It’s rare to review something genuinely novel in the gun biz. Let’s face it, metallic cartridge firearms are an extremely mature technology. And yet, here we are.
Federal has released a new .22 Long Rifle rimfire round designed for personal protection … and not just personal protection, but with handguns … and short-barreled handguns, at that. The 29-grain flat-nosed .22LR round is an addition to Federal’s Punch series of Personal Defense loadings. This makes it the only rimfire offering in that lineup and, indeed, one of the few rimfire loads specifically targeted at this market niche.
BACK TO THE ROOTS
This isn’t entirely novel, though. The .22 rimfire round originally began as a personal defense round for short-barreled handguns, debuting in the tiny Smith & Wesson Model 1 revolver. These were practically miniature firearms, with seven shot cylinders and barrels barely over 3 inches long. They practically had to be disassembled for reloads, and the individual spent cases poked out of the chambers one at a time with the rod under
