Introduced by Smith & Wesson in 1856, the 22 Short is the oldest self-contained cartridge still in production. It is a mild cartridge using a short .613-inch case and a 29-grain bullet with standard velocity of 1035 feet per second. There are also match loads at slightly lower velocity and high-velocity loads up to 1095 fps. The 22 Short remains useful for plinking and is used in some pistol competitions because of its light recoil. Very few 22 firearms today are specifically chambered for 22 Short. It can be safely chambered and fired in any 22 Long Rifle firearm however it will usually not function in semiautomatics with Long Rifle chambers and may not cycle through other repeating actions. Other than specific target events, with its mild report and virtual absence of recoil its primary value today is for training beginning shooters.
