ARMSCOR .22 “Tuason-Craig Micromagnum” (TCM) cartridge

ARMSCOR .22 The “Tuason-Craig Micromagnum” (TCM) is a modern, high-speed, small-caliber cartridge that was created by a Philippine company and is now popular among shooters, primarily in the United States. The patron was introduced to Europe in 2015 by the manufacturing company during the IWA OutdoorClassics exhibition held in Nuremberg. Thanks to this demonstration, ARMSCOR - Arms Corporation is trying to enter the European market, having interested the shooters of the Old World. In this case, the promoted cartridge is indeed an interesting novelty. .22 TCM is a relatively new 5,6-mm high-speed cartridge with a bottle sleeve, which is able to disperse a bullet weighing 2,6 gram to 640 speed m / s.

The headquarters of the company ARMSCOR - Arms Corporation is located in the city of Marikina in the Philippines. This is a well-known manufacturer of self-loading pistols, made by the famous Colt M1911. This gun was in service with the American army from 1911 to 1985 years and is allowed for use today. In many ways, this is the legendary model of small weapons. ARMSCOR sells some of its models "based on" M1911 in the United States and European countries under its own brand Rock Island Armory. Currently, these guns are recognized by experts of one of the best alternatives on the market. They compare favorably with Western standards of workmanship and good efficiency, while having a rather low price, especially in comparison with direct European or American competitors.

The proposed name for TCM ammunition stands for Tuason-Craig Micromagnum, the name comes from the name of today's CEO and President of ARMSCOR, as well as Tuason family heir Martin Tuason, and legendary modern American gunsmith Fred Craig ), which designed the .22 TCM caliber cartridge for AMRSCOR. Fred Craig worked for a long time as a chief designer at this Filipino firm. It is worth noting that it was the Tuason family that became the founders of the Arms Corporation in its current form. The new ammunition is compatible with the Rock Island Armory pistols manufactured by the company.

The .22 TCM cartridge is a central cartridge-mounted ammunition with a bottle sleeve, which at first glance can be confused with a reduced .223 / 5,56-mm, but in fact, the sleeves for the .22 TCM cartridges are made from cut-off and crimped sleeve 5,56X45mm cartridges. These sleeves are equipped with 0,61 grams of gunpowder and a bullet that has a mass of 2,6 grams. Today, this ammunition is available on the market in three versions: JSHP (Jacketed Soft Hollow Point) half-shell bullet, JHP (Jacketed Hollow Point) shell expansive bullet and sharp-nosed flat-bottomed PTFB (Pointed Tip Flat Base) bullet. The last all-shell sharp-nosed bullet makes this ammunition dangerous for some body armor.

In 2015, the Philippine company ARMSCOR introduced a new version of the cartridge, which received the designation .22 TCM9R. Basically, this munition represents the standard .22 TCM, which was shortened to the total length of the standard 9x19mm cartridge, very common in the world, known as the Parabellum. This solution is intended to expand the possibilities of using high-speed cartridge. Now you can simply convert existing 9-mm firearms to the new .22 TCM9R cartridge with a conventional replacement of the return spring and barrel using standard magazines that are designed for 9-mm cartridges. Starting in the summer of 2016, ARMSCOR is going to start selling rework kits for using the .22 TCM9R caliber cartridge of the most popular Glock 22 and Glock 17 pistols.

In terms of efficiency, the Philippine .22 TCM and .22 TCM9R cartridges offer very high levels of initial bullet velocity (around 640 m / s), muzzle energy is 538 J, with an effective expansion of the expansive bullet when it hits a target. Currently, this ammunition is certified SAAMI, but in order to become commercially successful in Europe, it will need to be certified in accordance with the international standard CIP. Passing this certification is imperative.

As far as can be judged today, the basis for the new Philippine project .22 TCM has become another cartridge, which was previously presented on behalf of Fred Craig - .22 Micro-mag. Today, the .22 TCM cartridge is positioned as a high-speed, low-pulse ammunition with a flat flight path, which can also be used in 9xXNNXX-mm weapons after a small remake and barrel replacement. At the same time, for example, in the Armscor 19А1911 two-row gun shop, 2 ammunition .18 TCM22R can fit. According to the developers themselves, the .9 TCM cartridge was designed specifically for use in short-barreled weapons, which makes it possible to more efficiently use the energy of powder gases, and, as a result, allows for a greater initial speed of the bullet than the well-known Belgian cartridge 22X5,7 provided application of the latter in the gun.

Unlike the regionally and conceptually close Indonesian patron 5,56х21, the Philippine patron .22 TCM does not try to put on shoulder straps. Currently, this munition is on the market of civilian weapons in the United States. Nothing is known about the development of any army-police weapon systems for it. At the current time, the .22 TCM cartridge is interesting, first of all, as the first powerful small-caliber cartridge of the central battlefield, which is intended for the civilian market of small arms, and not for law enforcement agencies.

The outlook for the .22 TCM ammunition is still somewhat uncertain. On the one hand, the influx of pistols, released under the new cartridge, is not yet observed. On the other hand, in the conditions of a glut of the US small arms market, any more or less original novelty may turn out to be needed and fired. In addition, in contrast to the same cartridge 5,7х28, .22 TCM9R is offered for the Colt М1911 platform most in demand on the American market. In addition, the company is seriously looking to promote its new ammunition in the European market.

Speaking about the civilian prospects of new patrons, it is necessary to build on their price. It is the cost of ammunition will be crucial. The most obvious and main niche for this munition can be “plinking” - the general name for recreational shooting at various objects used as targets (bottles, beer cans, etc.). Plying is widespread in countries of the world that are distinguished for their high weapon culture and liberal weapon legislation. In addition, .22 TCM9R cartridges can be used for self-defense, especially if they are used in relatively compact pistols suitable for shooters who are sensitive to recoil.

Information sources:
https://www.all4shooters.com/ru/spetsialnaya/vystavki-2015/IWA-2015/boyepripasy/ARMSCOR-Rock-Island-Armory-22TCM
http://casatic.livejournal.com/977867.html
Materials from free sources

Comments

[Slobber]

If there are no labels on the links, then I’ll insert my penny. The cartridge is interesting, but it seems to me that it is unlikely that anyone will be interested in the saturated American market, given the local love for re-supply (I remember reading an article that describes how one comrade shortened the sleeve, reduced the bullet, for his sports needs, and got an analogue of 5,45, 5,45, by which, XNUMX that is, then he shot).
The cartridge is of central action, but in this niche there is already, as noted in article 5,7, a cartridge that is used in the pistol of the same name. Moreover, if the 5,7 cartridge took about 15 years to become popular, the devil knows how long it will take for this.
In general, the oziyats, as always, are trying to conquer America with some kind of slurred news. Although, maybe our people will be interested - after all, a gun that completely holes in the 3rd and 4th class of body armor is cool, although we also have a cartridge for PSM, I forgot what it's called. We won’t talk about sports yet, we’ll wait at least 5 years.

[corporal]

Quote: razgildyay

although we have a cartridge under the PSM, I forgot what it's called.

5.45x18 MPC
standard cartridge 5,45 × 18 mm MPTs with 7N7 shell bullet with a composite core in the form of a truncated cone (in front of steel, lead in the back) Bullet weight 2,4 g. Muzzle energy 129 J. Punches 45 layers of Kevlar tissue.
U .22 TCM9R -538 J
Feel the difference.
-

[inkass_98]

Quote: Corporal

Feel the difference

So the goal of the production of the 5,45x18 cartridge was different - the PSM pistol for senior command personnel.
It was only later that investigations began, such as "Dart" from Stechkin.

[luiswoo]

There is (in theory) another 5.45x18, developed by TsKIB SOO. It is not much different from 5.7x28.

http://popgun.ru/viewtopic.php?f=281&t=257827&start=540

[corporal]

Soon, with a lot of ammunition, my eyes will run away

By the way, it makes sense for manufacturers to try to position the cartridge for military defense weapons (Personal Defense Weapons, PDW).
If this program has not died yet.
The characteristics are very good.

[cth; fyn]

Unfortunately, if a soldier uses this ammunition with an expansive bullet, he will automatically become a war criminal, and other bullets have a low stopping effect.

[corporal]

In the PDW program, if my sclerosis does not fail me, there was a requirement for a guaranteed target hit behind body armor. There was no question of stopping the action. Although I could be wrong.

[Chukcha]

Quote: Corporal

Soon, with a lot of ammunition, my eyes will run away ...
The characteristics are very good.

Yeah)))

[Svetovod]

I myself have a little fun inventing small arms and throwing weapons - schemes and ammunition. And such a cartridge case once invented. It is simultaneously suitable for defense against people, and for hunting animals when there is no food, and shoot a fish in shallow water. Light bullet, high speed. In the USSR it was 7.62x25, but the bullet is heavy and the speed is small for breaking through bulletproof vest. The Belgian cartridge 5.7x28 is okay with this, but a bullet too light, like a shuttlecock, loses speed very quickly. And here you go - ARMSCOR .22. for shooting ranges and shooting ranges. The same field is a berry.

And us?

The idea of ​​a pistol suitable for the cold conditions of the Arctic under a cartridge with increased pressure of powder gases to disperse a small-caliber bullet with a hard-pierced armor-piercing core to high speeds, giving it the energy needed for guaranteed destruction of protected targets at ranges up to 150 meters.
Automation due to the recoil of the shutter, with a short barrel travel. Locking device (highlighted in blue) - a swinging steel lever inserted into the bolt casing and resting against the protrusion on the barrel (highlighted in light purple) until it meets the protrusion of the pistol frame "armature" (highlighted in red), while leaning down and freeing shutter for self-travel back.

[moskowit]

With such muzzle energy and speed, a bullet will pierce an object through and through. What could be the talk about stopping action. Moreover, there are very few short-barreled weapons of this caliber.

[Ze Kot]

Quote: moskowit

With such muzzle energy and speed, a bullet will pierce an object through and through. What could be the talk about stopping action. Moreover, there are very few short-barreled weapons of this caliber.

The bullet is expansive. Upon entering the body, it "unfolds".

[Svetovod]

Quote: moskowit

With such muzzle energy and speed, a bullet will pierce an object through and through. What could be the talk about stopping action. Moreover, there are very few short-barreled weapons of this caliber.

This is sometimes necessary. For police and citizens it is preferable to shoot with a stopping effect with a strong concussion of tissues. And for the military, a guaranteed defeat is needed rather than the shock of a bullet stopping a bulletproof vest. Here for this and need a bullet capable of holes.

Domestic cartridges 9x19 for GSh-18 (7n31) and 9x21 for "Vector" perform both tasks.

[tchoni]

The main advantage of a small caliber for a pistol is the compactness of the ammunition while maintaining penetration in this cartridge is ruined on the vine thanks to a swollen bottle of the sleeve. Therefore, although this ammunition is declared an alternative to 9 mm caliber, in fact, it is not. Because increased armor penetration due to the use of sub-caliber bullets for 9 mm long-resolved issue. Moreover, the transition to a small caliber significantly limits the versatility of weapons ...