CMMG .22LR uppers, questions in regards to some parts and ammo.

Kimio · November 6, 2012, 08:52 AM

Was window shopping at looking at a CMMG .22LR upper with a 20" barrel.

Looking at some possible upgrades to go along with it, I noticed it said that for $72 and some change I could add a forward assist and a stainless steel bolt and coller.

What exactly does having a stainless steel bolt and coller do? Forgive my ignorance but the only thing that comes to mind is ease of maintenance, the .22LR isn't exactly known for being a clean firing round and in regards to that, I was wondering what I can expect out of one of these uppers. Do they have any particular types of ammunition they like? I know this varies from gun to gun, but I know some, like my GSG 1911 in .22LR, it prefers CCI Mini mags, or something equivilent to them.

djcantr · November 6, 2012, 10:31 AM

I don't have any input on that specific upper, but would like to comment on ammo. Federal Auto Match has run very well in all of my .22 LR guns, including a dedicated .22 LR AR. I've gotten <.4" groups from it at 50 yards through a bolt gun. Haven't tried shooting groups with it through any of my other .22 LR guns. It's $13.47 for 325 rounds at Walmart. It's 4.1 cents a round versus 3.6 cents for Federal 550 count bulk packs so it's still quite cheap. I love it so much I have 15 boxes of it stockpiled. I buy a couple every time I go shopping at Walmart.

Fishbed77 · November 7, 2012, 03:30 PM

Quote:

What exactly does having a stainless steel bolt and coller do? Forgive my ignorance but the only thing that comes to mind is ease of maintenance, the .22LR isn't exactly known for being a clean firing round and in regards to that, I was wondering what I can expect out of one of these uppers.

Ease of cleaning is the only benefit. The smoother stainless finish is easier to clean off than the very matte black oxide finish on the standard bolt & collar. It's not worth the extra money for the upgrades in my opinion, if you clean your rifle often and don't let gunk build up forever.

I highly recommend the CMMG .22LR dedicated uppers. Mine is a 16" CMMG WASP upper (on a PSA lower) that has the stainless collar with the standard bolt. It's a very accurate and reliable rifle. I would also recommend the 16" barrel length over 20" (unless you just really want the look of a rifle-length AR), since the .22LR doesn't gain anything in a 20" barrel over 16".

Here is a link to my experience with the CMMG upper:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthrea...ight=cmmg+wasp

In terms of ammo, I've shot Federal bulk copper plated HV HP, Federal HV Gameshok, Federal American Eagle 40 gr solid nose, and CCI "AR Tactical" ammo through it with no problems whatsover.

Kimio · November 7, 2012, 03:58 PM

Thank you for the reply Fishbed77. My current AR15 setup has a 20" barrel, and I'd like to keep it the same.

I'll probably have to wait until my tax return comes before I can afford to get one, but it will pay it's worth in gold in terms of the savings on ammunition I believe.

Fishbed77 · November 7, 2012, 05:26 PM

Quote:

I'll probably have to wait until my tax return comes before I can afford to get one, but it will pay it's worth in gold in terms of the savings on ammunition I believe.

Without a doubt. It's interesting that the price of the CMMG uppers has inflated by about $100 in the last year. When I started looking at them, they ran right around $300, and by the time I got mine, they were $370.

Now they all seem to be right at the $400 mark. Even so, the ammo cost savings easily make up for it.

tdawg · November 7, 2012, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishbed77

Without a doubt. It's interesting that the price of the CMMG uppers has inflated by about $100 in the last year. When I started looking at them, they ran right around $300, and by the time I got mine, they were $370.

Now they all seem to be right at the $400 mark. Even so, the ammo cost savings easily make up for it.

Not to detail this thread, but does anybody have an opinion on the cmmg .22lr conversion kits? I've seen them online (I think at palmettostatearmory.com) for about $150 or so. Just a bolt carrier group and 25 round mag.

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Fishbed77 · November 7, 2012, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Not to detail this thread, but does anybody have an opinion on the cmmg .22lr conversion kits? I've seen them online (I think at palmettostatearmory.com) for about $150 or so. Just a bolt carrier group and 25 round mag.

In my opinion, you are better off saving the extra $200 to get the full upper.

The conversion kits work OK, but accuracy is just so-so (due to the faster twists on most 5.56mm barrels), and you have to fire about 20 rounds or so of 5.56mm or .223 when you are done shooting .22LR to blow out the debris that will accumulate in your gas tube from shooting .22LR (the dedicated uppers have no gas tube).

nikdfish · November 7, 2012, 06:19 PM

Mine has worked fine, but you need to keep twist rate in mind when choosing ammo. The faster twist of a typical AR compared to a. 22 LR makes lighter (shorter) projectiles less desirable. My 1/9 barrel doesn't like anything under 40 grains. The 60 grain Aquila SSS works really well for me.

Nick

Eghad · November 7, 2012, 06:54 PM

Stainless steel - yes

working forward assist - save your money

get a dedicated .22LR upper.

tdawg · November 7, 2012, 07:37 PM

Excellent. Thanks for the info; looks like I'll save up for a dedicated upper if I decide to go that route.

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Exibar · November 7, 2012, 09:57 PM

I have a dedicated CMMG upper 1 in 16 twist .22lr and I love it. I have it on a Stag arms lower, with DPMS LPK installed.

It's one of the few rifles that have the exact dimensions of a 5.56 M4, yet shoots .22lr... I bought it so my BoyScout troop could use it instead of th eold blot actions they're used to...

The foward assist you'll never use for a .22lr, unless you really want it, I'd save my money. I could picture if you has a .22 jammed in the chamber that maybe the forward assist could potentially set off the round if it jammed at a bit of an angle... not a good thing :-(

Mike B

Scoro · November 8, 2012, 04:17 AM

@ Fishbed77
Good report, thanks.
I agree and my experience with the CMMG SS Kit is the same. Very reliable, easy to clean, good precision.
I have both barrels and decided for the 20".
I don´t use any special ammo. Standard bulk rounds from CCI work fine. For a better ignition I tuned the firing pin. I use a a softer spring, grinded down the firing pin head at the inside and drilled a little bit at the collar.
But, my "dream" semi auto .22 dedicated upper (was) is a "Super Match".
Why? Because life is too short to spend hours and hours for 60 prone in an English Match. Now I´m ready in less than 20 minutes. - And with a good score.
I took a barrel from an older small bore bolt rifle, a Bentz finishing reamer, a barrel extension adapter and some parts for the sights.
Voilà!

November 6, 2012, 08:52 AM	#1
Kimio Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,171	CMMG .22LR uppers, questions in regards to some parts and ammo. Was window shopping at looking at a CMMG .22LR upper with a 20" barrel. Looking at some possible upgrades to go along with it, I noticed it said that for $72 and some change I could add a forward assist and a stainless steel bolt and coller. What exactly does having a stainless steel bolt and coller do? Forgive my ignorance but the only thing that comes to mind is ease of maintenance, the .22LR isn't exactly known for being a clean firing round and in regards to that, I was wondering what I can expect out of one of these uppers. Do they have any particular types of ammunition they like? I know this varies from gun to gun, but I know some, like my GSG 1911 in .22LR, it prefers CCI Mini mags, or something equivilent to them.

November 7, 2012, 06:54 PM	#9
Eghad Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 6,231	Stainless steel - yes working forward assist - save your money get a dedicated .22LR upper. __________________ Have a nice day at the range NRA Life Member

November 6, 2012, 10:31 AM	#2
djcantr Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2012 Posts: 215	I don't have any input on that specific upper, but would like to comment on ammo. Federal Auto Match has run very well in all of my .22 LR guns, including a dedicated .22 LR AR. I've gotten <.4" groups from it at 50 yards through a bolt gun. Haven't tried shooting groups with it through any of my other .22 LR guns. It's $13.47 for 325 rounds at Walmart. It's 4.1 cents a round versus 3.6 cents for Federal 550 count bulk packs so it's still quite cheap. I love it so much I have 15 boxes of it stockpiled. I buy a couple every time I go shopping at Walmart.

November 7, 2012, 03:58 PM	#4
Kimio Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2011 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,171	Thank you for the reply Fishbed77. My current AR15 setup has a 20" barrel, and I'd like to keep it the same. I'll probably have to wait until my tax return comes before I can afford to get one, but it will pay it's worth in gold in terms of the savings on ammunition I believe.

November 7, 2012, 06:19 PM	#8
nikdfish Member Join Date: August 17, 2007 Posts: 97	Mine has worked fine, but you need to keep twist rate in mind when choosing ammo. The faster twist of a typical AR compared to a. 22 LR makes lighter (shorter) projectiles less desirable. My 1/9 barrel doesn't like anything under 40 grains. The 60 grain Aquila SSS works really well for me. Nick

November 7, 2012, 07:37 PM	#10
tdawg Member Join Date: February 18, 2012 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 46	Excellent. Thanks for the info; looks like I'll save up for a dedicated upper if I decide to go that route. Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

November 7, 2012, 09:57 PM	#11
Exibar Member Join Date: November 4, 2012 Posts: 26	I have a dedicated CMMG upper 1 in 16 twist .22lr and I love it. I have it on a Stag arms lower, with DPMS LPK installed. It's one of the few rifles that have the exact dimensions of a 5.56 M4, yet shoots .22lr... I bought it so my BoyScout troop could use it instead of th eold blot actions they're used to... The foward assist you'll never use for a .22lr, unless you really want it, I'd save my money. I could picture if you has a .22 jammed in the chamber that maybe the forward assist could potentially set off the round if it jammed at a bit of an angle... not a good thing :-( Mike B

November 8, 2012, 04:17 AM	#12
Scoro Junior Member Join Date: November 7, 2012 Posts: 2	@ Fishbed77 Good report, thanks. I agree and my experience with the CMMG SS Kit is the same. Very reliable, easy to clean, good precision. I have both barrels and decided for the 20". I don´t use any special ammo. Standard bulk rounds from CCI work fine. For a better ignition I tuned the firing pin. I use a a softer spring, grinded down the firing pin head at the inside and drilled a little bit at the collar. But, my "dream" semi auto .22 dedicated upper (was) is a "Super Match". Why? Because life is too short to spend hours and hours for 60 prone in an English Match. Now I´m ready in less than 20 minutes. - And with a good score. I took a barrel from an older small bore bolt rifle, a Bentz finishing reamer, a barrel extension adapter and some parts for the sights. Voilà!