Advice on .22 Colt M4 style rifle

All things rimfire including target, benchrest, hunters, semi autos and plinkers.

Moderator: dromia

Message
Author
User avatar
snayperskaya
Past Supporter
Posts: 7234
Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 6:43 pm
Home club or Range: West Bank of the Volga.....
Location: West of The Urals
Contact:

Advice on .22 Colt M4 style rifle

#1 Post by snayperskaya »

I know this has been done to death and yes I've done a search but I am in uncharted waters here, at least for me......

My partner is very interested in taking up shooting and as many of you will know my rifles have a definite Russian leaning and are somewhat too long and heavy for her as she is a petite little thing and I am thinking of acquiring a .22 Colt M4 style rifle (as she likes the look of the M4 handguards) with a collapsible stock and preferably a 12"-ish barrel coupled with a red dot/magnifier combo.

Any recommendations from folks that have such a set up would be appreciated as well as an idea of what such a thing will cost, both used and new.For the red dot/magnifier combo am I looking at something like an Eotech or is there other options or would a ACOG type optic be better?.
"The only real power comes out of a long rifle." - Joseph Stalin

Give a man a gun and he can rob a bank.....give a man a bank and he can rob the world!.

More than a vested interest in 7.62x54r!
User avatar
andrew375
Posts: 206
Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2016 6:29 pm
Location: Nottingham
Contact:

Re: Advice on .22 Colt M4 style rifle

#2 Post by andrew375 »

Seems like the s&w m&p15-22 would fit your requirements perfectly. It is quite lightweight, having receiver parts made from high density plastic. Another plus is that, unlike most other. 22 ARs, all the controls work exactly like a real AR and it will accept most after market AR bits. I've had mine for nearly a decade and I put about 3000+ rounds through it per year without a problem. The sights I have are an (F)ACOG and a reflex unit on a 45 degree off-set mount. The mil-spec issue sights are very usable.
"Consciousness is a lie your brain tells you to make you think you know what you are doing." Professor Maria Goncalves.

If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. George Orwell.
User avatar
Dark Skies
Posts: 2824
Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:02 am
Home club or Range: NRA
Contact:

Re: Advice on .22 Colt M4 style rifle

#3 Post by Dark Skies »

The Southern Gun Co. V22 M4 is a well made, robust, and accurate take on the M4. There are quite a few on Guntrader at the moment.

https://www.guntrader.uk/Guns-For-Sale/ ... -9df7-84c5

https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/rifles/so ... 0154930003
"I don't like my job and I don't think I'm gonna go anymore."
strangesam
Posts: 198
Joined: Sat Jul 23, 2016 9:50 pm
Home club or Range: Invicta Bristol, Frome and District PC

Re: Advice on .22 Colt M4 style rifle

#4 Post by strangesam »

If light is your preference, then the S&W 15-22 sounds like the way forward, as mentioned before its controls are identical (and functioning) to an AR15 pattern firearm.

I would mention they (like all .22RF) can be ammo fussy, I tend to use CCI TacAR in mine as thats the most reliable i've found for competition in my gun, others use Geko or Eley.

For optics, I'm running a Vortex SparcAR and 3x Magnifier, which have worked well for a good few years.

You can also swap the trigger for any AR compatable trigger, but I recommend the anti - walk pins, as the 15-22 receiver is slightly wider than mil-spec.

Grips, stocks and other accessories are mostly compatible with AR15 parts (except pins, safety and fore end tube).
User avatar
snayperskaya
Past Supporter
Posts: 7234
Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 6:43 pm
Home club or Range: West Bank of the Volga.....
Location: West of The Urals
Contact:

Re: Advice on .22 Colt M4 style rifle

#5 Post by snayperskaya »

Dark Skies wrote: Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:41 pm The Southern Gun Co. V22 M4 is a well made, robust, and accurate take on the M4. There are quite a few on Guntrader at the moment.

https://www.guntrader.uk/Guns-For-Sale/ ... -9df7-84c5

https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/rifles/so ... 0154930003
I was looking at those earlier, will they take a .223 upper*?

*is that the correct term?, not clued up on these Capitalist rifles! lol
"The only real power comes out of a long rifle." - Joseph Stalin

Give a man a gun and he can rob a bank.....give a man a bank and he can rob the world!.

More than a vested interest in 7.62x54r!
User avatar
bradaz11
Sporadic Site Supporter
Posts: 4714
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 1:23 am
Home club or Range: The tunnel at Charmouth, BWSS
Location: Bristol
Contact:

Re: Advice on .22 Colt M4 style rifle

#6 Post by bradaz11 »

my mrs complains all my guns are too heavy for her. she is 5'3" so definitely what you'd call petite. a loaded rossi 92 is too heavy, a henry mares leg was too heavy. the humble 15/22 was just right as long as it wasn't too weighed down with bits. metal m4s are heavy, especially ones with 16" barrels and full length handguards. another rifle she found fun was a 10/22.

southern gun rifles will be the heaviest of all. they all tend to be built like their creator, with ample proportions and dense materials

kriss defiance rifles are nice if you are set on metal, but they do not accept fullbore uppers (unless you got an ar18 style maybe) as there is no opening for a buffer spring.

the tunnel range, who made the original 1911 TSC pistols, are now doing m4's, they are made here in the UK (not assembled from parts) and you can choose from a few lower designs. they may be worth looking at. (I am a member of the tunnel but I do not work for them) I have shot their 22magnum version a few times, and it's great fun, and love the look of the t2 lower. they don't mention a 22lr on the website, but I'm sure I've heard them talking about it.
https://www.t2rifles.co.uk/rifles
When guns are outlawed, only Outlaws will have guns
User avatar
Dellboy
Site Supporter 2021
Posts: 2614
Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 11:49 am
Home club or Range: Star Shooting Club
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: Advice on .22 Colt M4 style rifle

#7 Post by Dellboy »

The sig 522 is a good diffent option feels like a gun without being too heavy never had a complaint from anyone i sold ..
2020 GOOD DEALS WITH

Cutch Vortex Scope
Mauserbill Enfield Books


Enjoy today as tomorrow might not come .

Noli pati a scelestis opprimi.

002515
User avatar
20series
Site Supporter Since 2019
Posts: 4838
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 10:42 am
Home club or Range: Oundle R&PC
Location: Chelveston, Northants
Contact:

Re: Advice on .22 Colt M4 style rifle

#8 Post by 20series »

Smith is a good bet as they are light weight, my wife shoots ours with no problem.

Alan
A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools!!
Douglas Adams, 1952-2001 RIP
User avatar
Dark Skies
Posts: 2824
Joined: Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:02 am
Home club or Range: NRA
Contact:

Re: Advice on .22 Colt M4 style rifle

#9 Post by Dark Skies »

snayperskaya wrote: Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:24 pm
Dark Skies wrote: Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:41 pm The Southern Gun Co. V22 M4 is a well made, robust, and accurate take on the M4. There are quite a few on Guntrader at the moment.

https://www.guntrader.uk/Guns-For-Sale/ ... -9df7-84c5

https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/rifles/so ... 0154930003
I was looking at those earlier, will they take a .223 upper*?

*is that the correct term?, not clued up on these Capitalist rifles! lol
Whilst I never actually tried it when I had my V22 I believe my SGC Speedmaster upper would have been interchangeable. All the SGC V22s I've seen have had 223 in the serial number on the upper which further suggests that's likely.
"I don't like my job and I don't think I'm gonna go anymore."
Webley
Posts: 57
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 7:05 pm
Home club or Range: PSC, Bisley
Location: Bedfordshire
Contact:

Re: Advice on .22 Colt M4 style rifle

#10 Post by Webley »

The suggestion above of a S&W 15/22 is an excellent one as they are lighter than the metal ARs in .22lr, they are cheap and reliable typically. The S&W magazines are pretty much the best available for .22lr AR, Black dog mags are also very good. You can make the 15/22 even lighter with a carbon tube front end from someone like Magload, and they do many other upgrades for them. The trigger is not standard AR type unit, nor is the safety or charging handle, but there are aftermarket options specifically for them. Be very careful changing the pistol grip on these as the bolt goes in to the plastic lower and it can strip if you are over enthusiastic doing it up. The buffer tube that the stock is on is fixed to the lower I believe rather than a standard AR part which is changeable.
Be aware that quad rails (picatinny rails on top, both sides and underneath) are noticeably heavier than mlok (slotted) fore ends or the old school M4 plastic fore end. If you go full M4 clone with the carry handle being part of the upper, then mounting an ACOG to the handle is very easy. There are carry handles that attach to "flat top" ARs (those with picatinny from the charging handle to the front of the receiver rather than fixed carry handle). If you have the M4's "A" fore sight then you probably want a lower 1/3 mounting for the red dot (rather than co witness) so the dot is above the front blade as you can't fold it down out of the way. The blade is in the lower third of the red dot sight picture, hence the name.
For optics I run an Eotech in front of an ACOG. With the Eotech turned off I have the ACOG at x3.5 with fine BDC ret to use, Eotech turned on I have a magnified holo with big ring and dot. If you go for a normal magnifier some mounts allow you to remove the magnifier and half the mount so when you do not need it you can take it off to save weight.
I have a LANTAC Raven .22lr 16" which I am very happy with and you can buy uppers for .223 or 300 Blackout to swap out if you want to go that route. For new LANTAC Raven and LASF15's the wait can be long but they are available second hand.

Matt
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot] and 8 guests