The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

I know this has been done to death and yes I've done a search but I am in uncharted waters here, at least for me......

My partner is very interested in taking up shooting and as many of you will know my rifles have a definite Russian leaning and are somewhat too long and heavy for her as she is a petite little thing and I am thinking of acquiring a .22 Colt M4 style rifle (as she likes the look of the M4 handguards) with a collapsible stock and preferably a 12"-ish barrel coupled with a red dot/magnifier combo.

Any recommendations from folks that have such a set up would be appreciated as well as an idea of what such a thing will cost, both used and new.For the red dot/magnifier combo am I looking at something like an Eotech or is there other options or would a ACOG type optic be better?.

Seems like the s&w m&p15-22 would fit your requirements perfectly. It is quite lightweight, having receiver parts made from high density plastic. Another plus is that, unlike most other. 22 ARs, all the controls work exactly like a real AR and it will accept most after market AR bits. I've had mine for nearly a decade and I put about 3000+ rounds through it per year without a problem. The sights I have are an (F)ACOG and a reflex unit on a 45 degree off-set mount. The mil-spec issue sights are very usable.

The Southern Gun Co. V22 M4 is a well made, robust, and accurate take on the M4. There are quite a few on Guntrader at the moment.

https://www.guntrader.uk/Guns-For-Sale/ ... -9df7-84c5

https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/rifles/so ... 0154930003

If light is your preference, then the S&W 15-22 sounds like the way forward, as mentioned before its controls are identical (and functioning) to an AR15 pattern firearm.

I would mention they (like all .22RF) can be ammo fussy, I tend to use CCI TacAR in mine as thats the most reliable i've found for competition in my gun, others use Geko or Eley.

For optics, I'm running a Vortex SparcAR and 3x Magnifier, which have worked well for a good few years.

You can also swap the trigger for any AR compatable trigger, but I recommend the anti - walk pins, as the 15-22 receiver is slightly wider than mil-spec.

Grips, stocks and other accessories are mostly compatible with AR15 parts (except pins, safety and fore end tube).

Dark Skies wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:41 pm The Southern Gun Co. V22 M4 is a well made, robust, and accurate take on the M4. There are quite a few on Guntrader at the moment.

https://www.guntrader.uk/Guns-For-Sale/ ... -9df7-84c5

https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/rifles/so ... 0154930003

I was looking at those earlier, will they take a .223 upper*?

*is that the correct term?, not clued up on these Capitalist rifles!

my mrs complains all my guns are too heavy for her. she is 5'3" so definitely what you'd call petite. a loaded rossi 92 is too heavy, a henry mares leg was too heavy. the humble 15/22 was just right as long as it wasn't too weighed down with bits. metal m4s are heavy, especially ones with 16" barrels and full length handguards. another rifle she found fun was a 10/22.

southern gun rifles will be the heaviest of all. they all tend to be built like their creator, with ample proportions and dense materials

kriss defiance rifles are nice if you are set on metal, but they do not accept fullbore uppers (unless you got an ar18 style maybe) as there is no opening for a buffer spring.

the tunnel range, who made the original 1911 TSC pistols, are now doing m4's, they are made here in the UK (not assembled from parts) and you can choose from a few lower designs. they may be worth looking at. (I am a member of the tunnel but I do not work for them) I have shot their 22magnum version a few times, and it's great fun, and love the look of the t2 lower. they don't mention a 22lr on the website, but I'm sure I've heard them talking about it.
https://www.t2rifles.co.uk/rifles

The sig 522 is a good diffent option feels like a gun without being too heavy never had a complaint from anyone i sold ..

Smith is a good bet as they are light weight, my wife shoots ours with no problem.

Alan

snayperskaya wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 7:24 pm

Dark Skies wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:41 pm The Southern Gun Co. V22 M4 is a well made, robust, and accurate take on the M4. There are quite a few on Guntrader at the moment.

https://www.guntrader.uk/Guns-For-Sale/ ... -9df7-84c5

https://www.guntrader.uk/guns/rifles/so ... 0154930003

I was looking at those earlier, will they take a .223 upper*?

*is that the correct term?, not clued up on these Capitalist rifles!

Whilst I never actually tried it when I had my V22 I believe my SGC Speedmaster upper would have been interchangeable. All the SGC V22s I've seen have had 223 in the serial number on the upper which further suggests that's likely.

The suggestion above of a S&W 15/22 is an excellent one as they are lighter than the metal ARs in .22lr, they are cheap and reliable typically. The S&W magazines are pretty much the best available for .22lr AR, Black dog mags are also very good. You can make the 15/22 even lighter with a carbon tube front end from someone like Magload, and they do many other upgrades for them. The trigger is not standard AR type unit, nor is the safety or charging handle, but there are aftermarket options specifically for them. Be very careful changing the pistol grip on these as the bolt goes in to the plastic lower and it can strip if you are over enthusiastic doing it up. The buffer tube that the stock is on is fixed to the lower I believe rather than a standard AR part which is changeable.
Be aware that quad rails (picatinny rails on top, both sides and underneath) are noticeably heavier than mlok (slotted) fore ends or the old school M4 plastic fore end. If you go full M4 clone with the carry handle being part of the upper, then mounting an ACOG to the handle is very easy. There are carry handles that attach to "flat top" ARs (those with picatinny from the charging handle to the front of the receiver rather than fixed carry handle). If you have the M4's "A" fore sight then you probably want a lower 1/3 mounting for the red dot (rather than co witness) so the dot is above the front blade as you can't fold it down out of the way. The blade is in the lower third of the red dot sight picture, hence the name.
For optics I run an Eotech in front of an ACOG. With the Eotech turned off I have the ACOG at x3.5 with fine BDC ret to use, Eotech turned on I have a magnified holo with big ring and dot. If you go for a normal magnifier some mounts allow you to remove the magnifier and half the mount so when you do not need it you can take it off to save weight.
I have a LANTAC Raven .22lr 16" which I am very happy with and you can buy uppers for .223 or 300 Blackout to swap out if you want to go that route. For new LANTAC Raven and LASF15's the wait can be long but they are available second hand.

Matt