5mm Remington Rimfire Magnum

The 5 mm Remington Rimfire Magnum or 5 mm RFM[2] is a bottlenecked rimfire cartridge introduced by Remington Arms Company in 1969. Remington chambered it in a pair of bolt-action rifles, the Model 591 and Model 592, but this ammunition never became very popular, and the rifles were discontinued in 1974.[3] About 52,000 rifles and 30,000 barrels for the T/C Contender pistol were sold during its brief production run. Remington discontinued the cartridge itself in 1982,[3] leaving owners with no source of ammunition.[4][5]

5 mm Remington Rimfire Magnum
5 mm RRM (left), .22 WMR (center) and .17 HMR (right).
TypeRifle
Place of originUnited States
Production history
DesignerRemington Arms Company
Designed1969
ManufacturerRemington
Produced1969–1973 (original production)
2008–present (current production)
Specifications
Case typeRimmed, bottleneck
Bullet diameter.204 in (5.2 mm)
Neck diameter.225 in (5.7 mm)
Shoulder diameter.259 in (6.6 mm)
Base diameter.259 in (6.6 mm)
Rim diameter.325 in (8.3 mm)
Rim thickness.050 in (1.3 mm)
Case length1.020 in (25.9 mm)
Overall length1.30 in (33 mm)
Primer typeRimfire
Maximum pressure (SAAMI)33,000 psi (230 MPa)
Ballistic performance
Bullet mass/type Velocity Energy
38 gr. (2.5 g) Lead 2,100 ft/s (640 m/s) 372 ft⋅lbf (504 J)
30 gr. (1.9 g) JHP 2,410 ft/s (730 m/s) 410 ft⋅lbf (560 J)
Source(s): "Cartridges of the World",[1]

In 2008, the cartridge was reintroduced by Aguila Ammunition in collaboration with Centurion Ordnance.[6][7][8][9]

Design

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Remington designed a completely new, bottlenecked case that was somewhat similar to the older .22 Winchester Magnum, but stronger to handle the higher pressure of the 5 mm (0.20 in) at 37,000 psi (260 MPa).[2][10]

 

Between 1982 and 2008, no ammunition was being manufactured. Some firearms manufacturers even created conversion kits to allow the existing 5 mm guns to shoot other more-common cartridges.[5]

At the 2008 SHOT Show, Aguila Ammunition announced it would reintroduce the cartridge and begin commercial production of 5 mm RFM ammunition. Until 2019, the cartridges were sold in the United States of America under the Centurion brand. In 2019, Aguila Ammunition announced the company now offered two 5 mm RFM loads: one with a semi-jacketed hollow point bullet and a second with a full jacketed hollow point bullet. Both loads use a 30 gr (1.9 g) projectile and have a muzzle velocity of 2,300 ft/s (700 m/s).[11]

Performance

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The 5 mm RRM offers higher velocity and more energy than the .22 WMR and the later .17 HMR.[6] It offers improved performance on small game and for varmint hunting, along with excellent accuracy.[1]

5 mm Performance Comparison[2]
Weight (grains) Name Brand Type Velocity (ft/s) Energy (ft⋅lbf) Trajectory (in)
yd 50 yd 100 yd 150 yd 200 yd yd 50 yd 100 yd 150 yd 200 yd yd 50 yd 100 yd 150 yd 200 yd
17 gr (1.1 g) .17 HMR Remington AccuTip-V 2,550 ft/s (780 m/s) 2,380 ft/s (730 m/s) 1,900 ft/s (580 m/s) 1,620 ft/s (490 m/s) 1,378 ft/s (420 m/s) 245 ft⋅lbf (332 J) 185 ft⋅lbf (251 J) 136 ft⋅lbf (184 J) 99 ft⋅lbf (134 J) 72 ft⋅lbf (98 J) 0 in (0 cm) +0.1 in (0.25 cm) 0 in (0 cm) −2.6 in (−6.6 cm) N/A
38 gr (2.5 g) 5 mm RFM Remington C.L. HP 2,100 ft/s (640 m/s) N/A 1,605 ft/s (489 m/s) 1,400 ft/s (430 m/s) N/A 372 ft⋅lbf (504 J) N/A 217 ft⋅lbf (294 J) 165 ft⋅lbf (224 J) N/A 0 in (0 cm) N/A 0 in (0 cm) −4.3 in (−11 cm) N/A
33 gr (2.1 g) .22 WMR Remington AccuTip-V 2,000 ft/s (610 m/s) 1,703 ft/s (519 m/s) 1,495 ft/s (456 m/s) N/A N/A 293 ft⋅lbf (397 J) 219 ft⋅lbf (297 J) 164 ft⋅lbf (222 J) N/A N/A 0 in (0 cm) +0.6 in (1.5 cm) 0 in (0 cm) −4.5 in (−11 cm) N/A

5 mm Craig centerfire conversion

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When Remington discontinued production of 5 mm RFM ammunition, owners of Remington 591 and 592 rifles were left with excellent rifles but no ammunition for them. In 1994, Mike Craig of Seattle, Washington began working on a centerfire conversion of the 5 mm RFM, called the 5 mm Craig.[12][13] His company, Certech, also performed conversions of 5 mm rifles from rimfire to centerfire by altering the bolts and installing new firing pins, restoring them to use. Craig has since sold all the rights to the 5 mm Craig to Eagle View Arms of Shelton, Washington.[13]

Firearms chambered for 5 mm RRM

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For a brief time, Thompson Center Arms offered firearms in 5 mm Mag.[5]

At the 2008 SHOT show, Taurus International introduced the first handgun chambered for the 5 mm Remington Magnum Rimfire.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Barnes, Frank C. (2006) [1965]. Skinner, Stan (ed.). Cartridges of the World (11th ed.). Iola, WI, US: Gun Digest Books. pp. 475, 490, 492. ISBN 0-89689-297-2.
  2. ^ a b c "Comparison: .17 HMR, 5 mm Rem. RF Mag, and .22 WMR". www.chuckhawks.com. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  3. ^ a b When was the 5 mm Remington rimfire discontinued? [dead link] at Remington.com
  4. ^ Ken Ramage (5 August 2008). Gun Digest 2009: The World's Greatest Gun Book. F+W Media, Inc. pp. 239–. ISBN 978-0-89689-647-5.
  5. ^ a b c "5mm Centerfire. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  6. ^ a b "The 5 mm Remington Rimfire Magnum" by Chuck Hawks
  7. ^ Andy Moe (2008-01-28). "Aguila Brings Back the 5 mm Remington!". Archived from the original on 2008-03-15. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  8. ^ Bodinson, Holt (1 July 2008). "I'm ba-a-a-ck! The return of the 5 mm Remington rimfire magnum". Guns Magazine. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  9. ^ Simpson, L. (2019, November 19). Aguila 5mm remington rimfire magnum ammo review. Shooting Times. https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/aguila-5mm-rimfire-magnum-ammo-review/369583
  10. ^ Miscellaneous questions. (n.d.). http://www.frfrogspad.com/miscellk.htm#+P
  11. ^ "Aguila 5 mm Ammo | New Ammunition for the Classic 5 mm Rimfire". Guns Holsters And Gear. 2008-03-02. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  12. ^ Kenney, C. Lowell (2000). "5mm-Craig Centerfire". Varminter.com.
  13. ^ a b "5MM Craig Story". Eagle View Arms.
  14. ^ Sturdevantsays, Lafe (2008-02-13). "Taurus 590 Revolver in 5 mm Rimfire | New Gun for Old Round". Retrieved 2022-12-26.