Difference Between Rimfire and Centerfire Ammunition

Above, Winchester 1894 and Ruger 10/22. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ever wondered what's the difference between centerfire and rimfire ammunition?

I was looking at ads at Cabela's and noticed that Winchester Model 94 (.30-.30 cal.) rifles are centerfire and the Ruger 10/22 Carbine (.22 cal.) is a rimfire rifle. I thought this would be a good topic to discuss.

I took a look and found this at Hunter Ed:

 Ammunition can be centerfire or rimfire.

• Centerfire ammunition is used for rifles, shotguns, and handguns. In this type of ammunition, the primer is located in the center of the casing base. Most centerfire ammunition is reloadable.
• Rimfire ammunition has the primer contained in the rim of the ammunition casing. Rimfire ammunition is limited to low-pressure loads. Rimfire cartridges are not reloadable.

 So now you know the difference.