Something I struggle with is the balance between cost and training. 22lr is really good for some things. Gun handling, transitions practice, ready-ups, long-range-at-short-range, etc. I spend a large part of my year shooting 22lr with the kids on a regular basis. A hundred rounds of 22lr is a bit over five bucks (at current prices). A hundred rounds of 223 is more like $25 (if I reload it). That’s a big price difference!

I really enjoy shooting under night vision during the fall and winter (post-DST), and having a way to do it more cheaply was a priority. Another consideration is that I also shoot a fair bit of outlaw falling steel, and a gun with a reliable high-cap magazine would be terrifically useful for that. Enter the Tippmann M4-22 Elite.

I came into this reasonably familiar with the M4-22 from my time as an SASP coach. They have a very good reputation for reliability and not being ammo sensitive. They’re also nice because they take roughly the same furniture as a regular AR-15, and have the same manual of arms. What is pretty neat about the Tippmann guns in particular is that they make use of the buffer tube and a buffer/spring assembly inside it. This gives them a much more AR-like recoil impulse, and probably contributes to their high reliability. Combine all that with a very smart, robust magazine design, and it’s really something of a wonder that these guns are as cheap as they are ($500-$600). Keep in mind that these guns utilize aluminum receivers, too.

If you follow me a bit, you also probably know I have a fleet of tricked-out 10/22s already that my kids use for SASP. So why the M4-22 platform? The answer is simple: it has reliable high-cap magazines. The 10/22’s BX-25 magazines, even with the “shell fix”, are just not reliable enough for sustained usage. I have literally never seen one not choke eventually, even using high quality ammunition like CCI Mini-Mags. The 10rd rotary magazines are acceptable, but the 10/22 platform just doesn’t do well with high-caps.

I’ve experimented with CMMG-style conversions extensively. They have much the same problem. They sometimes come close to good enough, especially if you stuff them full of aftermarket upgrades, but never quite make it there. My suspicion is that the extreme feed angle is a big problem for them. I also find that they get dirty so fast that function is inevitably compromised within about 300-400 rounds. It could be some of the newer ones work better, but I’ve yet to see it.

The Tippmann magazines, on the other hand, are a work of art. They look similar to AR-15 magazines (a bit heavier), including fitting in the magwell, but utilize a shell design to give you the best of all worlds: easy loading (via push-down tab), easy carrying in standard AR mag pouches, and surprising durability. They also utilize steel feed lips, so they’re probably not going to be double-feeding anytime soon. To top it all off, they present the cartridges at a very, very nice horizontal angle to the chamber that makes it even less likely they’ll misfeed. Did I mention they have a bolt hold open feature and lock open when empty? Really, my only request for improvement would be a 40rd magazine for longer stages. That said, you can reload pretty fast (unlike a 10/22), so it’s not critical.

(If you are wondering whether these will work in a CMMG-style conversion setup, the answer is I’m pretty sure they don’t, they sit too high. I think it would be fascinating to see if someone could come up with a conversion bolt that could use them, though.)

I purchased an M4-22 Elite that was barely-used. The Elite is the top-end of the “normal” line, and has a threaded fluted barrel and aluminum handguard. While I don’t usually care about the polymer vs aluminum handguard debate (I just need free-float), aluminum made sense for me given that I was going to put a laser on it, and thus needed something a little sturdier and less prone to flex. The handguard is very serviceable, but I did miss having sling QD sockets on it. The pistol grip is similarly very comfortable. The iron sights are OK – you won’t confuse them for MBUS, but they seem workable. The stock, on the other hand, is a cheap M4-alike that rattles a ton. It’s usable, but that’s about the most I can say for it.

To outfit my Elite for night vision usage, I used a spare Somogear PEQ-alike, which gave me some immediate IR capabilities. With that, I added on a Holosun AEMS on ADM 2.26 mount, a Malkoff E2XT in a Reptilia body with a Surefire UE tailcap, and a TAPS SYNC V4 switch. If you just ran the numbers in your head, you probably just realized I put a thousand bucks of accessories on a $600 rifle. It’s actually a little worse than that once you factor in a Magpul MOE SL stock, Magpul MLOK sling mount, and Silencerco Sparrow suppressor. However, the outcome is just phenomenal – it does everything I need it to for night vision shoots that don’t go out to 200 yards.

(For those of you contemplating a Magpul BAD lever… don’t. It works fine when operated manually, but prevented the LRBHO from functioning, at least on my gun.)

The Elite is one of the 22lr rifles that seems to have flawless reliability. I brought it to numerous SASP practices, and was quite impressed by the reliability of the guns, to include both cycling and locking back on empty magazines. It was 100% with any ammo I tried (which was CCI Blazer, CCI Mini-Mags, CCI Standard Velocity, and Federal Automatch), albeit I did give it a spritz of lube before every practice. No problems were noted with shooting suppressed, either, which was impressive given how easily I’ve choked AR conversions and 10/22s doing that.

I have really, really high standards for guns that I shoot even semi-seriously. Jams are not acceptable. They need to go bang every time, and preferably hit what I’m aiming at. 10/22s with BX-25s just do not cut it. As far as I can tell, the Tippmann M4-22s do make the grade, and that is some high praise.

Finally, let’s talk price. The Elite is in the $600 range. You can get a Pro (with heavier barrel and polymer handguard) for closer to $500. Both these prices are considerably more than an S&W M&P 15-22 or 10/22. However, the M4-22 is a lot more gun than the 15-22 or 10/22, and it’s a lot closer to the real thing. If you’re just using it for plinking, that might be too much of a cost difference, but for serious training and competition, the Tippmann is worth every penny.

You can tell that I love this rifle. It’s a ton of fun for practicing under night vision, or even just during the daytime with the kids, and it runs amazingly well with all the ammo I’ve put through it. I think a 10/22 might prove better for kids who are weight sensitive, but for me, the Tippmann M4-22 checks all the boxes for a great training rifle that won’t break the bank on ammo.