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221 Fireball
Hawkshaw
Member Posts: 1,016 ✭✭
Does anyone know of a company that made a rifle in 221 cal. if so please e mail me Thanks Larry[?]
Comments
Remington originally brought out the Fireball, for their single shot pistol. Far as I know. Their have been relatively few manufacturers making .22 CF rifles for it. With 22 Remington and .223 rifles available. It just doesn't fit any knitch, for most folks.
We've hardly ever taken a cartridge from the get go to to be built for it's maximum potential. All too often, sales are based a lot on "can you kill a deer with it." You can kill a deer with a ton of stuff that's gone by the wayside.
The .221 fireball is one of those cartridges you could load up to 1k fps faster than a .22 WMR with the same bullet in the same weight rifle. For whatever reason, the masses don't think it can happen, so it doesn't sell.
You guys might be the exception? My WAG, is that most folks buying a 22 CF, are going with 5.56 X 45/.223. On a AR platform.
Remington originally brought out the Fireball, for their single shot pistol. Far as I know. Their have been relatively few manufacturers making .22 CF rifles for it. With 22 Remington and .223 rifles available. It just doesn't fit any knitch, for most folks.
You might not want to tell the prairie dog hunters that. The small case capacity, and ability to reach 300 yards, make it one of the best. It does not heat the barrel as fast as others, or create as much plasma. There are plenty of them around, if the right entries are made into the search engines. You might not find a lot of XP-100's, but there are Model Seven's, Anschutz, Coopers, and many customs.
For the first, this is now a custom or semi-custom rifle chamber since Remington didn?t sell millions upon the release of the factory cartridge/chamber. But it is requested with some frequency for many varminit shooters because of the barrel longevity and the mild recoil given mid-range performance on prairie dogs.
For the XP-100 answer and your question about prices, I?m unaware of any new prices since the XP-100 has been discontinued for a couple of decades at least. There was the revised version which was a Remington trick to sell more Model Seven actions but the true single shot lovers scorned this attempt by ignoring the offering. This is another example of Remington ignoring what the consumer wants as opposed to what their idiots in charge want.
As to finding XP-100s at a price range from $300 - $500, you will find a couple in desperate shape with shot out barrels and rough finish. Fine condition, usable barrels and original stocks with case will force you to sit down, shaking your head in disbelief, asking ?where did the original reasonable priced XPs go??. My answer has always been those folks who think everything is collectible, especially those firearms which were released in smaller numbers. Collectors have every right to buy and put away those firearms which they deem desireable, waiting for the market to shift the prices upward. Others, like myself refuse to collect and use firearms for their designated use, shooting.
So if you have to have an original XP-100, pay to play or sit down. On the other hand, we are extremely fortunate to have an increasing number of action manufacturers producing marvelous new actions which can make superb single shot handguns or rifles. You can even go cheap and use the Savage components to avoid needing a gunsmith for the assembly. But the days of inexpensive XP-100s is long gone. It has forced those of us who are gunmakers to stop buying XPs and switch to custom actions for the consumer market.
Best of Luck!
My current 22 CF handgun is the model 53 S&W Jet. I really like how handy it is in a holster. I have a spare cylinder to make it a 22 LR only. My first attempt didn't work exactly. I have great confidence my second fix will work just fine, when I get around to it - have the parts in a box. Inserts work but slowly, I may make a spare couple of sets.
With cast bullets my Jet or the 222 will go down to 22 LR levels.
+1 for shooting them. All my steel kids get to go to the range/hunting - some more than others.
I bought a Remington 700 in .221 several years ago. I had .222's and a .223 but wanted the .221 because it was different and I wanted to compare it with the others. Speed-wise, it gives little away to the .222. My rifle seems to prefer Hornady 50 gr. spires (either standard or SX). And I've actually been holding the velocity down to 3000 fps. With 18.6 gr. of Reloader 7, a pound of powder goes a long way! It's not a benchrest rifle by any means but it averages 7/8" 5-shot groups making it a pretty good gopher gun. My only complaint is that it's an awful big rifle for such a little cartridge. If I ever get a chance at a CZ 527 at a good price, I'll have a second .221.
As N/N said, either pay to play, or sit down. I've been watching the CZ's in FB and man are they bringing some good money..[:0]