My club is about to instigate a .22 event combining pistol and semi auto rifle. It is hoped to build enough interest to eventually run a 2 day event annually.
In my safe I have one .22 semi, an Armscore built Stirling M16. Built on the M20 action it has a cheap pistol grip stock, a piece of bent tin for a rear peep sight and protective wings either side of the front sight. It uses the M20 magazine with a “box” pinned around it. I have one mag but did have several M20 mags which while clumsy work and a couple of the “boxes”. The whole thing cost me abou $100 20 years ago and is worth nothing now, especially as I think I threw the extra mags away in a cleanup some time ago.
Today I checked online for some extra mags. I can’t get the “box” M16 mags but M20 ones are available for NZ $100 each.
Now I’m looking at a new .22 semi to compete. The S&W M&P 15-22 is the favourite amongthose intending to shoot this event, but in this country, in order to comply with our “sporting rifle” legislation,there is a 3/8” steel rod running from the base of the pistol grip back to the to top of the shoulder bar of the stock. This feels strange to me, and 10 round magazines are all that is available.
I can get a couple of 25 round mags when I am in the US in October and have it put on my semi-auto endorsment (I will also need to get a permit to import the mags but that is pretty easy and painless. The cost of the M&P is NZ$1250and to me it feels a little bit “plasticy”. I have nothing about plastic stocks. I like shooting my issue M4 and my Mini 14 has a plastic pistol grip stock on it currently, but this feels just a little cheap to me.
Other shooters are building Ruger 10/22’s for the match. I can get a blues/laminate stock Ruger (2nd hand) for NZ $400. When I’m in the US I can pick up a pistol grip stock (under NZ$100) and some 25 round mags NZ$25 (retailing here for N$120 each). Again I will need to register the rifle on my license and get a permit to import the atoxk The sights on the Ruger are not as ideal as on the M&P but usable.
Option 3 is an Armscore built Webley & Scott X22, a copy of the Ruger 10/22. All 10/22 stocks, magazines and after market accessories will fit. It has a synthetic stock that is soft and feels nice to me. I could use this stock in competition and I will not need to modify it to a pistol grip one. I’ll also not need a permit to import the magazines as they will be for use in a bolt action “77/22” therefore not subject to our semi auto legislation. The only downside is the rifle comes without sights of any description but does have a picany rail over the receiver.
I’m not sure of the sight requirements for the event. I suspect it will either be open/peep or red dot sights for both firearms (my Browning Buckmark has open sights so my rifle will probably need to fit that category too). My LGS tells me they can get a rear sight to fit on the rail and the end of the muzzle is threaded for a suppressor with a ring to protect the threads. I can have a front sight silver soldered to the ring but it will be pretty tall. And the X22 has a
much nicer trigger than the Ruger.
Right now, despite what I perceive as drawbacks I am tending to favour the M&P. Yea, it is the current “flavour of the month” and the most expensive, but it will be competitive out of the box as long as I can get the magazines.
Financially, given I will only shoot this rifle a few times a year, I am tendin*btowards the Webley & Scott. But ...........
Any thoughts/opinions?