From maybe to for sure a new cartridge for TC

[daniel2013]

I have been talking to one of the custom barrel makers in hopes of getting them to make me a barrel in a 22 TCM cartridge.  Now the 22 TCM is a scaled back version of the 223.  It is about the same length as a 9 mm.  In fact where I ran across this cartridge was in purchasing a Rock Island 1911 style with two barrels,  One a 9 mm and the other the 22 TCM.  Now the 22 TCM travels out of the short 1911 barrel at around 2200 FPS.  What would it do in a 15 inch barrel for the TC or even a rifle barrel.  It is a sweet little cartridge with very little recoil.  Anyway I think it would make for an interesting cartridge in a TC barrel.

[jbj-displays]

I would like one made too! I also would like to get the 22 Reed Express.
I sent a letter to T/C hoping that they would make Contender barrels in the new 17 Winchester Mag rim fire cartridge too. I hope they do.

[daniel2013]

I have been in contact with MGM and they are supposed to give me an answer next week as to the posibility of the 22 TCM barrel.  If you google it, their is quite a bit of information on the cartridge out there.  It was created by Amscor for Rock Island.  I have heard that they are planning a rifle in the cartridge in the future.  Anyway I have ordered two other barrels from MGM and hope that as a good customer I can talk them into this one as well.  Right now I have a 22 Rem. fireball barrel, a 222 Rem., a 223, and a 22/250, so another 22 caliber would fit right into the stable. LOL

[daniel2013]

I couldn't get MGM to build the barrel as they didn't have the reamer and didn't know if their would be enough call to justify getting one, however I contacted Bullberry and they already have the reamer and are in the process of making me a barrel in the 22 TCM cartridge.  Ordered the 15 inch in a 1 in 12 twist.

[sr sawyer]

It will be interesting to see if you gain any appreciable velocity, due to the small powder capacity, with the increased barrel length.  Keep us posted.  This is definetly an interesting round.
 
Ken

[Hopalong7]

With your current 22 stable a Hornet or Bee would fit right in too.  Nothing wrong with trying something new, mind Ya, but I'll stick with my rimmed cases as much as possible .  But, good luck w/ the project , and, keep us posted.
Walt

[daniel2013]

With your current 22 stable a Hornet or Bee would fit right in too.  Nothing wrong with trying something new, mind Ya, but I'll stick with my rimmed cases as much as possible .  But, good luck w/ the project , and, keep us posted.
Walt

I was actually trying to stay with cartridges that would be easy to get if need be, and now I hope someone comes out with some dies for the 22 TCM cartridge.  As of yet no one has and with the five boxes of ammo in that caliber that I have, they won't last long especialy with how hard it is to get any ammo now days.  At last count I think I am now up to 32 Encore barrels with 5 frames and 12 Contender barrels with 3 frames, and those numbers reflect the barrel's on order.  Up to now most of the barrels have been in cartridges I didn't have to struggle with to find dies and ammo for.  Had a little trouble with the 357 Max and the 7mm BR, but that resolved its self.  I really didn't want calibers just for the sake of collecting, but wanted them functional as well.       Even rimmed fire cartridges are hard to come by around here.  Not a 22 shell to be had in the surrounding area ( Southern WI).  A couple of weeks ago at a local gun show I seen one guy who was selling a couple of bricks at the price of $75.00 a brick.  These are crazy times, at those prices for rim fire shells, I can load my 22 centerfire for at least a competitive price.

[casper_zip]

How does this compare to the 5.7 X 28 ? I have the 22's also, and the 5.7 is awesome for it's size, and accurate, too.
 
Best,
 
casper

[daniel2013]

How does this compare to the 5.7 X 28 ? I have the 22's also, and the 5.7 is awesome for it's size, and accurate, too.
 
Best,
 
casper

I couldn't really tell you.  That is a cartridge that I am unfamilier with and I tried to look it up in a couple of my reloading books and couldn't find it.  I know with out a doubt you couldn't walk into your nearest gunshop and pick up ammo. LOL

[daniel2013]

Here is a picture of the 22 TCM next to a 9 mm and a 223 round. The base size is identical to the 223.

[Richard P]

Daniel, dont you think it would be feasible and fairly inexpensive to shorten a set of 223 dies ?  I'm assuming you'd drive the shoulder back on 223 cases to create the cartridge?  So as well as a trim die, you'd also need a neck reamer to thin the thickness. You are down into the thicker portion of the case taper. You risk driving pressures very high if the neck cannot expand enough to release the bullet.  I'd suggest using commercial cases. First, you'd avoid having to remove the primer crimp and the military cases are likely a harder brass alloy. rp

[daniel2013]

Yes it might be possible to use 223 dies.  Once they are fireformed to the chamber maybe just neck sizing would be the answer.  I don't think I will be shooting 5 boxes of ammo.at any one time so if I figure out a way to reload them as well as the reloading info so as to be safe I will be good to go for awhile.  Amscor the parent company of the 22 TCM will reload your brass, but of course for a price and I do not know what the turn around time would be.  As far as the primer pockets on the 223, I can take care of that.  Even though the 22 TCM is based off of the 223 cartridge it would be a long way if not impossible to take them down especialy in only one step.  And as you say it could create problems with pressure depending on the thickness of the neck of the new cartridge.

[Camba]

Casper_zip,
I do have a 5.7x28FN contender barrel and I love it.  It is a cartridge that is very pressure sensitive and it is best to load them in sigle press; as a 0.1 grains more than you need could cause higher pressures.  Once you know how to reload it and take care of the case (it has some type of coating for smoothness and protection) you can load it for very little, saving big time in powder.  I have over two hundred load recipies that I have tested, looking for the accurate load and I settled with the H110 powder and the 55 gr SP speer bullet at a 2300 - 2375 fps.
I do have other very accurate loads from 33 gr to 70gr bullets and a few types of pistol or small rifle powders.  I love this cartridge.  The 33-45 gr bullets can fly off the barrel at 2600 - 2800 fps; but I prefer my 55 gr load.  I do want to have one in 22TCM.  I am wondering if you can cut the 223 Rem sizing die to the proper length so that you can tream the cartidge to size and resize it with the shortened die.  Just a thought.
Camba

[daniel2013]

Casper_zip,
I do have a 5.7x28FN contender barrel and I love it.  It is a cartridge that is very pressure sensitive and it is best to load them in sigle press; as a 0.1 grains more than you need could cause higher pressures.  Once you know how to reload it and take care of the case (it has some type of coating for smoothness and protection) you can load it for very little, saving big time in powder.  I have over two hundred load recipies that I have tested, looking for the accurate load and I settled with the H110 powder and the 55 gr SP speer bullet at a 2300 - 2375 fps.
I do have other very accurate loads from 33 gr to 70gr bullets and a few types of pistol or small rifle powders.  I love this cartridge.  The 33-45 gr bullets can fly off the barrel at 2600 - 2800 fps; but I prefer my 55 gr load.  I do want to have one in 22TCM.  I am wondering if you can cut the 223 Rem sizing die to the proper length so that you can tream the cartidge to size and resize it with the shortened die.  Just a thought.
Camba
 

Right now the only sure place I know of to get ammo for the 22 TCM is at Amscor.  I would think that a few boxes of shells would last quite awhile reloading if one could get the data or figure out the data, especially if you could get neck sizing dies only.  Neck sizing dies would save a lot of wear and tear on the brass.  I am hearing from one of my local sports shops that he heard at one of the national gun shows he attended their are plans in the works to bring out a rifle in the 22 TCM.  I think if we are patient one of the major die makers will bring a die out for this caliber.  Amscor offers to reload your brass in this caliber so their has to be some data someplace on it.  I do not know how much they charge for reloading or what the turnaround time would be.  Again I guess we need to be patient.

[Ladobe]

Fred (Bullberry) will probably make you the dies if you ask him.  He's made them for me for wildcats.  He used to make double end form dies as well for a small price, last I know of many years after he made mine maybe $30-$35 is all.
 
Imagine he gave you a long delivery time on the barrel... count on longer than that as that is his normal MOA.  Small shop, lots of orders.   Even when I lived there/ran around with him some of my orders with the short lead times I got didn't get done by the time promised.

[Swampman]

Seems alot like the .221 Fireball.

[daniel2013]

221 Fireball on the left and 22 TCM on the right.

[Redcap]

Daniel,  if you have your barrel counterbored for a rim you should be able to make 22TCM cases from 38/357 brass when dies are available.

[daniel2013]

Daniel,  if you have your barrel counterbored for a rim you should be able to make 22TCM cases from 38/357 brass when dies are available.

I at the present have 5 boxes of the 22 TCM so that will do me for awhile.  If I changed the barrel and had it counter bored, it would be counter productive as I have two pistols from Rock Island in 1911's that also have 9 mm barrels as well.  If I started using a rimmed cartridge then I would not be able to use it in the 1911's.  Also if you started reducing 357 or 38 casings down to 22 it could cause greater pressure unless every case was also reamed out to reduce the thickness of the wall.  JMHO

[daniel2013]

Starting to make a little progress in finding brass and loading datta.  I picked up 600 rounds of brass from ammosupplywarehouse.com  as well as 15 boxes of loaded ammo from Amscor.  Lee did make a few dies for the 22 TCM but those are long gone.  Hornady is in the process of making dies for the cartridge though.  My name is on a mailing list to get a set.  So far the only loading datta I have gotten is 10 to 11 gr. of H-110 with a 40 gr. bullet.  More information is supposed to be on the way.  Also seen on one site where their was a rifle in 22 TCM at one of the national gun shows that dealers go to.  I guess it is in the plans to produce it.

[daniel2013]

This is an answer I received from one person on loading data on the TCM.
The only load we have for the TCM is  with Winchester 296 or H110  which are virtually the same.
 
The starting load is  9.0grs
 
The Max load is 10.0grs......
 
These loads are for the standard 40gr bullet.

[daniel2013]

More info on the 22 TCM.
 
 Specifications and Features of the 22 TCM: Caliber: .22 TCM 1875 Muzzle Velocity, 1686 fps Velocity at 50 yards, 1511 Velocity at 100 yards, 312 ft/lbs Muzzle Energ, 252 ft/lbs Energy at 50 yards, 203 ft/lbs Energy at 100 yards. This hot new round is catching on with precision shooters, and the general shooting public. Seems Armscor has hit a home run with this one!!!

[parisite]

What would sell (although nothing to do with the Contender) is if someone would make a 22TCM conversion kit for 1911 pistols. Don't know if the existing 1911 would have to be a 9mm or not?

[daniel2013]

Rock Island already has one on the market.  A 1911 with two barrels, a 9 mm and a 22 TCM.  I have two of them.

[parisite]

Yes, I've tossed around the idea of aquiring one myself, but I mean a 22TCM conversion kit for a 1911 that someone already owns. Not a complete new gun.

Don't want to venture too far away from the Contender theme here on this forum however.

[GarrettJ]

... Ordered the 15 inch in a 1 in 12 twist.

Just curious, why order a 15" barrel?  One more inch of barrel isn't really going to be much more cumbersome on a pistol, but gives you the option to use a buttstock without jumping through NFA hoops.

[daniel2013]

Once you go past 15 inches it becomes quite a bit more expensive to have a barrel made and I pretty much like to shoot the pistols.  I do have 3 rifle barrels that have never been on a frame.  I shoot the pistol barrels on a weekly basis.  I do have one 16 inch 30/30 for my Contender but that is always shot as a pistol as well.

[dammyankee]

Daniel. Check with Cabelas. I could swear I saw a set of lee dies there in 22 TCM. This is in Texas of course but most Cabelas carry the same products. I may go to cabelas this Sat. If I do I will let you know if they still have them.

[daniel2013]

I have a short 15 inch barrel coming for my encore and I found a ad for one for a Contender with a scope, dies, forearm and 21 inch barrel so I bought it.  Here is the write up from the ad.
 Thompson Center Contender Barrel. This is a "One of a Kind".. Originally started its life as a Custom Shop 22mag barrel, and now has been professionaly chambered to the New 22 TCM that Rock Island Armory aka Armscor is now offering in there 9mm/22TCM 1911 Pistols. This is a HOT little round and can be made quickly from 223 brass. This is a 21" barrel... With 40gr Vmaxs I am averaging 2975fps. It will completely blow away the popular 5.7x28FN round and use the same amount of powder too do it, so its very efficient. Included with this barrel auction is a Brand New Thompson Center 3-9x40 Rifle Scope, Base, & Rings as shown. Im also including a New set of LEE dies specifically made for the 22TCM. I'm also including a show grade 3in wide Bullberry Benchrest Forend as shown in the pics. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you already own a .22 TCM pistol by RIA this would make a fantastic addition. Whats nice is you can load a wide varity of 22cal bullet tips. With the RIA pistols you are very limited do to over all length. With this contender barrel that is no worry. Aprox 200 rds fired through this barrel. She is a tack driver and loves 40-55gr bullets. I can provide the winner with load data and factory brass at a later arranged date...Don't miss the chance to own this barrel as there will not be another listed anytime soon. None of the major TC aftermarket barrel makers are offering this caliber yet.

[daniel2013]

Here is a picture of the new barrel.