22 Hornet, but true, repeating lever-action rifles never appeared.Įventually, breechloading models with a release lever in single-shot action appeared on the market. A few bolt-action and single-shot rifles were introduced to handle the. The cartridge held promise, but there was no rifle to fire it. The new design didn’t seat well in Winchester’s famous line of lever-action rifles. He also tightened and altered the neck of the cartridge to handle a smaller 35 to 45-grain bullet. 22 black powder cartridges with faster burning, higher velocity smokeless powder. In the 1920s Grosvenor Wotkyns began modifying. 22 Hornet cartridge didn’t lend itself to the lever-action design because of its unique dimensions, it was difficult for the lever-action mechanism to lodge the shell for firing. 218 Bee was the only version in the popular lever-action style epitomized in Hollywood westerns of the day. 22 rimfire or calibers much too large for coyotes, fox, and rabbits.

Varmint and small game hunters either used the. 22 long rifle, rimfire cartridge, and big game hunting rifles, but it was a reality until the 1920s. With the wide range of high-speed, small caliber rifles on the market today it seems strange that there was a time when a huge gap existed between the. 22 Hornet wasn’t nearly as successful, primarily because the cartridge didn’t lend itself to lever-action mechanisms because of its size. 22 Hornet was available in several bolt action platforms and a few single-shot rifles. 22 Hornet was a popular cartridge from its introduction in 1933 until the arrival of the. 22 Hornets produced, but they never arrived in the large quantities that the bolt-action versions did.

How to lock a lever action rifle