I have a couple of AR 15 questions

[wm]

Does anyone make a 22lr AR 15 platform that is also capable of accepting a centerfire upper? Or alternatively is anyone offering a reasonable priced AND reliable rimfire upper that is compatible with centerfire lowers?

Why are there no AR uppers in 22 Mag?

Were there ever AR uppers developed and offered in any of the super short magnum calibers that spread like the mumps a couple of years ago? I thought I recalled reading about an AR in 300 RUM that fed out of a single stack magazine on the internet but it may have been more prototype then production firearm.

Thanks for any info you can offer. I'm not sure I want an AR bad enough but I know my sons want me to want an AR. As I grow older I seem more concerned about accuracy and comfort while the high speed, low drag, enough power to take out a elephant stuff just interests me less and less. At the rate I am regressing I may be into rolling blocks and cap and ball stuff in a few more years.

[cas]

Does anyone make a 22lr AR 15 platform that is also capable of accepting a centerfire upper? Or alternatively is anyone offering a reasonable priced AND reliable rimfire upper that is compatible with centerfire lowers?

Why are there no AR uppers in 22 Mag?

Were there ever AR uppers developed and offered in any of the super short magnum calibers that spread like the mumps a couple of years ago?

A .22 conversion kit (bolt) would be the cheapest way to go (assuming you already owned a 5.56 Ar15)
Dedicated .22 uppers, that work on standard lowers, are not "cheap". They can cost as much, and some times more than standard uppers. (I say sometimes because right now the AR market is flat and standard uppers can be had cheap.)

As far as the .22 mag goes, I suppose there isn't the demand to justify the redesign of the bolts and magazines to accommodate the longer more powerful round.

Olympic Arms made (makes?) uppers for some of the super short magnums. Personally that scares me, I don't think I'd trust them, especially made by Olympic Arms.

[wm]

Olympic Arms made (makes?) uppers for some of the super short magnums. Personally that scares me, I don't think I'd trust them, especially made by Olympic Arms.

Really? I know at one time .......and this as I now think about it a ways back into the mid 90's ......... Olympic Arms made some well regarded Match grade AR-15s. Some pretty decent 1911s too IRC. What happened to them?

Wm

[cas]

I think what happened was you got bad info back in the '90s.
Oly has never been well regarded.

(and yes, speaking with first hand experience.)

[AJMD429]

I've got a 22 LR conversion (basically a new bolt carrier group you use in your 223) that works fine, though the magazine only holds ten rounds. Kind of fun when combined with a suppressor, as regular 223 rounds are still LOUD despite suppressor use.

There are LOTS of 'AR-10' uppers in 243 Win and I think some of the short magnums. Look on DPMS's website.

I'd like one in 22 WMR or 17 HMR too. Same for a 1911 'conversion' - would be cool. The 22 TCM however IS available in a 1911 format, from Rock Island.

[7.62 Precision]

Oly makes ARs in some of the SSMs. While they have used some barrels that were very good, they generally make poor rifles. If i get one in, there is a list of things I check before I do any work on them, and most of the time I recommend that the customer return parts for replacement, but generally replacement parts have issues too. Way back, they were one of the only options in ARs, and cheaper than Colts, so everyone had them. They were in a position to own the market, but have always blown it on quality.

As far as .22 uppers, there are uppers and conversions. Uppers have several advantages, including a bore that is the correct diameter and twist rate, but a conversion is less expensive and drops into a 5.56 upper.

I prefer the S&W M&P 15-22 - the whole rifle costs what most .22 uppers cost, or less, and it has a functioning bolt catch/release, so you can train with it the same as with a standard AR. The magazines work well, too.

[7.62 Precision]

I
I'd like one in 22 WMR or 17 HMR too. Same for a 1911 'conversion' - would be cool. The 22 TCM however IS available in a 1911 format, from Rock Island.

http://www.shopalexanderarms.com/Products-_17_HMR.html

[firefuzz]

Does anyone make a 22lr AR 15 platform that is also capable of accepting a centerfire upper? Or alternatively is anyone offering a reasonable priced AND reliable rimfire upper that is compatible with centerfire lowers?

Why are there no AR uppers in 22 Mag?

Were there ever AR uppers developed and offered in any of the super short magnum calibers that spread like the mumps a couple of years ago?

A .22 conversion kit (bolt) would be the cheapest way to go (assuming you already owned a 5.56 Ar15)
Dedicated .22 uppers, that work on standard lowers, are not "cheap". They can cost as much, and some times more than standard uppers. (I say sometimes because right now the AR market is flat and standard uppers can be had cheap.)

IMHO this is the way to go, to the degree that I have two of them. Best money I ever spent on teaching the wife and kids on AR's. 30rd mags are readily available and not that pricey. A word of advice on using these...after use with the .22lr conversion at least run a brush down the length of the barrel. The design of the conversion unit deposits a "ring" of carbon right in front of the conversion chamber. I've never seen a "ringed' chamber due to this but I do believe it's possible. I have seen ringed chambers in .22lr's after firing shorts in them and not cleaning before using LR's in them. YMMV.

Rob

BTW, I won't own or work on an Oly rifle and I tell people to avoid them like the plague. Like 7.62 said, at one time they were in the position to own the market, but their shoddy QC pretty quickly bought them a bad rep. I've seen two guns right out of the box that the barrel nut wasn't even hand tight on. I do agree that they do make some pretty good barrels tho.

[cas]

I've had a dedicated .22 upper for years now and have often said if I were to do it all over again, I'd buy a S&W M &P15-22 instead.

There are some issues though that hopefully they're addressing. I know at least a half dozen people with them who've had them fire OOB and blow out the extractor. Seems pretty common. My other concern, and the reason I haven't bought an M&P 22 pistol, is other than the 41, S&W has long been in the gun of the month club with .22's. Adopting and abandoning designs fairly quickly. I wonder about long term support.

[MrMurphy]

What 7.62 said.

I've shot .22 uppers extensively (upwards of 6,000 rounds or so) as well as the 15/22.

Once $$ becomes available, a 15/22 is on the list for training.

Unlike most, I have an AR and an 870 with me on a daily basis for work so it's not just theoretical 'training'. The 15/22 is the single best AR-15 trainer I have yet encountered other than UTM/Simunitions for force on force training.


Olympic Arms had some QC issues in the early 90s. They can makes spectacular or craptacular rifles, and you don't know which you have till you shoot them. Some Oly's can be extremely accurate, but I would never trust one for any sort of defensive use without replacing so many parts that you'd have been better off just buying a Colt new.

[H_Talon]

one thing on 22lr in a 223/5.56, would be the rate of twist,
as I understand it ( and I'm prob wrong )
most 22lr's are 1X16, and the three common
223/5.56 are 1X7, 1X9, 1X12

so would a 22lr be effective in the lower two ie 1X7, 1X9 ????

those who know chime in

[MrMurphy]

You can shoot a .22 in 1/7 but since most .22 LR training done with one is under 30 yards or so, accuracy isn't really an issue.

[FWiedner]

IMO accuracy would be THE issue on any 22LR rifle or carbine, no matter what the platform.

Once you decide to stop wasting ammunition with semi-auto and or high volume 'practice', you'll want to use it for one of the purposes it was designed for, either targets or small game.

A .22LR that can't hit a bulls-butt is going to the next gun show for trade.

[7.62 Precision]

Once you decide to stop wasting ammunition with semi-auto and or high volume 'practice', you'll want to use it for one of the purposes it was designed for, either targets or small game.

Practice is not a waste of ammo, and some people have other .22s for small game. Sub-caliber practice is very valuable.

I see the bore diameter/twist rate issue to be a very small concern for anyone using a conversion for training. On the other hand, I see the inability to use the bolt release as a serious issue for training, as it changes the manipulation of the weapon. A dedicated upper solves the bore issue, and CMMG has a device to activate the bolt catch with a dedicated upper, but it is a conversion of a conversion, so it is not a perfect solution.

The S&W M&P 15-22 solves both issues.

A .22 AR is great for training, and also for smaller children who are learning to fire an AR. It would not be what I would get if I was going to have just one .22, though.

[cas]

A .22LR that can't hit a bulls-butt is going to the next gun show for trade.

It should go in the garbage rather than screwing someone else with it.

[jeepnik]

I went with a conversion kit for my lefty Stag. Darned thing actually shoots better with .22 lr.