You can’t just turn a rifle into a pistol. If I understand the laws correctly, you can go pistol to rifle but once it’s a rifle you need to SBR it to go down to a pistol or shorter OAL.
You need to find a barrel that is specific to the 15-22. If your only option is a $300 replacement, I’d just buy a new 15-22. I have no idea on all the types of muzzle devices available, but maybe you can pin and weld a longer one to met the OAL requirements if you cut the existing barrel.
Thank you for your replies. I will bounce them off of my gunsmith(s).
I have attached two pictures that show the damage.
Okay, by popular demand, here is my "long story" about how my 15-22 barrel got trashed.
It involves admitting my stupidity, so this is hard for me. :-)
I was at an outdoor range with ~400 of my closest friends, shooting down into a quarry pit -- standing at a ~300-foot-long table, with hundreds of shooters on each side of me / no walls between us.
I had my 15-22 on a bipod, standing upright on the table, in front of me. I was shooting over it, with my S&W M&P 15 (pre-Sport).
I stopped shooting, to look at the targets, and lowered my rifle barrel ... finger still on trigger (!) ... accidental (negligent) discharge!! :-o
I knew I had done something stupid ... but I did NOT know that I had hit my 15-22 until I got home and was uncasing it. I said a bad word. Or two.
My mistake could have been very unfunny ... shrapnel could have struck me or the guys to either side of me. Painful lesson ... could have been wayyy more painful.
They make extended A2 flash hiders that will bring a 14.5” barrel to 16” (must pin and weld). If only the end of the barrel is damaged and cutting down to 14.7-14.5” would be enough removed then that would be a good option. Here is a link to one:
Anything is recoverable to a competent machinist.
They can bore the inside of the barrel to where it will clear the round.
Chase the threads and you're back in business.
long story,,,, ouch,,, just thank God no one got hurt,,,,, here is my short story,,,,, LOL,,,,,,, years ago i was at the gravel pit i shot at all the time,,,,was a fantastic place to shoot,,,,, 200% safe,,, any who,,,,,, i was setting up a deer rifle,,,,, 1 shot,,, clean,, light oil and cool,,, yes to make sure where the first shot went,,,,,, i was using 3 piece cleaning rods,,,,,, last shot i cleaned and lightly oiled barrel,,,, cooled,,, took shot,,, way off target,,,, noticed 2 holes in new target,,,,,, WTH,,,,,,, went down to target and checked it,,, went back to bench,,,,, 1 piece of the 3 piece rod was not there,,, must have come unscrewed and stayed in the barel and the bullet pushed it out,,,, after that i went to 1 piece rods,,,,, needless to say i wass shaking pretty good because it could have gotten very ugy