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Posted: 6/29/2012 7:42:40 PM EDT
| I'm not sure if what I want exists, so I need your collective experience to tell me if I can get it. I have a CMMG .22 conversion kit that I use regularly , but I want greater accuracy. I'd like to use my existing conversion kit on a dedicated .22 upper. Does anyone make a 1/16, 5.56 barrel so I can use my kit in it? I'm interested in assembling the upper myself. Thanks |
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I don’t know of a 5.56 barrel with 1/16 twist, just 1/12. If you are building a dedicated upper, why not just get a CMMG .22 barrel and collar. You can replace your chamber adapter on your existing conversion kit with the new collar and you will be good to go.
Here is an example |
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+1 - what rv10flyer said about getting a barrel and collar from CMMG Assuming you have a CMMG, Spike's or other Ciener type kit - which you have. I just put together an upper with a Spike's barrel (NOS from the EE) and a Spike's conversion bolt and collar - easy as there is no gastube to line up.
If you want a standard FSB - you could ask CMMG to mount one for you - not sure what they charge. I'm currently running a set screw type A2 F marked FSB on my Spike's barrel. I also used a YHM folding front sight and base which just tightens with screws. KKF (Kurt's Kustom Firearms) - the late Kurt Wala made the barrels you described using Douglas Premium .22RF barrels - amazingly accurate with good ammo. Chambered to take any drop-in conversion but with a special barrel extension so a 5.56 bolt and carrier could not be used (no cutouts for the locking lugs). No one currently makes such a barrel. I have a KKF upper - one of 4 different dedicated uppers. It works well - I like to run my USAF conversion kit in it as the AF kit uses the bolt stop to hold open on the last round. CMMG is your current best bet. YMMV |
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You have several good options, just depends on how much you want to spend.
CMMG barrel with your conversion (great pricing) A new TACCOM barrel...with your conversion (a little more money but boy do they have cool stuff). And there is more....Model one sales and such as well as some of the custom builders out there. Its all in what you want and how much you want to spend. |
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+1
You can spend a couple hundred bucks+ - like I did on my Spike's (it's a midlength to match my CMMG 5.56 upper) to $$$$ http://www.compasslake.com/22uppers.htm  I've seen some of the Service Rifle match shooters with the CL uppers - absolutely beautiful but way out of my league. These match shooters think nothing of spending $1000+ for something to practice with - and you should see the ammo they use.
YMMV |
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Quoted:
Thanks everyone. It's nice to get sound advice. This forum is wonderful. There are so many knowledgeable people here and even after being in this hobby all my adult life I still keep learning more new stuff here. Lots of great folks who share their knowledge and experience. |
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Ok
I bought a 1/12 with the thoughts of doing the same. This was a gun show barrel that I presume was a M16 takeoff Looks like it had been assembled/disassembled but had no forseeable wear and both outside and inside was clean as a whistle so I was guessing at the time that it was a new takeoff. This barrel shot pretty good and I was happy but when I started a AR class at my clubs 100 yd rimfire shoot some testing came into play. When I slapped a 20x leupoild on the uppers and used a lower with a good trigger I found this 1/12 shot about dead even with a bushmaster 20" h-bar 1/9. High velocity, standard velocity, mild to wild (expensive) target ammo was all tried. Now the standard velocity target ammo was about the best but the 1/12 and the 1/9 shot about the same. The super high end Eley 10X really shot no better in either gun as the mid price Lapuh ,mid price Eley or the Wolf Match extra. High velocity was quite poor with groups nearly twice the size as the target stuff at 100yds I pretty much cleaned out my safe the day I was testing and carbine length bushmasters with 1/9 were only slightly less accurate than the 20" barrels. Just to find out how bad it would be I tried my Rock River National match. This gun has a 20" heavy barrel that Rock River claims is a target barrel but it is a stock factory barrel so although it is better than a stock military tube it isn't like it is a high end custom barrel . I knew this thing shot 5.56 well but because it is a 1/8 twist I expected poor groups. This gun has a A2 fixed carry handle so I just shot it over a rest with the irons with a proper 100yd smallbore target. Asumptions and expectations out the door it shot guite a bit better than any of the other guns! My eyes are on the low end of average and irons are somewhat dificult so to say the least I was surprised. Needless to say I am shooting the Rock River but it is a struggle . I am shooting prone with a sling,mit and shooting jacket and on my best days I only hit 380 for a 400 point match so good thing it is in a seperate class (I average 398ish with my Anshutz |
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Something to think about...
If you want the accuracy to improve use a dedicated .22LR barrel. Using the .223/5.56 barrels is decent, regardless of twist rate, but you will never see the accuracy of the dedicated rimfire barrels. Reason being that the bore and groove diameters are different for each caliber. .22LR ~.217/bore .222/groove .223/5.56 ~ .219/bore .224/groove Hope this helps with your decision. |
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