Best AR style .22 rifle for around $500

[Jubbs26]

Because the wait times are ridiculously long for regulated firearms, I'm trying to go another route and pick up an AR style .22 for plinking and target practice. I'm not looking to break the bank or spend the kind of money which would rival an actual AR. Around $500 or less. I've heard some good and bad things about the Mossberg 715t, but most of them negative...it's probably on the low end of pricing. Any input would be awesome!

 

[garyad]

Because the wait times are ridiculously long for regulated firearms, I'm trying to go another route and pick up an AR style .22 for plinking and target practice. I'm not looking to break the bank or spend the kind of money which would rival an actual AR. Around $500 or less. I've heard some good and bad things about the Mossberg 715t, but most of them negative...it's probably on the low end of pricing. Any input would be awesome!

Went shopping over the weekend for just such an animal. Looked at the Mossbergs and Rugers settled on the S&W. Seemed like a better built rifle to me. Also looked at the reviews and most were pretty good.

 

[Right2Carry]

Bass Pro has a few camo Mossberg models in stock, and I heard The Gun Rack has a few S&W models.

 

[matt1]

A ruger 10 22 with an archangel package is generally everyones favorite for a tactical .22... Ive got one and so do my friends theyre awesome!

 

[JDove]

Best choice would be dedicated 22LR upper on AR lower. After that the S&W 15-22 would be my choice.

 

[skynugget]

i have the H&K 416D and it has been a beast, outperforming my expectations time and time again. I'm not sure what the price is on it these days though.

 

[Jubbs26]

Thanks for the quick feedback! I'll check out Bass Pro later this week, but part of me is telling me to wait till the Gun Show at the Timonium Fairgrounds later this month to see what would be there.

 

[R1Peacock]

Youtube "nutnfancy" and check out his reviews on all of the available dedicated rifles. If you want a dedicated .22LR rifle that functions exactly the same as a .223 AR than your choice should be the S&W M&P 15-22. Most of the other dedicated .22LR AR style rifles do not function the same way and cleaning is a problem. The S&W M&P 15-22 uses all of the same parts in the lower receiver so you can swap out the trigger group, grip, stock, etc....
You can even attach a Slide Fire Stock and fire "simulated bump fire full auto" if you use a 3.5 pound trigger. Plenty of videos and posts online. Visit the M&P Forum for more information.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-wesson-m-p-15-22/

I would advise going with the MOE version (811034 Black or 811035 FDE) as it comes with the upgraded Magpul stock, grip and MBUS sights. The dealers will swap out the 25 round magazine and ship it to a Maryland Dealer with a 10 round magazine.

Prices are all over the place right now but you can find MOE versions for as low as $549 from a few dealers on GunBroker. Magazines are very hard to find and your best option is to order them direct from S&W by calling their customer service phone number. As of last week they were shipping orders placed in January.

RP

 

[SKIP]

I have seen the Mossberg 715T hold the bolt open every shot and on 2 occausions you could not clear the weapon of a live round in the chamber. It must be fired to clear it.

 

[Jubbs26]

RP, Thanks for the advice. I think I'll be going with the 15/22. Skip, I've heard that about the 715t. A lot of FTF stories. What is the mag limit for .22 rifles in MD? Is it only 10 rounds?

 

[jimbobborg]

RP, Thanks for the advice. I think I'll be going with the 15/22. Skip, I've heard that about the 715t. A lot of FTF stories. What is the mag limit for .22 rifles in MD? Is it only 10 rounds?

20 rounds for now.

 

[Jubbs26]

Say if I bought a 15/22 off gunbroker and it had a 25 round mag, what would be the procedure from there? I haven't heard of any 20 round .22 mags.

 

[R1Peacock]

Magazine limits are the same 20 rounds -- most likely that will change October 1, 2013. You can still get 25 round magazines if you follow what I say below. The state law only restricts "in State" actions. Converting, purchasing (out of state) or having them shipped to another state and bringing them into Maryland is legal under current law.....

If you can't locate an MOE version locally try searching GunBroker. If you search "15-22 MOE", "811034", "811035" you can find the MOE versions. Prices vary but several can be found for under $600 - I saw a couple over the weekend "Buy it Now" for $549 and $569. Contact the seller first to see if they will swap the magazine with a 10 round mag. Almost all will work with you. Look on GunBroker for a local dealer by zip code. Most will do the transfer / NICS / paperwork for under $45. I used Lock Stock & Barrel in Taneytown and (Deb Wilhide) only charged me $25. Once you purchase on GunBroker just have Deb or your dealer email a copy of their FFL to the seller. Shipping is normally 3-4 days and there is no waiting period for the 15-22. My friends and I have used Deb for 6 15-22s and several AR Lowers --- great service.

Magazines in general -- you have a few options. If you have a friend or relative outside of Maryland you can have them shipped to their residence. If that is not an option you can purchase a 10 round magazine and drive to VA or PA and knock out the pin which converts them to 25 round magazines -- plenty of videos on Youtube and instructions on the S&W Official 15-22 Forum.

Stick with factory magazines - the long 10 round magazine and 25 round magazines are the same except for the internal pin. They also make a short 10 round magazine which I recommend if you want to shoot from a bench or don't want a huge magazine sticking out of the magwell. Most people have experienced problems with Pro-Mags or Plinker Tactical Magazines. If you call S&W you can backorder 10 round or 25 round magazines for about $20 each. They won't bill your CC until they ship. As of last week orders from January were getting filled (mostly 10 round mags).

I have several .223 AR-15s and the 15-22 is a fun (cheap) gun to shoot now that ammo is so crazy. You can change out the stock add optics, etc. just as you can with a .223 AR. I cleaned mine, lubed it up and have not had an FTF or FTE yet. Well worth the money if you want a dedicated .22 that functions the same as a .223 AR.


RP

 

[Pmbspyder]

15-22 moe like the guys said. A blast to shoot and it doesn't make you feel as guilty when you burn through $30 a mag in your ar

 

[jbaudia4]

dont waste your time on a .22 AR Style. Why not just buy an regular .22? if your going to buy something that looks like an AR make sure its an AR. Otherwise its just a sheep in wolves clothing. I had the mossberg 715t and sold it because shooting it felt like a paintball gun. Dont cheat yourself. Go big or not at all. Yes the price sucks but look at it as an investment and not a purchase. The wait sucks but in the end you will be please. The Mossberg 715t looks awesome but in reality its a pea shooter. Its like a moped, its fun to ride till your friends see you riding it. just a thought

 

[DaveP]

dont waste your time on a .22 AR Style. Why not just buy an regular .22? if your going to buy something that looks like an AR make sure its an AR. Otherwise its just a sheep in wolves clothing.

Depends what you want it for: I bought a 15-22 a couple years ago, "for the children" LOL!

It's VERY light, so even the smaller kids can shoot it offhand, and the stock can be QUICKLY adjusted to fit different sized kids.

Allows them to become used to the controls and makes for a SMOOTH transition to the "real" AR platform.

We swap between factory sights and a cheaper red dot.
Fun little gun, cheap to feed, and heck, I even have been known to crack a smile while shooting it!

Ran 300+ rounds through it today w/out a hiccup, although for the money and versatility , hard to beat a 10/22, and mine are all more accurate than the 15-22s I have shot.

 

[photoracer]

Magazine limits are the same 20 rounds -- most likely that will change October 1, 2013. You can still get 25 round magazines if you follow what I say below. The state law only restricts "in State" actions. Converting, purchasing (out of state) or having them shipped to another state and bringing them into Maryland is legal under current law.....

If you can't locate an MOE version locally try searching GunBroker. If you search "15-22 MOE", "811034", "811035" you can find the MOE versions. Prices vary but several can be found for under $600 - I saw a couple over the weekend "Buy it Now" for $549 and $569. Contact the seller first to see if they will swap the magazine with a 10 round mag. Almost all will work with you. Look on GunBroker for a local dealer by zip code. Most will do the transfer / NICS / paperwork for under $45. I used Lock Stock & Barrel in Taneytown and (Deb Wilhide) only charged me $25. Once you purchase on GunBroker just have Deb or your dealer email a copy of their FFL to the seller. Shipping is normally 3-4 days and there is no waiting period for the 15-22. My friends and I have used Deb for 6 15-22s and several AR Lowers --- great service.

Magazines in general -- you have a few options. If you have a friend or relative outside of Maryland you can have them shipped to their residence. If that is not an option you can purchase a 10 round magazine and drive to VA or PA and knock out the pin which converts them to 25 round magazines -- plenty of videos on Youtube and instructions on the S&W Official 15-22 Forum.

Stick with factory magazines - the long 10 round magazine and 25 round magazines are the same except for the internal pin. They also make a short 10 round magazine which I recommend if you want to shoot from a bench or don't want a huge magazine sticking out of the magwell. Most people have experienced problems with Pro-Mags or Plinker Tactical Magazines. If you call S&W you can backorder 10 round or 25 round magazines for about $20 each. They won't bill your CC until they ship. As of last week orders from January were getting filled (mostly 10 round mags).

I have several .223 AR-15s and the 15-22 is a fun (cheap) gun to shoot now that ammo is so crazy. You can change out the stock add optics, etc. just as you can with a .223 AR. I cleaned mine, lubed it up and have not had an FTF or FTE yet. Well worth the money if you want a dedicated .22 that functions the same as a .223 AR.


RP

I own lots of S&W 25 round mags plus 2 Promag 32s. the Promags are now my goto mag for speed steel type events. Not a single issue since getting them except that if the event requires you to start muzzle down touching a table the 32s and the PT 35s stick down more and don't make that as easy.

The only issue with the 32s is you may have to trim the BHO tab a little to make sure the bolt does not go to lock on the next-to-last round instead of the last. They are superior to the S&W mags in every other way including the fact they are screwed together not molded so you can take them apart for cleaning.

 

[huesmann]

Say if I bought a 15/22 off gunbroker and it had a 25 round mag, what would be the procedure from there? I haven't heard of any 20 round .22 mags.

S&W sells 10-round mags, which are really just 25-rounders pinned to limit you to 10.

 

[smdub]

Say if I bought a 15/22 off gunbroker and it had a 25 round mag

I've had this problem. Ship the gun here and ask the seller to ship the magazine to somewhere else. I've used friends and relatives in VA. I, of course, negotiated this with the seller beforehand and paid a little extra shipping since it was 2 boxes. Then go to VA to visit them and pickup. I have a large box of mags waiting for me to pickup this weekend

 

[Boom Boom]

Say if I bought a 15/22 off gunbroker and it had a 25 round mag, what would be the procedure from there? I haven't heard of any 20 round .22 mags.

Either tell the seller to keep the mag, tell your MD FFL to keep it, or have the seller or your FFL ship it out of state to somebody you know and go pick it up there.