22LR AR Upper Build

[JDove]

My search for a 22 LR Conversion for my AR's has now turned into a complete upper build.

Complete Upper Receiver Assembly from Rguns. Matches the anodized FDE Colt ARs I have... well close enough anyway, could end up having 20 different shades of FDE like a SCAR.

CMMG 22LR Stainless Bolt Group
CMMG 16" 22lr 1:16 M4 Profile Barrel (or maybe the 20")
Delta Ring Kit
Barrel Nut
Handguard, probably Magpul MOE
A2 Flash Hider w/ crush washer
F Marked FSB w/ taper pins

Did I miss anything, my first receiver build so it should be fun.

 

[hdatontodo]

Which magazine will you use with that?

 

[JDove]

Which magazine will you use with that?

Same Black Dog Mags I have for my 522's.

 

[Echo]

From what I know but you should research more first. If you already have the cmmg .22 colt carrier group for an upper, all you need is this chamber adapter to put the bcg in a 5.56 AR-15 upper.

I think I may have misunderstood. This is a shopping list?

 

[JDove]

From what I know but you should research more first. If you already have the cmmg .22 colt carrier group for an upper, all you need is this chamber adapter to put the bcg in a 5.56 AR-15 upper.

I think I may have misunderstood. This is a shopping list?

That is the conversion part to adapt to a 5.56 barrel. I'm have a new upper receiver and a CMMG 22LR barrel. That part is not needed. And yes a shopping list of sorts. Wont need gas tube either since it is blowback and the CMMG 22LR barrels lack gas port anyway.

 

[MDGolom]

From what I know but you should research more first. If you already have the cmmg .22 colt carrier group for an upper, all you need is this chamber adapter to put the bcg in a 5.56 AR-15 upper.

I think I may have misunderstood. This is a shopping list?

When I was looking for the .22LR conversion, I spoke with a number of IPs and none of them recommended using a conversion. All recommended a dedicated upper since the conversion bolts tend to be problematic. I went with a dedicated .22LR pistol upper with a 6" barrel. It's really easy to build since you don't have to mess with a gas system.

Once minor annoyance is the bolt doesn't go back far enough to lock back when the magazine is empty. Trying to manually lock it back won't work either. CMMG does sell an adapter that might do the trick.

 

[JDove]

When I was looking for the .22LR conversion, I spoke with a number of IPs and none of them recommended using a conversion. All recommended a dedicated upper since the conversion bolts tend to be problematic. I went with a dedicated .22LR pistol upper with a 6" barrel. It's really easy to build since you don't have to mess with a gas system.

Once minor annoyance is the bolt doesn't go back far enough to lock back when the magazine is empty. Trying to manually lock it back won't work either. CMMG does sell an adapter that might do the trick.

Yeah they have some sort of BHO device you can install.

 

[hdatontodo]

How much do you think your upper will cost?

 

[JDove]

How much do you think your upper will cost?

Not as cheap as buying it complete but I don't really have much choice. Everybody is out of stock with the 22lr complete uppers and I can't/refuse to pay for 5.56mm these days. The 22lr alone will save me money . Depends on what you have laying around as well. If you have a 22 Conversion Kit, you can use the bolt group and replace the chamber adapter with a new barrel collar. I also remembered I had a Yankee Hill Machine Front Flip Sight Tower that I never used.

Complete Upper Receiver Assembly $99
CMMG 16" Barrel with collar $169
CMMG Bolt Group Stainless $229
Windham Weaponry A2 Flash Hider for AR15 / M16 $6.95
Windham Weaponry Crush Washer for A2 Flash Hider 2.95
Windham Weaponry Delta Ring Kit for AR15 / M16 $10.95
Windham Weaponry A2 Flash Hider for AR15 / M16 $6.95
Windham Weaponry Barrel Nut for AR15 / M16 $7.95
Magpul Moe FDE Handguard $27.95

Total for me is about $560

 

[hdatontodo]

For $600 including CONUS shipping, would you like to buy my unfired 22LR Side Charge Upper with a magazine?

I would keep my polymer lower and scope and sell the full upper in this picture

 

[JDove]

For $600 including CONUS shipping, would you like to buy my unfired 22LR Side Charge Upper with a magazine?

I would keep my polymer lower and scope and sell the full upper in this picture

Already got my parts.

 

[Flipz]

You're gonna love it. I put mine together around a CMMG SS EVO bolt with dedicated SS collar. Had an arfcom member custom make a 4.5" 22lr barrel for me. I use Black Dog mags and have had no issues. It runs 100% (minus the occasional dud every now and then). It sounds great suppressed and the 4.5" barrel keeps bulk pack stuff subsonic. Comes with me everytime I go to the range. It definitely wasn't cheap, but its exactly what I wanted.

 

[JDove]

You're gonna love it. I put mine together around a CMMG SS EVO bolt with dedicated SS collar. Had an arfcom member custom make a 4.5" 22lr barrel for me. I use Black Dog mags and have had no issues. It runs 100% (minus the occasional dud every now and then). It sounds great suppressed and the 4.5" barrel keeps bulk pack stuff subsonic. Comes with me everytime I go to the range. It definitely wasn't cheap, but its exactly what I wanted.

Yeah that's a nice setup. I saw the 6.5" barrels they make on their website. If AR lowers ever return to a reasonable price I might build an SBR. My 522 10" SBR and Gemtech suppressor should be good to go by end of May or June I hope.

 

[Flipz]

Yeah that's a nice setup. I saw the 6.5" barrels they make on their website. If AR lowers ever return to a reasonable price I might build an SBR. My 522 10" SBR and Gemtech suppressor should be good to go by end of May or June I hope.

The price on lowers is ridiculous. Happy I got mine before the craziness. The lower in the pic is actually from my 9mm SBR. I just take out the magblock when using the 22lr upper. I have another lower that I've sent in a Form1 on. It'll be used for the 22lr upper and a 10.5" 5.56 upper.

Oh, and the barrel on my 22lr upper was made specifically for suppressed shooting. The short length keeps bulk pack subsonic and its actually threaded with Sparrow threads to engage the O-ring in my SS Sparrow. No adapter was used. For being so short its actually really accurate. The barrel maker did an unbelievable job.

That 522 SBR is sweet!

 

[photoracer]

.22 conversions are not that bad actually. I have a stainless CMMG conversion kit ($197 from SPG w/3 mags) with a total of 5 mags right now. I have never had an issue at all. I use CCI-Tactical exclusively, same as in my S&W AR15-22s. I put the CMMG in my Stag 3g and shot it in the Pennsylvania State Steel Challenge and finished 2nd in Carbine Open. On the 2nd day of the Ruger Rimfire World Championship I switched from one of my AR15-22s to my lightweight AR (FA lower and DPMS carbine upper)w/CMMG and pulled out another top 23 finish overall, plus outshot the new world champ John Allchin in the Wounded Warrier rifle sidematch with the same setup.
With the price of ammo I am using the CMMG in my Stag 3G for 3-gun practice this year.

 

[JDove]

.22 conversions are not that bad actually. I have a stainless CMMG conversion kit ($197 from SPG w/3 mags) with a total of 5 mags right now. I have never had an issue at all. I use CCI-Tactical exclusively, same as in my S&W AR15-22s. I put the CMMG in my Stag 3g and shot it in the Pennsylvania State Steel Challenge and finished 2nd in Carbine Open. On the 2nd day of the Ruger Rimfire World Championship I switched from one of my AR15-22s to my lightweight AR (FA lower and DPMS carbine upper)w/CMMG and pulled out another top 23 finish overall, plus outshot the new world champ John Allchin in the Wounded Warrier rifle sidematch with the same setup.
With the price of ammo I am using the CMMG in my Stag 3G for 3-gun practice this year.

I wish they were that cheap now. Like everything else, they have become harder to find. What twist is the barrel on the STAG and DPMS? My ARs (6920/6940) are 1:7s, most people are having better luck with accuracy are using 1:9s. That's why I went with a full 22lr upper, the CMMG barrels are 1:16.

 

[JDove]

RGUNs receiver finally came today after ordering on Jan 21. Seems pretty nice and mates with Colt lower without any play. Color is pretty close to the Colt factory Anodized FDE on lower.

I shot it with another spare upper receiver because I got impatient waiting for this one. The CMMG conversion works great with dedicated barrel. Shooting steel is lots of fun, hitting 8" and 12" at 80-100yds is quite easy. Didn't have a chance to test for groups. Next time I will now that I have completed it as originally intended.

22LR Upper on top, original 6920 Upper is on bottom.

 

[Flipz]

Nicely done JDove. Color match looks great!

What mags are you using? I've used both CMMG and BDM mags and have no complaints.

 

[JDove]

Nicely done JDove. Color match looks great!

What mags are you using? I've used both CMMG and BDM mags and have no complaints.

Both BDM and CMMG. Have a bunch of BDMs from my 522s. One of the CMMGs had some tabs that needed to be filed down in order to fully seat in my lower. Worked fine though last weekend when I tried them. Like that I can share mags between them.