Precision

With .22 expected this autumn, Hirsch points buyers to dealers

Hirsch Precision expects an autumn rimfire order, with almost all headed to Canadian dealers. The forecast gives buyers a reason to ask about allocation and matching ammunition lots.

AI-generated illustrative rimfire scene. No actual shipment, test, brand or Steve-owned rifle is depicted.

Hirsch Precision expects a .22 ammunition order in late September or early October, with almost all of it going to dealers across Canada. Peter Dobson gave that forecast in two posts on Canadian Gun Nutz on September 4 and 5. Anyone watching for rimfire stock now has a specific supplier update to discuss with a dealer.

I would start that conversation with availability, then ask about the lot. A lot is a manufacturing batch. If I buy a small amount and later want more from that batch, I need to know whether the dealer can accommodate that. The answer could change how much sense the first purchase makes.

I handload my precision centrefire ammunition, and I own a Rock Island TM22 Feather and a Derya TM22 in .22 LR. I buy factory ammunition, too. Even with a well-equipped reloading bench, I still have to work out what a shop can supply.

The order Hirsch expects

On September 4, Dobson said .22 was coming and that almost all of it would go to Canadian dealers. On September 5, he described an order due in late September or early October and advised the questioner to contact a dealer.

Lapua's worldwide distributor page lists Hirsch Precision in Lake Echo, Nova Scotia, as its Canadian distributor and identifies Dobson through the contact details. His posts therefore carry more weight than a member repeating something heard at a counter. The company representative described his own expected supply.

The forecast still has limits. Those two posts identify no receiving dealers, product lines, quantities, prices, or lots. The expected arrival of an importer's order also leaves the dealer's own delivery date unresolved. A shop might know more about its allocation, meaning the stock it expects to receive, but that answer has to come from the shop.

The thread begins with a separate shipment already delivered to Nordic Marksman. That earlier delivery does not establish Nordic's share of the forthcoming rimfire order. The useful news here is narrower: Hirsch expects more .22 this autumn and says dealers will receive most of it.

A request needs an answer

For a buyer who wants to keep using the same batch, the first useful question is whether a dealer expects the desired product at all. Then comes what the dealer can tell you about its lot numbers and quantities. The distributor's forecast cannot answer either question for an individual shop.

There is a further distinction inside the word reserve. A dealer may agree to call when stock arrives. It may offer a hold, possibly with a deposit and conditions. It may be unable to promise anything until staff receive the shipment. I would want the shop to explain which arrangement it offers before I counted on that ammunition.

The practical question is whether an initial purchase and any later purchase could come from the same lot. Ask how long a hold would last, whether the shop can identify the batch, and what happens if the expected stock changes. A useful answer can be as simple as the dealer saying it will confirm those details after delivery.

That leaves room to decline a commitment. Someone who needs ammunition soon may be better served by confirmed stock already available to them. Someone preparing for later use may be willing to wait for a particular line. Hirsch's update gives both buyers information; their own schedule and the dealer's terms determine the decision.

Supply and performance need separate evidence

Holdover has already covered the reason for paying attention to production lots in Your .22 barrel gets a vote. That article deals with ammunition performance. This September update concerns the chance of buying more of the batch you chose.

Lapua's own rimfire test-service page explains why competitors compare ammunition types and lots under controlled conditions. Its detailed location list covers five countries and includes no Canadian site. That describes Lapua's published network; it leaves other Canadian testing options outside the scope of the page. A dealer's stock answer provides supply information and carries no evidence of how an ammunition lot performs in your rifle.

I would also resist turning this into a requirement for every rimfire purchase. A shooter who wants ordinary recreational ammunition can ask about price and availability and stop there. A shooter with a specific reason to retain one batch can ask more. The rifle's action type alone tells me too little about either person's needs to prescribe the same buying routine.

A chance to ask in person

Vihtavuori's September 3 announcement says Hirsch Precision will attend TACCOM at booth 4840 on September 12 and 13. The show takes place at The International Centre in Mississauga. For someone already attending, that offers another place to ask how the expected rimfire order will reach dealers. The announcement promises no rimfire stock at the booth.

I would take the same question to a shop: what can you confirm about the ammunition I might buy? That could mean a product and an expected delivery, or an identified lot with a clear hold arrangement. Each answer supports a different commitment from the buyer. Until the dealer can give that answer, late September or early October remains Hirsch's estimate for an order.

Sources

Shortlist the rifle before the checkout page.

If this piece helped you narrow the rifle question, keep the tradeoffs visible before the next tab becomes a shopping cart.

Use the Holdover Rifle Cartridge Shortlist Card to compare use case, distance, recoil, ammunition availability, rifle fit, optics plan, budget, and what you will actually practice.

Safety note: the card is a planning worksheet, not buying advice, legal advice, hunting guidance, load data, or a substitute for current manufacturer, range, provincial, federal, or qualified-instructor guidance.

Get the shortlist card through The Dispatch