I recently made some needed changes to my rifle and have been slowly making the same changes to my training upper.  Added Troy Alpha rails, DD front sights, IWC Scout mounts and a DBAL I2 to my primary.  Unfortunately I can't afford a second DBAL I2 but once I get a chance to see if it will return to zero when removed I might be able to transfer it back and forth between the uppers.  It's expensive buying two of everything but it yields very realistic training and now I have backup components should something break on my primary.





I just mailed off the forms for my Surefire SOCOM 556-RC this week.  Once the stamp comes in I'm not sure what I'm going to do to add the weight to the front of the training upper to replicate the suppressor on the primary.  I'm not fond of the idea of running 22lr through the new can.  Anyone have any ideas?  I thought about having a machine shop machine a chunk of steel that will thread on the end of the barrel and turn the OD down until it weighs what I need it to.

Buy a fake can. They will add weight to it. You can get them in different sizes.
Dave N

My pair have changed a bit since this pic was taken (added BAD-ASSes, IWC light mounts with Surefire G2X lights, ACS-L replacing the ACS on each), but I did basically the same thing with a complete .22LR AR to match my primary midlength:



The rimfire gets shot *a lot*.  The .22 has a PA RDS, the 5.56 an Aimpoint.  I wish I had spec'd the .22 barrel at 17", but other than that I have no regrets.

My KISS midlengths:


CMMG ML 5.56, 552 Eotech on Larue mount, Larue BUIS

Spikes .22 LR ML, 512 Eotech on Larue mount, Larue BUIS

Like heavyduty I wish my .22 barrel was 17" to make a closer match length wise with the 5.56.

Psudo getting there:

http://multim.net/images/ARs.jpg

The .22LR lower is still missing the ergo grip, and the magpul ambi sling mount.
Bother have the same VFG and light, but I don't have them mounted as I just pulled them out of my case to take this crappy cellphone picture and they don't fit in it mounted.

The .22LR is a budget version of the 5.56...it have a PA m4 clone instead of the Aimpoint, but the sight picture is virtually the same. I also have a Airsoft clone rail and PTS gen 1 MBUS on it, this works fine for simulation. The clone rails actually surprised me and feel just like the real thing so handling both weapons feel the same. It does scratch easier though.

The other part that's missing is the trigger...have a SSA-e on the 5.56, GI trigger on the .22LR....not planning to spring for the trigger at this point...I can always use the .22 upper on the other lower if I really want it....just makes a mess though..22LR is so dirty compared to .223/5.56, partucular the gritty stuff that gets into the trigger area.

May try to setup for better pictures this weekend as I'm home with the wife (shes a photographer and we have a studio).

Yep.

No .223 can yet though.

Been wanting to build a dedicated .22lr upper to mimic my most used 5.56MM upper, but it uses an ELCAN SpecterDR, and it's a little hard to justify buying another to dedicate to a .22lr upper.  

I have considered building a clone upper with an EOTech, however.  

+1 on the fake can to "simulate" the weight.  An idea I've had is to actually bore out a fake can so that the ID matches a .22lr can, and "sleeve" the .22lr can, so I get both the weight and suppression.  

~Augee

I just found out that Surefire makes training suppressors (fake) for the very purpose I need one so I'm going to be in business.  Color me pleased...

I have a Model 1 Sales 22 LR upper on a RRA lower (complete M4 clone) that I use as a training gun, I have ACOG and Aimpoint just for that weapon so I can train with it with either optic.