Pros and Cons of the AR-15 .22 Conversion
- Thread starter Blue_Fish
- Start date
I can now confirm a solid +3 on the CMMG conversion kit. I took it and the new Norc M4 to the range today and ran ~40 rounds of .223 through it and over a brick of rimfire. It liked the Winchester 333 ammo and Dynapoint GT's and was flaky with the Federal 525 ammo (lots of jams, stovepipes, one round stuck in the chamber, etc). One mag full of American Eagle 38gr high velocity also went through without a problem.
I put close to 500 rounds of the Dynapoints through it with 1-2 jams and a couple of misfires where the round refused to fire. I fired several mags of .223 in the middle of all this to blow things clear, then finished with 5 rounds of .223 at the end of the day.
All in all, a big thumbs up for the Norc M4 and the CMMG kit. I can see this is going to be with me on every range day from now on. I better buy stock in Winchester, too, because my Dynapoint consumption is going to skyrocket this summer.
Mark
After a fair bit of research I have decided that the spikes tactical or tactical solutions upper is probably the best way to go. They seem to be built to the same specifications and standards as a regular AR-15 upper and the 1:16 twist barrels are supposed to greatly improve accuracy. I guess like most things it comes down to what you want to invest in something and what your intended use is. They are about the same as buying the colt or a little more than an m&p 15-22 but I think you get a much better product for the money and you retain your lower for training. The only downsides I can see to these seem to be a lack of bolt hold-open and the slightly higher cost. I have also heard that they may not function properly without a rounded hammer.
I've got the Tactical Solutions 22LR upper and the thing works great. The Black Dog mags have a follower that holds the bolt open on the last shot. No problem there. And it's more accurate than most shooters.
What more could you want?? Well worth the price IMO.
What more could you want?? Well worth the price IMO.
Pistolwhiptricks
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Mississauga
Where did you find the tactical solutions 22 upper and how much was it if you don't mind me asking?
I can't speak from experience to this as I am new to AR's in general but I believe the accuracy has more to do with the oversized .223 (which I think is actually measured .224") bore diameter than the thread pitch. In the case of the dedicated .22lr barrel, the bore diameter is reduced increasing contact with the .22lr projectile and enabling the 1/16 thread pitch to stabilize the projectile effectively. So it is really a combination of both thread pitch and bore diameter that is responsible for effective stabilization. The bore of a .223 barrel is slightly oversized for a .22lr and contributes to poorer accuracy of that projectile. In response to your question, I would imagine the improvement in accuracy between the 1:7 twist and 1:9 twist would be marginal. I hope that answers your question, I am sure someone more knowledgeable could answer it better.
Wanstalls is working on bringing in a Tactical Solutions order right now, post your interest here: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5654207#post5654207
There is no word on pricing yet.
My Norc M4 shot ~1" groups at a bit over 35yds with commercial .223 and ~3" groups at the same range with Winchester Dynapoint GT rimfire ammo and the CMMG conversion.
I think much of the problem with the CMMG kit is that there is a very long freebore through the conversion body and then the jump through the throat area of the .223 chamber into the rifling of the barrel. Considering that the precision guys can see an accuracy change with a jump difference of 0.010", there is no way to expect serious accuracy out of the conversion.
That said, I don't care, as I bought the conversion kit for cheap close range CQB style practicing and fun, and it fills that role very well.
Mark
I picked it up from Questar a couple years ago. I think it was around the 5 hundred dollar mark all said and done, but don't quote me. Definetely worth it for me. It's a purpose built 22lr AR upper, therefore no chance of creating any issues with your stock .223 upper with a conversion kit.
