Input about 22lr conversion kits for AR15's

[thescoutranch]

Does anyone out there have any experience with the drop in conversion kits for the AR15s?  Good, bad or indifferant.  Recommendations of brands (and price).  Any ones to stay away from?

Thanks

Epp

TheScoutRanch

[Lumber_Jack]

I have the CMMG Stainless version.  It works awsome.  Its not supper accurate, but great for punching paper for cheap (umder normal ammo situations.)

[whitewolf001]

I have the CMMG Stainless version.  It works awsome.  Its not supper accurate, but great for punching paper for cheap (umder normal ammo situations.)

 

Plus can make training on the platform a HELLUVA lot cheaper than 5.56.

[thescoutranch]

Accurate to say 30 - 40 yards? ie hit a squirrel at this range?

[thundersnow]

Plus 1 for cmmg stainless kit. Works just fine for minute of squirrel accuracy.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I have literally shot probably 50K rounds through my conversions. They are excellent training tools and reasonably accurate. I would say that hitting a squirrel at 30 yards will happen 7 out of 10 times. Ammo also makes a difference but the biggest problem with the accuracy is the conversion itself.

 

Here is something I posted about a year ago after some testing.

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/topic/49124-why-your-ar-conversion-wont-shoot-accurately/

 

Basically most conversions swage the .224"-.225" rimfire bullet down to .221". I opened up my conversion and accuracy improved immensely. But it was still no where near as accurate as a dedicated setup.

[Lumber_Jack]

yeah, I agree 7/10 for minute of squirrel, using Remington Thunderbolts.  Using CCI mini mags you may get 8 or 9

[M1_Garand]

I had a CMMG kit and caused my rifle to completely lock up (could not take the weapon back apart except for beating the butt stock on the ground). I sort of assume that I got a lemon and it was slightly out of spec or something, because I've seen nothing but good reviews of them otherwise.

 

I built a dedicated .22 ar15 using a CMMG 20" upper and it works great. The bolt looks to be nearly identical to the one used in the conversion, and I have not had any reliability problems out of it.

[MphsTiger1981]

I bought a .22 conversion kit not too long ago from a firm called Tactical Industries. I did experience some FTE my first time out using Winchester ammo. After I was able to find some CCI mini mags, the failures to eject went away. Mine has been a lot of fun and actually pretty accurate out to about 25 yards. I seem to recall I paid about $160 for mine shipped with one 25 round magazine. I bought another Black Dog magazine off of another forum for $13.00. For me it was money well spent. There just aren't a lot of places here in the city where I can go shoot my AR unless I use the conversion kit. This has been good training for me, allowing me to become more familiar with the rifle and how to operate it. I highly recommend a conversion kit .

[TrickyNicky]

Another vote for the CMMG kit, mines the regular parkerized finish though, not stainless. Tons of fun and if I do my job right I can get the bulk of a magazine inside a target the size of a squirrel head at 15 yards without trying too hard.

Don't think I've taken it out to 50 yards, not sure how much groups would open at that range, 25 yards isn't much of a bigger group than 15. A bit bigger but not too bad all things considered.

[Lumber_Jack]

for the record, the only FTF I have had with the CMMG is when I was resting on the mag.  when the mag is free to move, no jamming whatsoever

[LawVol]

I have a Tactical Industries one too. Bonus is that they're a Tennessee company. It works great for my purposes (practicing for 3 Gun)

[Oh Shoot]

I had a CMMG kit and caused my rifle to completely lock up (could not take the weapon back apart except for beating the butt stock on the ground). I sort of assume that I got a lemon and it was slightly out of spec or something, because I've seen nothing but good reviews of them otherwise.

 

Sounds like the ole empty casing between underside of charging handle and bolt.

 

One tip, y'all: if you run the CMMG conversion, also get a CMMG .22LR anti-jam charging handle. It's solid so you can't get a casing hung in it.

 

http://www.cmmginc.com/product_p/22ba596.htm

 

- OS

[thescoutranch]

Thanks for all the inputs, I really appriciate it.
Epp
Thescoutranch

[M1_Garand]

Sounds like the ole empty casing between underside of charging handle and bolt.

 

One tip, y'all: if you run the CMMG conversion, also get a CMMG .22LR anti-jam charging handle. It's solid so you can't get a casing hung in it.

 

http://www.cmmginc.com/product_p/22ba596.htm

 

- OS

No, I didn't have any ammo in the gun. Just doing a test fit of the bolt to a virgin AR I had just built (I hadn't bothered to file the magazines down yet) and couldn't get the thing back apart. When I got that particular rifle to the range, it stove piped the first round and completely locked up shooting 556. I think it may have just been some issue with that particular rifle, although after that first malfunction I managed to put about 500 rounds down range with further hangups.

 

Thanks for the link. I think that is the one they shipped with my .22 upper, but I'm going to go home tonight and check. Seems like a cheap reliability upgrade.

[Trekbike]

I have NEVER heard of the need to file conversion magazines. Please explain because I have a few dozen AR conversion mags and all of them ran right without the need to file.

 

Copied from a Lucky Gunner's CMMG review.   There are other sites that mention it as well.  It doesn't always have to be done.  

 

The magazines  are interesting for two reasons: they fit open-top AR-15 magazine pouches (I’d recommend carrying them top-up), and they have tabs on the back that can be sanded or filed to closely match the interior dimensions or your rifle’s magazine well. Five minutes with a file and a couple of trial fittings later, and the magazines were snug enough not to rattle, but weren’t too tight. Perfect.

[Oh Shoot]

Copied from a Lucky Gunner's CMMG review.   There are other sites that mention it as well.  It doesn't always have to be done.  

 

The magazines  are interesting for two reasons: they fit open-top AR-15 magazine pouches (I’d recommend carrying them top-up), and they have tabs on the back that can be sanded or filed to closely match the interior dimensions or your rifle’s magazine well. Five minutes with a file and a couple of trial fittings later, and the magazines were snug enough not to rattle, but weren’t too tight. Perfect.

 

Maybe some earlier edition of them, I dunno.

 

I've got current issue CMMG basic mags, they're tight and fine. But the Black Dogs are superior.

 

- OS

Edited October 10, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[M1_Garand]

Copied from a Lucky Gunner's CMMG review.   There are other sites that mention it as well.  It doesn't always have to be done.  

 

The magazines  are interesting for two reasons: they fit open-top AR-15 magazine pouches (I’d recommend carrying them top-up), and they have tabs on the back that can be sanded or filed to closely match the interior dimensions or your rifle’s magazine well. Five minutes with a file and a couple of trial fittings later, and the magazines were snug enough not to rattle, but weren’t too tight. Perfect.

 

That was my experience with the magazines (I can't remember if they are CMMG or Black Dog). My dedicated ar15 .22 is built on an Omni polymer lower, and the tolerances seem to be tighter than the aluminum lowers I've fooled around with.

[Sidewinder]

I have the CMMG conversion, and it works fine in my Bushmaster. I have heard of them seizing, if not kept clean though. Mine is not stainless, so I keep it clean before and after I shoot it.

[MadMarx]

When I got my parkerized CMMG Conversion kit I had to polish the outside of the chamber insert to get it to fit in my upper. It went in almost the whole way, but stopped with about 1/8 of an inch sticking out of the upper. I could force it and it worked fine, but was very difficult to remove from chamber I mic'd it and it was a few thousands larger od than a loaded 5.56 green tip. I polished it with I think 1000 grit sand paper until it dropped in perfectly and fit like a glove. I mostly polished the neck and shoulder of the chamber insert. My upper is from Coffin Arms with a 16.5 heavy barrel with a 1-9 twist. I can take a picture if anybody is interested. I also had to file the magazine to fit my Surplus Arms lower.