The Ciener 22lr conversion, is it a solid choice? How does it compare to other conversions?

Thanks.

They works a well as any, but you will still have one issue that is common with all conversions and that is a barrel twist that is too fast for an accurate rimfire.  There is also the bullet lube greasing up your barrel and the gas system getting grimed up by dirty ammo.  I went with a dedicate 22LR upper, well 2 of them, because of that.

Thanks.

I had one about 15 years ago. It got stuck in the upper receiver and had to beat it out. I'm sure other will have different experiences. I eventually got a Chiappa dedicated upper, swapped the plastic receiver with standard aluminum mil spec and it runs great. The plastic upper was fine, but felt too lightweight.

That said, right now finding 22 lr barrels is tough. I have a spare noname upper with noname (possibly Bear Creek) barrel and a crappy monstrum quad rail handguard that wasn't being used that I am using as a dedicated upper and I never plan to swap back to 5.56. At some point when I can get a barrel to replace it with for a reasonable price I will swap out the bolt collar and barrel to make it a truly dedicated upper. I did actually take out the gas tube and rotate the low profile gas block 90 degrees so that the port is effectively sealed.

Some carbines/rifles shoot .22's just fine (talking about groups, not function).

I have both Ceiner and CMMG.  Didn't see a difference between them function wise.  The Ceiner mag worked fine.  The Black dog mags had issues in some AR15's.  The bolt would rub the right side feed lip and I scraped a little plastic off the top of the lip with a pocket knife to stop the bolt from dragging on it and failing to chamber/close (results in a misfire when the hammer strike finishes pushing the bolt closed).

I also stripped the oil off, grabbed some valve lapping compound and used it to polish the rails the bolt rides on.  Smear it on, push/pull the bolt back and forth on the rails a couple hundred times, then clean the rails/bolt with brake cleaner, let it dry and lube it.  Much smoother after the finish is removed and the metal lightly polished.

Like any .22 - buy several different brands of ammo and try them for functioning and group size.  I have an XM177 clone that (1 turn in 9") that just loves Remington Golden Bullets.  Dime sized shot ten shot groups at 25 meters exactly 3" below POA.  My son's 20" AR15 (1 turn in 9") did better with Federal plated bullets (the bulk stuff from Walmart).  Some of mine shoot off the left/low, or right, etc.  Gotta shoot it to find out.

I no longer hunt, but what a neat little squirrel rifle that XM177 clone would be.

I’ve had zero problems with my ceiner.  Same with Cmmg or others.  I do have a dedicated upper as well but have had no problems with thousands of rounds through 5.56 uppers and a ceiner/cmmg conversion kit.  I usually run some 5.56 after I’m done shooting 22lr to clean things out but accuracy with a 1/7 or 1/9 is still very good at plinking distances.  I have no problems hitting cans and what-not at 25 or more yards.  It’s a great thing to have, especially with current ammo prices and it’s fun when you have new shooters shooting a “real” rifle but not the noise or recoil of 5.56 (or cost of it).  Another plus is they are excellent for shtf scenario.  Throw it in a backpack with a few thousand rounds and your just a bolt carrier/mag change away to shooting small game with a 22lr.  It’s a great investment and I know your love it!

Plenty of room for it in the wheelbarrow...