Thoughts On .22LR Conversion Vs. Dedicated Upper?

[vh20]

I'm sure it's here somewhere, but I didn't see it yet. I mostly shoot ELR with bolt guns and don't shoot my ARs enough. I'd like to do some close-quarters practice with them, and practice things like quick transitions to BUIS, etc. on steel targets, but you can't do close-range with 5.56 and steel. I was thinking about a dedicated upper in 22LR but came across the conversion kits like CMMG offers. Most reviews seemed pretty good, at least for what I'd want it to do. The big advantage here would also be that you continue to use the same optic and BUIS. Inside 25 yards, where I want to practice, I would think accuracy would be acceptable. I have two fairly decent ARs (a Rock River and a Daniel Defense). I guess my main concern is if there is any chance of developing any problems with the action or barrels shooting 22LR with one of these kits? Any compelling reasons not to use one?

Thanks, and sorry if this is hashed to death!

 

[MidCitiesMildMan]

There really isn't a compelling reason to use them. The bore is slightly too large for a .22lr projectile, the twist rate too fast, so they aren't very accurate.

IMO, the S&W 15-22 is so cheap, there is no reason not to buy one. They just work.

 

[Rerun7]

IMO you should look into a dedicated .22 for this. I had an M&P 15-22 that I set up almost exactly like my regular AR but used cheaper components to keep the cost down (PA red dot vs aimpoint, etc). It was great for training and didn't break the bank.

You listed the biggest pro with a conversion kit which is you get to use the exact configuration of your main AR. The con is that .22 is really DIRTY and I've read reports that running .22 down your 5.56 barrel isn't good for it but take that for what it's worth.

With that said, shortly after putting it together, all the ammo shortage occurred and it was just about as cheap to run my normal AR so I sold it and just use the real thing for any training now and use paper targets for close in stuff.

 

[TMR137]

I have used both and finally settled on a dedicated upper. I found that the dedicated barrels are a bit more accurate than using a 1/7 twist rate .223 barrel. The conversion kits work well if on a budget, just be sure to fire a few 5.56/.223 rounds through the rifle before leaving the range. The 22 rounds have a tendency to foul up the gas tube. A couple quick 5.56 rounds clean it up before it can harden and cause issues. I used to run a few 5.56 rounds through mine every 100 rounds of 22. I would also highly recommend a good cleaning of the rifle soon after shooting 22. There is a chance of a lot of carbon build up in the chamber area which could cause problems if not taken care of.

 

[vh20]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, gentlemen.

 

[Kamkaze]

I have a 15-22 that I bought as a trainer and it functions identical to a regular AR. It eats everything I feed it and as a bonus if you have young kids its a great starter to get them into AR platforms.