AR based rimfire match rifle

[55fairlane]

So after my less stellar performance at the National Matches in rimfire sporter I decided to remodel my rifle. When the National Matches got canceled last year I kinda put this poor rifle back in the safe and for got about it. Fast forward to this winter when I purchased an Anschutz rear sight and the remodel was underway.
So this is a cheap chiappa arms m4-22 upper , with the barrel and bolt slid into an Anderson sport upper, with a gun show found hand gaurd. The rifle is accurate and fun to shoot.
The lower is Anderson with a rock river arms lower parts kit and trigger.
With the factory front sight and a "found" carry handle, the rifle shot good , but not good enough.
So with anschutz sight in hand a picatinny rail to dove tail adapter was needed, and a little machine work was needed for the screws to clear the adapter. Its very handy to have a Bridgeport in the garage.. Ok rear sight mounted.
Front sight.....hhhmmmmm trade some WW2 brass for an RPA match rifle sight , out to garage and fire up the south bend to make a bloop tube. Some aluminum tube and presto instant bloop tube.
A quick trip to the range, some SK yellow box ammo, sight in went fast.
Before &after pictures, plus build pics....what ya think?

 

[Knotwild]

That rifle is classy. I am sure you will be enjoying it in it's new format. Thanks for posting that.

 

[kzin]

Nice job and cool rifle but...

Seems like a lot of work to compete against 6x scopes at a disadvantage?

 

[55fairlane]

Nice job and cool rifle but...

Seems like a lot of work to compete against 6x scopes at a disadvantage?

My full sized match rifle has non optical match sights on and I feel I am no disadvantage to guts & gals running optics. So that being said I feel no disadvantage in this either. Even with the first configuration I still shot well and scored high then about 90% of the optics scores I saw, so this should work out well.
A sighter target I shot this weekend (shot it way to fast ) and my match rifle & s very nice slow prone i fired last year with it

 

[tovaert]

To be competitive in T or Tactical class at Perry you have to put up a 590+ score depending on the wind/weather. IMHO you need cleans in prone and sitting, with high X count. Then you're in pretty good shape going into offhand. Are you using a post for a front sight? If you are using a conventional iris front sight, it could be a problem (depending on the size range adjustability), since the size of the aiming black does not change going from 50 to 25 yards.

 

[55fairlane]

To be competitive in T or Tactical class at Perry you have to put up a 590+ score depending on the wind/weather. IMHO you need cleans in prone and sitting, with high X count. Then you're in pretty good shape going into offhand. Are you using a post for a front sight? If you are using a conventional iris front sight, it could be a problem (depending on the size range adjustability), since the size of the aiming black does not change going from 50 to 25 yards.

I agree that T or TAC class can be tough on competitors. I shot a 540 (using the carry handle & post sights) . Not bad for a guy with a half sighted in rifle and only practicing once before the National Matches.
I have shot a few practice matches in the 580ish . I do have an iris in my front sight and it seems to adjust just fine .
I am going to shoot a practice match at least once a week (as a warm up to high power on Thursday nights)
See you at Perry ?

 

[tovaert]

I agree that T or TAC class can be tough on competitors. I shot a 540 (using the carry handle & post sights) . Not bad for a guy with a half sighted in rifle and only practicing once before the National Matches.
I have shot a few practice matches in the 580ish . I do have an iris in my front sight and it seems to adjust just fine .
I am going to shoot a practice match at least once a week (as a warm up to high power on Thursday nights)
See you at Perry ?

Yes hopefully. I was 3rd overall in O-class and 18th in T-class in 2019, but was not happy overall with my scores. I like shooting RS as a change from HP, so I designed/built a rifle that can be fired in O and T class, as a winter project a few years ago. It has a set of silhouette pistol sights (30" sight radius). It's a little different (shooting with a rear leaf sight). Ruger 10/22 receiver/stock, GM barrel, Hornet trigger, and Weaver rimfire scope (for T-class). It's very accurate w/SK Standard Plus ammo.

 

[akajun]

Here’s one I built before we could use scopes in HP
Cmmg bolt green mountain blank I chambered in 22 bentz
Old red field sights
It loved wolf match target

 

[kzin]

Yes hopefully. I was 3rd overall in O-class and 18th in T-class in 2019, but was not happy overall with my scores. I like shooting RS as a change from HP, so I designed/built a rifle that can be fired in O and T class, as a winter project a few years ago. It has a set of silhouette pistol sights (30" sight radius). It's a little different (shooting with a rear leaf sight). Ruger 10/22 receiver/stock, GM barrel, Hornet trigger, and Weaver rimfire scope (for T-class). It's very accurate w/SK Standard Plus ammo.

I was wondering if there was good reason not to move the rear sight back while staying "open".
Are special setups dominating the top level of O-class now?

 

[tovaert]

I was wondering if there was good reason not to move the rear sight back while staying "open".
Are special setups dominating the top level of O-class now?

No...mostly CZ bolt rifles (I had a 452 Trainer but sold it). I just wanted to design a long sight radius into an inexpensive semi-auto rifle. It makes the rapids a little nicer.

 

[jeffery163]

So after my less stellar performance at the National Matches in rimfire sporter I decided to remodel my rifle. When the National Matches got canceled last year I kinda put this poor rifle back in the safe and for got about it. Fast forward to this winter when I purchased an Anschutz rear sight and the remodel was underway.
So this is a cheap chiappa arms m4-22 upper , with the barrel and bolt slid into an Anderson sport upper, with a gun show found hand gaurd. The rifle is accurate and fun to shoot.
The lower is Anderson with a rock river arms lower parts kit and trigger.
With the factory front sight and a "found" carry handle, the rifle shot good , but not good enough.
So with anschutz sight in hand a picatinny rail to dove tail adapter was needed, and a little machine work was needed for the screws to clear the adapter. Its very handy to have a Bridgeport in the garage.. Ok rear sight mounted.
Front sight.....hhhmmmmm trade some WW2 brass for an RPA match rifle sight , out to garage and fire up the south bend to make a bloop tube. Some aluminum tube and presto instant bloop tube.
A quick trip to the range, some SK yellow box ammo, sight in went fast.
Before &after pictures, plus build pics....what ya think?

Nice rifle

 

[55fairlane]

View attachment 1252815
Here’s one I built before we could use scopes in HP
Cmmg bolt green mountain blank I chambered in 22 bentz
Old red field sights
It loved wolf match target

Oh that's very nice. I would be proud to shoot that any day of the week!

 

[55fairlane]

Nice rifle

Thank you !

 

[kzin]

Did you struggle with weight?
I have a similar appearing Model 1 upper.
Unless I cut every corner possible it wants to go over 7.5# with a 4.5x or 6x scope.

 

[55fairlane]

Did you struggle with weight?
I have a similar appearing Model 1 upper.
Unless I cut every corner possible it wants to go over 7.5# with a 4.5x or 6x scope.

No my rifle came in under weight.... the barrel is pencil thin, the only weight saving thing I did was turn a "buffer" with a small radius on (used to push against the bolt carrier group) I made this out of delrin ...light weight but strong plastic

 

[erik72]

The community of those of us that like AR22s is small. And those of us that like them with "match-style" sights is even smaller I bet. I went down this path a while ago and ended up with this. They are Lyman Target Sights on Lipski bases. It's a 20" CMMG barrel & BCG. I have the bore-buddy anti-bounce weight and the Redi-Mag adapter to make use of the last round bolt hold open function offered by using S&W M&P 22 Mags. It does have a RRA Varmint 2-stage trigger. I shoot this to practice offhand so I'm not expecting "vudoo-level" accuracy. The target sights make a very nice sight picture and this thing is a joy to shoot.

 

[55fairlane]

The community of those of us that like AR22s is small. And those of us that like them with "match-style" sights is even smaller I bet. I went down this path a while ago and ended up with this. They are Lyman Target Sights on Lipski bases. It's a 20" CMMG barrel & BCG. I have the bore-buddy anti-bounce weight and the Redi-Mag adapter to make use of the last round bolt hold open function offered by using S&W M&P 22 Mags. It does have a RRA Varmint 2-stage trigger. I shoot this to practice offhand so I'm not expecting "vudoo-level" accuracy. The target sights make a very nice sight picture and this thing is a joy to shoot.
View attachment 1254333

Very nice rifle! Yes the AR22 community is small , I have RRA two stage trigger in mine as well. This rifle is just a hoot to shoot! Runs ring on SK ammo .
For "voodoo" level accuracy i have an Anschutz
I go to my gun club and shoot prone at 50 yards and out shoot the guys sitting at the bench shooting big optics AR-15......

 

[flatlander]

When I was still in the hunt for leg points in the 1990s, my poor offhand shooting was a big disadvantage, so I bought a complete dedicated 22RF service rifle upper from Compass Lake Engineering. That upper featured a surplus military M261 conversion unit that Frank White had modified by cutting the steel chamber insert off, and machined a standard 22RF boltface in its place, mated to a SS Douglas match grade bbl with something similar to a Bentz chamber. It was very accurate, out-shooting my Anschutz 1611 prone rifle in slow prone at 100yds. with Wolf Match Extra (the older Wolf, made by SK in Germany). I sold this upper to a good friend after legging out - it helped him also, as he legged-out not long after buying that upper from me.

I got to missing having a really accurate AR22 a couple of years ago, and so ordered another 20" Douglas SS in SR contour & modified M261 conversion unit from CLE, which I assembled in an Aero Precision stripped upper that was ordered without the forward assist. I used an Aero Precision 15" handguard, and a Weaver 20 MOA sloped rail, with a Weaver 3-15x42 Super Slam scope in TPS TSR rings. Though I've been a fan of the RRA 2-stage NM trigger, they don't work well with the CLE upper unit, so I went with a base Geissele BG-E trigger. It's a fine shooter with the conversion unit insert magazines that fit into a GI 20rd mag. I wanted to use Black Dog 10rd mags, but they're built to resemble a 30rd mag, and are much too long to shoot prone or off a bench. They also had some feeding issues, even after I modified them slightly as recommended on another forum. One of the attractions of these Black Dog mags was the hold open after last shot. If they were made in the same shape & size as a 5.56 20rd mag, I'd work with them to see if I could get more reliable feeding.

 

[erik72]

I got to missing having a really accurate AR22 a couple of years ago, and so ordered another 20" Douglas SS in SR contour & modified M261 conversion unit from CLE

Nice!

 

[kzin]

When I was still in the hunt for leg points in the 1990s, my poor offhand shooting was a big disadvantage, so I bought a complete dedicated 22RF service rifle upper from Compass Lake Engineering. That upper featured a surplus military M261 conversion unit that Frank White had modified by cutting the steel chamber insert off, and machined a standard 22RF boltface in its place, mated to a SS Douglas match grade bbl with something similar to a Bentz chamber. It was very accurate, out-shooting my Anschutz 1611 prone rifle in slow prone at 100yds. with Wolf Match Extra (the older Wolf, made by SK in Germany). I sold this upper to a good friend after legging out - it helped him also, as he legged-out not long after buying that upper from me.

I got to missing having a really accurate AR22 a couple of years ago, and so ordered another 20" Douglas SS in SR contour & modified M261 conversion unit from CLE, which I assembled in an Aero Precision stripped upper that was ordered without the forward assist. I used an Aero Precision 15" handguard, and a Weaver 20 MOA sloped rail, with a Weaver 3-15x42 Super Slam scope in TPS TSR rings. Though I've been a fan of the RRA 2-stage NM trigger, they don't work well with the CLE upper unit, so I went with a base Geissele BG-E trigger. It's a fine shooter with the conversion unit insert magazines that fit into a GI 20rd mag. I wanted to use Black Dog 10rd mags, but they're built to resemble a 30rd mag, and are much too long to shoot prone or off a bench. They also had some feeding issues, even after I modified them slightly as recommended on another forum. One of the attractions of these Black Dog mags was the hold open after last shot. If they were made in the same shape & size as a 5.56 20rd mag, I'd work with them to see if I could get more reliable feeding.

Black Dog mags do come in a 20 round size.

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