SHOT Show: New Remington Subsonic .22, 40 Grain Long Rifle

AmmoLand ^ | January 28, 2022 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Remington subsonic 2022

U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)-– Interest in silencers/suppressors is growing at logarithmic rates in the United States. This correspondent was pleased to see Remington (now part of Vista Outdoors) has brought out a Long Rifle cartridge designed for use with suppressors.

They identify the round with a logo of a person holding what appears to be a pistol with a silencer attached, in the lower right corner.

The Remington representative at the SHOT Show booth was extremely knowledgeable about the .22 rimfire line and what had been done to make this particular round effective.

Nick Sachse, who has been with Remington for 30 years, was glad to talk with me. He has been with Remington through some difficult times. Nick provided information about the changes made to Remington .22 Long Rifle cartridges in general and this cartridge in particular.

More than a decade ago, Remington bulk .22 developed a reputation for misfires. I mentioned this to Nick. He was well aware of it. Remington changed the way they prime all rimfire cases based on what they found.

When a firing pin would hit the rim of the case, sometimes, some of the priming compounds would separate. Instead of being crushed in the rim, the compound would be pushed to the center of the shell, creating a misfire. To solve the problem, Remington changed the priming process so the priming compound covered the entire base of the cartridge case. When a firing pin hits the rim, there is no place for the priming compound to go, and it is crushed, initiating the correct ignition sequence.

Nick said it was long enough ago, he suspected all of the lots made prior to the change had already been fired. He said Remington has seen

[gundog]

A suppressor will provide more back-pressure.

[gundog]

[Paal Gulli]

Lower velocity loads generate less force than higher velocity loads using the same weight bullet. So a 40-gr load that gets 900 fps MV creates less force for the action to harvest than one that gets 1400 fps MV from the same bullet 40-gr bullet. It’s called “physics.”

Blowback-operated guns come from the factory with a combination of bolt weight and recoil spring strength calibrated to provide just the right amount of resistance to movement so the spent casing doesn’t begin to get extracted until chamber pressure has fallen off enough that the brass doesn’t split when its expansion is no longer confined by the firing chamber. Manufacturers don’t necessarily take into consideration that the user might choose to shoot subsonic loads because that could compromise the ability to cycle safely with “high-velocity” loads, and far more shooters are looking for the words “High Velocity” on the box than are looking to buy “Subsonic” ammunition.

So it isn’t unheard of to have to switch to a lighter-weight recoil spring to get a semi-automatic .22 to cycle reliably when you’re shooting subsonics. You could also grind some weight off the bolt to get the same effect but that would be an irreversible change.

[wgmalabama]

My 10/22 doesn’t have an issue. Walter p22 doesn’t like them.

[Kevmo]

Lots of discussion on this issue. Yet another reason to use revolvers or lever action rifles.

[nevadapatriot]

>IMO, Thunderbolt is cheap, dirty trashy ammo.

Agreed, hugely inconsistent. Only works sort of reliable in a bolt action, fewer moving parts. Use in semi-auto rifle it’s nothing but trouble, semi-auto pistol even worse. Only thing it ever had going for it was the cheap part

[Hardastarboard]

I like my ammo the way I like my women . . .

[Big Red Badger]

Hot,
Black and
Bitter.
.
I’m there,Brudda!

[maddog55]

Personal choice like anything else.

[Kevmo]

Maybe that’s a criteria to explore the next time someone posts what kind of gun they should buy.

The cheapskate approach is just as valid as the M249 with grenade launcher option approach. When the ammo is cheaper it is likely the user will practice more.

[SheepWhisperer]

Lighter recoil spring doesn’t solve the problem?

[GingisK]

Good for them. I’m sure they’ll be many happy customers.

[S.O.S121.500]

Nothing to dispel a rioting mob better than dropping a few of them from 200 meters away.

---

At 200 yards, the patella is ‘10X Country’.

Heard as much from IDF and Mossad forces.

[anton]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBXnt8zcvzw

[anton]

Well, I hate to sound ruthless, but with a rioting mob at 200 yards, the backdrop of every missed shot, say all 30 of them, is more rioting mobsters. And, at 200 yards a head shot is a basketball. Not a bullseye.

[Redcitizen]

Remington Thunderbolt works good in my 10/22. No issues feeding, firing or extracting.

[Gaffer]

Then you’re lucky. I have one I use with a can and it is hit or miss. I had 5000 rounds of that stuff and finally sold it....

[Pennsyltucky Boy]

I am totally soured on Remington Rimfire ammo and will not buy it. Anyone who experienced as many misfires as I has got to have the same reluctance to purchase their Rimfire products. This explains why they aren’t receiving complaints. Those who shoot a lot and regularly have simply moved on to other manufacturers products. Now I have some bricks of early 90’s GI issue Remington .22 from CMP that seem to shoot just fine despite the age of the ammo. But newer Remington is no longer on my list, even though the availability of big buckets make it tempting.

[marktwain]

Anyone who experienced as many misfires as I has got to have the same reluctance to purchase their Rimfire products. This explains why they aren’t receiving complaints.

The problem with your reasoning is the high demand for ammunition, particularly .22 ammunition, means all they can produce is being purchased as fast as they can deliver it.

To be true, your analysis depends on less of their ammunition being sold.

But every bit of ammunition which is being manufactured, is being sold.