.22 Conversion Kit for AR

[greed]

Obviously these are almost impossible to get right now, but with the price and non-availability of ammo I need to do something if I want to shoot very much.

What should I be looking for?
What should I avoid?

From what I gather just getting the kit works great for 25-50 yards, but i would have to get a dedicated upper/barrel for much above 50 yards.

Thoughts?

 

[Sarge470]

I bought the kit from CMMG and love it; it's a direct drop-in, allowing me to convert my Rock River in less than a minute. Reliability has been flawless, and for the transition drills that I use it for, it works very well. Accuracy is quite acceptable for snap shots and moderate ranges, and the conversion kit allows me to use my rifle's existing optics. If I had gone with a dedicated upper, I'd have to replicate my optics, which is an expensive proposition when you're running an EOTech and a magnifier.

 

[jd4320t]

Another +1 for CMMG.

 

[FireBirdDS]

Third +1 for CMMG, though mine is a full .22 upper. I prefer the dedicated .22 uppers over drop-ins personally because .22 LR runs dirty, and I don't wanna foul up my standard .223/5.56 upper with it.

As far as what to avoid... Chiappa

 

[XDLover]

I saw one in a shop in Louisville right after Christmas and passed it up, they wanted $185 for it. I figured I'd get one later on cause I wanted to buy something else with that money. I'm sorta kicking myself now.

 

[SEMI-AK]

Trail dust in Bloomington had an air force white conversion on the shelf the other day might still have it. Ciener kits are nice and you can order direct."

 

[esrice]

If you're looking for a cheap alternative to shooting 5.56 then the drop-in conversions are great. I have a CMMG and lovemywoods has the Ceiner and we have been happy with them overall.

I would only go to a complete upper if accuracy is higher on your personal priority list. Like if you were shooting for groups or tiny targets. Otherwise the conversion will do what you need.

Here's a comparison that lovemywoods did a while back: https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...n_22_conversions_and_dedicated_22_rifles.html

 

[klrbear]

I have the full CMMG upper that is a twin to my M4 setup. I like the accuracy of the dedicated upper and the fact that I don't have to worry about possible differences in sighting in between calibers. I do plan on getting a conversion kit down the road someday though.

 

[rockhopper46038]

I had the Spikes version and it worked very well. I enjoyed shooting .22LR out of my ARs so much that I decided to drop the coin on the dedicated CMMG upper so I could keep an AR dedicated for the cartridge.

In regards to the conversion bolts, the stainless or chrome plated versions are considered more desirable than the phosphated versions. I didn't have a phosphated one to compare, but the Spikes was very easy to clean and exhibited very high quality welds and general finishing. It was "Appleseed" accurate at 25 yards, no question. I had no issues with it other than occasionally a spent casing would work itself up into the underside of the charging handle (as the Armalite stock charging handle on the rifle I installed it in has a channel in the bottom just exactly the size of the .22LR casing). As I said, I enjoyed shooting the .22LR out of the AR platform enough that I went ahead and got the full blown CMMG upper with a solid charging handle, a functional bolt assist, last shot bolt hold open assembly, etc. Both the dedicated upper and the conversion bolt cloverleafed .22LR at 25 yards, but the dedicated upper is noticeably more accurate for me at 50 yards and beyond.

 

[printcraft]

If you're looking for a cheap alternative to shooting 5.56 then the drop-in conversions are great. I have a CMMG and lovemywoods has the Ceiner and we have been happy with them overall.

......

Is Ceiner ever around anymore?
I thought the maker was arrested on fraud charges for taking order and money for the conversions then never filling the orders?

 

[esrice]

Is Ceiner ever around anymore?
I thought the maker was arrested on fraud charges for taking order and money for the conversions then never filling the orders?

Seems like I recall hearing a similar story.

 

[SmileDocHill]

I love my CMMG conversion. Take it to Friday night steel along with a red dot and it turns it into a carnival game. My AR has a low mass hammer so it was a learning curve to figure out the ammo. Once I figured out it LOVES Eley it has been flawless.

In general, you get a little more accurace (to say the least) with a dedicated 22 upper but for the cost the conversion is great. It will pay for itself in saved .223 ammo.

Another random thing, if you finish a course of fire prior to being empty you cannot count on the extractor to pull out a round that has not been fired yet. The round has to fire causing the case to bulge a little in order for the extractor to be able to grip the rim of the spent casing. It gets a little interesting when you have to show clear at FNS but it can be done safely with practice.

 

[J D]

I started with the CMMG conversion and later got an upper. Both run flawlessly. The dedicated upper is more accurate. I mostly run Blackdog magazines of progressing generations and can say nothing but good things even about the gen1's.

My wait for the upper to be built was three months in early 2011 when they weren't too backordered. So it may take several months these days.

 

[atvdave]

I'm not sure what kind of money you want to spend. But just last week I picked up a M&P 15-22 for just under $450. I'm not sure what the price was before all the madness started, but from what I have been told they did go up just a bit on the price.

From what others in this thread have said, it doesn't take long to convert a 5.56 AR to a .22LR AR. However the reason I wanted a dedicated .22 AR was so I could customize it to my liking. Also I really didn't want to keep adjusting my sights from a 5.56 62-55 gr. bullet to a 40-30 gr. bullet.

Good luck at whatever you decide to build & shoot.

 

[iMac]

Wish I could find a upper....

 

[87iroc]

My brother bought one for his AR and the conversion bolt had a weld break in short order. I do not know the brand but I am just saying to be wary of super cheap conversions. His was not one of the ones suggested here

 

[mwsoccer]

Wish I could find a upper....

One option is the Taccom Uppers. A little different but seem to get good reviews. 4-8 week lead time. ULW UPPER 22LR