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Posted: 5/19/2007 4:09:11 AM EDT
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In the late 80's I switched from an M1A to a Colt HBAR for NMC Service Rifle Competition. It was right after Colt re-initiated civilian sales of AR's after having voluntarily stopped them for a few months. My A2 HBAR came from Colt with 2-20rd mags blocked to 5rd capacity and a .22LR conversion kit sealed in a blister pack. I have never opened the blister pack containing the conversion kit because I never wanted to grunge up my competion rifle with using it and had heard that they wouldn't work well with the 1-7" barrel. I now have a couple of more AR's in the making and I'm wondering if these Colt supplied kits were any good or if I'd be better off with some other 22LR kit or upper. Who made these kits for Colt and how do they compare to Ciener or others on the market today? Will the same mags work with them as work with the Ciener? There is a magazine with the kit in the blister pack, but I don't know its capacity. From its length, I don't think it's more than 10 or 15 rounds. |
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Your mag capacity is ten rounds. Dunno if Colt actually made them or not, but they seem to work just fine. DPMS picked up the design for their later .22 conversion kit. Ciener, CZ, and M261 mags will NOT work. This system has the ejector built into the left magazine lip. Without that ejector, the gun won't eject. Far as I know magazines are still available from DPMS--best price I've seen on them was at Midway (about $24 two years ago). Black Dog Machine might eventually make hi-caps for the Colt/DPMS units. I believe he's currently working on hi-caps for the M261, so we prolly won't see them for some time yet. Bust it loose and use it! .22 ARs are about the most fun you can have that doesn't involve somebody else's wife. 
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if you search for the Horner .22lr AR15 conversion unit you might find out more info on it. the above poster is correct that the design was picked up by DPMS. however, DPMS has stopped production for a re-design/ improvment...so support is negligible. sealed in the original packaging they have some value to Colt collectors. advntrjnky |
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I'm running one right now in a A1 1/12 upper, no problem at all but as with any of the .22 conversions you have to keep it reasonably clean. Only run the plated ammo, no lead at all, already whacked a couple of woodchucks with it so it's accurate enough at 50-75 yards. It'll work in a 1/7 but the twist is WAY to fast for it, 1/14 would be ideal if you could find an old "new" one, but 1/12 is OK also. Mags are easy to take apart to clean and they do need to be clean to work reliably. Takes a couple of minutes every once in a while to do it. All I can say is to try the 1/7 BBL in your AR and see what it'll do, make sure you clean any lead buildup out of the chamber and beginning of the lands before you shoot 5.56. The 1/12 is slow enough of a twist that I've seen none of that yet. It's a dedicated upper for .22 and it's what I bought it for. |
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