Description
Western Super-X .22 Long Rim Fire Cartridges – Original Mid-Century Box
This Western Super-X .22 Long Rim Fire Cartridges box is an original mid-century package for .22 Long ammunition, not .22 Long Rifle. It carries the familiar Western Super-X branding and period load information, including Lubaloy bullet plating and wax coating. As a result, it stands as a strong example of commercial American rimfire packaging from the era when colorful box design and short technical claims defined the small-bore sporting market.
Western Super-X .22 Long Rim Fire Cartridges
The box is clearly marked Super-X and identifies the load as .22 Long with 50 Rim Fire Cartridges. The top panel also notes long range, while the side panel highlights Double Action Smokeless Powder, Lubaloy bullets are plated by a patented process, and Non-corrosive Priming. Other visible claims include Extra Clean and Wax Coated. Those printed details give the box real character, because they preserve the exact marketing language Western used to separate this loading from more ordinary rimfire offerings.
Construction / Configuration / Pattern
This is a folding paperboard cartridge box in the compact commercial rimfire format used for boxed .22 ammunition. The outer body uses a bright yellow base with deep blue and red print, giving it the bold shelf appearance typical of period Western packaging. The end panel is marked .22 Long and shows the product code 8-X-22L. The main panels identify the loading as 50 Rim Fire Cartridges and stress clean function, smokeless powder, and coated bullet technology. The bright graphics and concise technical claims are a large part of the appeal, because they capture exactly how mid-century American sporting ammunition was presented to the buyer.
Historical Context / Provenance / Development
Boxes like this belong to the mature commercial rimfire era, when American ammunition makers competed through branding as much as through ballistic performance. By the middle decades of the 20th century, rimfire ammunition filled a broad role in American shooting life. It served for small game, farm use, informal target shooting, and general recreation. Because of that, manufacturers leaned hard into recognizable trade names, bold packaging, and simple claims that emphasized accuracy, cleanliness, and reliable operation.
The Super-X name fits that pattern well. Western used it as a performance brand, while terms like Lubaloy, Non-corrosive Priming, and Extra Clean reflected the period habit of presenting technical improvements in short, memorable form. That matters because a surviving box like this is more than packaging alone. It is a printed record of how ammunition companies spoke to the shooter, what features they chose to emphasize, and how the commercial rimfire market looked on the shelf.
The fact that this is .22 Long rather than .22 Long Rifle also adds interest. Long Rifle boxes are more familiar to many collectors because that loading became dominant. A period box marked simply .22 Long helps preserve the broader story of rimfire variation and the commercial life of now less commonly encountered loadings. For collectors of cartridge boxes, .22 material, or mid-century sporting goods, that distinction gives the piece added appeal.
Condition
This box shows honest age and shelf wear consistent with a surviving paper ammunition package. Edge wear and rubbing are present, especially around corners and flap areas. The printed graphics still display well overall, and the main branding remains easy to read. Even with visible wear, the yellow, blue, and red color scheme keeps strong display presence.
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