I’m sick of writing “modern home defense sporting rifle.” The war of weapon words has been lost since at least September 13, 1994, when Bill “I did not have sex with that woman” Clinton signed the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. Yes, the enemies of the Second Amendment conflate semi-automatic and automatic rifles. But attempting to distinguish the two in the public’s mind is a fool’s errand. Besides, is the term “assault rifle” really that bad?
While I appreciate the fact that an AR or similar can make a damn fine hunting rifle, they’re not tickle sticks for Christ’s sake. Defending yourself against bad guys isn’t a “sport”. Well, it shouldn’t be. The again, imagine Wipeout . . . just kidding. As Adam Deciccio recently taught me, you don’t defend yourself against a mortal enemy. You attack them. You assault them. And if you do, I wouldn’t recommend doing so with a .22 caliber rifle. Unless . . .
A) It’s all you have and B) it’s all you can afford C) you can afford a larger caliber weapon but remember the old Midas muffler ad where the guy in the limo tells the grease monkey “How do you think a man like me got to be a man like me?” or D) you’re in a post-apocalyptic world where you need to travel long distances, meet interesting people and kill them. Along with small animals, which you would eat. But not necessarily share with your neighbors.
.22 cal assault rifles are famous for misfeeds and failures to fire. The guns tend to be more ammo sensitive than a Brady Campaign member contemplating a gun enthusiast’s well-stocked man cave. America being a rough simulacrum of free market capitalism, a cartridge manufacturer has rushed once more into the breach, Dear Horatio. The presser:
Winchester Ammunition continues to invest in its rimfire product line with the development of a new 22 LR round for use in Modern Sporting Rifles (MSR).
New for 2011, this bullet is designed and packaged specifically for use in the growing number of high-capacity MSR 22 LRs.
The new M-22 features a 40-grain Plated Lead Round Nose bullet optimized for reliable feeding in high capacity magazines.
In addition, the M-22 utilizes non-corrosive priming and clean burning powder that delivers an ultrafast 1255 fps velocity and exceptional accuracy.
“The M-22 is designed for the high capacity MSR and provides a smooth functioning, affordable option with great accuracy,” said Brett Flaugher, vice president of sales and marketing for Winchester Ammunition.
“We made the M-22 available exclusively in a 1000-round bulk value pack to meet the demands of our customers at an attractive price point.”
The new M-22 LF Bullet features:
- Velocity: 1255 fps
- Grains: 40
- Bullet Type: Plated Lead Round Nose
- Cartridge: 22 LR
- Availability: 2011
The round’s not on Winchester’s website, which means it ain’t on the shelves yet neither. TTAG will test as and when. Meanwhile, Lucky Gunner has a fine selection of .22LR ammo that’s guaranteed to, uh, help you learn how to run your MSR ASAP (FWIW). Our test and evaluation ISSC MK22 FN-SCAR clone ran Remington all day long, without an FTF or a major assault on our editorial budget. How great is that?