#epl-1

The Cheap 22 Madness Update~ (Now with a new paint job!)

I really love this AR. It always find itself in one of my rifle bags ready to go whenever I hit the indoor or outdoor range. Besides the 22LR conversion kit and barrel, it was relatively cheap to build as it inherited a lot of spare AR parts and a cheap eBay handguard.

This past weekend, I was bored and threw on my spare PSA OD green M4 stock from Build 1. Curious to see how it would look with other OD green furniture, I visited my local ACE Hardware and picked up a can of Krylon olive Camouflage spray paint. Gave the parts a good wash with laundry detergent, dried it thoroughly, and sprayed away. The color is a bit flat and lighter compared to the OD green stock from PSA. But I’m very satisfied by the new look.

The Pistol Build~

- Upper: 10.5" Aero Precision Barrel, YHM gas block folding front sight & rear sight, Primary Arms Micro Red dot, Strike Industries Mitch handguard, AR Charging Handle & J-Comp FH, PSA Blem Stripped Upper with logo, and AIMS NiB BCG.

- Lower: 80% Lower painted with VHT engine block paint job (Flat black), KNS Zombie Green Mod 2 Pins, PSA classic LPK, Strike Industries Trigger Guard, Umbrella Corp. Grip 23 with cut Hogue grip sleeve, Thordsen Customs Standard Buffer tube Cover with MFT stock saddle.

Truly, this is my most proudest build. This was my first time doing an 80% lower (The cuts aren't perfect but seems functional; I will shoot it soon). I've been in budget thanks to the Memorial Day sales and sniping items last minute on eBay auctions. The only items I paid full price for were the Strike Industries parts (And they are decently priced already!) and the Thordsen Customs Standard Buffer Tube (fits excellent).

After shooting it now for a couple of weeks, I finally got the Cheap 22 Madness to where I want it. You will first notice it now has a S&W M&P-22 magazine. With the Better-Mag adapter, the bolt holds open every time the magazine is finished. Also, these magazines are so much easier to load compared to the stock CMMG magazines. 

I have shot a variety of 22LR brands: American Eagle, Remington, Federal Walmart value pack/Federal Automatch. I won't lie, there were a couple of stovepipes; But infrequent.    

The other week, I stopped by my local gun shop and picked up an ATI Omni Polymer Lower for $34.00 (not including tax/DROS). Now I know many reviewed it questioning its durability and longevity. But for my application and the price, I wanted to try it out. And so behold, my newly assembled dedicated 22LR AR-15.

The Cheap 22 Madness~

-ATI Omni Polymer lower: PSA LPK (Round Hammer), MFT grip, Seeking Blue Magazine Release, & a Cheap eBay Buffer Tube with a leftover PSA M4 Stock.

-Leftover PSA Blem upper: Custom .44 Magnum Forward Assist Plug, CMMG 16" dedicated 22LR Adapter/Barrel, CMMG Polymer Charging Handle, CMMG "Bravo" Conversion Kit, CMMG Bolt Open Adapter, Magpul F/R MBUS, Omega Tactical 12" FF Handguard & YHM 5C2 FH.

First thoughts: I'm very pleased on how it turned out. The only complaint is the Bolt Open Adapter. It seems to works when it wants to even after adjustments. I may switch to the Better-Mag adapter and run S&W M&P 22-15 mags. I'm also waiting for my dust cover to come in.

Conclusion: I'm using a lot of spare parts from other builds. And in my opinion, for the money spent to create this dedicated 22LR AR-15 is more worth it than buying a ready to run 22LR AR-15.