I’ve been a fan of the .22 Magnum round for a long time. I’ve owned revolvers and bolt-action rifles for decades, but I always wanted a semi-auto. For reasons. I wanted a Ruger 10/22 Magnum, but never ended up getting one. Then I saw the Bear Creek .22 Magnum AR uppers on sale for $225.00. Being that I always have a pile of AR parts lying around, this would be an easy build. Not to mention a lot cheaper than tracking down a used 10/22 Magnum.
.22 Magnum Build
The Bear Creek Side Charging Upper
I honestly wasn’t sure how a .22 Magnum AR would function, but for the price, I was willing to give it a chance. The Bear Creek Arsenal AR-15 .22 Magnum complete upper comes with a 10.5-inch heavy barrel constructed from 416R stainless steel with a 1:16 twist rate. The barrel is fitted with a BCA flash hider and uses standard 1/2×28 threads. It comes equipped with a 9.5-inch MLOK rail for accessory mounting and a flat-top M4 billet upper receiver.
It came complete with a BCA bolt carrier group and their Gen 2 right-side charging handle. I’d never used a side-charging AR before, so that was something different to mess with, too. BCA lists that the upper is compatible with any mil-spec AR-15 lower that uses an unnotched (rounded) hammer. They also include an appropriate buffer spring and buffer. Not a bad package for $224.95.
Palmetto State Armory Lower
I already had a Palmetto State Armory lower on hand. It was a stealth model blemish, as I recall, and only cost about $40. I added a B. King mil spec lower parts kit and a buffer tube from my parts bin. BCA mentions needing an unnotched, rounded hammer for use with their upper. I honestly wasn’t even sure what they meant by that, but my mil spec parts kit worked. Since the BCA upper came with a buffer spring and lower, I dropped that into the buffer tube on my PSA lower.
I had previously used this lower for another project, and I had finished it with Norrells Grayish-Black Colt MolyResin. I used some more MolyResin and painted the BCA upper to match. The military flat gray looked a lot more appealing to me than the somewhat glossy black factory anodizing.
KAK Type 42 Flash Hider
There’s nothing wrong with the BCA flash hiders from a functional standpoint, but I never loved their aesthetics. I figured I was going to replace it with something else. When I rummaged through my parts bin, I found a KAK Industry Type 42 Style Flash Hider that I’d picked up, waiting for the right project.
The Type 42 is inspired by the WWII-era MG42 flash hider. KAK says it’s a standout choice for retro, steampunk, or space-themed builds. I didn’t know what to call my .22 Magnum build at this point, but the V42 looked perfect for it.
KAK’s V42 measures 1.750 inches in overall length and weighs 2.08 ounces. It uses 1/2×28 threads and has a bore capable of accommodating calibers up to 9mm. The flash hider is heat-treated for enhanced strength and durability, and phosphate-coated to resist corrosion. It has milled flats that allow for easy installation, and they’re fully machined in-house at KAK Industry.
The phosphate finish looked good with the MolyResin gray finish on the upper and lower, and I was getting a bit of sci-fi vibe to the build. The V42 is surprisingly affordable, too, at only $19.00.
B5 Systems CAR15 LS2 Grip
I initially had a B5 Systems P-Grip on the build, but later swapped it out. I settled on another B5 grip, the CAR15 LS2 Grip. This was B5 Systems’ relatively recent release, which is an homage to the old 90s era Lonestar grips. The Lonestar’s were basically a more ergonomic A2 grip with a storage compartment in the handle.
Before the days of B5 and Magpul, or the myriad of other grip choices we have now, the Lonestar grip was the go-to cool grip. It’s become popular with cloners too, and originals were tough to find. They’d often run north of $100 when you did find them. Unless you really needed an original for your clone OCD, B5 solved the scarcity issue with their LS2 grip release.
The B5 version is made in the USA and uses updated materials, so it’s probably stronger than the originals. They’re available in black and OD Green and in matte and shiny finishes. The shiny finish was common on early AR grips, so it has a certain vibe to it. Unlike vintage grips, the B5 LS2 sells for just $20.00. I had a shiny OD Green one on hand, so that’s what I ended up using.
To Brace or Not to Brace
Since I got the 10.5-inch barrel, I had to decide whether I wanted to SBR the build or not. My gut instinct is to SBR all things. Being that this was a .22 Magnum, though, and I didn’t have a solid plan for its use other than plinking, I decided to save the $200 on a tax stamp and just put a brace on it. I ended up using the Magpul BTR Arm Brace.
The BTR mimics the shape of the MOE stock. It’s a narrow brace, however, and has a QD swivel on the rear. It’s designed for AR pistols equipped with a mil-spec-sized carbine receiver extension. The BTR is made from high-strength polymer and metal. It features toolless, single-handed adjustment, so it’s easy to collapse down for storage. In addition to the rear QD mount it also has M-LOK compatible slots for additional sling mounting options.
The BTR is only available in black. That did bother my OCD a little since I had an OD grip and rail covers, but I’m dealing with it. The BTR is priced at $59.95.
B5 Systems MLOK Rail Covers
The B5 Systems M-LOK Rail Covers are my favorite rail cover, and the go-to on most of my builds. They’re low profile and simply press fit into the MLOK slots on your handguard. The rails are made from a soft, non-slip material with ribbing for improved traction. They’re comfortable and offer added heat and chemical resistance.
The rails come in a 4-pack, and each cover fits over three M-LOK slots. The B5 rail covers are available in Black, Flat Dark Earth, Coyote Brown, OD Green, and Wolf Grey. The price of a 4-pack is $18.00.
Truglo TRITON 30mm Dot Sight
For an optic, I once again turned to my parts bin. I had a Truglo TRITON that didn’t currently have a home, and it looked like a good fit for the Bear Creek .22 Magnum. The TRITON is a 30mm 5 MOA Dot optic. It has three selectable color options: red, green, and blue. That lets you select the best color for the background in the area where you’re shooting. I normally default to green, but the blue is a neat option too. The TRITON is shock and waterproof, and I have had it mounted on 5.56 platforms as well as other .22s without issue.
It’s powered by a CR2032 battery. I don’t know that I ever saw a listed run time for these, but this one has held up well, and I’ve had it for years with maybe only a battery swap or two at most in that time. The Triton is currently priced at $89.99.
I honestly can’t recall what I paid for it originally. I know this isn’t any kind of high-end optic, but neither is the rest of my build. And I know it’s worked for me in the past on other builds, so I went with it.
Black Dog Magazines
With the gun together, I needed mags to feed it. Black Dog Magazines is the only place I know that makes .22 Magnum magazines designed for use with AR-pattern rifles. That being the case, it’s a good thing that they’re solid, reliable mags. They work with both .22 Magnum and .17 HMR. They were initially available in 10 or 14 round capacities, in the form factor of a 20 round 5.56mm mag.
I bought a few 14-round mags initially. Later, they came out with a 23-round model in a 30-round 5.56mm mag format. The mags come in either smoke/translucent or black finishes. Black Dog magazines feature a durable polycarbonate body paired with glass-filled nylon feed lips. They’re priced between $24.00 and $28.00, depending on capacity and color.
It Lives!
The final build was a mix of a cheap on-sale upper and random parts that I already had on hand. It was a Frankenstein of a build with no real planning. It just sort of came together with what I had. With that said, I actually ended up loving the final product.
The 10.5-inch barrel, coupled with the Magpul BTR brace, made for a very handy overall package. The B5 LS2 grip and B5 rail covers in OD added some pop to what could have been a bland build. They went well with the gray Norrells MolyResin finish, too. I think the KAK V42 flash hider really gives it a distinct look as well.
Having it look cool is one thing, but that doesn’t matter much if it doesn’t run. I know guys give Bear Creek crap because they’re inexpensive, but the Franken .22 has run like a sewing machine. I’ve mostly used CCI Maxi Mag and A22 Magnums through it, but they’ve been solidly reliable with the Black Dog mags.
I want to say I had one malfunction that I can recall over the year or so since I built this gun, and I’ve had it out to the range a good bit. The side charging handle is easy to operate as well, and it gives the gun a little bit of a different look and feel than your run-of-the-mill AR.
Magnum Plinker
I like the .22 Magnum, even for a plinker. It’s accurate and fun to shoot. You can tell you have more kinetic impact downrange than with a .22 LR, but the recoil is still rimfire-like. As in nonexistent. I’ve never benched this gun, but I plink at Daisy Shatterblast targets frequently on my club’s 25-yard plinking range.
The Shatterblasts are little 1/8-inch-thick clay targets 2 inches in diameter. I can easily hit those shooting offhand, and then pick apart the broken pieces until there’s nothing left to shoot at. Pop cans are no challenge at all, although they are fun to send flying with the .22 Magnum rounds.
.22 Magnum isn’t as cheap as .22 LR to shoot, but it’s still about half the price of 5.56mm. To me, it’s worthwhile to kick up the fun factor with a bit more power downrange in a gun that’s still extremely pleasant to shoot. It would actually make a great pest control gun, too. It’s compact enough to easily toss in the Jeep or carry on your tractor around the farm.
The Franken .22 or the Possum PDW?
A .22 Magnum AR may not be on everyone’s bucket list, but it definitely checked off a box for me. It was an inexpensive build that shoots better than it has any right to. There’s more punch than a .22 LR, and less blast (and cost) than a 5.56mm.
The Franken-build certainly has PDW vibes, although I’m not advocating it for defense. It would be awesome if you got overrun by varmints, though. Maybe instead of the Franken .22 I should call it the Possum PDW?
