Law Officer Volume 6 Issue 4 Like the agencies we work for, most police officers are currently faced with significant budget issues. With this in mind, each purchase is given careful consideration; cost vs. benefit is weighed heavily before investing in gear, but officers and departments can’t afford not to invest in firearms training. With this in mind, alternatives to the high cost of ammunition must be considered. For those who shoot the AR-15/M-4 weapon platform, the CMMG AR-15 conversion kit is a reliable, accurate and cost-effective option that will allow you to train at a fraction of the cost.
I recently acquired a CMMG bolt carrier assembly unit that converts any Mil-Spec .223 AR-15-family weapon system to accept the .22 long rifle. The conversion unit came with one 26-round, .22 LR magazine and costs $149.25.
Upon inspection, the unit appeared to be well-designed and manufactured. Its machining is detailed, and the finish is uniform. I operated the carrier assembly by hand before inserting it into one of the uppers I tested, and its movement is very smooth. The full-size, polymer magazine also appears to be well constructed.
I was somewhat skeptical about how reliable the function would be because there are several other well-known manufacturers of these types of conversion kits that cost as much as twice what the CMMG costs. So, I loaded up four different AR-15 platforms (Armalite/Eagle, Bushmaster, Colt and DPMS) and went to a local shooting range to test out my latest acquisition. I also brought with me a variety of Federal, Remington and Winchester ammunition.
The conversion process is extremely simple: Remove the standard bolt carrier assembly and replace it with the CMMG unit. This is most easily accomplished by holding the upper portion of the weapon upside down with the rear take-down pin pushed out, and the lower receiver hinged upward (buttstock up). The conversion unit is placed in the charging handle and the bolt is then pushed all the way forward. Once this is completed, the rear takedown pin is reinserted and the conversion is done. The total time to accomplish this was less than a minute. Note: The bolt assist feature isn’t functional, as the conversion bolt isn’t cut with the notches to accommodate the bolt assist.
I tested each of the sample AR-15s by firing approximately 100 rounds of each type of .22LR ammunition. I used two magazines—the one that came with the conversion unit and a spare I’d purchased for an additional $19.95. I found the CMMG conversion unit to work with 100% reliability. This was less of a surprise upon learning that CMMG test fires all of its conversion units before they’re shipped from the manufacturing facility. And, unlike some conversion units, the one offered by CMMG functions realistically by holding the bolt open after the last round is fired.
CMMG AR-15 Conversion Unit
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CONTACT
CMMG
660/248-2293