One of the latest trends in the concealed carry and personal self defense world is sub-caliber, rimfire firearms for concealed carry, and Federal Ammunition is expanding their Punch Personal Defense rimfire line by releasing a .22 WMR cartridge option recently announced at the 2022 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits Convention in Houston, TX.
The .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, also known as .22 Magnum, was originally introduced during the late 1950s by Winchester, and with its larger case capacity it is able to push the same types of projectiles found in .22 Long Rifle cartridges faster and flatter. It has since been offered as a rimfire caliber option for a multitude of both rifles and pistols by all major gunmakers.
The .22 WMR Punch Personal Defense cartridge features a nickel casing that comes loaded with a nickel-plated lead core 45 grain jacketed hollow point bullet known as the Punch JHP. Federal’s ballistics engineers optimized the .22 WMR Punch Personal Defense to provide deeper penetration and expansion when fired from sub compact rimfire handguns. For example, from a two inch barrel, this load is capable of 1,000 fps muzzle velocity, and if fired from a rifle length barrel, it is capable of reaching 1,800 fps at the muzzle.
Pairing the Federal .22 WMR Punch Personal Defense with a small revolver such as Ruger LCR could offer a defensive carrier a good amount of convenience and portability without sacrificing ballistic performance, especially considering the overall size and weight and the fact that small revolvers can be carried in pockets or other non-typical manners.
Federal Premium .22 WMR Punch Personal Defense cartridges come in a plastic case of fifty round and retail for $25.99. For more information about Federal’s rimfire Punch Personal Defense cartridges (which also include a 29 grain high velocity .22 Long Rifle option) and other defensive, hunting, training, tactical, or match ammunition, please visit their website at federalpremium.com.
