You Know What I Get a Kick Out of?

[lockedandloaded]

I have owned several .22 rifles over the years and have always loved plinking away with one, but none of them have been anywhere near as much fun as the 15-22. My son and I frequently shoot at an indoor .22 only range. I always get a big kick out of people's reaction when they see us pull the 15-22 out of its case. It's much the same reaction most men get when a beautiful woman saunters into a room. Young boys and grown men alike stop what they are doing and gawk with pure pleasure at the 15-22. I'll frequently get asked "is that a .22?' My 13-year old son gets great satisfaction of setting up his target, getting himself into postion and quickly burning through a 25 roung mag while the massess gather around in awe. We always ask those gazing in our direction with drool at the corners of their mouths if they would like to shoot the 15-22. The 15-22 never fails to put a smile on a shooters face. I get asked so many questions about the gun, I almost feel like I should be on S&W payroll as a marketing specialist. The 15-22 is simply put -- pure fun!

 

[Jyezahn]

Great story! It's always nice to be noticed like that.

 

[Incredible Me]

I know what you mean.

Last time when i was at a match I had 3 guys borrow my rifle, now they all want one

 

[Kayback]

I know what you mean.

Last time when i was at a match I had 3 guys borrow my rifle, now they all want one

That's how I figured I wanted one

KBK

 

[Maddmax]

The best part is the Father and Son bonding in a common hobby together.

 

[Shooterjgs]

Yea this fourm and members are like ambassadors for S&W 15-22...It's kinda hard not to... Love this little rifle...

 

[Gunzilla]

Great story indeed!! If S&W starts sending you checks let us know....we'd like in on that action too. ...

These is a guy that comes out to the Tactical .22 matches here and he gets that kind of attention too.....only because he has a belt-fed.22 upper....everyone gathers around him to gawk at his unique toy when he's shooting a stage.

 

[aguablanco]

And the coolest part is that belt fed upper is usually on a Class 3 lower. I don't know why he doesn't win every match. LOL
RichH

 

[Ken45]

I have owned several .22 rifles over the years and have always loved plinking away with one, but none of them have been anywhere near as much fun as the 15-22.

Please help me understand why the 15-22 is so much more fun than say a Ruger 10-22. I'm on the fence, debating if I can justify a M&P15-22. Help me understand why the M&P is more enjoyable.

Thanks,

Ken

 

[Majorlk]

Please help me understand why the 15-22 is so much more fun than say a Ruger 10-22. I'm on the fence, debating if I can justify a M&P15-22. Help me understand why the M&P is more enjoyable.

Thanks,

Ken

It's not something that's easily explainable; you have to experience both to understand.

I've had a 10/22 since the mid-80s and shot it with some regularity over the years. Since getting my 15-22 last November, the 10/22 hasn't been out of the safe.

IF nothing else, got to a range then rents firearms and try both. Either one is a good purchase.

 

[BillyJack2012]

It's not something that's easily explainable; you have to experience both to understand.

I've had a 10/22 since the mid-80s and shot it with some regularity over the years. Since getting my 15-22 last November, the 10/22 hasn't been out of the safe.

IF nothing else, got to a range then rents firearms and try both. Either one is a good purchase.

+1. It's accurate, reliable, modular, accepts many AR upgrades and accessories and you can dump a 25 round mag in 6 seconds, hit your mag release, jam another in and do it as many times as you have mags. Its the most fun I've had shooting a .22. Every one of my buddies that have gone to the range with me want one and another just texted me a pic of the one he got just a week after our range trip.

 

[rraisley]

Please help me understand why the 15-22 is so much more fun than say a Ruger 10-22.

The Ruger is heavier, old-fashioned-looking, and if you want it to look cool, expensive, what with cutout stock and bull barrel. The 15-22 is light, easy to use, larger mags, looks far more cool, can have all kinds of goodies added, without necessarily putting a huge amount of money into it.

I actually wanted the Ruger, but by the time I had it looking like I wanted, it was going to cost twice what the 15-22 did (just talking barrel and stock, basically). I've enjoyed my 15-22 immensely, and have no regrets.

 

[Majorlk]

The Ruger is heavier, old-fashioned-looking, and if you want it to look cool, expensive, what with cutout stock and bull barrel. The 15-22 is light, easy to use, larger mags, looks far more cool, can have all kinds of goodies added, without necessarily putting a huge amount of money into it.

True, but it is a traditional metal and wood rifle. It was never designed to be cool and tactical out of the box. The 15-22 is a military-style firearm. Two totally different styles of firearm.

It makes as much sense to condemn the stock 10/22 for not being "cool and tactical" as it would be to compare the the Remington 700, Weatherby Mark V or a Ruger M77 to any AR-15.

For first time shooters, the 10/22 is a better value, cost wise, if accuracy is a major concern.

 

[Electraclyde]

Please help me understand why the 15-22 is so much more fun than say a Ruger 10-22. I'm on the fence, debating if I can justify a M&P15-22. Help me understand why the M&P is more enjoyable.

Thanks,

Ken

I have both the 10/22 and the 15/22, they are both fun to shoot, but the AR style has more possibilities for accessories. (Barbie for men), at less cost. I have a Sparrow supressor. To put it on the Ruger would require a new barrel. The S&W is already threaded. If I wish, I can have a scope and a holographic sight on the S&W. Cannot do both on the Ruger at the same time. 25 round mags are less expensive for the Smith than the Ruger, etc, etc, etc.
Try it! You will like it!

 

[Shooterjgs]

What everyone said... bottom line just shoot one and you too will know...

 

[rraisley]

It makes as much sense to condemn the stock 10/22 for not being "cool and tactical" as it would be to compare the the Remington 700, Weatherby Mark V or a Ruger M77 to any AR-15.

Yeah, I know. Actually, I felt I wanted the 10/22 at first, but as I said, wanted it with a different stock. Not tactical, but laminated, thumb cutout, etc. Yeah, cool, but not tactical. That was fine with me. But when I held it, and compared it to the 15-22, I just preferred the feel of the 15-22. It's worked great for me, but I'm in no way bad-mouthing the Ruger. Just not what I was looking for.

Also, to be honest, this is my first rifle, although I've been shooting pistols for 40 years. And I don't intend to collect rifles, the way I've done with pistols. The 15-22 does it for me.

 

[Majorlk]

Yeah, I know. Actually, I felt I wanted the 10/22 at first, but as I said, wanted it with a different stock. Not tactical, but laminated, thumb cutout, etc. Yeah, cool, but not tactical. That was fine with me. But when I held it, and compared it to the 15-22, I just preferred the feel of the 15-22. It's worked great for me, but I'm in no way bad-mouthing the Ruger. Just not what I was looking for.

Also, to be honest, this is my first rifle, although I've been shooting pistols for 40 years. And I don't intend to collect rifles, the way I've done with pistols. The 15-22 does it for me.

Different strokes ...

I've had maybe a half dozen different .22s over the years. I currently have three: the 10/22 (oldest), a 77/22 (silhouette match gun) and the 15-22. The 15-22 is the most fun, for sure, but the others serve their purpose, too. And then there's my mid-70s Mini14, late 80s Remington 700 in .280 and my 1943 M1, rebuilt to National Match (.308) in the late 80s. The latter will put 10 rounds in under 3 inches at 200 yards.

If I were looking for a tack-driving .22 semi-auto, it would be a Volquartsen 10/22 conversion. It's interesting that the majority of .22 rifle action shooting is done with modified 10/22s.

We won't start discussing pistols ...

 

[rraisley]

If I were looking for a tack-driving .22 semi-auto, it would be a Volquartsen 10/22 conversion.

100% agreement there. But my old eyes can't see the tacks any more, and my budget (okay, my wife) told me not to get the Volquartsen, so I'm "stuck" with the 15-22. And loving it!

 

[Majorlk]

100% agreement there. But my old eyes can't see the tacks any more, and my budget (okay, my wife) told me not to get the Volquartsen, so I'm "stuck" with the 15-22. And loving it!

Ah, getting old can be a drag ... until you consider the option.

Have a good weekend!

 

[OldEagleEars]

Everybody responds to the lure of a 15-22 for different reasons. I wanted an AR-type rifle but couldn't justify the expense of buying and feeding a 5.56 or .223 gun just to recall the feel of my Vietnam-issue M16A1. The Ruger is a nice gun, available dressed in wood, polymer or carbon fiber but still without any operational similarity to an AR except (A.) it's semi-automatic, and (B.) it shoots bullets. Equip a 10-22 with all the Archangel furniture and a banana-mag and a $3000 night-vision sight and it's still just a 10-22 playing dress-up. The S&W is born in it's soldier outfit! As for tradition being served by the Ruger; I traded off a Winchester 61 for most of the price of my 15-22, then later fed my inner-traditionalist with a Henry Golden Boy. I still shoot my 15-22 more than I did either of those wood-and-steel-wonders. Tradition is great but nothing beats burning through 25-round mags with a 15-22!