What's the Difference Between .22 Short, Long and Long Rifle?

Old rifles in the back of the safe often have it stamped right on the barrel: 22 S, L, LR. Three cartridges, one hole. Today almost everyone shoots only the last one, so the first two look like trivia. They're not. Knowing how the three relate tells you what you can safely feed an old Winchester pump, why your semi-auto won't run on the stuff your grandfather shot, and what that odd box labeled ".22 Long" at the gun show is for.

This is a reference built from published cartridge histories and manufacturer and retailer specs.

The family tree in one minute

The three cartridges are one family, and they arrived one at a time.

• .22 Short (1857). Developed for Smith & Wesson's first revolver, the Model 1, it was the first American metallic cartridge. The original load paired a 29 or 30 grain bullet loaded over black powder.
• .22 Long (1871). A longer case with the same light bullet, giving more powder and more velocity. It was designed for revolvers and soon chambered in rifles. When it arrived, the original round got its new name, ".22 Short."
• .22 Long Rifle (1887). Introduced by the J. Stevens Arms & Tool Company, it combined the .22 Long case with the heavier 40-grain bullet from the .22 Extra Long. It became the most popular rimfire round in the world.

So the .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle share a case length. The difference is the bullet: a light 29-grain bullet in the Long, a 40-grain bullet in the Long Rifle. The Short is a shorter case altogether.

Side by side

Figures are from the Wikipedia cartridge entries cited below. Always check the box for the load you're actually buying.

Why the Long Rifle won

A heavier bullet in the same case gave the .22 LR more energy and better accuracy in a rifle barrel, and it does as well as the .22 Long even in a short handgun barrel. Over the next century it grew into a whole category of loads. Published references sort them into rough velocity classes:

• Subsonic: about 1,100 fps and under
• Standard velocity: about 1,120 to 1,135 fps
• High velocity: about 1,200 to 1,310 fps
• Hyper velocity: about 1,400 fps and up

Bullet weights run from 20 grains (Aguila's primer-powered Colibri) to 60 grains (heavy subsonics), with 36 to 40 grains the norm. If you want the Long Rifle in depth, our Mini-Mag vs Stinger comparison and subsonic loads guide are good next stops. The .22 LR ammo category at Ammunition Depot shows how wide the choice is now.

Can you shoot Shorts and Longs in a .22 LR gun?

Often, yes, but the type of action decides whether it works.

A firearm chambered for .22 LR can generally chamber and fire the shorter cartridges (BB, CB, Short and Long), depending on its type and feed mechanism. That "depending on" is the part that matters.

Two practical cautions. First, the opposite never works: you can't fire a .22 LR in a gun chambered only for .22 Short. Second, accuracy usually suffers. A Short fired from a .22 LR chamber has to jump a gap before it reaches the rifling, which hurts precision compared to a gun made for Shorts.

One more oddity: some very old rifles are chambered for the obsolete .22 Extra Long, and .22 LR can be fired in those. If your rifle's markings are unclear or say something unusual, have a gunsmith confirm the chambering before you shoot it.

The .22 Short today

The Short has hung on far better than the Long. It was the cartridge for the Olympic 25-meter rapid-fire pistol event until 2004. It's also the classic shooting-gallery round, and it remains a quiet option for close-range pest control from a rifle chambered for it. Ammunition Depot's .22 Short category currently lists two live loads:

• Aguila Super Extra .22 Short 29-grain, a copper-plated solid point listed at 1,095 fps.
• CCI CB .22 Short 29-grain, a low-velocity lead round nose for very quiet close-range work.

Our quiet rimfire guide compares the Short with Aguila's Colibri if a low report is what you're after.

The .22 Long today

The .22 Long is the forgotten middle child. It was made obsolete by the Long Rifle, which shares its case and outperforms it in rifles. Still, it isn't completely gone. CCI has offered a high-velocity .22 Long, and the low-velocity CB Long is the best-known survivor of the family. Expect to look harder for it than for anything else in rimfire, and confirm current availability before you count on it.

Who needs it? Mostly owners of old guns chambered specifically for .22 Long, and people who want a quieter round in a tube-fed S, L, LR rifle. For everyone else, .22 LR does the job better and is on every shelf.

What to buy for your gun

• Marked .22 LR only and semi-auto: buy .22 LR. High velocity for reliable cycling, then experiment.
• Marked .22 S, L, LR: all three will work. Pick .22 LR for most shooting and Shorts for quiet close work.
• Marked .22 Short only: buy .22 Short. Never force a longer cartridge into it.
• Unmarked or unclear: stop and have it checked before firing anything.

When in doubt, the barrel stamp and the owner's manual outrank any forum post, including this article. For bulk .22 LR without regret, see what cheap bulk .22 buys, or start with a dependable CCI Mini-Mag 40-grain box.

Editorial note: This is an independent editorial reference built from published cartridge histories, manufacturer information and retailer listings. We have not performed hands-on testing. Your firearm's markings and manual decide what it can safely fire.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links to Ammunition Depot. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial choices aren't influenced by commissions. Check current price, stock and specifications directly with the retailer.