Centerfire vs rimfire cartridges

Factual Questions
1

Rimfire isn’t seen on many cartridges yet is used in one of the most common calibers there is; The 22lr.

What are the different design implications of choosing centerfire vs rimfire?

Centerfire can be reloaded which means it can lower costs, especially for bigger calibers where it can start being worth it to reload. I understand that the firing process renders rimfire cartridges unusable except as scrap.
Rimfire is likely cheaper than centerfire since it seems to be simpler and it’s used in the cheapest caliber there is. How come it’s not more broadly used, considering most people don’t reload their cartridges?
What are the other advantages and disadvantages of both designs?

2

the pressures required by most modern centerfire rounds would blow out the thin-wall case required to make them rimfire.

3

Wouldn’t it be possible to have a thick-walled case but thin at the rim?

Even if that wouldn’t be possible/economic, why don’t we see handgun cartridges with rimfire? They tend to be low pressure.

4

I’m sure others will be along but a couple things to consider.

.22LR is great for target shooting and other “high volume” pursuits. Its also a good reliable gun for country folk with enough land to need to repel the occasional big critter as well as occasionally dispatching small animals for slaughter. Ammo is cheap and available anywhere. Its so cheap its hardly worth the effort to even try and reload it.

Centerfire loads tend to be used in much lower volumes. My dad used to go deer hunting with 5 rounds and regularly came back with 3-4 and a deer.

Target shooting with centerfire is an expensive process even when reloading your own.

5

Aren’t there some accuracy differences? Or is that old news.

6

The rim contains the primer. As it’s open to the main case space/powder charge, any thinness in the rim is the same as thinness in the case.

7

Yes there certainly is.
The cheap bulk is very erratic. Target shooters (Small Bore) use premium target ammo that can cost almost as much as center fire ammo.
Reloading is the main reason rimfire fell as the case is the most expensive cartridge component. Today there are cheap “Central Fire” Cartridges that are basically considered non-reloadable. They are steel & aluminum alloy and most often Berdain primed.
Here is a sort list of obsolete rim fire cartridges from the past.
5mm Remington Rimfire Magnum
22 extra long
22 Winchester Rimfire (WRF) a few reproduction runs on this.
22 Winchester Automatic
22 Remington Automatic
22 ILARCO 22 short Magnum rimfire25 Short
25 Stevens Short
25 Stevens
30 Short
30 Long
32 Extra Short
32 Short
32 Long
32 Long Rifle
32 Extra Long
38 Short
38 Long
38 Extra Long
41 Short (Derringer)
41 Long
41 Swiss
44 Short
44 Long
44 Extra Long
44 Henry Flat
46 Short
46 Long
46 extra long
50 Remington Navy
56-46 Spencer
56-50 Spencer
56-52 Spencer
56-56 Spencer
58 Miller, 58 Allin, 585 Springfield, 58 Musket, 58 Allen and 58 Ball all same cartridge

8

Early designs were rimfire, and it was adequate for the relatively low-pressure early metallic cartridge. But not later ones.
There was also the perception that if you dropped a large, heavy cartridge onto a hard surface, the rim might detonate.