H&K 416 22lr or S&W or SIG 522?

[MoxyDave]

I just checked out several .22lr rifles at the local gun store. I looked at the Sig 522, the S&W M&P 15-22 and the Colt. I have also been considering a dedicated upper. I'm interested in a fun plinker just to get a lot more trigger time since 5.56 is so expensive.

I can't find any reviews of the H&K, but it appears to be a Walther gun imported by Umarex, similar to the Colt. Supposedly they have worked out any problems they had with the Colt and applied it to this gun. I believe it uses the same mags as the Colt.

Everything I've read regarding the Sig is positive. It appears to be more reliable than the others. Several people claim to have shot 2000 rounds of various ammo without a single failure, which is mind-boggling for a .22lr.

The drawback is the Sig is not an AR-pattern rifle. I want a fun plinker but I'm not sure if I want to train with something with different controls.

How much of a problem would it be for me to train with the Sig most of the time, then train with a standard AR separately, far less often? Would this really be an issue or am I over-thinking it?

I don't have much training yet but I plan on getting in a lot more trigger time in the next year or so. I am working on my pistol skill first, then I will move to AR and shotgun.

Some things to consider:

The Colt & S&W mags have open channels in the center for the loading assist. They could get gunked up pretty easily.
The Sig uses Black Dog mags, which from what I can tell are the best .22lr mags available.
The Colt does not have a bolt hold-open feature.

Does anyone own the Sig 522? Can you give your thoughts?

Thanks a lot.

[TehLlama]

Colt one sucks.

I'd narrow it between the S&W and upcoming CMMG BHO units. The BlackDogMags are the bets ones out there, though the cheaper CMMG ones are a close second (the ones I have at least)

[Optimus Prime]

The only downside of the S&W is that it uses proprietary magazines. On the other hand, they're not that expensive of mags either, and they work well.

S&W's customer service is also great, from my experience, so no real worries there. (I experienced an out of battery det on mine, extractor blew out and was lost. S&W paid for shipping both ways, and not only fixed the extractor, but replaced some of the springs that had be changed over since I'd bought my rifle, and replaced the magazine I sent back with a new one (still not sure what's different about the "newer" mags, other than they have round count numbers) and even switched out the numbered baseplate on from my old mag so I didn't have to re-number it.)

[freebug]

If you guys are interested, I have a blog on my rifle and how to customize it. Not all parts are interchangeable with regular M4 parts.

http://hk416d22lr.blogspot.com/

[doubleactiononly]

I know that they are just as expensive as one of the complete rifles offered by Sig, S&W and Umarex, but Id say to go with a dedicated upper by one of the more well known companies. Not one of the conversion kits, but the .22lr uppers some of these guys have out now. My reasoning on that is it will have almost the exact same weight and can be completely configured just as your main 5.56 is, as time goes on and can afford to do it. Upgrade it with the exact same rail and what ever else you have on your primary. Which is something you cant do with the S&W as the rail is integrated as a type of monorail on the poly upper. And all of the controls including the bolt hold open will work. Thats what Im planning to do when I get the opportunity. I know its a tad bit more expensive for what it is, but I feel it would be the optimal solution for a plinking/training platform.

[GriffonSec]

I snagged the pistol version of the 416, and with a bit over 1k rounds, no issues with it other than ammo related (remmy golds). Even cycled CCI subsonics well. I read after the purchase the issues with the Umarex Colts, but I've yet to have any issue with the 416 as yet. Ran it dirty up to about 600 rds until cleaning became necessary for reliability, but a heavy shot of oil and started running great again. When I hit 1k, I did a thorough cleaning.

http://i624.photobucket.com/albums/tt323/griffonsec/416tk2.jpg

That said, if *I* were to do a .22 rifle.......I'd go with either a dedicated upper or a CMMG evo kit (bolt hold open) for full familiarity.

[freebug]

To build a dedicated 22lr would cost about $900. Unless of course you had a spare lower. For a plinker, this is a great option.

[MoxyDave]

Well I guess it's time for an update. I picked up both the Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 and the Sig 522.

The 15-22 makes a great trainer for AR-15 style weapons, having all the same controls and identical manual of arms. I have mine set up exactly like my go-to gun with a light and sling. The only appreciable differences are weight and recoil. My concern about the open magazine is so far unfounded, although I don't throw them in the dirt a a lot [:D]

I was naive to think the 522 would be a good in this role, however it's great on it's own.

Both are great plinkers and loads of fun to shoot, with good reliability. Your friends & family will love to shoot these rifles.

The 522 is the most reliable .22lr I have ever owned. It cycles anything and will go a thousand rounds between cleanings using good ammo. Mine has a cheap red dot on it and it's just a blast to shoot.

If you want to train for the AR, the S&W M&P 15-22 is a great tool. If you just want to have some fun at the range, either gun fits the bill. Pick up a Buck Mark or a Mark 3 and you'll have the .22lr trifecta of fun :P