With over four billion rounds produced annually, the 22 is one of the most mass produced civilian bullets in the world. The 22 caliber encompasses a variety of different rounds ranging from the diminutive 22 short to the hyper fast 22 magnum and the oddities like the 22 Jet. The most popular 22 caliber cartridges were designed as older black powder rounds that were originally, and are still commonly, at home in the cylinder of a revolver.
The small size and limited recoil of the round makes it possible to produce small and lightweight revolvers that are both easy to shoot and easy to conceal. These small revolvers have been popular for decades, since the original Baby Hammerless by Kolb to the modern North American Arms models.