#RimfireReport
The Rimfire Report: J.P. Sauer & Sohn Western Marshal 22LR Review
Hello and welcome back to another Edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many guns, ammunition choices, and shooting sports. Last time we took a look at Federal Automatch 22LR in The Rimfire Report: Is Federal Automatch Secretly the Best Bulk Ammo?. This week I am at the helm and filling in for your usual host Luke C. When Luke asked me to fill in for today, I had to consider my inventory of rimfire firearms and settled on my J.P. Sauer & Sohn Western Marshal 22LR revolver. I have written about it as far as its history goes but I never actually sat down and did a full-on review. If you are curious about its broader history, please check out the Curious Relics articles (Part One and Part Two) on our sister site AllOutdoor.com. Let’s dive into my review of the J.P. Sauer & Sohn Western Marshal 22LR Revolver!
The Rimfire Report: Is Federal Automatch Secretly the Best Bulk Ammo?
Hello and welcome to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many guns, shooting sports, histories, and ammunition! Last week on Rimfire Report we talked about accurizing your stock Ruger 10/22 rifle. There are a lot of different ways to approach accurizing such a classic design. With probably nearly as much aftermarket support as the AR-15 platform, the 10/22 is one that will probably stick around for a very long time and probably see even more small innovations designed around it than we see out there today. This week I want to talk about volume – specifically the amount you shoot in a day. Even though rimfire is less expensive than shooting centerfire guns, when you’re practicing for an event and throwing hundreds of rounds downrange, those pennies still add up. Today we’ll be talking about what I think might be one of the better types of ammunition (at least for some guns) within the rimfire firearm world – Federal Automatch 40-grain 22LR bulk ammunition.
The Rimfire Report: The Brief History of Gallery Guns
Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many guns, shooting sports, ammunition types, and history! Last week we checked out the MaddMacs Precision MK4 Carbine. The MK4 Carbine was a blast to shoot but carried along with it a pretty steep learning curve due to just how light the rifle is. Since the initial review, I’ve opted to swap out my TANDEMKROSS Kraken MKIV lower in lieu of a factory Ruger MKIV lower – this is because I usually shoot two matches at a time and this allows me to participate in both Rimfire Pistol Open (RFPO) and Rimfire Rifle Open (RFRO) without having to bring extra tools to deal with the Kraken. If you haven’t checked out the MK4 Carbine yet, you should head on over to the MaddMacs Precision Tactical to check out the MK4 Carbine, as well as some of its other cool rimfire parts and components. Shooting the MK4 Carbine a lot over the last couple of weeks got me thinking about some of the other types of target shooting we’ve seen become popular in the United States over the years. If you rewind back far enough, you’ll eventually encounter something called a “Gallery Gun.” Gallery Guns are known by many names but put simply the class of firearm mostly consists of rifles and pistols chambered in .22 Short or 6mm Flobert and were initially used for indoor target shooting. Today we’ll check out the unique history of this type of rimfire firearm and observe how it evolved into a fairly familiar recreational shooting sport many of us participated in as children without even realizing it.
The Rimfire Report: Steel Challenge with the MK4 Carbine
Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! A couple of months back we took a look at the Maddmacs Precision Tactical MK4 Carbine series of rifles designed by Competition Shooter Wade Reed. The MK4 Carbine makes use of largely the same design as the Ruger MK4 pistol by virtue of it using virtually all of the same parts, just slightly altered to make the firearm a rifle rather than a pistol. The designer of the MK4 Carbine, Mr. Wade Reed recently reached out to me asking if I would be interested in taking a closer look at one of these and trying one out for myself. I happily accepted the offer to try one out and have since then had a fair amount of range time with it including two full Steel Challenge competitions that gave me a good bit of insight into the pros and cons of this lightweight platform.
The Rimfire Report: The Stevens Pocket Rifle (Bicycle Rifle)
Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many guns, ammunition types, and of course its rich history as a special category of firearms and cartridges. Last week we talked a little bit about the basics of suppressing rimfire pistols and rifles. Suppressors are incredibly useful tools across a broad spectrum of firearms and related uses but I’ve found the most joy in combining the rimfire world with the suppressed one. This week we’re once again diving back into the history books to look at another family of somewhat forgotten rimfire guns – the J. Stevens Arms and Tool Co. Pocket Rifle or colloquial for the time – the Bicycle Rifle. This relatively obscure family of rimfire firearms was chambered in multiple varieties of rimfire cartridges, weighed less than 3 lbs, and was specifically marketed as a self-defense option in the late 19th century. Today we’ll look at the history of the J. Stevens Arms and Tool Co, some of their successes, the origin of the Pocket Rifle, and how it might have actually influenced some of the more modern firearms designs.
The Rimfire Report: The Miniature Tippmann Arms 1919 Belt-Fed Pistol
Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is about the rimfire firearm world and its many guns, ammunition types, and history! Last week we looked at the antique $5 Mossberg Brownie .22 caliber rimfire pistol. Despite advancements in handgun technology, many of you seemed to be interested in owning one of these pistols, even if it were a modern reproduction. However, most of you noted that the current pricing of original Brownie pistols, even heavily used ones, was far too expensive for all but the most hardcore collectors to consider paying for. This week we’re taking a look at another relatively obscure rimfire firearm with the Tippmann Arms 1919 belt-fed full-auto pistol. This year I was fortunate enough to be able to see one of these things in action at the first annual All American Machine Gun Shoot. Today we’ll take a closer look at the Tippmann Arms 1919 as observed at one of the most entertaining firearms events I’ve been to all year long.
The Rimfire Report: Federal Personal Defense Punch Rimfire .22 WMR
Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many guns, shooting sports, and ammunition. Last week we had Sam S. channel his inner Discount Han Solo and told us all about the Charter Arms Explorer II AR7 pistol. Much like the AR7 rifle, the Explorer II is meant to be compact, and portable but while achieving that it sacrifices consistency and reliability. Despite its less than stellar reputation in these areas, many of you and myself included want Henry Repeating Arms to come out with a modernized version that improves in these areas, and even if it winds up being an extra $100 or so, I think a majority of us would be willing to foot the bill to have an accurate, reliable, and interesting survival rimfire pistol. This week we’re getting back to our ammunition testing series with the big brother to Federal’s Personal Defense Punch 22LR – Personal Defense Punch 22 WMR. Luckily, I still have my Bear Creek Arsenal 22 WMR upper, and I still have access to the recently released Walther WMP for testing. Most of you know the drill here but for those that don’t, what we are testing here is how the ammunition performs in ballistics gelatin, and this time we’ve finally been able to get some support from the good folks at Clear Ballistics!
The Rimfire Report: Charter Arms Explorer II AR7 Pistol Review
Hello and welcome back to another Edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many guns, ammunition choices, and shooting sports. Last week we took a look at some Obscure .22 Rimfire Tear Gas Cartridge Guns. This week I am at the helm and filling in for your usual host Luke C. When Luke asked me to fill in for today, the first thing that came to mind is that I have never actually “reviewed” my Charter Arms Explorer II. I have written a ton about it as far as its history goes and how to maintain it but never actually sat down and did a full-on review. If you are curious about its broader history please check out the Curious Relics articles over on our sister site AllOutdoor.com and as far as maintenance goes, I recently covered that on Armorer’s Bench. Let’s dive right into my review on the Charter Arms Explorer II pistol!
The Rimfire Report: The Obscure .22 Rimfire Tear Gas Cartridge Guns
Hello and welcome back to another Edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many guns, ammunition choices, and shooting sports. Last week we took a look at the CMMG Bravo 22LR conversion kit for AR-15 rifles. A lot of you had mixed feelings about the setup as many of you would just prefer to have a dedicated .22LR upper for your AR-15 which comes with its inherent benefits of being more accurate and using a dedicated receiver for its operation. However, on the other side of things, many of you also had great things to say about the CMMG Bravo. As far as my opinion on it, I quite like it and I think if you can afford one, they are quite handy to have in your inventory even if it’s just to have fun plinking with your favorite AR-15 rifle. This week we’re taking a look back in time to check out an oddity within the rimfire world – .22 rimfire tear gas cartridges. Whenever there are guns, there are almost always less-lethal options out there. So today we’ll take a look at them and give you all a brief overview of what they were, how they were used, and what their effectiveness was purported to be like!
The Rimfire Report: CMMG Bravo 22LR AR-15 Conversion Kit
Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all bout the rimfire firearm world and its many firearms, ammunitions, shooting sports, and history! Last time on The Rimfire Report we took a look at the very budget-friendly Heritage Arms Rough Rider 22 caliber rimfire revolver. That little revolver is apparently one of the best-kept secrets of the rimfire world as many of you have had similar enjoyable results as I did while shooting the revolver. However, when it comes to modern arms and training, nothing is quite as ubiquitous or common as America’s rifle, the AR15. Pete’s September 3rd SILENCER SATURDAY featured a full-auto CMMG 22LR AR-15 conversion kit. Humorously enough, I had already planned to do a review and overview of the CMMG Bravo 22LR AR-15 Conversion Kit for Rimfire Report and if it hadn’t been Labor Day weekend, you all would have gotten a double dose of CCMG rimfire goodness. Unfortunately, our overview today will be a much milder, semi-auto look at the conversion kit but the same warning that Pete aired last week will be aired here – be careful, this conversion kit is sure to bring a smile to your face.
The Rimfire Report: The Heritage Rough Rider Rimfire Revolver
Hello and welcome to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its many types of guns, ammunition, and of course its rich history! Last week we took a close look at the Desert Tech Trek-22 bullpup conversion for the Ruger 10/22 Carbine. I like the Trek-22 and want to do some more testing with it down the road – perhaps even a dedicated assembly rather than just stuffing my off-the-shelf 10/22 carbine into it. I think the Trek-22 has a lot of potential and that we can increase its accuracy even with the sub-optimal optic mounting solution. The Trek-22 will definitely be back for more. This week we’re flipping the table from last week and testing out another pistol – this time courtesy of AllOutdoor.com writer Paul B. Paul came into town to enjoy the sweltering mid-south heat and humidity and he brought along a firearm I’ve actually never had a lot of trigger time with – the Heritage Manufacturing Rough Rider. Despite what I’ve heard about it, the Heritage Rough Rider has perhaps become my favorite Single Action Army (SAA) style rimfire revolver and today we’re going to take a look at it and compare it to one of my more recent reviews on the Ruger Wrangler series of revolvers.
The Rimfire Report: The Margolin MCM and Its Blind Designer
Hello and welcome to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all bout the rimfire firearm world and its many facts, curiosities, firearms, and of course, its rich history! 22LR is what I would consider a global cartridge. As opposed to some cartridges that have only seen widespread adoption in specific regions of the world, 22LR is almost universally used in every country regardless of its specific firearms culture. One such firearm that is often forgotten by most of the world that is chambered in 22LR is one that actually has deep roots in the target and competition shooting scene – the MCM-K “Margo” 22LR pistol designed by Mikhail Margolin in the years following WWII. What’s interesting about the Margo pistol and Mr. Margolin is that despite their relative obscurity within the broader firearms world, both the Margolin MCM and its designer helped inspire future generations of competitive pistol shooters across the world. Today we’ll be taking a look at both the Margolin MCM and Mikhail Margolin to get a closer look at their tale.
The Rimfire Report: The Bandera OpenTop 11/22 Pistol
Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world! The OpenTop 11/22 has been a semi-frequent topic of discussion here at TFB. Developed originally by Sebastian Unger and put into production with the help of Fletcher Rifle Works, the 11/22 has thus far proved to be a vast improvement over the standard Ruger 10/22 platform and in my personal opinion represents the next logical step in the evolution of the trusted rimfire platform. Since the release of the OpenTop 11/22 receiver, Fletcher Rifle Works has put together a number of new projects including their very own chassis-equipped pistol – The Bandera Pistol. The Bandera OpenTop 11/22 comes packed from the factory with a ton of great options and improved components to give the end user something a bit more than you’d expect from a standard 10/22 Charger – for an obvious increase in price. Is that price increase worth what you’re getting with the Bandera OpenTop? Let’s find out!
The Rimfire Report: Gemtech Integra Suppressed Upper vs Oil Filter
Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is about the rimfire firearm world and its various arms, ammunition, and shooting sports. Last week we took another look at the SIG Sauer P322 22LR pistol. My personal P322 has hit over 10,000 rounds in just under 4 months and is showing no signs of stopping so far and I’m going to try to reach 20,000 in 2023 sometime. This week, however, I was finally able to get my hands on a genuine Gemtech Integra 15-22 Integrally suppressed upper. Today we’ll take a look at both it, and another 15-22 pistol upper topped with an oil filter suppressor to see how the two opposite ends of the spectrum stack up in the .22LR suppression game.
The Rimfire Report: The SIG P322 – 10,000 Rounds Later
Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is about the rimfire firearm world and its various firearms, ammunition, shooting sports, and history. Back in April of this year, we took our first look at the new SIG Sauer P322 rimfire pistol. Overall, the pistol is a well-built, accurate, reliable pistol which is fun to shoot for new and seasoned shooters alike. The SIG P322 thus far has proved to be very reliable, and able to handle just about everything we’ve thrown at it. As promised at the end of my 6,000-round durability test, we’re stopping in again in this edition of The Rimfire Report to see how the SIG P322 is holding up 10000 rounds later.