questions on the tactical 22's

[sunshine5503]

okay so i've been looking at the colt m16, the smith and wesson m&p 15 and the mossberg tactical .22. i do not know which one to go with. all the videos i've seen they all look nice. but the prices for them all vary. so which one to go with?

 

[henschman]

Not the Mossberg. They are pieces of junk.

 

[isc]

Ask yourself why you want it.

Do you want it because
1) it looks cool
2) you want to be able to take on the zombie hordes with it and and ammo is cheaper and lighter.
3) You want to use it as a training aid for your more expensive to feed "real" rifles.

If it's #1 both are fine, but the mossberg is cheaper so that might be the better way to go for you.
If it's #2 it doesn't matter because you are delusional.
If it's #3 get the S&W because the controls and ergonomics are much closer to an AR 15

 

[redbullitt]

I am gonna vote SW. I have one and love it. It is light, but the controls are pretty much identical to my ar15. Cheap and easy practice.

Mine has functioned great with pretty much all the ammo I have tried. Make sure you get the newer one, as the old ones had extractor issues. The newer ones come with some kind of flash suppressor on the front (as a bonus it is threaded already to save a trip to the smith later).

 

[Frankl03]

I wouldn't get the Mossberg or the Colt. The Mossberg seems really cheap and the Colt made by Umarex has not had good reviews. For the Colt you have to loosen a thing on the end of the barrel with a wrench to break the rifle down.

I have heard good things about the M&P 1522. I just got the Sig 522, it has a metal upper and uses blackdog mags which are fairly common and easy to find. One bad thing about the Sig is that it does not come with any sights. You have to add sights or a red dot/scope.

I would go with the M&P or the Sig.

 

[Walkalong]

I have handled and shot a S&W, and they are very nice. I caught a good deal on a Tactical Solutions upper and went that route.

 

[Quentin]

I'd say Colt or S&W, I didn't care for the Mossberg or SIG. I bought the Colt M4 (which is made by Walther not Umarex) because the S&W is very lightweight while the Colt M4 and M16 .22s weigh the same and look almost the same as the real thing. It has been an excellent rifle but either is a good choice so handle both and choose the one you like.

 

[doubleh]

I don't know a thing about the Mossberg and my LGS has been unable to get any. I have shot both the Colt and S&W. Both are nice. The S&W is very light and feels a bit like a toy to me but it was pretty accurate with CCI mini-mags. The Colt Looks and feels like a centerfire M4 being almost identical in weight and size. It is more accurate in my hands than the S&W and prefers Winchester Super X hi-velocity ammo. I own the Colt because I prefer it over the S&W. Loosening the flash hider to break it down is no big deal and it comes with the wrench you need. It is very easy to clean when it needs it. I have had no problems at all with it.

 

[sschudalla]

I purchased the Umarex HK416 last weekend and ran a helluva lot of rounds through it last weekend. After a day of shooting and a box of 525 not one malfunction or problem. A friend also bought a tactical .22--the ISSC Scar clone. Cannot say the same for his as he had multiple jams of the stovepipe variety. I am truly impressed with the Umarex (actually made by Walther, imported by Umarex) and the look and feel of it are top notch. Obviously, it does not operate off a true AR platform, however on the outside it is spot on. It even breaks down somewhat similar to an AR. There is a rear takedown pin and it "breaks" in half for cleaning. It is mostly constructed purely of metal, the magazine is plastic as is the front sight. The guns accuracy will be tested this weekend at the range with a 4x scope. Last weekend I was really just plinking targets and cans but to be honest, I didnt detect any problems and had tons of fun blasting away as fast as I could possibly pull the trigger. I purchased mine as a camping plinker, dirt shooter, and for my fiancee (she doesnt like shooting my .308, .223 or AK in any way shape or form. Bench at the range or free shooting at the desert, too much kick and too heavy so that was a GREAT excuse for me to buy another gun!! I would reccomend going for that if you want a dedicated .22 shooter. BUT you can always do an AR conversion kit as well!

 

[happygeek]

You could always go this route: http://cmmginc.secure-mall.com/shop/index.php?shop=1&cat=177

They've got models ranging from $500 up to $700. They also sell the upper alone if you already have a AR15 lower.

 

[joepa150]

I was in a similar predicament recently.

My predicament was to get a Ruger 10/22 or a Marlin 795. While shopping around, I saw some of these tactical 22s. I always wanted a "real" AR but do not have the money right now. Plus imo everyone should own a 22 rifle first.

I found a Smith and Wesson M&P 15-22 for $375 locally. About $145 more than the Ruger 10/22. I felt it and rented one.

I now have the M&P and LOVE it. So many options to customize it which I like. A lot of the accessories I can use once I get my "real" rifle. Also it helps become familiar with the AR platform before actually buying one.

All I know about the Colt is that some people have problems with them and there seems to be Colt owners switching over.

Also Ruger makes a SR-22 (I think is the name). Looks cool but it really is just a dressed up 10/22

 

[LHRGunslinger]

How about the Taurus Circuit Judge in .22LR/.22WMR?

 

[Smaug]

They all seem like huge wastes of money to me. I just bought a lightly used Marlin Model 60 for $135. There is a Dragonuv stock available for it through midway that will make it look all tactical. But it is not going to be as durable as the stock birch stock, with its thin support rail.

10/22s can also be made "tactical" for less money.

Both of the above rifles probably will handily outshoot any of the AR-looking automatic 22s.

 

[GWARGHOUL]

..I still don't get it. Who in the hell pays that kinda money for a .22? You'll use one magazine of 30 rounds on EACH Zombie or ZOG Agent.

 

[arizona98tj]

Some folks seem to get hung up on a .22 LR rifle looking tactical and seem to think that someone buying one, such as an M&P15-22, could have gotten a better deal purchasing a $150 22 LR semi-auto.

I bought a M&P15-22 for a couple of reasons.

#1....I wanted a rifle that I could practice with on the cheap but still gave me the manual of arms as an AR-15. I'm sorry but a Marlin or such doesn't come close, even when you tie wrap a rail to it and hang a laser from it.

#2....I wanted a rifle that would easily adapt to two young grandsons...one they could start out with young and simply adjust the LOP as they grew into the rifle. At the same time, Grandpa could grab it, adjust the stock, show them something, hand it back, and they could readjust it for their size in just a couple of seconds.

#3....S&W stands behind their products quite well, IMO. I got one of the early models that did have an extractor issue.....one phone call....got a call tag to send it back....they fixed it, tossed in a 25 round mag for my trouble and sent it back, all on their nickle. No questions asked.

#4....I didn't want a .22LR upper or a .22LR conversion kit for my regular M&P15. Once again....to the range I go with the grandsons....Grandpa shoots his M&P15 while the boy do the M&P15-22. Hard to do that with one receiver.

#5....The M&P15-22 takes an AR-15 trigger if so desired. You want the same trigger on both rifles? Buy another and install it.

The weight difference doesn't bother me at all. About three rounds into the 25 round mag and that is the last thing on my mind.

The M&P15-22 is not a tack driver....but I didn't buy it for that. If my grandsons need to drive tacks, they can use my Savage 10 FCP when they get big enough to carry it to the firing line.

 

[Gordon_Freeman]

I vote for the S&W 15-22 MOE version if you can find it. The Colt m4 OPS tactical .22 is also a great gun. I have experience with both.
Colt pros and cons: Looks and feels identical to an m4, has metal construction, magazines are expensive, you have to tighten the bolt adjustment screw all the way down to prevent failures to eject, does not have a bolt catch button like a real AR.

S&W pros and cons: Made in USA, magazines have a better look to them and are cheaper than Colt, does include a real bolt catch button, does not have a dust cover, does not feel as "real" as the Colt because of all polymer construction.

I just noticed you posted this same question last month. Still haven't made up your mind?

 

[CraigC]

Who in the hell pays that kinda money for a .22?

Some folks don't mind spending a little money on the guns they shoot the most. Personally, I'd rather spend more on a rifle or pistol that I get to shoot all the time, that I can enjoy more often, than an expensive to feed, limited use centerfire. I never understood those who think because it's "just a .22" that it has to be the cheapest rifle imaginable that still goes bang.

 

[j. rap.]

definitely not the mossberg. Made the mistake of buying one. I have a M&p 15-22 and it is amazing. One hole groups at 50 yards 100% stock. After firing the mossberg i felt like giving it away. I am taking it to my gun shop and am going to try to sell it or trade towards a new center fire bolt action. Never will buy from mossberg ever again. All their guns are junk.

 

[G27RR]

Some folks don't mind spending a little money on the guns they shoot the most. Personally, I'd rather spend more on a rifle or pistol that I get to shoot all the time, that I can enjoy more often, than an expensive to feed, limited use centerfire. I never understood those who think because it's "just a .22" that it has to be the cheapest rifle imaginable that still goes bang.

Exactly. That's why I have a Nikon Monarch on my Savage Mark II TR. It's just a lot of fun to shoot a rifle that uses inexpensive ammo but is still very accurate, and who wants to look through a cheap/low quality optic all the time just because it's on a .22?

OP - I like the M&P15-22 over the Colt because if I recall correctly the bolt hold open lever on the Colt is not functional.

Something else to check out is the new HK/Walther/Umarex MP5. I bought one a while back and ran every type of .22 ammo I had through it and had just one failure to extract early on, and no other failures of any kind. This included several varities of CCI, Federal, American Eagle, Winchester and others. No Remington though as I gave up on their .22 ammo after what seems to be poor quality and reliability in most any of my .22 rifles or handguns. The M&P15-22 has been pickier about ammo, but if you stick to the recommened list it runs fine.

It has a fairly nice trigger compared to some of the other .22s (my M&P has a trigger on the heavy side). I wrote a review on the MP5 a while back if you're interested, just seach my posts or click here.

Something I forgot to add to that review is that the MP5 does have a way to adjust its action for standard velocity ammo, even though it is marked on the receiver as .22 LR HV. Everything I tried labeled as 1100fps and up cycles fine, so I haven't tried changing mine yet.

 

[GWARGHOUL]

I understand now, thanks for the insight. I've always loved my .22's.. they can do anything you need them to, if you know how to... and/or have enough ammo.

 

[Quentin]

This is not a knock against the S&W, I like them a lot. But in every thread like this people drop in knocks against the Colt that are just hearsay.

All I know about the Colt is that some people have problems with them and there seems to be Colt owners switching over.

You hear this about every brand imaginable. Most people who have the Colt love it. Most people who have the S&W love it so choose the one that you like.

OP - I like the M&P15-22 over the Colt because if I recall correctly the bolt hold open lever on the Colt is not functional.

You hear this all the time and it's implied that the Colt has no BHO so the bolt does not lock back on the last shot. It's true that the external BHO is cosmetic but there is an internal BHO that does lock the bolt back on the last shot. So the difference is you load the first round from a fresh magazine with the charging handle instead of slapping the BHO. No doubt Walther could have done a better job here but there is a functioning BHO.

 

[CraigC]

I can understand wanting to train with something similar to an AR just to learn the controls but I don't understand people who think any .22 is a real SD weapon even if it is a semi-auto bullet blaster. Almost any other caliber will far exceed the power of a .22. They're guns made to shoot small animals like squirrels and up to dogs if you must. But please don't confuse a .22 with a real SD weapon just because it looks like one.

I don't think anyone here is under that illusion. I'm just waiting for the cornflake pee'ers to show up because the word "tactical" was used to describe a .22LR.

 

[G27RR]

You hear this all the time and it's implied that the Colt has no BHO so the bolt does not lock back on the last shot. It's true that the external BHO is cosmetic but there is an internal BHO that does lock the bolt back on the last shot. So the difference is you load the first round from a fresh magazine with the charging handle instead of slapping the BHO. No doubt Walther could have done a better job here but there is a functioning BHO.

The reason some people want the external one to work is so that the functionality of the controls is as close to an AR-15 as possible for training purposes and muscle memory that transfers directly to their centerfire rifle. It may or may not matter to different people. It mattered to me so I bought the Smith.

Thanks for clarifying about the internal hold.

 

[Quentin]

The reason some people want the external one to work is so that the functionality of the controls is as close to an AR-15 as possible for training purposes and muscle memory that transfers directly to their centerfire rifle. It may or may not matter to different people. It mattered to me so I bought the Smith.

Thanks for clarifying about the internal hold.

And that is an advantage of the S&W along with the 90 degree selector and genuine AR FCG. The Colt has its advantages too so I wish Colt or S&W had got a few more things right to make the selection easier. I guess at the $400 price point you can't expect everything but the main thing is they flat out work.

 

[isc]

another plus with a .22lr AR is that you can shoot them at indoor pistol ranges.