AR-15 .22 LR Conversion Kit or Dedicated Upper: Which Fits You

Shooting .22 LR through an AR-15 is one of the cheapest ways to rack up trigger time, and a Brownells comparison lays out two ways to get there.

Snapshot

A Brownells video reviewed by AmmoLand compares the CMMG Bravo .22 LR conversion kit against a dedicated rimfire upper for AR-15s. The conversion kit is the budget-friendly route since it reuses an existing centerfire upper, while a dedicated upper costs more but is built around rimfire ammo from the ground up.

Key points

• Cost advantage: The CMMG Bravo kit uses the rifle's existing .223/5.56 upper and barrel, with Brownells' Caleb noting .22 LR running as low as seven to eight cents per round.
• Proven reliability: AmmoLand contributor Jim Grant tested the Bravo kit across three AR platforms for 600 total rounds with zero malfunctions and roughly 1.6-inch groups at 50 yards.
• Fouling tradeoff: Rimfire residue can build up in the centerfire barrel and gas port area with a conversion kit, which is why Brownells recommends copper-plated .22 LR bullets for that setup.
• Dedicated upper benefits: A purpose-built rimfire barrel and bolt assembly, per Brownells, offer more consistent accuracy and keep fouling out of the centerfire rifle entirely, at added cost.
• Use-case decision: Brownells' Caleb favors the dedicated upper for frequent shooters wanting a separate, optic-ready setup, while casual plinkers may find the conversion kit perfectly adequate.

Quick take

Neither option is wrong here. The conversion kit gets an existing AR-15 shooting cheap ammo fast, and AmmoLand's own testing backs its reliability. A dedicated upper simply trades extra cost for a cleaner, more consistent rimfire setup, which matters most to shooters logging serious round counts.

Read the full story: ammoland.com