Ammo: What does the 15-22 like?

[Grayfox]

I recently bought a used 15-22. I've only had it to the range once with an odd assortment of the ammo I had on hand. While most of it worked ok, none was completely reliable. Failure to fire, failure to feed, failure to eject, poor accuracy, etc varied from one type to another. I'm well aware that .22s can be finicky. But just to save myself the time and cost, tell me what your 15-22s like. Is there any specific ammo that is completely reliable and accurate? Tell me what works for you.

 

[Kp321]

Since the rifle is used, it probably needs a thorough cleaning paying special attention to the chamber. I shoot my 15-22 weekly and clean it after each shooting session. I brush the chamber with a 25 cal brush every time and hit the chamber with a 800 grit Flexhone about every 1000 rounds. It runs 100% with CCI SV.
Another thing to check is the ejector which is easily bent out of alignment, also easily bent back in place. It needs to be as close as possible, without rubbing, to the bottom of the bolt and to the middle rib on the bottom of the bolt. If these fixes don’t produce 100% reliability, a new extractor might be needed, Volquartsen being the product of choice.

 

[minconrevo]

Kp321 has some good points. The 15-22 is highly dependent on its magazine and how it is loaded. Once I went to the McFadden Machine loading tool the "how it was loaded" problem went away. The factory mags do not have the life one might expect, even with regular tear-down cleaning. All the above said, mine runs fine with Aguila Super Extra, which is not known for burning super clean.

 

[bamashooter]

99.9% of the time I use CCI AR Tactical 22 LR. Never an issue through 1,000s of rounds. Clean and consistent with excellent accuracy. I've been using it for 8 years.

 

[Kp321]

To continue with my previous post about ejector adjustment, I took a couple of pictures to illustrate.

 

[bedwards]

I've not had any problems with any ammo I've fed mine. My son's was a lot more picky.

 

[Koldunya]

To continue with my previous post about ejector adjustment, I took a couple of pictures to illustrate.

I'll add that when I swapped to a Volquartsen barrel, their ejector is shaped different and seems a lot better on how the brass is tossed out. I do have their bolt/extractor, too.

speaking of, since it came up, they have a blem bolt assembly for $122 vs $175 (oof, it was $154 when I got mine, iirc, only a couple months ago)

Competition Bolt for the M&P 15-22 | Volquartsen Firearms

volquartsen.com

To the OP: when mine was stock it still ate more or less any .22LR I fed it. Aguila, CCI Semi-Auto, some other CCI I forget, some cheap Winchester and Federal Champion 36gr jhp.

 

[bigslimm]

I have very good performance with Aguila Interceptor 40 gr 1470 fps copper, and CCI MiniMag 36 gr 1250 fps copper.
Like mentioned above, especially being used, and 22 rimfire, cleaniness is very important; the cleaner it is, the better it is. Applies to magazines as well. Specifically to your points:

• FTFire - More associated with ammo type/quality.
• FTFeed / FTE - As mentioned very likely associated with faulty ejector. Very common with the 15-22. I had same issue. Also as mentioned particularly for FTE and stovepiping, the 15-22 mag can be tempermental. It has be loaded JUST right, and mag should be maintained to promote smooth operation.
• Chronic poor accuracy - Discounting operator skill... Can be number/combination of factors; usually more associated with condition of chamber and barrel; to a lesser degree, ammo quality.

 

[baldrick]

I recently bought a used 15-22. I've only had it to the range once with an odd assortment of the ammo I had on hand. While most of it worked ok, none was completely reliable. Failure to fire, failure to feed, failure to eject, poor accuracy, etc varied from one type to another. I'm well aware that .22s can be finicky. But just to save myself the time and cost, tell me what your 15-22s like. Is there any specific ammo that is completely reliable and accurate? Tell me what works for you.

I’ve owned 2 x 15-22 now, never had too much of an issue except with eley as they’re extremely greasy, usually use coco minimag but cci subs also feed flawlessly

 

[VaTom]

I bought my 15-22 shortly after they first came out. Never had any problems mentioned in OP post. Loading the magazines properly is important using the loading assist button loading one bullet at a time then release (don’t pull button all the way down and just drop bullets in.) Bullets should be staggered in it. I clean mine after every range trip. Not picky about ammo but CCI Mini Mag 40 grain round nose is the most accurate at fifty yards. Use a plastic or wooden pick to ensure bolt face is clean around the circular crevice. I also use the 10 round magazines instead of the 25 round as I shoot mine with a bipod. Have a Nikon P-22 scope with BDC reticle mounted. Great scope but Nikon does not make rifle scopes any longer.

 

[PowderMeasure]

Good points about cleaning and looking at the extractor. You may want to get new mags, if the ones that came with it are old, as they do wear.

I put a Volquartsen extractor and firing pin (It is beefier), and since I use it in competition, I run CCI MINI Mags, usually the high velocity ones. So, segmented hollow point, target, etc. Anything over 1200 fps.

Look for videos on loading the mags. I had found one and after doing so, I didn't have any problems with feeding (the rounds need to alternate left, right, left, ... if two are on the same side you may have issues.

The McFadden loaders are great. I use them now, and they ensure that the rounds are loaded well.

The last thing, number label your mags. That way, if you find problems, you can see if it tracks to the magazine.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Mine eats anything I put in it........Factory stock condition.

 

[VaTom]

An additional bit of information. If it is an early model 15-22 there was a recall concerning the face of the bolt (depth) on some. S&W sent owners a small flat gauging tool (like a feeler gauge for auto points) to check the face depth to ensure it was in spec. Certainly it wouldn’t have any thing to do with feeding, ejecting or accuracy problems but could effect failure to fire. Worth Google searching or searching the forum to read about it.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

Must be a fortunate one...? Can't recall any (of the many) specific brand with repetitive problems like those described in the OP's post in mine. Only 22lr rifle I have that is less likely to have a problem of ANY kind is a Winchester Model 61.

Over a decade maybe a couple dozen actual failure to fires (with most initial examples ultimately firing when given a 2nd chance). These were very few and far between: I would say definitely typically older lead RN with bullets you could spin within the cases with your fingers!

I have had excellent results with a case of Augila Super Extra HPs I bought years ago when 22lr could be found under $0.05 delivered. Heard their new 2025 version is supposed to be even better?

And MiniMags are always hard to beat IMHO!

Cheers!