The Colt is not your best choice for a .22 AR...I'd go with the Smith and Wesson. Comparing a .22LR and a .223Rem is kind hard...they are very, very different in everything from price, power, range, bullet weight, and how much they are effected by wind, ect. You can buy 525 .22LR rounds for about $25-$30 or 40ish .223Rem rounds for the same price. You can also reload .223Rem but you can't reload .22LR as its a rimfire.