.22 Rimfire Weapons

The .22 long rifle (.22 LR) is the most widely used firearm cartridge in the world. The very low cost of ammunition is the major strength of .22 LR rifles and handguns. The low noise and lack of recoil of this class of weapons has also added to their popularity. The .22 LR is, however, a low powered cartridge which propels a small (usually under 45grain) bullet. The effective lethal range against human targets would be a maximum of 50 yards for rifles and less than half that for handguns. I will hasten to add that the lack of penetrating power of these weapons makes a hit to a vital area, such as the heart or brain, necessary. The .22 LR cannot be relied upon to penetrate a target’s skull or even thick clothing except at close range.

The only use the White resistance fighter will have for .22 LR weapons is as silenced tools of assassination and sabotage. The .22 LR cartridge is ideally suited for use in a silenced, assassination weapon due to these factors:

- It is subsonic when fired from most weapons. When fired from a very tight, long barreled weapon it will be just barely supersonic and will produce a brief sonic crack.

- Its muzzle blast is minimal and easily muffled with a well constructed silencer.

- The small size of the bullet itself offers us a secondary benefit: If a jacketless hollow-point bullet is used, forensic firearms investigators will have a nearly impossible task in trying to match the bullet to the firearm which fired it with any certainty. (Note: this will not prevent paid "expert" witnesses from claiming otherwise.)

- Subsonic loadings of this cartridge, should they be necessary, are widely available. Subsonics are used for pest and vermin control in urban areas where noise would disturb and alarm neighbors. (Coincidentally this is exactly how we plan to use them as well!)

Silenced .22 LR Rifles

The .22 LR rifle can be silenced quite effectively with a very simple silencer. This type of weapon is ideal for use as an assassination weapon to be fired from concealment at close to medium range. A good scope of between 3x and 6x power, well zeroed in, is essential for effective work with this type of weapon because precision will be necessary to ensure a kill. Aim for the target’s head if at all possible, remembering that the eye sockets are the most vulnerable part. The low power of the .22LR makes this the only really reliable target for assassination with this type of weapon at anything beyond very close range. Hollow point bullets or modified ammo should be used to increase lethality.

Semi-automatic rifles will make a superior assassination weapon because quick follow-up shots almost certainly will be necessary to ensure target destruction. However any reliable .22 LR rifle can be used if a semi-auto cannot be obtained. I will recommend the Ruger 10-22, the Marlin 90 series and the Remington 597 series semi-auto rifles to name but a few of the good quality rifles you should consider. Be sure that the rifle has a 3/8th" dovetail receiver scope mount or can be fitted with a scope mount. A weapon which uses detachable box magazines should be selected over tube magazine or single shot weapons. The stock of a weapon of this type should be camouflage or flat, non-reflective black synthetic.

Build the silencer and install it on the weapon as described later. The rifle should then be test fired to determine the following:

- Does the silencer effectively muffle the muzzle blast?

- Does the rifle produce a sonic crack? (this is unlikely but can be remedied with the use of subsonic ammo or a larger silencer)

- Is the weapon’s action able to function with the silencer in place? (this applies only to semi-autos and it is very unlikely that the presence of a silencer will hinder the cycling of the action)

- Is the weapon’s accuracy drastically affected by the addition of the silencer? (some loss of accuracy is normal but drastic inaccuracy will likely be due to misalignment of the silencer and will have to be corrected)

Once the silencer installation is finalized, zero the scope in with the silencer attached. Using a benchrest or a bipod you should be able to shoot a 1-4" grouping at fifty yards. This will depend on a number of factors including your own marksmanship, how accurate the weapon is and how well aligned the silencer is with the barrel. Be sure that the weapon can penetrate a good sized phone book or a piece of ¼" plywood at fifty yards, this will be sufficient for headshot penetration at this range.

Ruger 10-22, a reliable and affordable .22lr rifle

A professionally silenced 10-22

Notes:

- Choose semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines over other action types

- Be sure that a scope of between 3x and 6x power can be mounted on the weapon

- Camouflage or flat-black synthetic stocks are preferred to wood for this weapon system

- Be sure the weapon functions accurately and reliably with silencer installed before using it in the field

- Use hollow-point or other modified ammunition

Silenced .22LR Pistols

Close range assassination work can be done with a semi-automatic pistol fitted with a silencer. The basic pistol should be a .22LR (.22 short will also be serviceable for this type of work) semi-automatic pistol with a fixed barrel. A good example of the type of weapon required is the Ruger MK I to MK IV series pistols. In fact these very pistols have seen a lot of use by government spooks, underworld hitmen and various other homicidal types the world over for many years. Don’t try to use a revolver, it cannot be effectively silenced because the cylinder/frame junction is generally not tight enough to contain the propellant gasses.

Discharging revolver - notice the hot gasses escaping at the cylinder/frame junction

The effective killing range of this type of weapon is a maximum of 25 yards. To be really effective shots should be fired from between 3-12 feet. Fire at least three shots into a vital area such as the heart or head. Be sure not to be at point blank or contact range as you will be splattered with your victim’s blood. Use hollow-point or other modified bullets to increase lethality.

Choose a deep gun-blue or flat-black weapon with dark, non-reflective grips. Most .22lr pistols use 10 round detachable magazines, be sure to have at least two extras… you may have to shoot your way out of a sticky situation.

Build and install the pistol silencer described in the Improvised Silencers section. The pistol should then be test fired as described for the silenced rifle.

Once silencer installation is complete test the weapon’s accuracy and penetrating power at 25 yards. If you are able to shoot a 2-5" grouping at this range that will be good enough, this weapon is really meant for close-up work. It should be able to punch through a thick telephone book or ¼" plywood at this range.

Ruger MK-2 semi-automatic pistol

A professionally silenced MK-2

Notes:

- Only semi-automatic pistols with fixed barrels should be considered

- Choose a pistol which is gun-blued or flat black with dark grips

- Obtain extra magazines if possible

- Use hollow-point or modified ammo

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