I've had a ciener 22LR kit but I don't fire it much.  I have read threads about how the 22LR is a smaller bullet and "bounces" around inside the barrel.  People have claimed that this causes excessive barrel wear and clogs up the gas system.

I've been thinking about it and I am not sure that all this is true.  Does a 22LR really tear up the rifling as much as a high velocity 223 round?  As for the gas system, firing a mag of 223 after firing the 22LR should clear out the gas system.

1.  Since you guys are the experts, should I have any concerns about firing my 22 kit out of one of my 223 uppers?  (accuracy and wear of the barrel)

2.  Should I designate one of my uppers as a 22 only upper?

Thanks.

Anybody who tells you that a soft lead bullet 1/1000 of an inch smaller then a .223 can 'bounce around and tear up the rifling' may not be an expert opinion on fireams! The rifling will not wear unless you shoot many 10's of thousands of rounds, and just shoot a few .223's and they will clear out the gas system.

ANdy

Quoted: Anybody who tells you that a soft lead bullet 1/1000 of an inch smaller then a .223 can 'bounce around and tear up the rifling' may not be an expert opinion on fireams! The rifling will not wear unless you shoot many 10's of thousands of rounds, and just shoot a few .223's and they will clear out the gas system. ANdy

That's what I was thinking also.  Thank you.

+1 on what Vito said. And it shouldn't take a whole mag of 223 to clean out the gas system--I think 3 to 5 rounds after every 500 22s should do it.

It will prolly help if you shoot copper-washed ammo such as Federal Walmart Bulk or Winchester Dynapoints instead of wax-lubed lead.

If your upper has a 1:9 or faster twist, don't expect much in the way of accuracy. If you happen to have a 1:12 barrel in your pile of stuff, consider "dedicating" that one to .22. Much more accurate.

The .22s will lead up the barrel, but won't hurt it.  The main concern is clogging up the gas system and a couple of .223s every brick or so will solve that problem.

I wonder about the chamber insert damaging the chamber itself though?  

Thanks guys, I no longer live in fear.

i dunno, that 556 barrel may not be able to handle all of the pressure of the 22lr, be careful there dude

i see it as a kaboom waiting to happen

Can someone explain the 'clogging of the gas system' from these kits?
I just now did some reading about how gas systens work... so I'm a newbie :)

As the bullet goes by the gas port a little bit of lead is shaved off the side of the bullet.  Eventually this can build up enough to clog the gas tube.  It isn't a problem with the copper-jacketed .223s, but the plain lead of the .22s is much softer.  (I've shot a Desert Eagle .44 mag that had the same problem with cast lead handloads.  The more we shot, the slower the slide ran and the weaker the ejection.)  The low pressure of the .22s isn't enough to keep the tube clean, but the .223s will blow all of the build-up back out as long as you don't let it build up too much.