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.22 Upper or M&P 15-22?


jtaylor996

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My local pistol club only allows 22 LR rifles, but does run some competitions with ARs in 22 that look like a lot of fun. I went and checked one out this morning and I definitely want to get involved, I just need something to shoot!

So should I get a 22 conversion upper like the Taccom or Nordic (assuming the rumor is true that they'll start producing them again) or dedicated 22 AR like the M&P 15-22 or umarex/colt?

Price wise the dedicated guns look cheaper, but that difference seems like it would be eaten pretty quick if I have to be modding it for reliability, trigger, etc.

Another factor is that is highly prefer 30rd mags be available for whatever system I use.

So which route should I go?

Edited by jtaylor996
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Which would be a better fit for your likes is hard to say, but ill tell you mine.

I built a dedicated AR22 using a 16" Nordic upper. It looks, feels, handles, and shoots and superbly accurate, just like a .223/5.56 chambered gun but with no recoil. Even shoots subsonics. Can play with stock, grips, triggers, handguards, muzzle devices etc just like any AR.

Then for kicks I bought an M&P 22, as I thought it would be fun. It was so light it feels like a toy, wasnt nearly as accurate as my Nordic, wouldn't run subsonics and pretty much you gotta leave it as is. If it were free it would be a good deal. Just kidding. But you do get what you pay for. It's long gone and don't miss it.

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I have a umarex A2 style .22 and have a hard time getting the timer to record shots. We have tried adjusting the sensitivity of the timer but it hasn't helped. I am considering either a 15-22 or more likely a Ruger 10/22 for our rimfire matches.

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My local pistol club only allows 22 LR rifles, but does run some competitions with ARs in 22 that look like a lot of fun. I went and checked one out this morning and I definitely want to get involved, I just need something to shoot!

So should I get a 22 conversion upper like the Taccom or Nordic (assuming the rumor is true that they'll start producing them again) or dedicated 22 AR like the M&P 15-22 or umarex/colt?

Price wise the dedicated guns look cheaper, but that difference seems like it would be eaten pretty quick if I have to be modding it for reliability, trigger, etc.

Another factor is that is highly prefer 30rd mags be available for whatever system I use.

So which route should I go?

Depends on the types of competitions. I have both an M&P 15-22 & a Nordic upper, that I use for different competitions. For steel challenge type competition I use the M&P because it's much lighter weight transitions better. For 3gun practice or tactical/accuracy completions I use the Nordic because I use the same lower/trigger/stock as my 3gun rifle. Since I never shoot the M&P more than 35-40 yards I use a C-more red dot. I used to run a Vortex HD Razr scope on my Nordic just like on my 3gun rifle, but it's now on another rifle so I picked up a Primary Arms 1x6 for the Nordic. So far it has worked well.

As far as mags Plinker Tactical used to sell 35 round mags for the M&P, but I think they've discontinued them. The S&W 25 round mags work very well and require very little maintenance. The Black Dog X-form mags are not as reliable as the S&W mags and have to be kept very clean.

The M&P will require a trigger upgrade and a better hand guard if you want to use a 3gun style forward hold.

My advice, buy either one, but eventually you will wind up owning both of them!

Edited to add. Only the M&P has a really functional bolt hold open. They moved the location of the bolt release so it actually holds the bolt fully locked back enough to strip a round from the mag by hitting the bolt release. The Nordic sort of locks the bolt back, but not fully and most of the time releases the bolt as soon as the empty mag is removed. It will not strip a round from the mag when released from its lock back position.

Edited by Ming the Merciless
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I have a umarex A2 style .22 and have a hard time getting the timer to record shots. We have tried adjusting the sensitivity of the timer but it hasn't helped. I am considering either a 15-22 or more likely a Ruger 10/22 for our rimfire matches.

I was having a similar problem with my M&P15-22. I put a comp on it and that solved the problem.

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To answer the OP, I have an M&P15-22 that I am using for Steel Challenge matches. I have been happy with the performance of the rifle. I had an issue recently but that appears to have been a buildup of bullet lube in the recess on the bolt face. The magazines do require some care while loading but as long as they are loaded properly the work well. The only mag issue I have had was a build up of bullet lube on the inside of the feed lips. This was more an issue with getting the magazines loaded than with function in the rifle.

I have been shooting a real mixed bag of marginal quality ammo lately which I believe is the source of the sudden issues with bullet lube.

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So my LGS (grabagun.com) had a sale with the M&P 15-22 for $365 so I went ahead and grabbed one. I got a couple extra S&W 25 round mags, too.

Now the question is where the hell do I get some 22 ammo??

Went by Bass Pro today at lunch and they had stock of everything imaginable... except 22. Ugh. Any reliable sources for bulk stuff online?

What brands should I avoid?

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I train with, and shoot NSSF rimfire, with an M&P 15-22. At $299 it's the best bargain in firearms, IMHO. I've added a Geiselle S3G trigger and Troy handguard just like my 3-gun AR15. It's WAY more accurate than I need it to be, and with over 10,000 rounds through it, it has ZERO failures with "fresh" ammo.* Yes, I wish it were the same weight as my primary ARs for training reasons, but for Rimfire reasons, the lightweight is nice. It's easy to disassemble, easy to clean (although I rarely do), and it's been a workhouse of my gun safe.

It eats everything I throw at it, but it enjoys a steady diet of Federal Auto Match and CCI Standard. The CCI is certainly subsonic, and it functions with it perfectly.

The gun is an amazing suppressor host. As people mentioned above it's super-quiet, especially with a can. Personally, I run an Alchin Gunworks comp on it, for that little bit of extra muzzle stability in a match, and it also solves the timer issue.

Scott

* I have to qualify this statement because I often challenge this gun's reliability by picking up all the failure-to-fire rejects off the floor after a match, puting them in a magazine, and shooting them through this gun at the end of matches. I'll usually load up 25 rounds into a mag, ALL of which have been hit once and rejected by another gun, and it often makes it through the entire magazine without a failure. I have had a few that it would not fire though.... But expecting 100% out of everyone else's unknown quality rejects is a bit much to ask....

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Does the Allchin comp just make it loud enough for the timer, or does it actually compensate?

I get the feeling reading in some more detail that it just makes it louder...

In fact, I can't believe the dizzying array of "fake" parts you can buy for this gun. Seriously, who wants a "barrel shroud" that looks like a penis?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Does the Allchin comp just make it loud enough for the timer, or does it actually compensate?

I get the feeling reading in some more detail that it just makes it louder...

In fact, I can't believe the dizzying array of "fake" parts you can buy for this gun. Seriously, who wants a "barrel shroud" that looks like a penis?

Ha ha ha!!! I love that his bipod is on backward too.

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