What's the best Tactical 'Run & Gun' .22 rifle?

A

Addicted2Shooting

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I'm on the market for a 'tacticool', but practical .22 rifle that I intend to use for fun target and run & gun drills that will be more cost efficient than shooting all my .223 and 7.62x39 ammo.

I have ruled out conversion kits for my AR/AK/SKS platforms, as I would rather have a completey dedicated .22 rifle.

What I'm considering:
  • S&W M&P 15/22
  • Sig 522 (Swat: has quadrail)
  • GSG-522
  • Ruger 10/22 (Tactical: 16" barrel w/flash suppressor) w/nordic or archangel kit

I am really on the fence about all of these. I've watched reviews and read quite a bit about each setup. I definitely want dependability (which I know will be hit or miss out of rimfire ammunition). I also want hi capacity(at least 25rnd mags). I'm okay with some composite material, but I want to stay away from anything that would feel like a plastic airsoft gun. Price-wise, it looke likes any of these will run about $500.

Any recommendations, experiences, comments are welcome.

Thanks
 
Buddy picked up the S/W few weeks ago, has me sold on one.

Controls are truer to AR controls than on the other tactical .22s.

His reliability has been outstanding.
 
For the price of a S&W MP22 you can pick up a fully assembled AR lower and a fully assembled AR upper in .22LR. I like CMMG uppers for that.

That way you will have a "dedicated" tactical run and gun .22lr rifle but if necessary you can just swap out the upper for a 556 or other caliber upper and have a more serious rifle on your hands.

Oh and about the Ruger 10/22 with the Archangel kit etc. Its the same thing - for around the same amount of money you can get a dedicated AR in .22lr.

In fact for about the same amount of money as any of the guns you've listed you can get a REAL AR lower with a .22lr upper for a dedicated .22lr gun but have the flexibility of slapping on an upper in a more powerful upper for other uses.
 
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I used the Sig rifle in a competition. It was awesome. That gun ate everything and continued to work all day long without being cleaned.
 
Big Sig .22

I have a colt (sic) and a Sig. They both run just fine. The Sig is my favorite.
The Sig is the better experience. More like a section gun (heavy) compared to the M4-like colt.
 
Did some of you guys not even read the OP's post? He doesn't want an upper, he wants a completely different gun and I don't blame him, I'd go that route myself. I'll take 2 guns over one any day of the week. You conversion kit fanboys are getting as bad as the CZ rifle and S&W revolver guys.

As already said, controls are closest with the S&W. The Ruger 10/22 is a great tried and true platform yet it will not have much in common with the bigger brothers. Tough call between the 2 but I'd probably try the S&W cause I think tacticool 10/22's look cheesy.

LK
 
I have a M&P-15/22.

I have it set up almost identical to my "real" Colt 6920. (With much cheaper accessories though)

It works well and has the same controls as the AR. The only issue is that it is quite a bit lighter than an AR since is almost all plastic.

I do know that some trainers use them in shoot houses that don't allow full powered 5.56 rounds.

I haven't tried any of the others but I would lean towards getting something that closely mimics your "real" rifles if possible to get the biggest benefit of training iterations.
 
I have to be evil here...
I'm okay with some composite material, but I want to stay away from anything that would feel like a plastic airsoft gun. Price-wise, it looke likes any of these will run about $500.
Click to expand...

For most folks, any AR15 platform gun IS ALREADY an airsoft plastic toy...:D
 
I'd rule the Sig out.. because it feels like a finicky toy and leaves plenty of room for improvement in performance. I have heard nothing but great things about the GSG and the S&W. I would, however, still opt for the Ruger simply because it's the gun i've owned the longest and it's the gun I use for "run&gun" training as well. It has served me better than most the guns in my arsenal and I will likely not ever switch to another semi-auto 22 for a while.
 
Archangel also makes the Nomad, makes your 10/22 look like a G36. It's my personal favorite if you go that route.

However, If I were you I'd go for the M&P. While the Archangel looks nifty... It's still a 10/22, Doesn't break down easy, or have AR-like controls.
 
I have the GSG-522. I only put cheap bulk through it, and have had zero problems. Also, AIM has it for about $310. It doesn't seem to have the cheap plastic feel either.
 
The S&W 15-22 is very similar to the full sized platforms. Disassembles and functions much the same. Have had mine for several years and it is a great gun to shoot. Highly recommend it.
 
If you're looking at the GSG-522, I'd take a look at the HK/Umarex MP5 .22. It's somewhat more expensive than the GSG-522, but it offers superior fit and finish, and seems to be better-made. There are fewer reports of problems than with the GSG, but to be fair it is newer and hasn't been on the market as long.
 
I really appreciate everyone's comments thus far...I'm hearing a lot of what I'm wanting to hear, and a lot of things that make me second guess myself.

At this point, I'm really looking more towards the M&P 15-22 MOE. It looks like I can snag one and 3 additional mags for right under $600 in hand.

I had the chance to hold the Sig 522 the other day, and while it does feel to have decent weight and trigger, I'm not sure I care much for the design being that I typically use the AR 5.56 platform. Additionally, a friend of mine has the GSG-5 and while it too had a good heavy duty feel and no FTF/FTE, I think I'm leaning more towards the AR style to mimic what I've already got. I really like the proven design of the ruger and the various non-proprietary mags that both the ruger and sig can accept (something the M&P lacks).

I've been getting an earful lately from the lady friend about me buying 'another gun'. She just doesn't understand that all my guns serve different purposes and that this one will be more economical in the long run :D

Please continue to throw out more suggestions/experiences.

I'm planning to make a trip to the gun shop on Saturday and pull the trigger on something :cool:
 
At this point, I'm really looking more towards the M&P 15-22 MOE. It looks like I can snag one and 3 additional mags for right under $600 in hand.
Click to expand...

Good choice, but your price seems kind of high, unless you are in a really high sales tax state.

Around here the M&P is going for $450 or less. But I don't remember if it was the MOE version or not.

Mags are less than $20 each. I have bought several from here: http://www.44mag.com/category/smith_and_wesson
 
Have you considered a Remington 597?as long as it's kept clean it will be a good gun. Savage makes some cheaper semi-auto .22s also. I have a regular 597 with a 10 round mag and it's fun. Came with a red dot too. You can get a more expensive version (about $600) that has an AR like stock, 30 round mag, and a bore barrel. The 30 round mags are supposed to be troublesome and the aftermarket 25 round mags have some problems too.
 
I would say the ruger 10/22. I bought the archangel kit for mine and it's a fun little plinker. for the money you spend I would say it's the best bang for your buck. you could also look into the ruger SR22 rifle which is basically the 10/22 tactical with rugers proprietary AR style stock on it already without having to mess with the the arcangel or nordic headache.
 
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