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Failure to feed resulting in an empty chamber

4K views 76 replies 12 participants last post by  diesel lover 
#1 ·
I was just wondering why 22s will have a failure to feed resulting in an empty chamber. I have not had this issue with any other semi auto caliber.

I have noticed it on my 10/22 and on my newly aquired sr22. No no I don't expect a 22 to run flawlessly. In general a 9mm will be more reliable than a 380 or 22.

Light magazine spring? Light recoil spring etc? I figure it may be the nature of the beast for it to happen every now and then
 
#4 ·
rimmed cartridges tend to hang-up in the magazine...results in a FTF a majority of the time
 
#5 ·
We all know rimfire is notoriously unreliable. I have had a grand total of zero malfunctions (that I remember; I think I would) of any kind, ammo related or other, with my XD service, my glock 19, or my 6920.

Over my life I have probably had hundreds of malfunctions from .22 rimfire. I shot a lot of it as a youngster when it was dirt cheap.
 
#14 ·
Rim lock could be a factor in the SR22 - depending on how the rounds get stacked in there you could have an issue where the rim causes a hang up - although more likely in the cut out on the side for the thumb assist button than true rim lock as you might have say in a Mosin Nagant.
Short stroking with weak ammo - or even limp wristing (which I have only observered once in either on my SR22s and that was with a gal brand new to shooting) could be a factor in the SR22.

In the 10/22 this is typically the result of a bad magazine - or stickion in the mag where the next round is not presented to the top of the magazine at the proper angle. Not sure if ammo power is a huge factor in the 10/22 (though it could be, especially if everything is very dirty). I have Champion magazines that are for crap and I do not use anymore. Butler Creek mags which work okay with some ammo. Factory mags that generally work pretty well and HC3R mags which I mostly used and which required some adjustment with a file and sandpaper to get them to lock in properly - but also require a bit of finesse to get the rounds to stack properly so that they all feed smoothly.

Ammo that is very loose with bare lead seems to cause me more issues than higher quality ammo - but in both cases taking care to load the magazine properly is the best plan. And yes rimmed cartridges do require more careful loading than rimless cartridges regardless of caliber.
 
#23 ·
Mark 2. w a 8 3/8" bbl barrel LOL. I feel like the Joker from 1989 batman w it!!!

Dead accurate and unbelievably reliable. Have yet to have a failure, even using CCI quiets and other low powered 22s. Not much louder than an ear ringing hand clap w the quiets.
 
#24 ·
"We might all know, blah, blah, blah," but that's not my experience. I rarely have a failure with my 10-22, and my two 22/45s as well as my GSG conversion work flawlessly. They digest everything I feed them, suppressed or not.

Key to Ruger pistol mags is to use a dry lube of some kind on the mags. Have found new Ruger 22/45 mags to be "sticky", until lubed. I use powdered graphite, but it's messy. Oh, yeah, my old Woodsman never failed, either. Enough of this mythology crap about .22s! :)
 
#26 ·
"We might all know, blah, blah, blah," but that's not my experience. I rarely have a failure with my 10-22, and my two 22/45s as well as my GSG conversion work flawlessly. They digest everything I feed them, suppressed or not.

Key to Ruger pistol mags is to use a dry lube of some kind on the mags. Have found new Ruger 22/45 mags to be "sticky", until lubed. I use powdered graphite, but it's messy. Oh, yeah, my old Woodsman never failed, either. Enough of this mythology crap about .22s! :)
you've been lucky. they are finicky.
 
#25 ·
Several factors make 22lr semi-autos unreliable in general.

First, 22 ammo is often quite filthy and velocity can very within the same box of ammo. Maybe enough variance to cause the bolt not to cycle back far enough to bring the fresh round forward?

It is no secret that 99.99% of semi-autos "prefer" hotter 22lr loads. You will find that most 22lr semi-autos never jam with Mini Mags or other higher velocity loads but might do it often with the bulk plinking rounds.

Keeping a 22lr semi-auto clean is also huge in having it cycle correctly. The 10-22 is more forgiving than most semi-auto 22lr long guns but it too can start having problems if it is too filthy and not lubed right.

Magazine cleanliness and lubrication is also HUGE in making your 22lr semi-auto guns run right. Especially 22lr auto pistols. Use only dry lubes on them and be sure to take the mags apart and really clean them often. Since tolerances and spaces are usually tighter on 22 semi-auto mages versus, say, a Glock 9mm mag - they tend to hang up easily as they foul from shooting. Also, with the huge open sides on most 22 semi-auto mags, they allow dirt and grit inside the mag body much easier than a centerfire pistol mag. Also...on a tube mag semi-auto rifle...yes...you need to clean out the tubular mag as well. You'd be amazed at the crap that collects in there and can slow down feeding over time.

So...keep the gun and mags clean, use the proper lubes and find the ammo your particular 22 auto "likes" and stick with it.

These are things I have learned while fooling around with my 10-22, M&P15-22, Ruger 22-45 and older Remington Model 550.

-brickboy240
 
#27 ·
Gun Firearm Revolver Trigger Air gun


hasn't had a feeding issue yet :lol:
 
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#29 ·
I have owned a Ruger 22-45 since they first came out.

If you keep it fairly clean..I have not found it to be an overly picky eater. It is also very accurate.

Keep it clean and lube the mags with dry lube and I doubt it will give you many troubles.
 
#31 ·
Yeah, I don't know why anyone fools with the other Ruger 22 semi-autos when the 22-45 and MkIIs are proven and pretty much trouble free.

If you ask me, the best things Ruger makes are their single action revolvers and the 22-45/MkII platform pistols. The rest of their wares range from ho hum to iffy.
 
#37 ·
I hate to even ask, but if the need arises, what would be a reliable round to run through a ruger sr22 for self defense? No I don't need expanding, I just want reliablity with feeding and ejecting.

I'm thinking cci mini mags would be fine? That's all I have besides bulk 40 grain solids at standard velocity.

Took me a while honestly to accept the 22 LR as a defensive round. It will not be for me but rather it will be for her. I'm working longer hours while she is home alone.
 
#39 ·
1) 22LR is worse than nothing IMO--because it is a false sense of security, it is not reliable enough for me to consider letting a loved-one stake their life upon

2) The SR22 I had is gone for a reason--too picky on ammo for my taste, which means it wouldn't be reliable enough for a Varmint Gun, let alone SD use

3) If you are still set upon using it in this role, CCI Mini-Mags are the only consistent rounds I have found for any sort of reliability...but again, I have still seen FTF and FTEs with them in several platforms

4)an SR9 is cheap, reliable and much better suited to the role
 
#38 ·
40 grain hp mini mags has good velocity and function even in my finicky p22, before I sold it. (least failures) 10 of em would have to do something? They act crazy hitting stuff too. They curve and bounce around off bones.

Mark 2 is my favorite 22. Realiable as any gun I own.
 
#41 ·
when I say reliable I am referring to it going *click* not *bang* at a bad moment...far too many times I have seen a rimfire need to be tapped several times for ignition
 
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