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We all know you shouldn’t rely on a .22LR for self defense when there are more effective options out there. But I bet we all know people who still do. Whether it’s because that’s the only gun they own, or because it’s what they’re comfortable shooting, or maybe it’s a backup gun like a North American Arms Mini Revolver. Whatever the reason, and despite recommendations to the contrary, folks use .22’s for defense, have done so since Smith & Wesson developed the original .22 Short back in 1857, and will continue to do so in the future.

Recognizing that fact, CCI continues to improve .22 ammunition making it more reliable and more effective. The latest incarnation of .22LR defense ammo from CCI is the Uppercut 22 LR. It uses a 32gr jacketed hollowpoint design; not something you typically see in a rimfire round. CCI is claiming 950fps velocities and reliable expansion in short barreled handguns, while still providing necessary penetration.

There aren’t a lot of details available yet, but if you use a .22LR for self defense, know someone who does, or carry one for use against critters in the woods, the it’s worth keeping an eye on this one. I’ll be looking for the Uppercut at the 2024 SHOT show to see what else I can learn about it there.

Uppercut 22 LR

Protection should always be personal. Built for how you carry. Crafted for how you defend. Sized to match any shooter. New CCI Uppercut answers that call with power and performance traditional 22 Long Rifle ammunition has never been able to deliver. The difference lies in its exclusive 32-grain projectile. Unlike the simple lead round nose or copper-plated hollow points typical of most rimfire ammunition, Uppercut’s jacketed hollow point bullet features nose skiving that initiates full and reliable expansion through 2.5- to 4-inch handgun barrels, while retaining the weight needed to hit critical penetration depths. Plus, the unwaxed bullet reduces fouling and improves feeding in all conditions.

 

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105 COMMENTS

  1. Jacket hollow point.
    I’m sure they did their testing but at those velocities and as small as a .22 is I cant see it expanding reliably.
    Stingers are good.

    • My thoughts exactly. Interesting idea, but it’s weaker than any of the loads tested by BBTI, and none of those were even optimized for short barrels.

      • I clocked some mini-mags out of my LCPII (the only round I’ve found that feeds reliably in it) – 10 rounds all between 65-70ft/lbs. Incidentally I was shooting at a 12″ round target at 25 yards and was a bit surprised to find 6 .22 caliber holes in the circle.

      • I can’t see it both expanding and penetrating at 36 grains and 950fps. I hope they are right, but doubt it, and I love 22lr. I want to see gel tests to prove it.

        I assume the 950fps is out of a handgun, and that it would probably do 1200+ (and over expand plus under penetrate) out of.a rifle.

        • I know, and (as I commented elsewhere) was comparing it directly to handgun velocities. Also, it’s 32gr.

    • I’m not sure you’d want much expansion on a round packing 64ft/lbs of energy. .22s have two issues, they poke a tiny little hole and they don’t penetrate very deep. It doesn’t make much difference if you clip an aorta with a .22 or a .45, but the bullet has to reach it to clip it.

      • “.22s have two issues, they poke a tiny little hole and they don’t penetrate very deep.”

        I confess this round puzzles me.

        At a projectile weight of 36 gr., it’s on the light side, yet it’s also subsonic.

        So why didn’t they load it hotter? It damn sure would help with the expansion that’s needed, and improve penetration…

        • I assume the 950fps is out of a handgun, as that is what 1250fps (in rifle) high velocity ammo typically does.

    • Agreed. Regular .22LR is made from soft lead. Easily deformed. What is a jacket supposed to do? Controlled expansion?

    • Hmm. Looks like TTAG black-holed my comment. It was here yesterday…now gone completely.

      The WordPress Grinch is back. Please tell me what I could have possibly said to warrant censorship?

      Still waiting for an answer after asking this for a few years now…

  3. CCI can market whatever it wants however it wants but, IMO, marketing any .22 LR as a “self defense” round is irresponsible. I know that just a few days ago I was whinging about how stupid caliber wars are but, that was about reasonably major caliber center-fire handguns, this is a bit different. I know that someone will point out that .22 LR is (one of) the most common caliber(s) involved in fatalities but, that is because there are a whole lot of .22s out there and it can certainly be lethal. (FWIW, dogs cause more human deaths than alligators. Not because dogs are more lethal but because there are a whole hell of a lot more of them in people’s houses.)

    • Well a .22 is much more effective than a strongly worded letter.

      Most self defense situations end with a psychological stop and most people don’t want to get shot even with a .22 and certainly don’t want to be shot again with a .22. But if you’re facing an unrelenting foe with a .22 you’d better do a full mag dump and pray for the best.

      • True, but, if a psychological stop is what you are going for then, ammo selection is irrelevant – as is loading the gun, for that matter. I agree that a .22 is more potent than a strongly worded letter but I, in good conscience, could not recommend, much less put on a marketing campaign for, .22 LR “defensive” ammo.

        • If you’re carrying a .22 mouse gun, the first and by far most important issue with ammunition is that it doesn’t jam every second or third round, and that narrows your options down considerably.

          I would recommend .22 for anyone too arthritic to use a more powerful round. I would also recommend it over an ultra lightweight .380 for the fact that you could end up needing to engage an enemy past 3 feet. As I mentioned above, I managed to put 60% on a 12″ target at 25 yards with an LCPII (without even really trying). If you landed one out of 10 with the .380 LCP it’d be pure dumb luck. Off hand at 7 yards you could put a whole brick of .22 on the head of a mini-silhouette with that LCPII.

          Not that I’d recommend any mouse gun as a primary self defense weapon…

      • 22lr is also MUCH better out of a rifle than a pistol. I’d feel much more comfortable defending myself with a 10/22 and a 25 round magazine than my Ruger Wrangler.

    • “CCI can market whatever it wants however it wants but, IMO, marketing any .22 LR as a “self defense” round is irresponsible.”

      Eh, not so sure on that one. Federal ‘Punch’ in .22lr is fully capable of penetrating the skull, and at bad-breath ranges, that’s really all I need, when I’m EDC carrying my NAA Mini-revolver.

      It’s far from ideal, but it will work…

      • Similar theory on 32acp generally speaking. But in either case the guns would fall under the area where 380 options are not concealable enough.

        • There are very few situations where you couldn’t carry and LCP or P3AT that you could carry a NAA mini revolver. LCP is the bare size minimum for me. If I were to carry a .22lr, it would probably be a Kel Tec P17, or maybe a Ruger LCR, SR22, or LCP22. I just don’t get the NAA as anything other than a novelty.

        • There are rare occasions I need to go with formal attire for work and depending on the fit it quickly makes a 365 a challenge where several of the others you named become viable options. Of course this being NY we run into the what can you find easily in store or GunBroker and that limits choices a bit then what can you reload for if you don’t want your in state ammo purchases tracked to limit it further. Ah well under 2 decades to go now for retirement.

        • quality seems to have suffered on that gun of late…i’ve had two or three that have ceased to function…while the price keeps going up….

        • If NA has quality problems that is on them. You can blame them for price increases of Joey Obiden and the demtard misfits.

      • A sharp stick is “capable” of penetrating the skull. I’m not going to market sharp sticks to anyone as a viable self defense option.

        • That wasn’t a very civil response, JWM. If you don’t agree, and why, then suggest that either you state why not or just remain silent. Otherwise you run the risk of being the AH. I know nothing of Nathan but he was just stating his perception. I’m an old man and I was not offended by his comment.

    • I don’t carry .22s for actual self-defense, but I sometimes carry one around the farm and I don’t see any point in loading them with anything but 40gr round nose — they’re no way hollow points are going to expand from a pistol.

      I’ll use hollow points in my .22 rifles, but that’s completely different.

      • My guess is that around the farm you are expecting to shoot a snake or a particularly aggressive rabbit – not a home intruder.

        • Yep. I’ve put a couple car hit cats and deer out of their misery and one possum that had something wrong with it — was just spinning around and around in a circle. There’s really nothing where I live that’s particularly dangerous — the black bears rarely get this side of the Ohio river.

        • When someone warns you about a killer rabbit, and to “look at the bones,” you just listen to them!

          I’m not taking one of those on with some measly little .22.

          Like Nikita Tesla says, that’s Holy Hand Grenade time.

        • reminds me of a time I carried a high-standard sentinel down into the woods up in the mountains…[for snakes and such]…seemed perfectly adequate…until I came upon a fresh bear track!

    • “No way in hell does a jhp out of a snubby .22 work as advertised.”

      Is anyone aware of any other copper jacketed .22 lr load than this one? I’m not talking about the extremely common copper-plated bulk stuff.

      I see it all day long for .22 wmr, but not .22 lr…

      • I assume nobody does this because the .22LR round exterior diameter is flush with the case exterior and the case isn’t really crimped like .22WMR, so the jacket would butt up against the case and require either an inset or just extra unjacketed lead below the jacket to seat inside the case.

        It would be interesting to see close up photos of the bullet design.

        Just did some image searches — it looks like there’s a little indented belt around the round and the case is crimped into that belt. Maybe the part of the bullet below the belt is also a slightly smaller diameter than the part of the bullet above it. Hard to tell.

        This is a completely unique design, so the fact that it can’t be repurposed for anything else is probably a drawback from a manufacturer standpoint.

  5. My spouse’s favorite house gun is her Sig P322 loaded with Aguila Interceptor .22 LR with a Sparrow hung on the barrel. The combo is light, fast, quiet and holds lots of ammo. The little Sig has proven reliable with this ammunition. Her arthritis necessitated the change to a lighter firearm and caliber.

    • I would think that .32auto would be a much better all-round with only a minimal increase in recoil over .22LR -especially out of a larger-framed pistol.

      • It’s hard to find .32 auto pistols. In new production it’s pretty much the Kel-Tec P32 and the Beretta Tomcat (not even going to count the NAA Guardian. Those suck.). Those are very small pistols with rudimentary sightes, so might be harder for someone with arthritis to maniplulate. I have a P32 and I like it, so not dissing it. It just is what it is. Recoil is negligible, though, even out of the tiny P32.

        An old 1903 pocket hammerless or original Remington Model 51 are bigger, but they’re antiques.

        A Skorpion vz. 61 would be pretty fun and easy to use. 🙂

        • p32’s are pretty common down here in florida these days sincr they make a lot of sense in thus warm climate and carrying is pretty accepted here. You can find a used one in every pawn shop practically and many gun shops are beginning to cater mostly to every day carriers. Half the guns in the display case are pocket pistols and even .25ACP is pretty represented.

          There are some com block surplus pistols chambered in .32 out there fairly cheap also that are basically Walther PPK copies just like the Makarov and Polish p64 are in 9x18mm which I like too for CCW but recoil is a little much for many shooters

          Speaking of Skorpions and 9mak I would love a 9x18mm Skorpion to go with my P64

        • The original Remington Model 51 seems like it would be a solid choice if you get the springs all replaced by a ‘smith.

          Isn’t her life worth a few extra hundred bucks?

        • There is a CZ-70 over at GunBroker right now for $260 +$25 shipping. Not a great looker but probably would be a fine shooter for .32auto carry gun. DIY reblue refinish or parkerize if one cares about looks. Recoil would be a fraction of what a similar-sized .380 or 9x18mm gun produces.

        • Nikita: The CZ-70 looks pretty cool. I’d consider one of those. Also, I’d forgotten about the Beretta Cheetah and Model 81 — they’re a steel compact sized gun and some of them are in .32. What I like about them, as a leftie is that they have ambidextrous safeties.

        • The now discontinued CZ83 use to be available in 32acp (as well as 9mak, and .380acp).. That would be a pretty capable .32 pistol.

      • @NT

        Don’t have a .32…we do have a number of .22 LR’s.

        As we age, we have to continually adapt our skills and abilities to fit our “new normal”.

        I try to live by the old adage of: Happy Wife – Happy Life.
        My Missus is comfortable with the gear she is using. Her ability to deliver 20 plus rounds on target at home distances should be a deterrent to any home invader(s). I see no valid reason to dissuade her.

  6. It’s curious to me that the advertised velocity is only 950fps. It seems to me that a higher velocity would definitely be the way to go to ensure adequate expansion. It’s not likely that over penetration would be a problem with .22lr. Or am I wrong on that?

      • I’m pretty sure that no marketing department advertising “optimized for 2.5 to 4″ barrels” (nor any ammo manufacturer period) is reporting velocities for the bottom edge of plausible barrel lengths.

        Except for 60gr SSS, BBTI’s 4″ barrel .22LR velocities go from 984-1191fps (the latter for the same 32gr bullet weight). Their 2″ (not 2.5″) average for that same load is 974, and 3″ is 1129, so 2.5″ is going to be somewhere in the 1000s.

  7. I was about to say the same thing as Old Guy in Montana
    Like any product, this is designed for its intended market: people who self-select to use .22LR for personal defense
    I too have dear friends who find it difficult to operate S&W’s “EZ” line due to disease or deformity or other weakness
    If this works as advertised – reliable enough (for rimfire) firing and reliable enough expansion in the target – it could be a way for them to become independent and self-reliant in such an important realm of life
    Subsonic muzzle velocity is a significant bonus feature, so they don’t need to sacrifice their hearing just because some miscreant decided they were an easy target

  8. I like a .22 lr. Handgun or rifle, but I can’t say that I ever carried one as a primary defensive weapon. I always carried a .22 handgun to supplement a centerfire rifle when hunting, or carried a centerfire handgun when hunting with a .22 rifle. Never a .22 lr weapon alone.

    • Only night hunting for coons in the hills of WV and eastern KY. H&R 999 .22 in a holster at the small of my back. Carrying that way cut down on snagging in the thick brush. The biggest threat we had then were black bears and rarely saw one.

      • Coons are thick around here because nobody hunts them. The price of fur ain’t worth the dog food and the “professional deer hunters” have leased up all the land and ain’t no place to hunt.

  9. Neat ammo. I suppose this might help with prairie dogs and nuisance rodents too if you don’t mind the extra cost

    But what is wrong with .32auto for those with very low recoil limits? Dropping down to .22 is a diminishing returns equation in recoil and there are ignition reliability problems to boot The only real advantages of .22 is the huge price advantage of the practice ammo and the ability to make the gun so much smaller in a palm-sized package ot a belt-buckle gun A .32 such as the Kel Tec p32 is pretty darn small and light and making a self-defense pistol any smaller and lighter doesn’t make any sense in the shootabikity factor while still being pretty tame in the recoil department Unless you need to hide the gun in a body cavity going down to .22 makes little sense to me.

  10. This article made me smile and not for the reasons you might think.

    Now I already know the answer to my question but I am curious how many of you know the answer. What type old fashioned .22 rimfire round already did this way back “in the day” that duplicates what CCI claims to have recently invented? Sounds like CCI just reinvented the wheel. Not that I am denigrating CCI ammo because its always been very good ammo, I just bought some standard velocity ammo a month ago.

    I have used CCI centerfire primers for decades and prefer them because they are slightly larger in diameter and come in handy for batches of cases with slightly oversize primer pockets.

    And remember how during the Reagan assassination that 3 big grown powerful men were blown off their feet with the .22 rimfire. The security guard actually did a half circle before being blown off his feet. In other words do not sell the .22 short (pun intended). The only caveat is that .22 rimfire ammo is notorious for the primer failing to ignite the cartridge even among some high end ammo like Lapua and Eley which can cost you up to $22.00 a box of 50 rounds. I shoot enough of this stuff to know beyond all doubt as I buy this stuff by the case of 5,000 for competition bench rest matches at our club. Of course lower priced Walmart discount ammo so popular with the Jethro crowd is even more notorious for misfires.

    Addendum. This was hilariously. I was at our range this past summer when an 80 year old man was trying to hit his target during a practice session. I had previously noticed some critter under some brush who unfortunately was in the vicinity, near the old mans target. When the old man popped one off (a .22 rimfire) he missed the target clean and the errant round accidentally hit the critter (a groundhog) and the poor beast then came rolling down the hill and with a last flip of his tail died a heroic death. Again do not ever sell the .22 rimfire short, it’s more deadly than you think.

  11. It’s a good idea- CCI is making their ammo fit your gun. The traditional .22LR is designed to burn its powder in 16 inches of barrel to achieve maximum velocity, and in a 2″- 4″ barrel that’s A LOT of wasted powder/performance.

    If you’re going to be shooting .22LR out a sub-4″ barrel handgun- then it appears CCI is offering tailor-made ammo just for you. Kudos to CCI.

      • Yes, powder burn is part of the equation- but so is bullet design. It appears CCI has done research on the best combination of powder and bullet for the best terminal performance out of short barrels.

        And, sure- advertising schtick will always go hand-in-hand with running a for-profit business…

        • Where does that appear? Certainly not in this article. Have you seen any gel or meat testing, expansion and penetration figures, etc. elsewhere? (genuinely curious, not sarcastic)

          Maybe we define “advertising schtick” differently. I have seen the same pitch elsewhere (several cartridges were built specifically around this concept), but I’ve also seen hard numbers and practical testing that back it right up.

    • Maybe 16 inches but I had a 22 inch barrel and I cut it back to 16 for a handy timber squirrel rifle and I needed to elevate the crosshairs 6 clicks to get the same poi.

  12. Even though I’m getting *up there* on the calendar, I can still handle the recoil of a midsize 9mm or 380. However, I do like the 32acp for AZ summer carry. I’ve also started to collect a few 32 H&R magnum snub nosed revolvers for when I can’t work the slide on a small pistol. I think that a lot of people who think 22lr is the most they can handle should try the smaller center fire cartridges. For home defense and EDC, any will do at least a bit better than 22lr from a short (<4 inches) barrel. And don’t dismiss 38 wadcutters from a steel frame J or K frame revolver. Recoil is much less than any of the hollow points.

    • OldProf49,

      I am a HUGE proponent of the effectiveness of .38 Special full wadcutters for self-defense against human attackers. On the odd occasions where I carry a .38 Special revolver for self-defense, I load it with full wadcutters.

  13. I am confident that any major ammunition manufacturer can design and manufacture a bullet to expand at its intended velocity. Hence I am confident that CCI’s Uppercut self-defense bullets will expand reliably at 950 feet-per-second and probably even significantly slower than that.

    What I am seriously doubting is whether or not that particular bullet (when exiting the muzzle at 950 feet-per-second and expanding to intended diameter/geometry upon impacting a human attacker) will penetrate to 12+ inches in real-world scenarios. That I have to see to believe.

  14. .22 LR is much better defense than saying “OH, NO”. Nice thing is a 22 mag dump can happen very quickly. Ruger makes several nice .22 LR revolvers and pistols. What should scare the hell out of would-be robbers, burglars and other scumbag types is 22 LR is usually followed by multiple shots.

    • Wally1,

      “What should scare the hell out of would-be robbers, burglars and other scumbag types is 22 LR is usually followed by multiple shots.”

      And what should also scare the hell out of attackers: .22 LR recoil is negligible which enables both RAPID and ACCURATE follow-up shots!

    • my Ruger MK-II will empty out a full 11rds so fast you can’t hear the individual reports…no wonder its a mob favorite!…seem to recall a .22 with an overhead drum mag being seriously considered for military use…held something like 177 rds…also remember the anti-Castro Cubans bitching about having to use nylon 66’s on their raids into Cuba….

  15. I wonder if it is possible to make a full wadcutter .22 LR bullet that weighs closer to 55 grains and will still exit a 2.5-inch revolver barrel at 850 feet-per-second?

    Now THAT would be a serious self-defense round in .22 LR.

    Of course a full wadcutter bullet is almost guaranteed to NOT feed reliably in semi-auto pistols so that would be a revolver-only cartridge. Nevertheless, I REALLY like the idea of a j-frame revolver chambered in .22 LR with a 2.5-inch barrel and an 8-chamber cylinder loaded with 55-grain full wadcutters which exit the barrel at 850 feet-per-second. If that platform existed, I would be all over that. And I suspect that a LOT of other people would be as well.

    • .22LR cannot be made into a full wadcutter.

      But there are some flat-point bullets that are closer to what you’re talking about. CCI SGB, for example, is a flat-point 40-grain at 1235 fps. Remington Viper is another, a 36-grain flat point at 1410 fps. (obviously lower speeds from 2.5″ barrel revolvers, but still likely to be in excess of 850 fps).

      If you got a flat-point tool, you could modify some Aguila SSS to have a flat nose. That’s a 60-grain bullet that goes about 730 fps from a 3.5″ handgun, so expect about the same from a 2.5″ revolver.

  16. For grins and giggles I ran the numbers.

    A 32 gr projectile @950 fps equals 64 ft-lbs kinetic energy. (manufacturer’s claimed numbers)

    A 40 gr projectile @1250 fps delivers 139 ft-lbs energy. (the Aguila Interceptor from the P322. Velocity verified by Garmin Xero)

    I like CCI .22 LR ammo. This particular round is going to be a difficult sell for me…the numbers don’t work.

  17. This article made me smile and not for the reasons you might think.

    Now I already know the answer to my question but I am curious how many of you know the answer. What type old fashioned .22 rimfire round already did this way back “in the day” that duplicates what CCI claims to have recently invented? Sounds like CCI just reinvented the wheel. Not that I am denigrating CCI ammo because its always been very good ammo, I just bought some standard velocity ammo a month ago.

    I have used CCI centerfire primers for decades and prefer them because they are slightly larger in diameter and come in handy for batches of cases with slightly oversize primer pockets.

    And remember how during the Reagan assassination that 3 big grown powerful men were blown off their feet with the .22 rimfire. The security guard actually did a half circle before being blown off his feet. In other words do not sell the .22 short (pun intended). The only caveat is that .22 rimfire ammo is notorious for the primer failing to ignite the cartridge even among some high end ammo like Lapua and Eley which can cost you up to $22.00 a box of 50 rounds. I shoot enough of this stuff to know beyond all doubt as I buy this stuff by the case of 5,000 for competition bench rest matches at our club. Of course lower priced Walmart discount ammo so popular with the Jethro crowd is even more notorious for misfires.

    Addendum. This was hilariously. I was at our range this past summer when an 80 year old man was trying to hit his target during a practice session. I had previously noticed some critter under some brush who unfortunately was in the vicinity, near the old mans target. When the old man popped one off (a .22 rimfire) he missed the target clean and the errant round accidentally hit the critter (a groundhog) and the poor beast then came rolling down the hill and with a last flip of his tail died a heroic death. Again do not ever sell the .22 rimfire short, it’s more deadly than you think.

    Update: CCI’s new ammo has actually less velocity than what was available “back in the dead had of the past”

    • There is a “gentleman’s agreement” in the gun industry. To not talk about the 32 caliber series of bullets. 32 short. 32 sw long. 32 HR Magnum. 327 magnum. Unless it’s 32acp. And then they say “that’s just a waste of time.”

  19. My wife has a Ruger LCR in .22 magnum and I pity the fool who chooses to mess with her. Because she is Sicilian and she will freaking kill you.

  20. Generally speaking, the only thing going for a small caliber, low velocity (-1k fps) handgun round is penetration into vital organs. With expanding bullets in those small, low-powered calibers, you are giving up penetration for expansion. Layers of clothing or fat will impede penetration, even in more powerful handgun calibers with expanding bullets. I’ve worked numerous homicides where the lowly .22LR 40gr. solid bullet killed them just as dead as a bigger caliber would have. Most bled out (usually internally), but a couple of them dropped in their tracks with shots to the heart. Once a small, low-powered bullet penetrates the thoracic cavity, it has a tendency to ricochet (bounce around) inside the rib cage shredding internal organs — hence the internal hemorrhaging. Most small caliber handgun rounds do not have the power to cause a ‘pass-through’ wound, and a ‘permanent wound channel’ is negligible because of the small diameter of the bullet. Carry whatever you are comfortable with and can hit your target regardless of caliber. ‘In a pinch, any gun will do’ — Wyatt Earp.

    • Likewise for a pencil to the eye, bullwhip, or (per an ARFCOM member’s tagline) a urine-filled super soaker. Fools! Hypocrites!

  23. Some of you folks should read up on Operation Wrath Of God, or google ” Mossad weapon of choice”….if it’s good enuf for those fellas it must work….

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