Lindcott Armory Rimfire · Obsolete / Non-standard
.22 BB Cap
One of the earliest metallic cartridges ever made.
- Caliber
- 0.2225″ · 5.652 mm
- Introduced
- 1845
- Case
- Rimfire
- Primary use
- Target, Pest Control
- Status
- Obsolete
- Introduced
- 1845
- Type
- Rimfire
- Origin
- France
- Inventor
- Louis-Nicolas Flobert
- Manufacturer
- Various (historical)
- Standard
- Obsolete / Non-standard
- Status
- Obsolete
- Availability
- Collector Only
- Case capacity
- 0.5 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:16
- Primer
- Rimfire
- Case type
- Rimfire
- Max pressure
- 6,000 psi
- Max range
- 30 yd
- Recoil
- 0.2–0.5 ft·lb
- Subsonic
- Capable
Ballistics
- By real loads
- 710–820 fps · 9 loads
- Parent case
- —
Representative trajectory — modeled from a single velocity input (no published BC for this cartridge yet).
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · approximate| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 5.65 | 0.223 | · |
| Neck ⌀ | 5.69 | 0.224 | · |
| Shoulder ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Shoulder angle | n/a | ||
| Base ⌀ | 5.71 | 0.225 | · |
| Rim ⌀ | 6.88 | 0.271 | ~ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.02 | 0.040 | ~ |
| Neck length | n/a | ||
| Case length | 7.16 | 0.282 | ~ |
| Overall length | 8.71 | 0.343 | ~ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .22 BB Cap is highlighted below.
Factory loads
In production — 9 active loads across 6 brands. Top 15 shown · see all 21 →.
| Brand | Load | Grain | Bullet | FPS | ft·lb | BC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eley | BB Cap Lead | 12 | Lead RN | 820 | 18 | — |
| ELEY | Lead RN | 29 | Lead RN | 755 | 37 | — |
| Fiocchi | Lead RN | 29 | Lead RN | 755 | 37 | — |
| CCI | Lead RN 18gr | 18 | Lead RN | 755 | 23 | — |
| RWS | Lead Round Ball 29gr | 29 | Lead Ball | 755 | 37 | — |
| Sellier & Bellot | Lead Round Ball | 29 | Lead Ball | 755 | 37 | — |
| RWS | BB Cap | 18 | LRN | 720 | 21 | — |
| Eley | BB Cap | 18 | LRN | 720 | 21 | — |
| CCI | CB Short | 29 | Lead RN | 710 | 32 | — |
| Remington | Golden Bullet | 14 | Lead Round Nose | 780 | 19 | — |
| Norma | Classic | 14 | Lead Round Nose | 780 | 19 | — |
| Aguila | Standard | 14 | Lead Round Nose | 780 | 19 | — |
| PPU | Standard | 14 | Lead Round Nose | 780 | 19 | — |
| Eley | Sport | 14 | Lead Round Nose | 780 | 19 | — |
| CCI | Standard | 14 | Lead Round Nose | 780 | 19 | — |
Velocities are manufacturer-stated (test-barrel). Discontinued loads dimmed.
Lineage
Connected reference
History
The BB Cap is among the first practical self-contained metallic cartridges in history, predating even the .22 Short. Flobert's design placed a round lead ball (BB — 'Bulleted Ball') directly into an enlarged rimfire percussion cap. The priming compound provided all the propellant energy — no powder charge. Muzzle velocity was extremely low, making it suitable only for the quietest indoor ranges. American manufacturers including Winchester and CCI produced it into the 20th century for collectors and parlor rifle enthusiasts, but commercial production has effectively ended. Firearms chambered in BB Cap cannot safely fire the longer .22 Short or .22 LR.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .22 BB Cap use?
- .22 BB Cap typically uses a 1:16 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .22 BB Cap?
- .22 BB Cap uses a 0.2225″ (5.652 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .22 BB Cap still in production?
- .22 BB Cap is obsolete; typical availability is collector only.
- What is .22 BB Cap used for?
- .22 BB Cap is primarily used for target, pest control.
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 9 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →