Press release . . .
Last year, CCI—the king of rimfire—launched Clean-22 in three 22 LR configurations. This year, the company expands that product line by introducing Clean-22 Suppressor 22 LR and Maxi-Mag Segmented Hollow Point (SHP) 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR).
“CCI has been in business for more than 75 years, and currently we have close to 100 cataloged items,” said CCI Product Director Rick Stoeckel. “We utilize a state-of-the art production facility and a dedicated, highly experienced workforce, to create a huge variety of innovative product options that have created unparalleled brand loyalty from millions of shooters and hunters. A prime example of innovation is one of the company’s latest and greatest product lines: Clean-22. And this year, CCI is expanding its lineup.”
Clean-22 Suppressor 22 LR uses an advanced polymer bullet coating to reduce lead fouling inside a suppressor by up to 60 percent. The exclusive feature allows much easier suppressor cleaning and maintenance. These loads boast excellent accuracy while cycling reliably through any suppressed firearm. The load’s brass case gives the cartridge a tactical look when paired with the black polymer, 45-grain bullet. The load is available in 200-count cartons. This convenient, carton-style “pour pack” makes it easy to handle all the ammo needed for a big day at the range. When range day is done, the containers close securely to hold the remaining rounds until your next shoot.
New Clean-22 Maxi-Mag SHP is the industry’s only segmenting hollow-point bullet in 22 WMR. The load’s 46-grain Segmented Hollow Point splits into three equal-size pieces on impact, tripling the number of wound channels. The polymer bullet coating allows this separation at much lower velocities and longer distances than a conventional copper jacket. This load features an olive drab green bullet and is available in 50-count boxes.
Clean-22 uses an exclusive polymer bullet coating to greatly reduce copper and lead fouling in the barrel—without leaving a residue. It also cuts lead buildup in suppressors by up to 60 percent—depending on outside variables. Bullets in this product line are manufactured using bullet-shape geometry that’s been ballistically optimized for accuracy and function. And with dependable CCI priming and consistent propellant, Clean-22 provides flawless cycling through all rimfire platforms including semi-automatics.
These new products were announced at the 2020 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 21-24. Shipments for the new Clean-22 products mentioned in this release are scheduled to ship starting in the Spring of 2020.
In 2019, CCI launched three Clean-22 22 LR options: Sub-Sonic, High Velocity and Pink. All loads feature a 40-grain round nose lead bullet colored in a way to signify their differences. Red represented High Velocity which boasted a muzzle velocity of 1,235 feet-per-second (fps). Blue for Sub-Sonic featuring a muzzle velocity of 1,070 fps. Both options were sold in 100-count, clear-sided, durable boxes that CCI is known for. Clean-22 Pink also delivers a muzzle velocity of 1,235 fps and is colored in a way to communicate that it helps fight breast cancer. A portion of the proceeds from every box sold goes directly to the effort to find a cure. It comes in a 400-round bulk bottle that’s perfect for long days at the range.
This is showing cci is listening to shooters, allthough they should have done some of this years ago. CCI, Blazer and Speer are all one inity or at least used to be. Their center fire
pistol brass is all produced on the same machines just the head stamps are changed. This is one big reason as a reloader I like their pistol brass as its from the same company and machines useing the same brass stock. Makes it easyer to keep a basic practical load with out worring about differances in cases being all that differant in their make up.
I am looking foward to trying these new loadings as I really liked their christmas colored 22lr offerings, they do make it easy to clean the bore.
I don’t care for segmenting .22 bullets, just taking an already small projectile and making it smaller.
What I would really like to see CCI do is take a .22 Long (not Long Rifle) case and put a 50 grain bullet in it that makes it as long as a .22 LR, kind of like what Aguila does with their Sniper SunSonic by using a 60 grain bullet with a .22 Short case. The goal being you get better ballistics than the typical 40 grain bullet, but in a case that is a bit shorter and extracts/ejects better for reliability.
In fact, I would plate the brass in nickel and market it as a self defense ammo for .22 LR. Nobody currently markets a .22 LR ammo specifically for self defense, but lots of people use .22 LR for defense.
22 LR and 22 long already use exactly the same case.
For a pistol, 22 stinger seems to work the best. With 22 minimag being a close second. Velocitor appears to be not quite as good as the construction is designed for more controlled expansion because of its higher velocities. In a pistol length barrel it only produces like 20-30fps more velocity than a minimag.
At any rate, with subsonics at 45gr and ~1000fps that’s likely to get you better ballistics than the probably 900fps you’d likely end up getting if you stuffed a 50gr bullet in to a 22 long case and called it a 22lr. Worse expansion too. A 45gr bullet at 1000fps is going to penetrate sufficiently deep. Going 50gr isn’t really going to net you much more.
One other thing to consider is sometimes you do NOT want deep penetration. My experience on small animals is that segmented rounds work very well. You do get separate wound tracks and more overall tissue damage than a single round that expands a bit and passes through. Down range it is also much safer. Hit a twig and the bullet breaks apart reducing the individual segments energy and ballistic coefficient. A 22lr hitting a twig and zinging off down range might still travel half a mile or a mile and have sufficient energy to be really dangerous when it hits something (>170fps). One of those segments probably won’t travel 300yds and way less energy when it does hit something.
Unlikely to ricochet also. My property is 4.4 acres that is mostly wooded and my neighbors are on 1.3-4.4 acres around me. I have to be pretty careful as it is. I bow hunt deer, which short of having a seizure (not that I suffer form those) or intentionally shooting a neighbor’s house is perfectly safe. Shooting a fox trying to get in to my chicken coop with a firearm, not nearly so safe, just from ricochet risk alone. And a shotgun isn’t always a good answer. A 22lr is about as high energy as I’d be willing to risk short of a self defense scenario. Segmented helps out on reducing that ricochet risk as well as being more effective on most of the light body stuff I’d be shooting with a 22 anyway (like squirrels, ground hogs, fox and racoons).
A nice 45 gr, subsonic, segmented, clean round would be really nice.
Re Truth Tellers comments.I would consider the Aquila SSS as a defense load.In a semi-auto one needs to use heavier than standard recoil springs to prevent battering of the receiver.That isn’t an issue if using in a medium/large revolver.Ought to out perform the 25ACP in an auto.
I wish CCI would bring back their SGB[small game bullet]22LR and drop the Stinger 22LR-always burns dirty.
I’ve used both and the SGB is a nice small game round.I’ve never seen much use for the 22WMR[excepting when centerfires were prohibited from nocturnal small game hunting]
The SSS is a rifle bullet, from a pistol it doesn’t shoot well (for me), velocity is meh. From a rifle I have found it very accurate, quiet, and the ballistics of it show it tumbles and penetrates to 15 inches in gel. Should also be pretty good at distance due to the weight of the bullet.
The Stinger is meant for pistols, it’s a lighter bullet, so less recoil, it can expand if fired from a long enough pistol barrel, nickel case… it’s a self defense round, but not a very good one. CCI was trying to get the highest possible velocity from that, not sure why, it’s too light to be effective at longer ranges and velocity with such a light bullet from a pistol isn’t ideal even if it expands.
A nickel plated .22 case with a 50 grain bullet that can hit 800 fps from a 2 inch barrel would be better than .25. Expansion isn’t important, it’s penetration.
CCI is advertising ammunition using the word “Suppressor” for use in suppressed firearms. It is my understanding that to own a suppressor it has to be purchased and registered just like a firearm. A 4473
form must be completed and approval must be given by the BATF. Suppressors are sometimes referred to
as “Silencers”. I wonder if CCI would not be clearer and use the word “Compensator”? Compensators can be purchased anywhere with no paperwork.
@Richard L Smith – there are a lot of .22LR suppressors out there in the hands of law abiding citizens. Because.22LR cartridges tend to run “dirty,” our suppressors tend to fill up with all kinds of crud necessitating disassembly of the can for cleaning. That is why many .22 suppressor manufacturers advertise that they are easy to clean (they are not).
If their ammo actually runs 60% cleaner in suppressors, they will have a lot of buyers.
It’s designed specifically for silencers Richard. Compensators are not suppressors. They use a 45 grain bullet vs. a 40 grain so that they can produced a subsonic velocity out of a rifle barrel without having to reduce the powder charge. Not reducing the powder charge insures that it will cycle the action of semi-auto 22’s more reliably. The copper plating is there to reduce lead fouling inside the suppressor which is a major hassle to clean. The cheapest I’ve seen this ammo is just under $0.06 per round which isn’t that cheap but it’s not completely outrageous either. If this stuff truly keeps the suppressor internals cleaner and extends the round count between having to clean the internals it may be worth it to some shooters.
Neat, but I wish CCI would first focus on making their Clean-22 subs (blue colored SV) more available, and at a more comparable price point to their SV stuff. There is a significant price difference between the two, although I have generally been happy with the blue poly Clean-22.
I’m personally not a fan of going to 45-grain over the 40 grain SV. There will be no appreciable difference for a .22lr except for more bullet drop.
what would be the best ammo for a winchester short/long LR .22 -06 model?