Dedicated .22lr upper

[Merc1138]

There's two kinds of 22lr uppers that I found when looking for mine -

CMMG/Spikes/Tac-sol are aluminum uppers with extended deflectors and chamber adaptors. Pretty much the same components as a .223 upper with the custom bolt carrier/chamber adapter/forward assist.

I'm not sure about the component costs here, but I imagine it isn't too different from a 223/556 upper - you still have the same upper receiver, barrel, bolt costs as well as the chamber adapter. That's why I justified paying $500 for a complete upper, which is about the same price I paid for my BCM 556 upper.

The ATI/Omni are polymer receivers with metal barrels. They're significantly cheaper but they have worse reviews, so I avoided them.

You could always build your own 22lr upper and just get the chamber adapter and BCG from CMMG or Spikes.

You could even build a dedicated .22lr upper. Part of the "problem" is that they're priced at what the market is willing to accept. You're not just paying for materials and labor obviously(it's not like people are making this stuff for the sake of charity).

If people quit paying $400-500 for dedicated .22lr uppers, whatever the current market rate is for conversion kits, and what the individual parts are to build your own .22lr upper then yeah... prices might come down(not gonna happen).

[wavelengthsf]

You could even build a dedicated .22lr upper. Part of the "problem" is that they're priced at what the market is willing to accept. You're not just paying for materials and labor obviously(it's not like people are making this stuff for the sake of charity).

If people quit paying $400-500 for dedicated .22lr uppers, whatever the current market rate is for conversion kits, and what the individual parts are to build your own .22lr upper then yeah... prices might come down(not gonna happen).

Since I'm a new shooter, I am likely part of the problem and have never knew what prices were before Obama's re-election/Aurora/Newtown caused things to go haywire.

How much did dedicated uppers used to cost? $300? $200?

[shadow65]

Quality .22 uppers have always been $375-$500, depending on options.

$200-$300 will get you junk unless you run across a screaming deal on a used one.

The uppers use the same parts as a 5.56 minus the BCG, and the bcg's cost is about the same. So, there can't be that much of a cost difference. And I don't see many 5.56's going for $200-$300.
Dave N

[Merc1138]

Since I'm a new shooter, I am likely part of the problem and have never knew what prices were before Obama's re-election/Aurora/Newtown caused things to go haywire.

How much did dedicated uppers used to cost? $300? $200?

Nope, you're not part of any problem(there's a reason why I put problem in quotes). Like shadow65 said, the prices have actually been pretty stable for .22lr uppers. Naturally you could end up paying a buttload more depending on the options you include, but if you were to put a $300 handguard on anything, it'll drive the cost up. Can't really include sights/optic in the cost either, since you'd need those on any AR upper(so being .22lr isn't relevant).

Your post above about component costs being similar is pretty much correct. Really other than the BCG being different, the only other major difference is a lack of gas port and gas tube.

[G21Shooter]

I'm not sure about the component costs here, but I imagine it isn't too different from a 223/556 upper - you still have the same upper receiver, barrel, bolt costs as well as the chamber adapter. That's why I justified paying $500 for a complete upper, which is about the same price I paid for my BCM 556 upper.

Exactly. CMMG .22 lr uppers use the same forged uppers as most 5.56 uppers, .22 lr barrels probably are not too much cheaper to produce than 5.56 barrels. They are not/nor do they need to be HP/MPI tested, so that should cut the cost a little. The .22 lr bolt carrier units are not any cheaper than 5.56 BCGs to buy/produce.

$500 is not really a bad price for a CMMG .22 lr upper, at all. It is what it is, many AR components are costly to produce and that cost has to be passed on to the consumer.

[kkp]

I'm not sure about the component costs here, but I imagine it isn't too different from a 223/556 upper - you still have the same upper receiver, barrel, bolt costs as well as the chamber adapter. That's why I justified paying $500 for a complete upper, which is about the same price I paid for my BCM 556 upper.

That's a good point. Very little difference from a regular (5.56) upper, in terms of components, so I guess it does make sense that it would be similarly priced. Although I do see screaming deals occasionally for sub-$500 uppers (5.56, see PSA's daily deals that come through here and there).

I guess it just feels wrong to pay $500 for half a gun, compared to ~$200 or less for the entire rifle (for Ruger 10/22, Marlin, Savage, etc), even though it kinda makes sense.

[Merc1138]

So stop thinking about it like buying half a gun. If you already have an AR, you're buying an accessory that lets to practice/train that pays for itself within 2 boxes of ammo(considering the current cost of .556). Trigger time is trigger time, and someone that can put 1000 rounds of .22lr over the course of a couple months(and that's really not even a lot of shooting) most likely has a better handle on how to operate their AR than probably the bulk of owners who wouldn't put 1000 rounds of 5.56 down range over a year.

[nephrodoc]

I am going to set up a 10/22 with some tech sights. Around $330 for a plinker. But then, I am a cheap, and I also do not care if it does not look tactical.

[navin r]

I'm joining the 22AR bandwagon; I ordered a Taccom 22 barreled upper last week and jailed a lower at Turners. Yes; overall it's more expensive than buying a Ruger, etc.; but as others have said when it's all done I'll have a spare lower for my ARs, the safety, charging handle, etc. will be the same as my ARs and I'll probably wind up shooting quite a bit more w/ the reduced 22lr ammo price.

[shadow65]

I started working with manufacturers of the .22 AR uppers when I was still on the PD.
Reason they came about so strongly was the cost of ammo for PD training.
I worked on 2 smaller departments. Ammo cost for training just wasn't in the budget. Hence the AR .22.
I started with Spikes, then CMMG, DPMS, and now TACCOM.

The AR .22 uppers was developed for L.E. and Military training. It quickly caught on with the public.
That's why you saw CMMG develope the forward assist and BHOA in an attempt to duplicate the duty weapon functions.
Most L.E. rifle training is done inside 50 yards. The AR .22 was more than sufficient for this purpose.
The .22 upper could be set up just like the duty weapon. Since it used the existing lower, trigger and controls were already familiar.

CMMG was responsible for making the system reliable in my opinion.

Now it just keeps getting better.

TACCOM came out with the Ultra Light Weight uppers yielding a complete sub 4 lb. rifle which has good accuracy.

Lots has changed, improved, took a step back, and is moving forward again in the AR .22 upper world.
Dave N

[bellwilliam]

How are the .22 upper vs .22 BCG ? .22 BCG is 1/2 the price but are they decently accurate ? Or reliable ?

[shadow65]

Depending on barrel and ammo combination, a drop in kit will give you 2-3" at 50 yards.
A dedicated upper will give you 1"-1.5" at 50 yards.
Dave N

[The War Wagon]

TacSol for the win.

I got the A2 upper - mine's been slightly modified...

[Tom-ADC]

Nothing special a Spikes ST-22 upper on a NFA lower PSA LPK. Looks identical to my .223/5.56 AR is on a Spikes lower.

[Merc1138]

How are the .22 upper vs .22 BCG ? .22 BCG is 1/2 the price but are they decently accurate ? Or reliable ?

More appropriate rate of twist, some dedicated .22lr uppers use a different bolt system than the kits, and some people simply prefer something where the optic follows the upper and needs no adjustment back and forth between .22lr and 5.56.