Evolution Handguard on my SBR 15-22

RedNeck Jim · Apr 4, 2015

Some folks wished to see an Evolution handguard on a 15-22, so since today is a great day for shooting, I took a few pics. Installing the handguard is a breeze and you need the Tacticool22 modified free float converter. The Evolution pictured below is the older style, that I was able to trade with Gopher Slayer in order to get. I have the new keymod version that I'm soon to put on my other 15-22. I will take pics of the process & add here later.

My Saker 762 came in this week, so I had to take the 300 Blackout down also. This picture demonstrates the terminology "BIG BROTHER".

My Blackout.

Both together.

Shooting suppressed doesn't even bother the horses. That is the beauty of a Blackout. It is louder than the suppressed 15-22... but not a whole lot.

The Evolution. On the 15-22, this is the best feeling rifle I have ever touched. Just awesome!

GhostMutt · Apr 4, 2015

Wow....simply wow, thanks for the pics

Rob1 · Apr 4, 2015

Both of those set ups do look rather tasty....

Thanks for the pics of my next project...

Rob

gks6419 · Apr 4, 2015

I see a truck payment, a years groceries and my wife relocating me

.

I wonder are those bad things?

Awesome, simply awesome!!

RedNeck Jim · Apr 4, 2015

Thanks. A lot of our lifestyle is due to my wife. She doesn't shoot but she wanted more room for the horses... so she found 20 acres out in the country. Last year she decided she wanted a pond, so who am I to complain. All that dirt has to go somewhere, so why not build a shooting berm with some of it? We both get what we want... even after 36 years.

I didn't take a good pic of the range, there is an older thread of me building it & the targets, but you can see the targets if you look hard.

BigWaylon · Apr 4, 2015

Looking good RNJ.

Gopher Slayer · Apr 5, 2015

Looks like fun.

The Evo and the 15-22 really are a perfect match.

I need to get me one of those charging handles for my 15-22. I put it off because the PT worked fine, but the raptor style handle doesn't require us left-handed shooters to push a lever while pulling the handle back. I got too used to just using the side of my knuckle on the AR platform and now the Plinker Tactical feels complicated.

RedNeck Jim · Apr 5, 2015

Yep, that is the Doomsday & those big ears really help old folks like me... especially when you shoot lefty with a magnifier.

gks6419 · Apr 5, 2015

Jim,

What is your barrel length, hand guard length?

RedNeck Jim · Apr 5, 2015

gks6419 said:
Jim,

What is your barrel length, hand guard length?

I have an 11" barrel. The Sparrow is 5", so that puts me right back to carbine length. That barrel length also allows me to shoot subsonics suppressed with no issues. I originally tried a 4.5" barrel, but had trouble resetting my trigger when shooting subsonics. That evolution is the 12" model.

Like I said, I like the carbine length, so even my Blackout is about the same. It has a 9" barrel but the Saker is 2" longer than the Sparrow.

gks6419 · Apr 5, 2015

Me like this!! Awesome Jim!!! That's a lot of pension checks.

roadkill45 · Apr 5, 2015

great set up! the only issue i have with mine is if you want to add or change the location of one of the rail pieces.....PITA!!!!!!!!!!!!! forceps, little tiny alien fingers to hold the back plate in place while you attempt several times, with several choice curse words to screw the bolt in! aside from that they are a great rail. i don't have the key mod, but it will be on my next build, very simple rail attachment system, wonder someone didn't think of that a long time ago

RedNeck Jim · Apr 5, 2015

roadkill45 said:
great set up! the only issue i have with mine is if you want to add or change the location of one of the rail pieces.....PITA!!!!!!!!!!!!! forceps, little tiny alien fingers to hold the back plate in place while you attempt several times, with several choice curse words to screw the bolt in! aside from that they are a great rail. i don't have the key mod, but it will be on my next build, very simple rail attachment system, wonder someone didn't think of that a long time ago

I like the looks of the old style better but as you say, the keymod, which they sell now, is much easier system to put on accessories.

RedNeck Jim · Apr 5, 2015

gks6419 said:
Me like this!! Awesome Jim!!! That's a lot of pension checks.

The great thing is you ain't gotta do it all at once. Just do one change at a time. That gives you plenty of time to do what is most important... SHOOT. Granted, it helps to have a home range. By reading here, one can figure out what next to add or change out.

Just this morning in Sunday School, after the lesson of course, a fellow & I were discussing him getting a 15-22. He was shocked when I told him how cheap they were, as opposed to an AR. I then said he would have to decide which enhancements were most important to him, and that would determine the sequence of the build. When he asked me, my thought was to buy the standard, threaded barrel model, not the MOE, and start with a suppressor. Yes, I really appreciate my CMC trigger & other goodies, but no accessory on this planet comes close to shooting suppressed.

little_airwolf · Apr 5, 2015

What is the price of an AR.
Norico and a few others are $600 Canadian. Most are in the 800-1200 price range.
However there are some fancy ones over 2K.
The 15-22 is $600+ here new. Used might be $450 if your lucky

RedNeck Jim · Apr 5, 2015

little_airwolf said:
What is the price of an AR.
Norico and a few others are $600 Canadian. Most are in the 800-1200 price range.
However there are some fancy ones over 2K.
The 15-22 is $600+ here new. Used might be $450 if your lucky

Assuming you don't build your own, I'd say a cheap AR would be double the price of a 15-22. I don't search for cheap ARs, so I'm no expert here. I know you can get a S&W M&P 15 Sport for say $700. A pretty basic Stag, which is what I shoot, would be around $900.

This would be a better question on the M&P 15 rifle forum.

Rangetime · Apr 6, 2015

On the cheap

RedNeck Jim said:
Assuming you don't build your own, I'd say a cheap AR would be double the price of a 15-22. I don't search for cheap ARs, so I'm no expert here. I know you can get a S&W M&P 15 Sport for say $700. A pretty basic Stag, which is what I shoot, would be around $900.

This would be a better question on the M&P 15 rifle forum.

Just built an AR. $430 ATI upper. $75 Aero lower (with transfer). $10 for the trigger guard. The upper is already assembled. If you can put parts on a 15-22 you can build one of these. Probably a little cheaper with a blem lower.Didn't mean to hijack the thread but I have a 15-22 with a lot of mods I learned about from this forum. I love mine and this forum is a great place to learn!

RedNeck Jim · Apr 6, 2015

Tonight I installed the new keymod version of the Evolution on my other 15-22. Warning, I'm no photographer & just used my iPhone.

Step one: Remove the barrel nut & quad rail. You will not need them anymore.

Step two: Gather together the Tacticool22 modified free float adapter (on the left) and a mil spec AR barrel nut. Screw them together as shown. I just do so rather firmly but not crazy tight.

Step three: Using an AR barrel nut wrench, thread this onto the barrel & tighten snugly. I believe you can thread the adapter onto the barrel first & then thread on the AR barrel nut. I do mine this way & it works fine. The way I see it, the final tightening will snug them both anyway.

Tighten until timed where a notch is dead center at the top. On an AR, the gas tube would run thru that notch.

Step four: Install the two thermal bushings onto the barrel nut. You will note one end of the bushings have partial holes on the end. They go on the bottom.

Step five: Tighten the two set screws on the bottom. As you tighten, verify the barrel is centered in the handguard. When tight, tighten the smaller set screw at the very bottom. With this setup, there is a small gap between the upper & the handguard. As you can see in the pic, the front takedown pin is what holds it back. Guess if you wanted to, you could dremel it back some, but it doesn't bother me. Note the anti-rotation tab up top. It protrudes on both sides of the upper receiver rail, to well... stop potential rotation.

Step six: Add your attachments & start shooting.

cjt50 · Apr 6, 2015

That came out nice and the gap between hand guard and upper is minimal, well done!

Gopher Slayer · Apr 6, 2015

Where did you find the Samson keymod bipod adapter?

I like the low-profile type that are basically just a sling stud. I'm using the IWC one now, but I'm not happy with it.

Evolution Handguard on my SBR 15-22

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