.22LR Conversion Questions

[average_shooter]

So I ended up with a couple of military surplus ten-round .22LR magazine-insert conversions for ARs. But I did not get a bolt conversion with them.

I was comparing them to a picture of the Ciener mags and it looks like the actual Ciener mags sit farther to the rear of the magwell, whereas the mil-surps I have sit more or less in the middle. I'm wondering if there would be feed issues.

Three questions:
(1) Will my magazines work with the Ciener conversion kit?
(2) Is it possible to buy the military surplus bolt conversion that would go with these mags?
(3) Are there other conversion kits besides Ciener?

For anyone not familiar I attached a picture below. The .223 is for scale reference and to show which end faces "forward."

 

[average_shooter]

I'm going to bump this.

Upon further digging, it seems that the magazines I have will not work with the Ciener conversion. Can anyone credibly confirm or refute?

Also, it appears that the bolt conversion I am looking for is designated M261 and can only be found used for over $200. Are these really that rare/expensive? I can't seem to actually find a business selling them, just an occasional reference to someone selling one on ar15.com.

Any help at all, or is this one of those "questions asked way too much"? BTW, I'd search for an answer but I can't get the search function to reliably work for me...

 

[DMK]

Those mags will not work with a Ciener kit. Go back over to AR15.com and keep an eye on the used parts section of the Equipment Exchange over there and watch for an M261. They pop up every once in a while. Nobody makes them anymore, they are military surplus. Actually, unless you live somewhere where you are limited to ten round mags, they aren't that great. Mags are kinda hard to come by too. Most folks prefer the Ciener kits.

If it were me, I'd sell those mags to someone who already has an M261, put that money towards a Ciener kit, then get some 30 round mags from Black Dog Machine.

 

[average_shooter]

Thank you for your reply! For a bit there I thought I was going nuts and nobody else had heard of the things.

Any idea how much these mag inserts go for? I thought I saw them at a show last spring for like ten bucks. Seemed pretty cheap to me. Seeing that, I thought it would be easy to come by the bolt conversion.

And I kinda lied in my first post. I didn't just get "a couple" of these mags, more like a couple dozen, 22 to be exact...

 

[taliv]

+1 to the aftermarket 30 rounders
they're plastic instead of the ceiner steel. much easier to handle.

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

I think Sarco still has some of the M261 conversion kits available. If not them, maybe Gun Parts Inc.

www.sarcoinc.com

Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[average_shooter]

So at sarcoinc.com the most relevent page is this: http://www.sarcoinc.com/m261.html

It appears to me to be just a parts list. Can I actually get a complete bolt conversion for $24.95 ?

I'm thinking maybe I'll sell these mags and use the money for the Ciener kit and mags...