Need* a new plinker- KT SU22E or M&P15-22 Sport or ?

[Noclutch]

While I enjoy my Browning SA-22 as a sweet shooter with childhood memories attached, and my Marlin 795 as the middle of the night 'Dilla Killa, I'm getting the itch for something a bit more "sporty".

Belgian grade 1, and only FX-1. Accurate, but so tedious to load.

Pawn shop pick up with random bits bolted on- gets the job done though. Yes, that guy had been strafing the yard horrendously.
The scar on his butt was probably from a bad shot years prior And yes, I treat the yard bugs as well...

Anyways, what I'm wanting is a bigger magazine, maybe a drum, picatinny for a red dot or prism I have laying around, threaded barrel to suppress, and an adjustable stock. Gonna keep it under or at $500.

I'm a bit prejudiced towards KT, owning and thoroughly enjoying few of their pocket pistols, their excellent and rare customer service, as well as their outside of the box thinking overall.
M&P is obviously a much more major market player by 1000 fold, and my only first hand experience with them is with a 380 EZ, which both the wife and I hate, so I guess I'm prejudiced in that regard as well...

https://www.keltecweapons.com/firearm/rifles/su22/
https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/m-p-15-22-sport

Thoughts? Experiences?
I'm sure there is something else out there comparable, so I'm all ears as well.

 

[badkarmamib]

My son has had the 15-22 for a few years now. Eats anything. I had him run some dirty ammo, then some cheap standard velocity ammo, never hiccuped once. Almost boring accurate, mags are easy to load with the slider.

 

[chicharrones]

Unless you're just not wanting an AR styled rifle, out of those two I'd get the S&W.

 

[Armed 24/7]

15-22 gets my vote. I've had one about a decade, with absolutely zero issues.

 

[Glockpride]

I’ve had a 15-22 for probably 12 or more years. Some of the most fun with your clothes on. I added a flat cmc 3.5 lb trigger and it made it even better.
Tippman also makes a nice, hard use .22 AR.

 

[jmr40]

I had the Smith for a while a few years ago. It was 100% reliable and showed potential to be accurate but the heavy trigger was a huge handicap.

Personally I'd build, or buy a 10/22. They can meet all of your criteria if you choose or build it right. 25 round magazines that really work, threaded barrels, and they come with rails now. Excellent target triggers are available, and target grade barrels.

Not all on the same rifle, but you can build one with all the goodies

Ruger® 10/22® Tactical Autoloading Rifle Model 11198

ruger.com

 

[C-grunt]

For a 22 AR Im a big fan of the Tippman. It uses aluminum receivers and can actually take a majority of AR accessories.

 

[TinNePa]

Love my m&p 15/22. It comes with me almost every range trip. Loading goes much faster with one of these:

Lightnin’ Grip Loader

This versatile loader loads many 22 caliber magazines using the adapters sold below. You must have an adapter for your specific gun. LOADER DOES NOT WORK WITHOUT AN ADAP…

www.mcfaddenmachine.com

 

[FL-NC]

I have the MP 22 pistol, which I did the free SBR thing back when that was available. I use it a LOT for training on steel at close ranges for fun and to save $ compared to doing the same drills on paper with 5.56. My "hunting" 22 is a 1022.

 

[doubleh]

Hewe is another vote for the 15-22. I bought one for a GG daughter several years ago and loves it. It shoots whatever you load it with excluding dud rounds. Easy to clear those too.

 

[tommy.duncan]

Between your choices I would say the 15-22.

At your price point, I would go with a Marlin model 60 or a Ruger 10-22.
The tube mag on the model 60 will give you 14 or 17 rounds.
The 10/22 has all sorts of upgrades available.

I am not trying to muddy up your choices, 2 good rifles and much less expensive.

 

[MosinT53Hunter]

There is the HK MP5 22. lr rifle.
I have one myself, pretty fun, sporty looking plinker.
Comes with a collapsible stock, and faux silencer.

Just my two cents. They are readily found on CDNN Sports web page

 

[vanfunk]

Out of those choices I’d go with the 15-22 as well. Mine was fine and dandy out of the box, but I couldn’t leave it alone and popped a Volquartsen bolt, extractor and tensioned carbon fiber barrel on it. It’s a little over-glassed with a Primary Arms 4-16x scope on it but the thing really shoots. It won’t keep up with my Kidd/Shilen 10/22 in the accuracy department but it cost a third the money. The 10/22 is a more versatile platform with an unending supply of parts and options, but the 15-22 of course has the look and feel (even though it’s polymer) of an AR. I have not shot the Tippman but those I’ve seen and handled have been really, really nice. I’ve not seen the Kel-Tek offering.

 

[Armored farmer]

Just a couple of thoughts from me.
My "most fun" .22 could easily be an AR pistol , like @FL-NC . I had mine set up with single point sling, reflex sight, and weapon light.
Talk about a nighttime dilla killa!
Mine was a 5.56mm with a .22lr conversion kit. Some claim they're not quite as accurate....but that wasn't a real issue at all for me.
Or these three guys...


That's my $.02.

 

[Noclutch]

Thanks for all of the input guys!

So after taking jmr40’s suggestion, and drilling a bit into the aftermarket support of it, enabling one make a $500 rifle cost $1500 or more, the Ruger 10-22 seems a solid choice for me. Right down to the tactical version as linked above and below-

Ruger® 10/22® Tactical Autoloading Rifle Model 11198

ruger.com

Mine should be here in about a week
Thanks again. THR community is great

 

[maxxhavoc]

Oh, and you might as well try out one of these - No personal experience, probably jam-o-matics, but most .22 drum mags are.
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/promag-marlin-795-22lr-70-round-drum-magazine-smoke.html

I was going to say try out a 795 drum and get a Henry or other lever action to scratch that "new thing" itch. I didn't really see the point of lever actions until I shot somebody's Henry at a public range. Very fun.

If you are going to start putting money into the 10/22, a Volquartsen target hammer is my absolute #1 best recommendation for first modification. Unless that comes with a BX trigger. Thapage says it doesn't work with the BX. It REALLY improves everything about the trigger. You may need to keep using your Ruger spring instead of the lighter one in the kit.
https://volquartsen.com/inventory_configurations/817

 

[Noclutch]

Oh, and you might as well try out one of these - No personal experience, probably jam-o-matics, but most .22 drum mags are.
https://gunmagwarehouse.com/promag-marlin-795-22lr-70-round-drum-magazine-smoke.html

I was going to say try out a 795 drum and get a Henry or other lever action to scratch that "new thing" itch. I didn't really see the point of lever actions until I shot somebody's Henry at a public range. Very fun.

If you are going to start putting money into the 10/22, a Volquartsen target hammer is my absolute #1 best recommendation for first modification. Unless that comes with a BX trigger. Thapage says it doesn't work with the BX. It REALLY improves everything about the trigger. You may need to keep using your Ruger spring instead of the lighter one in the kit.
https://volquartsen.com/inventory_configurations/817

Funny you mention the Promag drum for the 795. I had ordered one, which arrived defective, then exchanged it for another defective one before returning it and calling it quits on the drum idea for the dilla killa.

However, I do have this on order for the 10-22. So we'll see if its a jam o matic as well.

ATI GSG Ruger 10/22 22 LR Rotary 110rd Drum Magazine (GERMR110TEN22)

Shop ATI GSG Ruger 10/22 22 LR Rotary 110rd Drum Magazine (GERMR110TEN22). Buy best Rifle Magazines from gritrsports.com | Reviews and Shipping options available

gritrsports.com

Thanks for the trigger improvement suggestions

 

[Noclutch]

Update- ain't gonna be getting that particular 10/22 after all.
TWO shops, who's websites said it was in stock*, fibbed and cancelled my orders. It was apparently a hot seller an not available anywhere now.
I still think I'm leaning 10/22 platform though, just not sure what my starting model will be.
Might start with a https://ruger.com/products/1022Tactical/specSheets/1261.html or https://ruger.com/products/1022Carbine/specSheets/31215.html
and then fit an aftermarket stock such as https://www.atioutdoors.com/product/ar-22-10-22-kit/ or https://www.atioutdoors.com/product/strikeforce-10-22-stock/
Thoughts? Is the tactical worth $50 more than the carbine?

I was hoping to get a once and done rifle, but now realizing it'll likely be not if I'm gonna build, but to what degree and can I avoid doubling my original target price

 

[WestKentucky]

Bear creek now has an interesting take on the 10/22. They also sell them in 22 mag and 17hmr. I don’t have a need for it, but the 17hmr is getting very much of my attention. I wanted one of the 10/22 magnum guns years back but they didn’t work well and Ruger dropped them quickly. If somebody has figured it out and they are reliable I may not even try to resist.

 

[vanfunk]

I highly recommend a 10/22 build. Mild to wild, there’s something for every shooter and every budget. Mine’s a half MOA shooter with Lapua but it’ll shoot even CCI std vel under an inch at 100 most of the time. Mine started life as a Ruger 60th Anniversary rifle but things quickly escalated .

Now I am thinking about another one, but might just buy a Clark or Kidd complete rifle. Wait, what am I saying? Spec’ing parts and putting everything together is FUN!!!

 

[weisse52]

For a 22 AR Im a big fan of the Tippman. It uses aluminum receivers and can actually take a majority of AR accessories.

I started with a 15/22 but hated the plastic feel. In fairness it was reliable and fed most ammo. But the Tippmann is heads and shoulders better in my experience. Very close to an actual AR.
YMMV.

 

[Noclutch]

Update…
So I found that the Ruger 10/22 “AR” was pretty scarce out there. Found two. Ordered one from Gunsdotcalm. The charge appeared on my credit card, then disappeared a few days later and then I got notice that they screwed up (didn’t have it after all) and cancelled the order. Dang it.

So I went to the other retailer who said that they too had one of the ARs and ordered it there. Same thing- CC charge disappeared after a few days and no email….

So I said poop, I'll just order and build the other style tactical 10/22 from Guns as they at least were gracious enough to give me a credit voucher for their mishap. Great.

Then… the second store charge eventually went through…. and I had now two 10/22s in the mail. Oh well. And I decided that I’d keep them both.
The ARish will stay dedicated shorter range toy, complete with 100 round drum as well, eventually a Sparrow. The traditional stocked will become a scoped longer range unit, BX trigger on the way, with who knows what else, maybe a stock, but for now just a cheapy dot. The budget doubled, but yea whatever.

 

[d2wing]

I think you did the right thing. Glad we could enable you.

 

[SterlingBullet]

Try a Ruger Charger, put a RMR on it, pistol blade brace, use the 25 rd ruger mags or get a 10/22 drum, expect lots of plinking fun, up to 500-1000 rds per range session.