In general, and with good care, about how many rounds do you think a 15-22 can take before it'll need to be replaced?

I ask because some of us have built up a large supply of 22 so i got to wondering if the 15-22 can shoot say 20K rounds and still be usable.

While I have a 10-22 I only use that for dispatching squirrels. I only take my S&W to the range. I wouldn't think it would have issues, but 20k rounds is a lot for a barrel.

I've shot more than that through a model 62 Winchester, and it still looks new, but likely not as fast as you would through a semi-auto.

How fast you fire may make a difference. Considering that the .22 is not a high pressure round like a .223, it's going to be a bit before you wear it out.

The other likelihood may be components in the action rather than the barrel itself.

Lastly, ruining a crown from cleaning or handling is what happens to most .22's. Just be careful if using a steel rod or tip. The muzzle is protected from handling and bumping by the muzzle break, so cleaning will be the only way to get at it.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

Probably somewhere between 100k and 250k, if not more. I have never seen a worn out .22 LR barrel. The bullets are too soft to have any significant effect upon the rifling.

I have a match pistol with well over 60k through it and the rifling is still sharp and it will still put 10 rounds in the x-ring of the standard 25 yard slow fire target.

I hope to live long enough to wear one out

One way to think about barrel life (at least to bench rest guys) is not in terms of round count but amount of powder.

If you think about it small cartridge barrels have longer life spans than barrel burners such as 300RUM, 6.5x284 etc. There are exceptions but this usually proves true, more powder = more heat and pressure which is what kills barrels.

Now look at 22lr, which honestly have no powder by comparison and are very low pressure. Most mortals will never wear out a 22lr barrel.

Good to know. I guess I was thinking of barrel wear more from a 5.56 standpoint, but it makes sense that 22 rounds don't have nearly the same kind of wear on a barrel as its bigger cousins do.

All the more reason to shoot this rifle!

Mine can only handle one bullet at a time.

Rust and "momma time passing," if U see a M&P 15-22 : 250 years from now it will probably just be the barrel in pristine condition. And of course someone will make a lower for it.

I have a 15-22 with over 20k thru it. If any thing it appears to be holding tighter groups now then when it was new.

Or maybe I'm just getting better with it with all the practice....

It's good to know the barrel will hold up and provide years of entertainment. I was actually thinking of buying one to keep in storage, but it looks like there's no need.

Where were you gonna get one? My understanding is they are like impossible to get.

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FIDELITAS ET FORTITUDO

My lgs has lots of 15-22s in stock nowadays, but if you meant the S&W 15-22 AR pistol then yes, those are hard to find.

That means that my rifle will have a 6.5 year life span. I better start easing up on 'er.

I wouldn't be surprised if one went broke buying 22 ammo and the gun would still be fine

1 MILL-YUN ROUNDS!



But, you probably won't live that long anyway!

He was referring to spare barrels, I am sure.

I have two MOE not because I was concerned with wear but to outfit them with different accessories for different missions. :-) Fill er' up with Mobile 1 and start shooting.

Ha, I think you're right. I think if you're going to shoot enough rounds where you'd consider getting a barrel then it probably makes sense to get a complete rifle.

That, and I'm one of those who believes that a ban on "assault weapons" is a matter of when, not if. Who knows if you'll even be able to buy a 15-22 in a few years?

Yep. I thought the discussion was about barrels.

I want a spare. Not because I will wear one out but because if I had one, I'd get a stamp and make a SBR. That way, with a simple barrel change, I could go from standard rifle to SBR. I will not SBR my only 15-22 & would rather not buy another.

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For conversations sake does anyone know if S&W allows the purchase of just the barrel?

Yes, but not the ejector or the barrel extension/collar that hold the ejector in place on the barrel.

I would consider the Sig Sauer 522.....metal upper, replaceable barrels and choises, plus far and away much more accurate......best regards Plum

I agree with the majority...more rounds that you will shoot in a lifetime.

regards,

yashua

So this is my 2nd 15-22. I have a black sport, and kryptic sport. My new black one (month old) ive put over 85,000 through it already and not the slightest hint of wear. Stove pipes on occasion yes, but no wear, or any other issues. 1st day i put over 3000 through it... I shoot a lot, and love mine. Id say i shoot 4 to 5 days a week practicing with it, as i have another AR built similarly and like to stay in shape, without spending tons of money on shells for .556 .223 .308! My Kryptic has over 50,000 rds through it and ive never even had a stovepipe, and zero wear. Keep in mind i clean religiously, each and every time i shoot, or run the course! I cant speak for anyone else but i can say for certain on the two i have, that zero to minimal barrel wear, and ive really put my guns through it! Rate of fire has been anywhere from 1 shot per minute, to 7 mags in a minute. I have to give it to S&W on this gun they did a fantastic job, and i will continue to put between 100, and 1000 rnds a day avg on mine for a good while yet. Ill try to keep up with this post to let you know. The brass weight is at 37lbs right now strictly 22lr in spent casings over the last month. I really think its going to take a heck of a lot more to wear the barrel down. Now CCI stingers (high velocity) run the best through both guns, and are very accurate! However the Remington golden bullet runs good also. Very few stove pipes for a plinking round. Win super X does alright also. I think it would take at least 500k+ maybe a mil+ before you had to worry about it. Just keep her clean, use a bore snake and plastic brushes, instead of the metal. That will add a lot of life to your barrel. Ive not touched it with a wire brush yet, and she looks as good as the day i bought her! So just take care of her, guarantee she will wear you out, before you wear her out.

How many Licks to the center of a Tootsie Pop

85,000 rounds in a month?

You beat me to it

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Buy cheap, pay twice.

IF well cared for (routine cleaning/maintenance) & not overheated IMO the bbl will last longer than the plastic parts. A LONG time. Can't give you a #.

I'm betting there is an extra zero in there. He said he shot 4 to 5 days per week... let's go with 5, or 20 days a month.

85000 / 20 = 4,250 rounds per session

8500 /20 = 425 rounds per day, much more reasonable.

Agreed

I shoot an average of 600 rounds 3 times a week and do an annual average of 90k. (99% is 22lr)

My FedEx guy says I help him stay fit.

the research i have done,, yes i was asking myself the same question,,,, you will never wear out a 22 lr barrel in your life time unless you shoot 10000 rds a day,,, like it was said the bullet is very soft and low pressure and very little powder,,,,,, if i ever get rich,,, will never happen since i am 57,,, would like to try to burn out a 22 barrel

Iraqveteran8888, made a video a couple of years ago where they tried to ware out a 15-22 in full auto, I think the video is called AR 22 meltdown. They put over 2200 rounds through it in full auto but couldn't ware out the barrel, and they only had to stop because the gun was to dirty to run.

That is the 60 dollar question, if you go and target shoot or hunt - the 250k is a good answer. If you go and shoot it as fast as you can and reload two , three more mags and the barrel can fry a egg? You may get 10k thur it before you burn it out. I have a 40x made during WII and will stack them on top of each other all day. ITS ALL IN THE WAY YOU SHOOT

I have 2 of these puppies, tan and black. Why? Because I LIKE!



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I never clean the barrels of my .22s, either pistol or rifle. A bronze brush will ruin the seasoning of wax from the bullets that improves accuracy.

The only .22 I ever saw that had a ruined barrel was a very old Meridan that had been shot with corrosive ammo and had rusted. Wax on the bullets and modern primers/powders prevent bore rust.

Thread was started in 2013...

I doubt there’s many grandparents by now, but it is a bit out of date...

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