Interesting moring out with .22 LR OOB.

**Kayback** · 09-03-2013, 14:28

I took my 15-22 to the range to function test it with the most readily available ammo (and cheapest ammo) I can get these days as my stockpile of Swartklip is down to my last 200 rounds :( I got some Federal copper washed HP, some Geco standard LRN, some S&B LRN and some Highland high velocity copper washed HP.

In my 15-22 the LRN's all ran fine. I had a couple of problems with the Geco, but that was about 5 rounds worth out of 200, and they worked fine towards the end. The S&B ran without issues. The Federal stuff was a blast to shoot. The Highland was a different story.

It didn't feed the most reliably in the 15-22. It was sorta hit or miss. Sometimes it would run perfectly for all 25 rounds as fast as you could pull the trigger another time it was like a straight pull. The accuracy was acceptable but I was not shooting groups with it yet, I wanted to see if it would feed first. But Minute of Bad guy, easily in the 0-down zone.

I then packed it all away and got out the Colt .22 for some NSA target shooting as I need to get some more shoots done. I chose the Highland as it was the least successful in the 15-22. I fired 4 rounds at the target and when I went to fire the last shot the report was like that of a 9x19mm and my face was pattered by little stinging bits. I had eyepro on as a matter of rote. I don't exit my car without it on at the range.

I'm fairly certain it was an out of battery detonation, but not as the slide went forwards. This is the .22 I've owned since 1999 and have thousands of rounds through it. It recently spent time in the City Guns vault as it was re licensed, but it was stripped and cleaned and lubricated when I got it back a couple of months ago and it's been used and maintained since then.

I don't want to say it was the ammo, as we fired a ~150 rounds of the stuff today and only had one real issue with it. I could not find the case as I'm afraid the ground was littered with .22 cases. I did have the next round in the magazine, and it has some wear and tear and some discolouring on it. My thumb also suffered some soot marks.

**nkosi** · 09-03-2013, 14:54

Hi Kayback

Glad you didn't get badly hurt.

Strangely enough about three weeks ago one of the guys at our local range had an Eley .22lr round rupture when he fired it, shooting debris & gas into his face (bolt action rifle). No serious damage to him either & the first time he has ever had a .22lr cartridge rupture in a very long shooting career. (1st time I had ever heard of it too.) Just goes to show that even expensive top tier ammo can give trouble.

I am surprised that you had anything good to say about the Highland .22lr ammo. A few months ago I tried a box of their target ammo in my rifle and less than half would fire at all, even after repeated attempts in 3 different rifles, and it burned dirty too.

**Kayback** · 09-03-2013, 15:49

The original run of 15-22's had a documented issue of OOB ruptures. Since they upgraded them (the blue recoil and trigger springs) the problem has more or less gone away. It was the only time I'd heard of them as well. I wasn't expecting on in my 15-22 but it wouldn't have suprised me a whole lot. The fact it was in my trusty .22 pistol surprised the hell out of me!

I'm actually enjoying the Highland, but I'm gonna keep an eye on it. At R35/50 it is closer to where .22 should be than the R1/round many other brands are running these days, and the little extra oomph and crack in it makes the .22 feel like a little bit more of a gun. But I'm probably not gonna run it in any matches and I'm sure as hell not gonna let my left handed daughter/sister/friends shoot it! And it IS dirty. But not as dirty as Sobol :)

KBK