Fun factor of .22LR AR-15?

[propellerhead]

I just built myself a mid-length AR-15 and put 80 rounds through it today. I loved it. The range officer was trying to sell me a .22LR conversion kit which includes a bolt/carrier and a magazine for $200. Is the fun factor shooting a .22 AR about the same as shooting it with the .223? Only half as fun? 3/4? Any thoughts? Opinions?

[Hillbilly Jim]

Fun factor is definately there with the 22, particularly when shooting cans and close in reflex targets. 22's are not so loud and dont have as long as range so shooting in confined ares is safer.
Obivious is the savings when shooting, it will soon pay the cost of conversion.
Look around and I think you can find a conversion for a lot less than 200 bucks.
Shoot fast and often
Hillbilly Jim

[xdfan80]

You will still be shooting a gun, of course it will be fun!

[propellerhead]

I'm a city dweller and I don't have access to a range where I can shoot soda cans. It's all about indoor gun ranges and paper targets for me. I'm afraid the 22 will be boring.

[EricCartmann]

22's are great fun. Guns are just like any other sport. To be good you need to practice practice and practice, and it also helps to practice some more. A lot of it is just muscle memory and a 22 will give you a lot of trigger time.

[GlockConvert]

Not sure about the fun factor, but its a very good training tool. I bought a Spikes Tactical 22 LR Upper for about 500 bucks... 223 is about 40 cents a round, 22LR is 2.5 cents a round (bought in bulk). You get the same rifle, the same balance, the same trigger and controls, just less noise and a little less recoil. It paid for itself very quickly...

The challenge with the 22LR converion kits is that they are not going to be really accurate (twist is wrong) and they will gum up our DI system. You really should shoot some 223 every session just to blow any crud out of the gas tube. I didn't with my first conversion, and ended up with screwed up rifle.

D

[John A.]

Originally Posted by propellerhead

The range officer was trying to sell me a .22LR conversion kit which includes a bolt/carrier and a magazine for $200. Is the fun factor shooting a .22 AR about the same as shooting it with the .223? Only half as fun? 3/4? Any thoughts? Opinions?

To me, the fun factor is still there and makes it even better saving money and shooting more.

The Atchisson/Ceiner conversion kits are pretty hard to find these days due to the demand far exceeding production capabilities, but unless it's a conversion bolt for an M16, you can find them cheaper if you stick with the Ar conversion bolt new, but you'd probably have to look around a while to find one.

And of course I'm sure the price I would offer also would depend on if it has 10 or 30 round mags. My favorite mags for them right now is the 27 round full size black dog magazines. They have the same feel as a regular AR mag (but a little heavier empty). So I guess it would depend on what condition the bolt is in (new pristine) and high cap magazines may would've swayed me to pay more for it. You can usually find new AR kits for around the $125-$150 mark and black dog hi cap mags can be found for around $25-$30 each.

For what it's worth, I have a ceiner conversion and I wouldn't take my money back on it.

[rogerxd45]

Originally Posted by xdfan80

You will still be shooting a gun, of course it will be fun!

+1

it may not be as fun but putting 550 rounds through your ar15 for $12 sure is
considering with 223 you would get like 40 rounds or so for that price

[jeepinbanditrider]

I plan to get a ceiner conversion for my AR eventually. Probably one for the G17 also. I assume it will put a lot of crud in the gas tube. Should be able to get that cleaned out with a long enough pipe cleaner.

[John A.]

I'm sure a pipe cleaner has some purpose, but from my experience, if it's gummed up so bad you need to clean the gas tube, a pipe cleaner will only end up tamping the crud tighter.

*The recommendation about shooting a handful of .223 after every several hundred 22 rounds is a good recommendation. The higher .223 pressure will keep it blown out before it becomes a problem.

Or if its' just totally clogged up, remove the gas tube and squirt some brake cleaner through it, but make sure you allow the brake cleaner time to evaporate before shooting again because it could ignite and I'm not really sure I would want to be the guy shooting it if it did.