Lever guns: Can a longer side gate lessen the effort needed to load a 22LR cartridge?
I'm about 92.58% sure physics agrees with me (for a change!) and side gates on a 22LR lever gun are viable.
Convention wisdom has it that the 22LR cartridge is too fragile or pliable to be reliably loaded through a side gate without deformation. But I think this might be a case of generational tradition obscuring reality.
While it is true that old 22LR cartridges were fragile and prone to deformation, modern powders have allowed for thicker cartridge walls and the old problem no longer fully applies. Besides, there are custom/unique/boutique examples of 22LR side gate lever action rifles, so the idea itself is not without precendent.
I believe that a longer gate with a shallower feed angle will give 22LR cartridges the best chance of being loaded without undue deformation. It is already a short cartridge, so a receiver based on the Winchester 1892 with a gate twice as long as the cartridge itself should be mechanically sound. Lessening the spring tension on the gate might also be viable, to a point.
This niche seems almost criminally underexplored on the market today, especially with modern tools and materials to fix the common problems of early firearms.