanced.
Why is 22LR still popular?
Its mild recoil, relatively affordable ammunition, wide variety of firearms and usefulness for target shooting, training, competition and small-game hunting have helped keep the cartridge relevant across generations.
Sources & References
Library of Congress, American Firearms and Their Makers: Spencer, Stevens, Whitney
Research guide documenting Stevens Arms, its founding by Joshua Stevens and the company's introduction of the .22 Long Rifle.
Smith & Wesson, Our History
Smith & Wesson's company history documenting the introduction of the Model 1 .22 rimfire revolver in 1857.
Savage Arms, 22 Long Rifle History: From Plinking to Precision
Historical overview of the development of the .22 Long Rifle, its 1887 introduction by J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company and its evolution into the modern era.
CCI Ammunition, The Rise & Reign of 22 Long Rifle
Historical overview tracing the cartridge family from the BB Cap through the .22 Short, .22 Long and the introduction of the .22 Long Rifle.
SAAMI, Voluntary Performance Standards for Pressure and Velocity of Rimfire Sporting Ammunition
Industry standards and technical cartridge and chamber specifications for the modern .22 Long Rifle.
American Rifleman, The .22 LR: History & Performance
Historical discussion of the development of the .22 rimfire family and the emergence of the .22 Long Rifle.
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