.22 TCM

Bottle-necked gun cartridge
22TCM
From left: .22 TCM, FN 5.7×28mm, .223 Remington
TypePistol/Rifle
Production history
DesignerFred Craig
Specifications
Parent case5.56×45mm NATO
Case typeRimless, bottleneck
Bullet diameter0.224 in (5.70 mm)
Neck diameter0.255 in (6.48 mm)
Shoulder diameter0.362 in (9.19 mm)
Base diameter0.376 in (9.55 mm)
Rim diameter0.378 in (9.60 mm)
Rim thickness0.045 in (1.1 mm)
Case length1.022 in (26.0 mm)
Overall length1.265 in (32.1 mm)
Case capacity15.2 gr H2O
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy
40 gr (3 g) Pointed flat nose 2,800 ft/s (850 m/s) 696 ft⋅lbf (944 J)
40 gr (3 g) Pointed flat nose 2,070 ft/s (630 m/s) 381 ft⋅lbf (517 J)
Test barrel length: 22.75" rifle (higher velocity) and 5.0" pistol (lower velocity)


The .22 TCM or 22TCM (.22 Tuason Craig Micromagnum) is a proprietary bottle-necked rimless cartridge created from a 5.56 NATO cartridge developed by custom gunsmith Fred Craig and Rock Island Armory (RIA) for semi-automatic pistols and the Rock Island M22 TCM bolt-action rifle. Before the cartridge was commercialized, it was called the 22 Micro-Mag. Similar conceptually to other bottle-necked pistol cartridges such as the larger-caliber .357 SIG, the .22 TCM trades bullet mass for increased velocity and lowered recoil.[1]

Based on the 5.56×45mm NATO case and shortened so that the shoulder is at approximately the same length as a .38 Super cartridge, the .22 TCM is somewhat longer than the ubiquitous 9×19mm Parabellum and designed to be fired from a RIA line of firearms (which also included 9mm barrel swaps) fed by Para-Ordnance-style double-column .38 Super magazines. A sub-variant, the 22 TCM 9R, with a shorter, more deeply-seated bullet, is designed for use in Glock magazines limited to standard-length 9mm cartridges. Standard factory loads are 40-grain jacketed soft hollow point, 39-grain for "9R".

22 TCM case details

The .22 TCM (left) uses a longer bullet than the shorter .22 TCM 9R (right).

See also

  • .22 Spitfire
  • .221 Remington Fireball, a similar necked .22 centerfire round
  • 5.56×21mm PINDAD, cut down 5.56×45mm
  • .224 Boz
  • 5mm RRM (5.2x26mm)
  • 7.62×25mm Tokarev
  • 7.63×25mm Mauser
  • 7.65×21mm Parabellum
  • 7.65×25mm Borchardt
  • FN 5.7×28mm

References

  1. ^ "An Official Journal of the NRA | .22 TCM".

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to .22 TCM.
  • v
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Cartridges derived from the .222 Remington or its derivatives
First generation
Second generation
Based on .222 Remington Magnum
Based on .223 Remington/5.56 NATO
Based on .221 Remington Fireball