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Posted: 4/21/2005 12:04:43 PM EDT
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does any one have at .22 bolt conversion kit from bushmaster or DPMS, like the one that is shown below? How reliable is this conversion? How safe is it to use it (both for the shooter and for the rifle)? What considerations must be taken into account? I wanted to get this conversion so that I could go small game hunting with my AR, and save some $$$ on .223 ammo when i'm at the range. thanks for any suggestion. http://www.bushmaster.com/shopping/accessories/Images/jac-008a.jpg |
How many rounds have you fired from this conversion kit, and how accurate is it? I'm not looking for match quality accuracy, just some plinking and squirrle hunting. Is the kit like the Air Force conversion kits? I've heard that the Air Force kits are the way to go. How can I get in contact with Mohegan21? thanks |
I have a dedicated .22LR upper from DPMS, that uses the same bolt as their conversion kit. It has been very reliable after the initial break-in period of 100-200 rounds. I shot maybe 1,000 rounds since then, and it has been doing well. It is very reliable at firing, and extracting, and occasionally has fail to feed problems--maybe three of the 150 rounds I fired on Saturday. I am not sure if it is necessary, but I shoot some CLP in each magazine before I start shooting for the day. |
The kit you have shown above is a Ciener kit. Although Bushmaster sells them, they do not make them. They are made by Ciener in Cape Canaveral, FL. Here is the skinny on the Ciener kits..... They are pickey about ammo. Some ammo works great, some does not. They are not very accurate unless you incorporate them into a 1/16 barrel that is for .22LR. The reason they are not as accurate is because the bullet has to travel some distance through the chamber adapter before it engages the rifling of the barrel. The other problem is that a .223/5.56 barrel is .003 larger than a .22LR barrel. On top of that, the twist rate you commonly find in an AR-15 barrel is not optimized for a 36-40 grain .22LR bullet. Optimal twist rates for .22LR are in the 1/16 range instead of the 1/7-1/9 that you find in an AR barrel. Some manufacturers like www.KuehlPrecisionFirearms.com use the Ciener kits minus the chamber adapter to provide a very reliable and accurate .22LR conversion. His barrels are mated directly to the Ciener kit without a chamber adapter and the barrels are a 1/16 twist. Rick has unfortunately decided to get out of the .22LR biz so his barrels or uppers are no longer available. I own a Kuehl upper and finally got it to work 100% with the Remington value pack ammo that you find at Walmart. Other stuff, like the Federal and Winchester bulk packs constantly gave me stovepipe malfunctions. It will take some experimenting before you find the ammo comination that works in your kit. Here is my take on using the Ciener kits. First, if 30 round magazines are important to you, then the Ciener kit is the way to go. But if you can hold on, it is just a matter of time before the other manufacturers tool up to produce 30 round mags. Also, if you plan to shoot full auto from an M-16, the Ciener kit is the only one to do that (if you go for the M-16 kit). If accuracy is an issue, you may want to consider a dedicated upper that has a slower twist and the proper bore diameter. [rant] Now for the down side. Ciener is not a pleasant person to deal with. I suggest you go to his website, look around, and give him a call. Tell him that you may be interested in his product and that you want more information and see if he doesn't cut you off in the middle of your sentence in a rude manner and get very short, and hang up on you. TO ME, PEOPLE LIKE THIS DO NOT DESERVE YOUR BUSINESS. Am I happy with his product? Yes. Would I recommend his product to a friend. NO. I found out after the fact how crappy Ciener and his customer service is. I wish I knew then what I know now, because I would not be using his products. [/rant] My .02 of a buck. YMMV |
| sorry, i didn't respond in time. Mohegan is out. i've shot about 300 rounds in one day. didn't have a chance to do any more, i had to go back to school. the M261 is the military conversion kit. the accuracy is very good, i've used it for squirrel hunting. if you can, try to get the M261, they seem to be better in quality than the ciener. |
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