At 0900 in the morning on 4 December 2020, a group of young men began gathering in the Palestinian village of al-Mughayir northwest of Ramallah. These Palestinians were protesting the establishment of a new Israeli settlement near Ras a-Tin. IDF soldiers were posted nearby in hopes of keeping the peace.
Emotions were running high, as seems always the case. Folks have been fighting over that remarkable patch of dirt since the very beginning of time. In short order the Palestinians were throwing rocks. The Israeli soldiers responded with rubber bullets and tear gas.
The main part of the conflict unfolded at a range of roughly seventy meters. Two hours after the first confrontation ten IDF soldiers were in firing positions with a direct line of sight to the protestors. The rocks were still flying hot and fast. Some 150 meters distant, around 100 local residents had gathered to spectate. Among them was Ali Abu ‘Alia, a local Tenth Grader. It was the boy’s fifteenth birthday.
By 1330 hours the protest had been ongoing for four and one half hours. Everyone was tired. What happened next was naturally disputed by both sides.
According to Palestinian witnesses, the boy was simply crossing the road. He suddenly clutched his midriff and shouted, “My stomach! My stomach! I’m hit! I’m hit!” before collapsing. Bystanders rushed the young man to the nearby Ramallah hospital. There was a small, almost bloodless entrance wound just above his navel and no exit wound. By 1830 he was dead, yet another tragic casualty of the never-ending war in the Levant.
Abu ‘Alia was hit in the belly with a “Two-Two.” That’s IDF slang for a sound-suppressed Ruger 10/22 rifle ostensibly used for less-lethal crowd control. His sordid story serves as a somber reminder that the diminutive .22 rimfire, though small, is still plenty deadly.
It Only Takes a Moment…
The man was going to kill a lazy Saturday out tearing up the swamp on his four-wheeler alongside a friend. The weather was gorgeous. In our part of the world that meant snakes. As a result, his pal produced a .22 pistol and a shoulder holster. Our hero threw the rig on, and the pair struck out for the wilderness.
It had been a great day, and the men were ready to get home. As they manhandled a four-wheeler into the pickup, the heavy vehicle slipped. My buddy threw his shoulder into it, and the hammer of the pistol caught on something, twisting in the holster.
The hammer retracted far enough to light the primer but not far enough to catch the sear. When the gun went off it didn’t make a great deal of noise. That was because the muzzle was mashed against the man’s chest. The zippy little 40-grain bullet pithed the man’s left lung, missing his heart by millimeters. It then bounced off the inside of his right scapula before angling downward. The dying round tracked through his right lung top to bottom, penetrated his diaphragm, transited his liver, and finally came to rest nestled within his entrails. Never let anyone tell you the humble .22 rimfire lacks in penetration.
What followed was a frenetic ride to the hospital. The surgeons filleted the man like a fish but saved his life. He has fully recovered today. Part of that is because he had the good fortune to be shot in America and not Ramallah.
Shot placement, particularly with small caliber weapons, is indeed critically important. What’s an even bigger deal, however, is the inimitable power of random. Both people were shot with the same round, but Abu ‘Alia likely had the little bullet centerpunch his abdominal aorta. Unless you’re in just the right place and very, very lucky, this is reliably bad.
The Round
The technical appellation for the .22 Long Rifle is the 5.6x15mm R or Rimmed. Developed in 1887, the .22LR is hopelessly obsolete today. Despite its age, however, annual production of this zippy little cartridge is nonetheless estimated to be between 2 and 2.5 billion rounds per annum worldwide.
I have seen these little cartridges made, and it is indeed fascinating. The cases are punched out of a big strip of brass and then formed to shape. A small pellet of moist primer compound is then inserted into the empty case. When this primer mix is wet it is inert. When it is dry it becomes shock sensitive. Each case is then spun vigorously in a big machine. Centrifugal forces push the wet primer mix out into the periphery of the rim. The case is then cooked to remove the moisture. There follows a fixed volume of powder and a bullet, most commonly somewhere between 36 and 40 grains. Repeat as necessary 2.5 billion times per year.
The .22LR is the most popular rimfire firearm cartridge on the planet. It is widely used by organizations ranging from the Boy Scouts of America to the US Army. .22 rimfire conversions for both M16 rifles and 1911 service pistols were used for decades as military training aids. Almost every serious shooter in the world got his or her start behind a .22. Amongst countless millions of .22-caliber firearms, one lithe little rifle reigns supreme.
The Gun
Designed in 1964 by Bill Ruger and Harry Sefried II, the 10/22 is the most popular .22 rifle in the world. More than seven million copies have been produced. The 10/22 is one of those rare designs that has actually gotten cheaper over time.
Those first 10/22 rifles cost $54.50. However, those are 1964 dollars. That would be about $519 today. The MSRP for a new-made 10/22 nowadays is $379. That is because the gun is designed from the outset to be easy and inexpensive to make in quantity.
The 10/22 sports an investment cast receiver mated to a cold hammer-forged alloy steel barrel via a unique two-screw, V-block system. The rifle comes from the factory drilled and tapped for an included scope mount. It feeds from a ten-round rotary magazine.
The 10/22 is one of the most customizable firearms ever made. There are companies thriving today that produce rifles on a 10/22 action that do not include a single Ruger component. The rifle that the IDF sniper was wielding when he shot Abu ‘Alia was itself heavily customized.
IDF Use
Beginning with the Intifada in 1987, Israeli soldiers found themselves beset by angry rioters with limited defensive options. Live 5.56x45mm rounds were proven manstoppers, but shooting otherwise unarmed rioters would have been a great way to win the battle while losing the public opinion war. Given the range limitations of CS gas and rubber-coated metal bullets, IDF planners went looking for something else. That something else was the humble 10/22 plinking rifle.
The IDF began with standard wood-stocked 10/22 rifles modified by the Italian firm of Sabatti. These guns were fitted with heavy bull barrels and integral sound suppressors. The receivers were drilled and tapped for a full-sized Weaver base upon which was mounted a 4x optic. A Harris-style adjustable bipod rounded out the package. Here are the published applications of these custom weapons:
- Killing hostile dogs.
- Injuring leaders of violent demonstrations or violent participants of a violent demonstration.
- Use as a mid-range system that is “less lethal than” military-caliber rifles (5.56mm/7.62mm) while remaining capable of dissuading demonstrators from committing further violence (e.g. throwing rocks or Molotov cocktails).
- Providing greater accuracy at longer distances than rubber bullets or baton rounds.
- Applications when it is not safe enough to get sufficiently close to use a rubber bullet or baton round.
Ideally, IDF sharpshooters could use these little rimfire rifles to shoot critical leaders in violent protests in the shins, taking them out of the fight without killing them. The illustrious Colonel Jeff Cooper had this to say about using the .22 rimfire for riot control in his 1998 classic To Ride, Shoot Straight, and Speak the Truth—
“It would seem desirable to devise a system which would make sure, first, that the riot would stop; and second, that only the leaders would feel the weight of social disapproval.
“Let us consider such a means – the 22-caliber rimfire rifle. This weapon, properly sighted and equipped with a noise suppressor, may be used with surgical delicacy to neutralize mob leaders without risk to other members of the group, without noise and with scant danger of death to the subject. A low-velocity 22 bullet in the lung will not knock a man down, and in these days of modern antisepsis it will almost never kill him if he can get to a hospital in a reasonable time. It will, however, absolutely terminate his interest in leading a riot.”
The problem is that the real world of violent confrontation is seldom so sanitary. In the heat of battle it can be tough to confine your rounds to extremities. That and extremity wounds can be unexpectedly deadly as well. Additionally, these are still firearms. As in the case of Abu ‘Alia, this battlefield was absolutely dirty with noncombatants. Between 2015 and 2020 local commentators claim there were ten Palestinians killed by IDF marksmen wielding Two-Two’s.
And therein lies another problem. You cannot believe anything anybody says over there. Everyone has an agenda, even me. I have spent some time in Israel, and I was powerfully moved by the work ethic, patriotism, and sense of community exhibited by the Israeli people, something we could use a great deal more of over on our side of the pond. However, I will admit that if Native Americans tried to push me off my family farm because their ancestors owned it 250 years ago that would aggravate me as well. I’m just not sure I would blow up a school bus full of children in response. Alas, I don’t pretend to know the answer to those timeless problems.
Ruminations
One observer to Abu ‘Alia’s shooting made this statement: I…can’t find any justification for the sniper’s shooting. He killed a boy who was standing quietly and wasn’t endangering anyone. He didn’t even take part in the protest.
Pelting heavily-armed soldiers with rocks for four hours seems like a great way to get shot. Standing close by watching heavily-armed soldiers get pelted by rocks for four hours seems like a great way to get shot accidentally. There seems to be plenty of blame to go around.
The .22LR has a long history of military use with Israeli forces. Modified versions of the ArmaLite AR7 survival rifle were issued to IAF aircrews. Israeli air marshals, Mossad operatives, and Sayeret Matkal have long used the .22LR Beretta 71, often with a suppressor, in covert operations. These guys know a thing or three about armed combat, and they clearly still take the humble Two-Two quite seriously.
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! All Local Sales are FREE! ***
This article is a home run, Will. Superb historical context, examples, and analysis of a highly topical subject, all through the lens of arms & ammunition. Has GA already published an article specifically examining the capabilities of the IDF’s 10/22 and M-71, scale of issue, training, ammunition in use? If so, please advise; if not, that would be a great topic for a followup to this article. We can only imagine how much use these weapons are getting in the post-10/7 crisis in Gaza, where it appears every possible level of “persuasion” is in use, from lollipops to bunker busters, laser-guided munitions to floodwaters.
Oh yes, 22’s are deadly. A shot to the head will kill almost anything aside from dangerous African biggy’s.
If I had to choose between an American 180 (22 lr) or the Thompson 45 . . . I would hands down pick the American 180. Their drums can hold up to 275 rounds and cut like a band saw. Unreal. Wish I could own one.
Dr. Dabbs,
I wanted to pass along a quick note letting you know how much I enjoy your stories in Guns America. These stories provide a wonderful history lesson covering both the people involved and the various weaponry used which to me is fascinating. However, your use of the English language is the most fun for me including the times I am sent chasing a words definition just to clearly follow along.
Keep up the wonderful work and have a glorious Christmas season.
Agree 100%!
Will Dabbs, your comment about native Americans is offensive, due to the fact Your so called ancestors did the same , taking the land from the native people . I would love to see the native people stand up to our government and indeed take back what was theirs in the first place. Yes I too would be removed also , but the greed in this world started a long time ago. Now my rant is done, good article about the .22 Thanks.
Your rant is based on a misunderstanding of history. The Native Americans to whom you reference had also did the same thing. There were those here before them that they displaced. This has happened since Noah’s flood and the subsequent migrations of humans ever since. If you take offence, then it is because you are not a student of history. There are ample stories within the Native American’s verbal histories that record such accounts. So, it was not just the “white man” who did displacing. Even Egyptians were displaced by the Kushites only to be displaced themselves. A history of genetics shows this fact. And at this point would the native people be justified in “taking back what was theirs in the first place” if it wasn’t actually theirs in the first place? Am I not a native person? The term is defined as any person who is born in an area up to the 3rd generation or so. I have ancestors all the way back to the Revolution. I think at this point I am as Native American as any of them. And the greed started when Satan thought he could place himself above the throne of God, so yes, the greed in this world started a very long time ago. Have a nice day.
Great comment, Sir. We can sympathize with the plight of certain peoples now, or at any time in history, WITHOUT thinking they should “rise up” and cast-off their “oppressors”. The well-worn adage still applies… “Two wrongs don’t make a right”.
Interesting and sad but as usual a great job by Dr. Dabbs.
so
So glad to see Doc Dabbs is still writing here. I feared we lost his articles after the 1st of the year.
I absolutely support Israel’s right to exist. I just do not support their apparent right to purchase the fealty of our corrupt politicians with American blood and treasure in that endeavor. Unlike this bankrupt once-great Republic, they have an annual budget surplus of around 4 billion dollars. I realize that wasn’t the intent of this article, but it seems to have gravitated in that direction… I hope Will isn’t offended by the political firestorm his article has generated. These are merely the times we find ourselves in…
Here, here, and thank you Dr. Dabbs!
The .22 is “hopelessly obsolete?” Ridiculous and invalid statement given your own validation of its extensive use and lethality.
He’s speaking from a technical perspective and is completely correct. Heeled bullets and rimfire ignition compounds dependent on centrifugal application are nobody’s idea of modern arms technology. Does it work well within those limits? Yes it does, as the author clearly emphasizes.
a quality article to share in your circle. and if I could own only one gun without a pallet of ammo coming with it,it’d be my 10/22 takedown in magpul backpacker stock. gladly though I have many 22s. mostly for entertainment but a couple could be used for defense.
I responded to an accidental gunshot report and found three teenaged rabbit hunters, one of whom had been shot in the thigh with a .22 long rifle round, fired from a rifle at short range.
EMS arrived shortly after I had and transported the young man – who was joking about the wound, as were his friends.
When I arrived at the hospital 45 minutes later, to complete the incident report – the young man had died. The bullet penetrated the femoral artery and he had lost sufficient blood INSIDE HIS THIGH to be fatal.
Ah, Israel, the worlds only acceptable racist, supremacist apartheid state. So proud that my tax dollars go to help support cowards shooting children from a safe distance!
Great article Dr. Dobbs. I didn’t the IDF were using .22 LRs in supposedly Non Lethal force situations. When I was still an RN working the ER in the 90’s, .22 LR had the reputation of causing more deaths than any other caliber in common use. Locally, I witnessed this firsthand as .22 and to a lesser extent .25 ACP were the choice of the local Gang Bangers, no doubt because of the cheap Ravens, Lorcins and Jennings infamous pocket pistols, which ran $75 or $80 at that time. I got to see my share of the damage a .22 could do, from minor wounds to death, and everything in between. I’ll never forget the fellow who presented with a small bullet wound to the abdomen, the bullet ended up about 3 inches from the wound under the skin. But as I assisted in the exam, there was no wound tract between the dermal wound and the bullet. The tract led off completely on the opposite side of the wound. When we got the scans back, you could see that the bullet traveled almost completely circling just under the skin, coming to rest 3 inches from its point of entry. A day or so later, I checked up on him, and by then he had formed a bruise as if someone had drawn a marker completely around him. He survived and no doubt returned to his gang. Others were not as lucky.
It goes to show and as you pointed out, that where and what you hit with a .22 will determine the damage done. Even then there are still Freak occurrences that defy explanation.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us.
Armed self-defense, particularly at close range, is indeed possible with .22LR handguns. The mentioned Beretta 71, Ruger SR22, as well as some other handguns, are not only deadly, but visually, as intimidating looking (a factor seldom discussed) as handguns of larger calibers. Ideally, a perp facing the business end of any firearm ought to deter further mischief. As for the effectiveness of .22s, until humanity can genetically formulate a schmuck eager to be shot by .22s and ready report findings, I’ll take my chances with rimfires, if necessary.
I was in the IDF in 1987 for the first Intifada but I never saw anybody with a Ruger 10-22 or for that matter in later years in Reserve Duty, also in and around Gaza.
Fast forward to the late 1990s and early 2000s and a guy at a gun show in Ventura, California had a table-full of Weaver 6X scopes with IDF markings. I only bought one, but should have bought the whole table….
Lesson learned, I suppose.
“Palestine” is a name of occupation, like “Vichy France.” There has never been a Palestinian people, or a Palestinian nation. Show me an ancient Palestinian artifact. You can’t; none exist.
You sound like those folks that state the holocaust never occurred.
The British Empire controlled the area they called Palestine. The people that lived in the area were called Palestinians. These people have lived in this area for hundreds of years. It was not a Jewish state, and very few Jewish lived there. The majority were either Muslims or Christians living together.
The zionists decided to steal this land from the people that were living there. They have succeeded, and continue to steal land and homes through force. They use violence, murder, abuse, terror to make life as a Palestinian a living hell. There are around 500,000 Christian Palestinians who are also treated in this subhuman way.
The United States government gives 3.2 Billion of our tax dollars every year to the Israeli government to continue this atrocious goal.
Info on the term Palestine
Scholars believe the name “Palestine” originally comes from the word “Philistia,” which refers to the Philistines who occupied part of the region in the 12th century B.C.
Throughout history, Palestine has been ruled by numerous groups, including the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Fatimids, Seljuk Turks, Crusaders, Egyptians and Mamelukes.
Our department had a couple of the Ciener(?) conversions back 40 years ago. It was a blast firing up a few bricks of .22 LR on the range. Our M16’s and an early selective fire AR-15(pre type classification) would dump an entire 30 rounds in the black of a 25 yard Bullseye pistol target on full auto.
One thing we discovered was that you can’t wait too long between mags as the waxy lube would build up and when it cooled the rifle would jam up and need to be cleaned on the spot.
I wasn’t there, but there was a hostage incident where the kidnapper tried to run our roadblock and one of the Deputies lit up the tires on the getaway car with the .22 conversion on full auto, stopping the chase.
Dr. Dabbs is first read always. The diminutive .22 has many applications from squirrels, cans, to humans. The ‘suppressed ‘hush puppy’ comes to mind for capturing runners in Vietnam.
Well done Major! I read your articles with zeal and apprerciate your writing s
tyle and humor.
As a Vietnam Veteran (100% disabled) and retired LEO, I can relate to much of which you write. Also spent 35 years as a paramedic so we are almosrt kindred spirits.
Keep up the good work!
De Oppresso Liber,
Dave Schaffner
Nice article on the 10/22. They’re amazingly versatile platforms. From plain Jane plinkers, to accurized target rifles, they can fulfill a lot of different roles. If you’re fortunate enough to fire one with a Norrell select fire trigger pack that’s set up properly, you’ll find them to be good transferable machine gun hosts as well.
Along with the claim ‘Proven man killer’, the .22 is also a proven bear killer.
There is in fact a documented claim that a .22 LR killed a grizzly with a shot through the eye.
Sometimes it’s where ya hit ’em, not what ya hit ’em with.
You are very ignorant on the whole situation in Palestine. If soldiers came to your house in Mississippi and used guns and tanks to force you out of it, how would you feel?
You would just leave and not protest or fight?
Justifying soldiers killing a 15 year old boy, are you insane?
Does a Palestinian life have less value then an Israeli life?
Israeli is stealing their land. “Settlement” = stolen land. They are built on Palestinian land.
It’s not that hard to understand. So either your a complete ignoramus or you are paid by Isreal interests.
I will be unsubscribing from guns America, since they put Israeli propaganda on their site…
Antisemitic very much? All of the land you refer to, plus a whole lot more, was promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants.
Promised by Tom, Dick and Harry… so go steal someones home because it’s promised in a fiction novel, that makes it right.
Look who’s being ignorant. The Israelis didn’t steal anything. The Palestinians left when their Arab neighbors waged war against the nascent state of Israel. The Arabs lost, and those Palestinians got screwed when the Arabs couldn’t finish the deal. The Arabs (i.e., Palestinians) who stayed in Israel are and always have been Israeli citizens with full rights. They are in the police, military, Israeli parliament (Knesset), Supreme Court, etc. Most people don’t realize that the population of Israel is 20% Arab (Palestinian). They live in peace, openly practice their religion, though there are some ethnic tensions. The situation is more like Mexico still waging war with the US because Texas used to be Mexican.
Not just Texas. California, Arizona, New Mexico and parts of Nevada were also Mexican.
I guess these people that had their homes bulldozed have the same rights as Jewish Israelis?
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/israel-ramps-up-demolition-of-palestinian-homes-in-jerusalem
In the words of Curly Bill, “Bye”
No such thing as a “Palestinian ” – they are a created people. And they do have a homeland- it’s called Jordan. Get on the Bus’s and go home nice having ya.And any soldier that pops off at kid is guilty of a war crime. Maybe we should just mind our own business for a change. A pox on all of them.
Hate much?
Kevin, Kevin, Kevin. Sigh.
The Fakestinian Arabs settled on Jewish land captured and occupied by Arab-Muslim forces centuries ago. It was always our land. They made war on us, we won and because we are so magnanimous in victory, we didn’t wipe them off the face of the Earth as in the days of the Torah.
But none of this matters to you, does it? If you hate America so much, Kev, why don’t you go live in Gaza like so many Jew and America-haters do? Oh yeah, I forgot. They don’t. They just prefer to live in beautiful, democratic and free America and talk crap about all their enemies, real and imagined….
Wow, you have severe psychological issues. You seem filled with hate and dream of committing genocide. People are people, killing a 15 year old boy is wrong, no matter what ethnicity he is. Hope you can get some help…
Hey Dipshit you promised to unsubscribe….so do it Kevin and go upstairs. Your mom has your cereal poured and it’s getting soggy. Leave GA as promised!!!! Don’t want/need ya.
Obvious troll is obvious.
The Palestinians sided with the Nazis during WWII. Axis countries lost lands as a result of their aggression and assault on Allied countries. Don’t start wars if you don’t want to lose land.
Good piece on firearms but miss the mark on the Israeli claim to the land. Jews have lived in Israel since Moses led them out of Egypt am into the Promised Land thousands of years ago. Palestine was an artificial post-colonial construct. The present day Ramallah rioters are useful idiots who get played by their leadership to prolong the conflict & keep that Western welfare tap open wide.
My grandfather used to say “If you think you need to carry anything bigger than a 22 to stop a man in self defense, then what you need is better aim, not a bigger gun.”
grandfather’s as a rule are very wise
“Pelting heavily-armed soldiers with rocks for four hours seems like a great way to get shot. Standing close by watching heavily-armed soldiers get pelted by rocks for four hours seems like a great way to get shot accidentally.”
Mama said…”if you hang out with shit, you might get it in you”
Great article highlighting a truly timeless cartridge. It’s good to hear from you again, Will.
Like millions of others, my first several times shooting a “real” rifle were behind the sights of a .22 LR. Although I’ve accumulated many other firearms, the .22 is still well represented among them by both long guns and handguns. It’s still my “go to” choice for introducing someone to the world of firearms.
Great article, but could be a little misleading to some folks. The problem for people here in the US who want to carry rimfire cartridges for self defense is not one of potential lethality of the projectile itself – Aguila makes a .22 with a 60 grain projectile that will penetrate better than many much more massive loads and goes right through an old steel refridgerator that readily deflects lesser rimfire rounds – the problem is with the nature of the cartridge in manufacturing. The primer is spun into the case. This leaves the potential for sections of the rim to be without primer. If there is no primer there is no bang. The IDF likely has very high standards for their military grade ammo. How many folks have bought a box of 22lr and found one in 20 won’t go off with the first strike? If those folks drop load the faulty round and spin it so the striker impacts another location you usually get a bang. I have a ,22 magnum cartridge with so many strikes to the case that it will no longer chamber in a turnbolt Marlin 25MN. The case has become deformed by my attempts at making that cartridge ignite. I must note I have not had this happen as frequently with .17HMR of any brand, but it has happened. If you carry a rimfire for self defense you should be certain of the ammo, and be ready for a click instead of a bang – not the best thing to happen in a self defense situation.
Thanks again for all of your articles. I look forward to them every time!