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Link Posted: 11/12/2021 10:04:29 PM EDT
[#1]
Grabbed a 10.5" the other day, shipped fast.  Looks pretty nice, but the barrel is HEAVY.  What are the options to swap barrels on this?  Will RTB work?  Or I could reprofile this I suppose.  -thanks!
Link Posted: 11/13/2021 12:41:03 PM EDT
[#2]
The RTB barrels use a CMMG pattern bolt which uses a collar to slide onto a barrel stub.   The BCA uses a completely different design.   If someone was a good machinist they could build a barrel extension to go on a RTB barrel to match the design of the BCA barrel with attached ejector.   The cheapest option would be to re-profile the BCA barrel to the pattern/weight you desire.
Link Posted: 11/13/2021 1:18:46 PM EDT
[#3]
Awesome, thats what I was thinking.  Thanks so much for the response, appreciate it.
Link Posted: 11/13/2021 11:11:20 PM EDT
[#4]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


It doesn't look to me to be CMMG barrel compatible, but I'm not sure what the receiver forward of the ejection port hides.  It's great that it appears to use CMMG/BDM pattern magazine.  If that means it will take S&W magazines and bolt catch adaptations, that's a plus.

On the down side, the bolt handle appears to be bolted onto the bolt.

I'll be happy to have others beta test this.  2A Armament's system went straight from being unobtanium to steeply discounted at Optics Planet and discontinued.  If you never got the chance to buy one, you may be grateful.
View Quote



I built one of the 2A barrel kits.
So far has been flawless and accurate.
Link Posted: 11/15/2021 12:16:47 AM EDT
[#5]
Appreciate all the comments here...been wanting a .22 upper for some time, but such limited availability. Considered a 15-22 but prefer aluminum. Which TacSol still made uppers.  

PSA recently dropped a light weight with 7” barrel, but I want 16”... found the BCA for $289 and RTB fo $420 (although looks like out of stock).

Sounds like the BCA is a viable upper? I have a PSA lower waiting for a mate.

Also, this one looks remarkably similar to the BCA:
https://kmtactical.net/product/16-dedicated-side-charging-22lr-ar15-upper-receiver/

Link Posted: 11/15/2021 11:10:00 AM EDT
[#6]
The BCA 16” upper is in stock right now $289.99.


https://www.bearcreekarsenal.com/calibers/ar-22/ar-22-complete-uppers/22-long-16-parkerized-barrel-1-16-twist-15-mlok-scg2-nrail-spiral-flash.html
Link Posted: 11/19/2021 7:59:51 PM EDT
[#7]
Well I got in the 10.5" 22 upper today. I polished the feedramp and cleaned/oiled it. At the range was a massive amount of failures. I managed to shoot about 50 rounds of Remington 36gr Walmart ammo I happened to have. Numerous FTE, FTF, and numerous out of battery malfs. It ended when the extractor disappeared. Although from reading earlier posts that might be a known issue to look for. Anyway i see about getting an RMA and see what they say.
Link Posted: 11/20/2021 12:24:04 AM EDT
[#8]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Well I got in the 10.5" 22 upper today. I polished the feedramp and cleaned/oiled it. At the range was a massive amount of failures. I managed to shoot about 50 rounds of Remington 36gr Walmart ammo I happened to have. Numerous FTE, FTF, and numerous out of battery malfs. It ended when the extractor disappeared. Although from reading earlier posts that might be a known issue to look for. Anyway i see about getting an RMA and see what they say.
View Quote


Do you have anything other than Remington you can try? Rem is hot garbage on a good day... I save that for the kids to use in a bolt action.

I'm now through 11 of the 16" uppers, only issue my one buddy had was with Remington Thunderbolts. He was having feed issues and 1 out of battery detonation. He switched to CCI and ran 60rds trouble free. I now have a crispy $1 bill in my shop that has "BCA is A-OK" written on it... because I bet him $1 if he cleaned it and switched to CCI he'd have no problems.
Link Posted: 11/20/2021 2:30:57 PM EDT
[#9]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Well I got in the 10.5" 22 upper today. I polished the feedramp and cleaned/oiled it. At the range was a massive amount of failures. I managed to shoot about 50 rounds of Remington 36gr Walmart ammo I happened to have. Numerous FTE, FTF, and numerous out of battery malfs. It ended when the extractor disappeared. Although from reading earlier posts that might be a known issue to look for. Anyway i see about getting an RMA and see what they say.
View Quote



The design of the BCA extractor is very similar to a Ruger 10/22 extractor, spring and detent.   I think the Ruger 10/22 extractor components are interchangeable with the Nordic 22 LR dedicated upper bolt.  If you experience an OOB with an extractor retained by a detent/spring it is very common to loose the extractor, spring and detent.  One advantage of the Atchisson/Ciener/CMMG/Spikes/Target Master bolts is because the extractor and spring are retained by a roll pin.

I’ve lost extractors and springs/detents from my Gen 1 DPMS 22 upper and it is common with the Cugir manufactured AKT-98/WASR 22 AK clones when there is OOB.


If you have a 10/22 extractor, spring and detent might be worth seeing if they fit your BCA bolt.
Link Posted: 11/20/2021 8:58:59 PM EDT
[#10]
Received my upper from BCA yesterday just in time to take it to the range at lunch.  First 5 shots were perfect, rang an 8" steel plate at 50 yards standing off hand.  Things started going down hill from there.  Was very disappointed 150 rds later. Super soft primer strikes with 2/3 of my shoots being misfires about halfway through the session.  Shots started going wild by the third or four string and by the 50 rd mark I was watching shots hit the back stop feet away from my target.

Got it home and broke it down to inspect.  There was a nasty bit of lead fouling about 3" into the barrel which is probably why my shots went from ring steel to minute of barn. Drug a bore snake through about 30 times with solvent and was able to work the lead free.  Looking down the bore you can still see the spot a little dull where the rest of the barrel is real bright.  Lubed the bolt up and firing pin and waited for the morning to hit the range again.

Ran another 150 rds through it this am and was back to ringing steel @ 50 yrds.  This time though I would shoot 5 shots and pull the snake through the bore rinse and repeat for 5 strings.  After that I pulled the snake after 10 shots then 20 shots.  By the time I got to 50 rds there were only 3 failures.  By 100 rds there weren't any additional but then again around 130 it started to fail to fire.  All brass being ejected had unbelievably small primer strikes.

Looking at the firing pin it has what seems like nearly twice the surface area of any of my ruger mks or 10/22. Maybe filing the firing pin a little narrower will concentrate the force of the hammer and get better strikes.  

All the disappoint I felt on the first session was washed away in the second.  I bought this upper to use in small bore silhouette matches at my local club. If it can maintain the performance I saw today and maybe eliminate the soft strikes I will be very please with my 280$ purchase.
Link Posted: 11/20/2021 9:41:14 PM EDT
[#11]
What trigger are you using wsr32?   If you have a buffer tube on your build use a buffer and buffer spring.  You can tape a couple of quarters onto the front of the buffer to exert forward pressure on the rear of the 22 bolt.  The pressure plug as sold by TACCOM3 and Bore Buddy are design to inhibit excess movement of the 22 bolt.   If there is excess room in the upper the extra space can zap energy from the cycling 22 LR bolt.  Since the bolt on the BCA  butts up against the face of the barrel any excess space can contribute to light firing pin strikes.  Ensure the extractor is seating into the slot on the side of the barrel.  If there isn’t enough room for the extractor the bolt might not be closing completely on every shot.   If you get build up in the extractor slot or on the breach face can contribute to failure to fire if tolerances are on the loose side.


There is a post where one forum member noticed the ejector was dragging on the underside of the BCA bolt.  The ejector is affixed to the side of the BCA barrel extension.   Any additional drag on the bolt can lead to light firing pin strikes or extraction issues.  If the bolt is dragging on the underside of the bolt the problem might be exasperated by all the filth from shooting 22 rimfire ammunition.

If you continue to experience failure to fire I’d pull the hand guard and make sure the barrel nut is tight.  Since there is no gas tube and nothing needs indexed with the free float hand guard a loose barrel nut is not uncommon.
Link Posted: 11/20/2021 10:06:19 PM EDT
[#12]
Its a Timmey Trigger.  Came with a fancy rifle I got a deal on last year.  And yes the buffer and spring are still installed.

Ill give the qtr trick a try while I wait for the plug to arrive.

I did not see any wear on the finish where the extractor could touch but I will pay extra attention next time I have it apart.  I did see a little wear on the front top of the bolt on either side of where the gas tube would meet.  Gave those spots a little extra oil.  Will be running it wet to help mitigate some of those dragging issues

Thanks for the tips.

-M
Link Posted: 11/20/2021 10:16:17 PM EDT
[#13]
@wsr32 What ammo are you using?
Link Posted: 11/20/2021 10:19:44 PM EDT
[#14]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
If you have a 10/22 extractor, spring and detent might be worth seeing if they fit your BCA bolt.
View Quote


I have a few 10/22s, I need to get one out and check on this.


I agree about the seemingly large surface area of the FP face. I thought about filing a bit of a chisel shape from the top and bottom, but wanted to see if it would run a few hundred rounds without it first. So far, so good but all I have run to date is CCI Blazer and Federal Automatch.
Link Posted: 11/20/2021 10:32:42 PM EDT
[#15]
One the first range trip I shot Herter's hunter, CCI SV, Aguila Red, and Winchester Super-X

Today was mostly Aguila and Herter's with a few rds of the super-x that were left over from yesterday.

I only have a red dot on it so accuracy testing was limited.  I did manage a group that was a little wider than my thumb at 50 yatds from the bench.

-M
Link Posted: 11/20/2021 10:40:00 PM EDT
[#16]
I have no experience with Timney triggers in AR-15’s but have used RRA NM, Geissele G2S 2 stage triggers and mil spec/EPT single stage triggers.   Rimfire AR’s don’t always work with light match hammers or light hammer springs.  If you have a different lower with another type of trigger it might be worth trying the upper on a different lower with a different brand of trigger.   It would be interesting to see if the failure to fire still occurred with a different trigger/FCG.
Link Posted: 11/21/2021 7:54:29 PM EDT
[#17]
With full intentions today to test a couple of the suggestions made here I headed to the outdoor range.  Well heavy rain force the range to close so off to Bass Pro's indoor range.  Not wanting to lug my full range box through the store I just grabbed the rifle, now with a 3x fixed optic and 100 rds of ammo to test the accuracy of the barrel.  

Last night I decided to give the firing pin a little filing action and narrow up the striking face.  This worked to increase the depth of the strike on the rim.  Not as deep as some of my other 22s but significantly more than what I had been seeing up to now.  35 rds of CCI SV and not a single miss fire.  Shot a few groups at 25 yards (max for Bass Pro's range), could cover the groups with a nickle.

Switched to Aguila Red and had my first missfire. Had a couple failures to eject with the Aguila too.  Groups seemed to be tighter with the aguila too but not by much.

All in all I had three misfires and maybe 2 failures to eject in 100 rds.  

Here are the last 30 rds, aguila on top and CCI on the bottom.  The CCV group size might have opened up as I was thinking of needing to get home.  Cant wait to see what it will do at 50 and 100 yards.



hopefully that link works.

Next trip will be with the mil-spec lower.

-M
Link Posted: 11/21/2021 8:06:46 PM EDT
[#18]
Glad your upper worked much better wsr32.  I clicked on your link and logged into google photos and I got a 404 error on my iPad.   Maybe the photos will work for someone else.

Current link worked.   Let us know how your upper works with a different lower.
Link Posted: 11/29/2021 2:12:27 PM EDT
[#19]


I ordered the 10.5" complete .22lr bca upper, $259 thanksgiving night. It will share an aero sb3 pistol lower with a 10.5" 7.62x39mm bca complete upper.

Now I just need to sell the cmmg bravo kit I never opened which I bought last year for my 5.56 rifle
Link Posted: 11/30/2021 9:21:44 AM EDT
[#20]
Has anyone put one of these on a buffer tube less lower? I know cmmg makes an end cap for this.
Link Posted: 12/1/2021 7:44:31 PM EDT
[#21]
Well I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised with the CS from bear Creek Arsenal. I emailed them about the issues with my upper and they responded the next day with a pre-paid mailing label. Once they received the upper back they went through it to get it back to me in under a week. An email from their warranty department said the following:

WORK DONE:

1-INSPECTION (found that the BCG extractor BROKEN).

2-REPAIR:

-Replaced the BCG.

-Cleaned the upper assembly.

- Manually cycled 6 rounds of ARMSCOR 30GR. HV HOLLOW POINT ammo without any issues.

- Test fired 10 rounds of the same ammo as above without any issues.

Additionally I had asked them to send me another extractor assembly in case this happened again. They put one in the mail to me with no questions asked. I don't know about anyone else but that is some of the best service I have seen in the gun industry. I also ordered a bolt pressure plug from BoreBuddy that is supposed to help by putting pressure on the BCG. We will see how it runs when I get it back. Now to find some better quality rimfire ammo??


Link Posted: 12/1/2021 8:04:20 PM EDT
[#22]
Mine is working without issue.
Link Posted: 12/2/2021 8:38:10 PM EDT
[#23]
I got my 10.5" upper today and am pleased with how quickly it showed, how well it was packed and the quality of the build.  The little extractor finger attached to the barrel extension seems to be now coated and smooth as opposed to earlier pics  showing it rough and bare metal. The action is smooth and a light coat of oil was apparent.  

This is my second upper from them, the first being a 10.5" 7.62x39mm.  When I ordered the first one I received had the side charging handle all banged up after it had busted through the box. Not only did they promptly send a return label for the upper and get me a regular rear charging one but they seem to have actually listened to my feedback and put a protective foam piece on the side charger to keep it from busting through and getting damaged by the fedex drones

Overall very happy with BCA for an affordable quality product.
Link Posted: 12/2/2021 8:42:37 PM EDT
[#24]
P.s. what are y'all doing for sights? I have a red dot and magpul mbus on the 7.62x39 upper. Thinking of going with a cheaper red dot but might just do some mbus, going to be a squirrel gun and a range toy when I don't wanna send $$$ downrange :)
Link Posted: 12/6/2021 11:09:35 AM EDT
[#25]
I have now run my BCA 22LR upper in a number of configurations and in the local club's steel silhouette match this weekend (took 3rd missing 10 critters).  

The mill-spec trigger did about the same as the Timney trigger.  The failures to fire have reduced but still present.  There seems to be a happy median between too wet and too dry for f2f.  If I run the upper "too" wet I find a drop of oil where the firing pin strikes on the rim for the rounds that fail to fire; not sure if this is relevant or not.  For the match I switched back to a Timney as I like the lighter trigger pull and the crispness of the Timney.  In 120 rds I think there were something like 6 f2f.  Was shooting the Aguila red extra velocity.

When I add the buffer spring with the pressure plug I get an excessive number of failure to eject.  I tried a few different combinations with the spring and finally in frustration just pulled it out.  Shot the match without buffer spring (120 rds) and only had one failure to eject (I think).

My next step is polish the feed ramp and the chamber.  Maybe the failure to eject is being caused by a little drag on the spent casing and with a preloaded recoil spring (effect of the pressure plug) there is not enough time to cycle.

Miguel



Link Posted: 12/9/2021 8:13:10 AM EDT
[#26]
New guy to ar15.com here.  Has anyone run both the BCA upper and a CMMG conversion kit?  How do the two compare for reliability / accuracy?
Link Posted: 12/9/2021 9:11:45 AM EDT
[#27]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
New guy to ar15.com here.  Has anyone run both the BCA upper and a CMMG conversion kit?  How do the two compare for reliability / accuracy?
View Quote


I had the cmmg kit but never installed it in my 5.56 rifle. I can tell you they both operate very similarly by creating a blow back bolt in the space normally occupied by the bcg in the upper.
The main difference is on the barrel side of things, the cmmg kit essentially puts a .22lr round at the tip of a 5.56 casing so that it can fit in a 5.56 breach. The bca dedicated upper has a breach purpose built for a .22lr and the bolt is pretty much the same as any .22lr.

In terms of accuracy I would think a dedicated upper wins simply because the the breach is made for a .22lr round and will seat better than the cmmg. I think you will find reading on here and elsewhere that reviews support the less accurate nature of the conversion.

The big thing and why I never tried the cmmg is the potential for fouling of the upper and probably most concerning the gas block and tube from the dirty .22lr ammo. It is recommended to remove the conversion at the end of a session and fire a .223/5.56 round to hopefully blast out the gas system.  The bca upper has no gas system to foul.  Also going back to the breach the cmmg conversion just doesn't seal tightly since the chamber is expecting the 5.56 casing to swell under pressure on firing, this means that a significant amount of fouling comes out around the tip of the conversion. This fouling can even result in a bit coming out around the charging handle. This is why the reliability add on kits for the cmmg include a solid charging handle to block gases coming back to the shooter's face.

Anyways I decided the cmmg on paper sounds brilliant but has significant trade off, worse of which is the fouling of the host rifle. Given the small differential in price a dedicated upper just makes more sense.
Link Posted: 12/9/2021 9:27:56 AM EDT
[#28]
Just ordered one of these this morning.    $260.99 shipped using a code my credit card software came up with (MCNEW10).   If it works it's hard to beat a complete 22 upper for $270.   That's one Christmas present ordered.

Link Posted: 12/9/2021 2:57:52 PM EDT
[#29]
The BCA upper I ordered arrived today.  The bore looked clean and the bolt had a light coat of oil.  I mounted it on my PSA lower and put 30 rounds of CCI SV through it.  The first 5 rounds I loaded had two fail to loads.  When I put them back in the magazine they fired just fine.  So I put another 5 rounds in the magazine and the same thing happened.  So I put 10 more rounds in the magazine and rapid fired without a hitch.  Put another 10 rounds through it without any issues.  I inspected the bore afterwards and it was pretty clean, just a couple specs of spent powder.  So I'm hoping the issues were just lack of breaking in or maybe the load ramp needs to be cleaned up.

Only big issue (and I'm assuming this isn't normal) is that the bolt keeper doesn't hold the bolt open.  The magazine holds the bolt back after the last round, but there isn't any other way of holding the bolt open.  There's also a small amount of play between the upper and lower.
Link Posted: 12/9/2021 3:27:30 PM EDT
[#30]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

...Also going back to the breach the cmmg conversion just doesn't seal tightly since the chamber is expecting the 5.56 casing to swell under pressure on firing, this means that a significant amount of fouling comes out around the tip of the conversion. This fouling can even result in a bit coming out around the charging handle. This is why the reliability add on kits for the cmmg include a solid charging handle to block gases coming back to the shooter's face.

Anyways I decided the cmmg on paper sounds brilliant but has significant trade off, worse of which is the fouling of the host rifle. Given the small differential in price a dedicated upper just makes more sense.
View Quote

About 10 or so years ago; before the dedicated .22LR AR uppers became more prevalent, it was a fairly well known practice to put a wrap of teflon tape around the nose of 5.56 to .22 conversion units regardless of the type (e.g., Colt, M261, Air Force, Atchisson) to mitigate the chamber blowback.  Even though I have used dedicated .22 uppers (from CMMG) almost exclusively for several years, I still carry a roll of teflon tape for the occasional time I use a conversion unit.
Disclaimer:  I have no affiliation with or financial interest in any vendor or manufacturer; and I am not a competitive shooter or a blogger who receives any form of compensation for endorsements or favorable public or private comments.  Use of vendor and/or product brand names, if any, is for informational purposes only.

Best of luck.
MHO, YMMV, etc.  Be well.
ETA: I almost forgot, the teflon tape wrap was also felt to reduce any propensity for the chamber adapter and/or conversion unit to move fore/aft during use.  And the (short lived) Spike's Tactical version of the Atchisson MkII/III pattern 5.56 to .22 conversion had two o-rings on the nose of the chamber adapter so one did not have to use teflon tape.
Link Posted: 12/9/2021 3:31:20 PM EDT
[#31]
What’s the “bounce” some of you guys are mentioning?
Link Posted: 12/9/2021 3:45:33 PM EDT
[#32]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
What’s the “bounce” some of you guys are mentioning?
View Quote


It's described in this video:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmYgZrUQpxQ
Link Posted: 12/9/2021 3:53:23 PM EDT
[#33]
Question:  Is the bolt latch supposed to hold the bolt about 1/2" from the breach?  I haven't had an AR in a long while but I seem to remember it holding the bolt fully open?

I pulled a bore snake through a couple times and gave the entire bolt assembly a light coat of Ballistol.  Then I loaded the mag with 10 rounds of CCI SV and had 1 fail to feed.  Then I switched to Remmington Thunderbolts and ran 3 mags (30 rounds) without a hitch.

Update:  I just ran 20 rounds (2 magazines) of CCI Mini Mags.  First mag I fired about about 1 round/sec and it ran without a hitch.  Second mag I tried to rapid fire as fast as I could and the 3rd round failed to fully eject while the next round already loaded.  I cleared the jam, reloaded the magazine and fired the magazine at 1 round / sec and it ran without errors.  I suspect that the issues are being caused by bolt bouncing, although I won't know for sure until I shoot a video of it in action.
Link Posted: 12/9/2021 6:51:29 PM EDT
[#34]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


It's described in this video:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmYgZrUQpxQ
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Quoted:
What’s the “bounce” some of you guys are mentioning?


It's described in this video:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmYgZrUQpxQ


Lest anyone get the idea that bolt bounce is a problem unique to the AR-15/M16 platform, here's a link to a video showing and discussing bolt bounce in the Ruger 10/22:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGd4s0nuHzM
The 10/22 full auto presents a more challenging situation as the space for anti-bounce techniques is more limited than in the AR-15/M16 platform.  The only really successful full auto 10/22 conversions incorporate a spring loaded detent as well as an anti-bounce weight (ABW).  For the AR-15/M16 platform the Spike's Tactical .22 version of the Atchisson MkII/III conversion provided for either or both techniques. And some M16 users only incorporate the spring loaded detent.  The H & K platform incorporates tungsten powder (granules) in the bolt head for anti bounce; and there are tungsten powder AR recoil buffers readily available for center fire applications.
If you ever wondered why there aren't any full auto AR-7s, it's not because of the fire control group.  The FCG is very easy to convert to a SAFE- FULL operation (no SEMI), and I've read that there are actually a hand full of transferrable full auto AR-7s in the registry, but there is no place to readily incorporate either an ABW or spring loaded detent.
Without bolt bounce control, typically one get a string of two to five or so rounds before the firearm ceases firing.
Disclaimer:  I have no affiliation with or financial interest in any vendor or manufacturer; and I am not a competitive shooter or a blogger who receives any form of compensation for endorsements or favorable public or private comments.  Use of vendor and/or product brand names, if any, is for informational purposes only.

Best of luck.
MHO, YMMV, etc.  Be well.
Link Posted: 12/9/2021 6:57:47 PM EDT
[#35]
BCA has had 22 uppers for a while now, but they sell out very quick.
Link Posted: 12/9/2021 7:03:22 PM EDT
[#36]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Question:  Is the bolt latch supposed to hold the bolt about 1/2" from the breach?  I haven't had an AR in a long while but I seem to remember it holding the bolt fully open?
.
View Quote


Yes it seems to be getting held on last round by the magazine instead of the bolt latch. The bolt latch doesn't seem to be able to catch the .22lr mechanism.

Link Posted: 12/9/2021 7:14:54 PM EDT
[#37]
Just got an email that BCA now had a 7.5" .22lr upper available. Only downside is the barrel is not threaded which is too bad as rimfire is one of the more easily suppressed rounds.

On that subject I have fired some cci quiet .22 auto (subsonic) and get about 50% failure to fully cycle. Specifically a new round is fed into the chamber but the hammer (mil spec trigger) is not cocked. Pulling back on the action usually results in ejecting an unfired round.

I suspect a bit of break-in, cleaning and lubricating will produce better performance with these rounds as I have a ruger mk i pistol that cycles them fine.

I have also shot a few cb/short .22lr rounds which as expected produced fte. But that is okay as I use shorts when sniping squirrels out the window, in which case the fte is preferred. Seems to mostly load shorts fine from the magazine too.
Link Posted: 12/9/2021 7:29:35 PM EDT
[#38]
I have ran around 1000 rounds through mine.  Most of mine FTE we're using Federal Automatch bullets that are not copper plated.

There is a write up in this rimfire section on how to buzz the chamber with copper brush and drill, after doing this and polishing the feedramp mine cycles much better.  I did this to my Glock 44 too and that solved the issues caused by the lead bullets. Now I buzz the chamber often because the leading is so bad.

I'm running the catch22 bolt catch on a dedicated lower and using S&W M&P magazines it provides a functional bolt catch. The catch22 is much longer than milspec and will not work with standard AR-15 mags.  

Otherwise you use the blackdog magazines with bolt hold open follower.

I'm also using a milspec trigger
Link Posted: 12/10/2021 7:06:19 AM EDT
[#39]
So 50 rounds of 3 different types of ammo so far and this is what I've learned:

1.  Bolt catch doesn't work.  The upper came with a CMMG Mk II magazine, which holds the bolt open after the last round, but the bolt slams closed when I pull the magazine.  I may order a Catch22 to fix this.

2.  Bolt bounce prevents rapid fire.  So far it looks like if I shoot about 1 round a second it feeds, fires and ejects properly.

3.  Comes with a 25 round magazine pinned to hold only 10 rounds.  I think this can be converted to hold 25 rounds by disassembling and removing the pin.

4.  Some wobble between the upper and lower.  I'm going to try to fix this with a UTG Accurizing wedge.

5.  The upper is heavier than I had hoped, but I'll learn to live with it.

On the plus side:

The price is right, I paid $289 with free shipping.
It appears to be well fabricated and assembled.
So far all the ammo I've tried works (as long as I don't rapid fire).
I like the side charging handle, although it means I need an allen wrench if I want to strip it in the field.

I plan on mounting a scope and trying some different ammo to check accuracy at 50 yds.

I'm using a mil-spec lower by PSA with the polished trigger option.
Link Posted: 12/10/2021 10:49:24 AM EDT
[#40]
I mounted a Vortex 4-12x scope and did a quick accuracy test to 50 yds:

Remmington Thunderbolts - about 6 moa, cycles perfectly
CCI Mini Mags - about 2.5 moa, cycles perfectly
CCI Standard Velocity - about 1.5 moa, in 10 rounds I had 2 failed to fires due to light strikes.  Loaded them back in the magazine and they fired fine.

I'm new to AR-22's (in fact I've only been shooting bolt rifles since getting off active duty) but I'm not unhappy with the accuracy, especially since I'm using a trigger that has such a heavy pull.  I will definitely try to fix the wobble between the upper and lower and might try to clean up the crown a bit.  If I can get it to shoot Mini Mags closer to 1 moa I'll be very happy with it.
Link Posted: 12/10/2021 6:21:31 PM EDT
[#41]
Interesting stuff navy_lcdr

I am going to order a 25 round magazine and then see if I can unpin the one that came with the upper to have two 25 rounders
Link Posted: 12/10/2021 6:54:08 PM EDT
[#42]
Here's the video I saw, haven't tried it myself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNWoahERBh4

I wish they offered a short version 10 round magazine.  I tend to shoot from a bench or prone.
Link Posted: 12/11/2021 5:01:04 PM EDT
[#43]
Black Dog Machine LLC offer the short magazine in ten and fifteen rounds.   I have several of the short fifteen round mags.  I have several smoke color with stainless steel feed lips and they are gtg.


https://www.blackdogmachinellc.net/AR15.22PRODUCTS.aspx
Link Posted: 12/12/2021 12:07:36 AM EDT
[#44]
Gibbz arms makes a side charging 22lr upper as well. They use a cmmg bolt and barrel.  You would need to call them but I think the price was ~$480.

Left hand side charger.
Link Posted: 12/12/2021 8:47:46 AM EDT
[#45]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Black Dog Machine LLC offer the short magazine in ten and fifteen rounds.   I have several of the short fifteen round mags.  I have several smoke color with stainless steel feed lips and they are gtg.


https://www.blackdogmachinellc.net/AR15.22PRODUCTS.aspx
View Quote


Awesome, thanks!
Link Posted: 12/12/2021 2:41:19 PM EDT
[#46]
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qcu2pHfD37tht2wAA

I tried 6 different ammos to check accuracy.  Fifty yards, 4 inch targets, light wind.  I got 1 FTF (out of 10 shots) with the minimags and the same with the velocitors.  I was surprised that the Eley Targets and Tac22's cycled without issues.
Link Posted: 12/13/2021 8:37:52 AM EDT
[#47]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Here's the video I saw, haven't tried it myself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNWoahERBh4

I wish they offered a short version 10 round magazine.  I tend to shoot from a bench or prone.
View Quote


Thanks!

I went ahead and did this yesterday. Took all of 5 minutes using a hex bit.

The roll pin is clearly visible on the non-screw side.


Link Posted: 12/13/2021 3:00:30 PM EDT
[#48]
I did the magazine mod as well.  Loaded it with 20 rounds of Remmington Thunderbolts and shot the entire mag.  Had one Fail to Eject at round 15.
Link Posted: 12/13/2021 3:54:38 PM EDT
[#49]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I did the magazine mod as well.  Loaded it with 20 rounds of Remington Thunderbolts and shot the entire mag.  Had one FTE at round 15.
View Quote


When you post FTE, please be more explicit - Failure To Extract or Failure To Eject?

Also in a similar vein, when you post FTF, please be more explicit - Failure To Feed or Failure To Fire?

Thank you.  I do realize that the meaning may sometimes or even often be clear in the context presented, but explicit clarity is generally a desirable characteristic of all communications and can save misunderstandings, disappointments, errors, etc.

MHO, YMMV, etc.  Be well.
Link Posted: 12/13/2021 4:37:24 PM EDT
[#50]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


When you post FTE, please be more explicit - Failure To Extract or Failure To Eject?

Also in a similar vein, when you post FTF, please be more explicit - Failure To Feed or Failure To Fire?

Thank you.  I do realize that the meaning may sometimes or even often be clear in the context presented, but explicit clarity is generally a desirable characteristic of all communications and can save misunderstandings, disappointments, errors, etc.

MHO, YMMV, etc.  Be well.
View Quote


Thank you for bringing that up.  I've edited the post to read "Failure to Eject".  On that subject, is that what people mean when they say "stove pipe"?

I just gave the upper a pretty thorough cleaning.  Boy, these .22lr uppers get dirty fast!  I'll give it another try in the next day or so.
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