Anyone have experience with both? What are your thoughts?
Unfortunately, I do. Every time I see a thread like this, I feel morally obligated to respond. If you visit other forums, you might have seen my pictures and my story. There has to be a Umarex sales team out there that wants to murder me. My posts and pictures on the Umarex Colt M4 used to show up in Google searches. I am hated by Umarex Colt M4 owners that don't like being presented with cold hard truth.
^Proof that I owned one with a fake can. God I hate admitting to owning this piece of poop.
It's (Colt) made of metal and could pass for an assault rifle if pointed at an unwanted intruder. I also think Colt stamp on the side might increase the resale value.
The metal and heavy feel of the Colt M4 Ops is reassuring. The Colt prancing pony roll mark implies quality. When had to choose between the Colt or the S&W, I chose the Colt because of this.
Well, these two aspects of the Colt M4 Ops is the equivalent of putting nice dressing on a poop.
First and foremost, Colt licensed their name to Umarex. Umarex is a second-rate air-gun company that expanded into firearms with .22lr's. The licensing started with the Colt name, then expanded to the H&K name.
The first indication of something being wrong is the action itself. The bolt is captured in a proprietary action. The instructions state that removal of the bolt for cleaning is not necessary, ever. Well you can't take the bolt out during a normal field strip. Anyone who shoots .22lr can attest to the amazing amount of fouling that builds up in the bolt and action.
Then comes the list:
- Grip is proprietary, not compatible with standard AR grips.
- Buttstock & simulated buffer tube is proprietary. Not compatible with standard AR accessories.
- The bolt release paddle is for looks only. It's not even affixed to the lower.
- The upper & action are proprietary.
- The lower is proprietary.
- The trigger is a proprietary captured unit, not compatible with standard AR triggers.
- The dust cover is decorative and always open.
- It has a pencil thin barrel.
Since it is not possible to remove the bolt from the upper, cleaning is accomplished from muzzle to breech. Umarex posted videos of their technician pulling a flexible rod with a .22lr brush through the ejection port. I never could find a .22lr brush short enough to do this.
The bolt hold open only works when the upper and lower are mated, and a magazine installed. With the upper hinged open, you can use your finger to push on the lever that holds the bolt open. Shake the upper, say when you're pushing a brush through, the bolt releases and slams into your cleaning rod tip.
That's not the worst. To even hinge open the upper, you have to relieve tension on the barrel by loosening the flash hider. I loosened the flash hider. While pushing a brush through, the flash hider rotated off, and the barrel dislocated from the action.
THE ONLY THING THAT HOLDS THE BARREL IN PLACE IS THE OUTWARD TENSION OF THE FLASH HIDER PULLING ON THE OUTER BARREL SHROUD.
Remember what I said about it being pretty dressing over a piece of poop? These pictures were taken AFTER I cleaned the amazing amount of .22lr crud that couldn't be blown out with Gun Scrubber.
Barrel dislocation.
Upper. Looks convincing. Looks pretty.
This is what's under the pretty shroud.
Because I had to relocate my barrel, I took it all apart. This is not something I would advise if you are a novice firearms enthusiast and/or are not mechanically inclined.
I thought it was bad when I took the pretty upper shroud off. I was even more horrified when I had all the working parts disassembled. The bolt is weak. The barrel is the diameter of a pencil and thin walled. The small parts are horrible.
Picture of the relocated barrel in the action. Now that I have experience, looking at this gives me fits. All the signs of the Colt being a piece of poop were there, but I didn't know what to look for.
The lower is just as horrible. I didn't want to take apart the proprietary, captured trigger pack unit.
I also think Colt stamp on the side might increase the resale value.
No it does not. At one point, an online firearms dealer was blowing out their stock of Umarex Colt M4 Ops .22lr for a couple hundred bucks. In the product description they stated that it was probably good to push in the ground to be used as a tomato vine trellace.
Colt licensed their good name to a junk company not once, but twice. The Colt 1911 .22 is Umarex. H&K 416 .22lr is Umarex.
I checked the trade on mine, and the LGS didn't want to touch it. I didn't feel right foisting the Umarex Colt M4 onto any other unsuspecting firearms enthusiast.
At the time, my buddy was going through a 2 year stretch of unemployment. He wanted it. I just gave it to him. He occasionally shot it until he found a job, then he bought a Sig 522.
I wish I could go back in time and kick my own butt just at the moment I chose the Umarex Colt M4 over the S&W M&P 22.
Guess what I own now?
I couldn't be happier. Half the fun is accessorizing the 15-22. The 15-22 is compatible with almost all AR furniture & accessories. Grip, mil-spec butt stock, rail accessories, are standard AR. Even the trigger is standard AR and compatible with aftermarket trigger systems.
The 15-22 charging handle is short, and can't be swapped for a full size AR charging handle. A Magpul BAD lever takes a little bending to fit. That's it.
If for some reason the only firearm within reach is the 15-22, I'd be confident that I could defend myself with it. It's not my first choice, but it will more than do. To a home intruder, the 15-22 will look like a major caliber AR.
75ft, Federal Bulk, slow fire with the fore end rested. The 15-22 isn't a target rifle, it's a fun plinker. For what it is, this isn't bad.
35ft, Federal Bulk, rapid fire off hand, multiple mags. Drilled out the right ventricle/atrium and pinged the liver.
Get the 15-22. You won't regret it. If you want improved accuracy, pony up the extra dough and buy a 15-22PC (performance center).
In fact, I was so pleased with my 15-22 that it lead to other S&W firearms purchases. In particular:
15-Sport
The 15-22 is the perfect training companion to a M&P 15 rifle.
