Alternative Carbine Training Options on a Budget

Two excellent training tools to compensate for the ever increasing cost of .223 or 5.56 training ammunition: Next Level Training’s SIRT AR Bolt and Smith & Wesson’s M&P 15-22 .22 caliber rifle.

Thanks to the recent push by politicians to capitalize on the public’s emotions and institute further restrictions on law abiding citizens, along with the ever increasing cost of raw materials, ammunition is more expensive than ever. Around January, a 1000 round case of PMC .223 caliber ammunition was selling for nearly $2000 a case. Thankfully, costs have come down, but it is still difficult to come by, and a 1000 round case of factory training ammunition still costs upwards of $600-800. Training organizations have responded by allowing students to attend courses with .22 caliber rifles or conversion kits.

Here, we’ll take a look at a couple options that can help us maximize our training efficiency without breaking the bank on ammunition.

SIRT AR BOLT

The first is the SIRT AR Bolt developed by the folks at Next Level Training. This inexpensive little device replaces the bolt group in your AR15. Simply remove your charging handle and bolt, and insert the SIRT AR Bolt. Install the trigger transfer bar, slap the halves of your AR together, and you are good to go.

The SIRT AR Bolt from Next Level Training allows you to practice manipulations, transitions, sight offset, weak side shooting, and shooting on the move without ever leaving your living room.

The system allows you to adjust the laser for zero, and is available with a green or red laser indicator. For manipulations and fast close range shooting, this system really shines (no pun intended.) It also helps drive home the concept of sight offset to new and experienced shooters alike. You can also get a boatload of reps with your support side to make you truly amphibious with your long gun handling and shooting. The AR Bolt is also great for shooting on the move and practicing target to target transitions. And each trigger press doesn’t cost 80 cents.

Note that the SIRT AR Bolt requires a standard military style trigger system and isn’t compatible with two-stage trigger systems like the excellent ones from Geissele Automatics. However, the AR Bolt retails at $139, which at today’s prices, might buy you 170 rounds of ammunition. Use the 10-8 Discount Code and you will get 10% off your AR Bolt. If you are active duty or retired Law Enforcement or Military, contact me directly for an even better discount.

SMITH & WESSON M&P 15-22

For live fire exercises, many folks have looked to either a .22 caliber drop in conversion kit or an upper receiver kit. A few years back, Smith & Wesson released their M&P 15-22 rifle. This inexpensive little rifle costs less than most 22 caliber upper receiver kits, yet it is a complete firearm.

The S&W M&P 15-22 uses standard AR-15/M16 fire control components. If desired, you can update the components or just use what came with the gun.

One of the nice touches on this gun is that it uses the same fire control group as normal AR format guns. If you want to go all out and upgrade to a Geissele or other match grade trigger group, it will work. Unlike other 22 caliber AR rifle clones, it actually comes with a quality 4140 CM steel barrel versus a phony barrel with a steel sleeve.

Unlike most conversion kits and .22 caliber upper receivers, the S&W M&P 15-22 has a true bolt hold open on an empty magazine.

Most .22 caliber upper receivers and conversion kits will not hold the bolt back on an empty magazine. With the right magazine, you can get a bolt hold open, but the bolt will drop when you remove the magazine. CMMG has a drop in BHO device that will allow you to drop the magazine without dropping the bolt. This setup has mixed reviews, though I haven’t tried one myself.

The S&W M&P 15-22 has a true bolt hold open feature, and magazine changes can be done just like the “real” thing without any surprises. The magazines are polymer and fairly robust, and hold 25 rounds.

The M&P 15-22 comes complete with a railed fore-end and iron sights.

Most aftermarket accessories for the AR platform are compatible with the M&P 15-22. The sliding stock works as expected, and the railed fore end is a nice touch. The receiver halves and hand guard are plastic, which makes the gun lighter than usual. But ultimately, this does not degrade the training value of the rifle. As with all 22 caliber alternatives, the trick is not to get lazy with your stance and stay behind the gun as if you are shooting full power .223 caliber ammunition.

Early versions of the rifle came with a plain, crowned muzzle, which looked kind of weird. Reminded me of a throwback to the Clinton post-ban configurations. I believe all the latest M&P 15-22s have threaded muzzles with A2 flash hiders. Current street price is a little higher than it was a year ago, but can usually be found for around $450 if you look around.

But what about reliability? Using Federal Auto Match 22 caliber ammunition, I have fired thousands of rounds without any malfunctions. With Federal Champion bulk pack, I typically get about one failure to feed every 100-200 rounds. Accuracy is very good. With Auto Match, I get inside of an inch at 50 yards shooting prone, un-bagged, with an unmagnified red dot.

CONCLUSION

Regardless of ammunition cost, I have found both the SIRT AR Bolt and M&P 15-22 to be valuable training tools. Live fire breeds a unconscious flinch response that can only be bled out through dry practice. These low-recoiling tools help develop trigger control and flinch management; while they don’t replace live fire, they can make your live fire training much more productive and efficient. And with rising ammunition costs, it is only smart to get the most out of our live fire training as possible.

SOURCE: http://www.nextleveltraining.com

SOURCE: http://www.smith-wesson.com