The Chiappa Mfour-22
Ever since the Armalite M16/AR15 series rifles came on the scene in the 1960s they have been a novelty. While the 5.56mm/.223 is no recoil beast by any means, there has been a steady market in .22LR rimfire AR-style rifles. One of the latest and greatest of these seems to be the Chiappa Mfour-22.
The rimfire AR has a neat little niche in the gun world. Even the cheapest 5.56mm rounds, typically Russian-made Wolf/Tula etc. run you at least $4+ a box or about a quarter a pop. Rimfire 22LR, when bought in bulk, runs closer to $10 for 500 rounds, or about two-cents per round. This makes a day at the range or local informal ‘shooting dump’ an inexpensive experience. The low recoil of the pipsqueak round allows young or inexperienced shooters to ease into the fundamentals of the firearm before moving to a full-size AR platform. In addition, the caliber enables the handy little rifle to become a go-to gun for both squirrel and rabbit hunters and varmint shooters. In the 70s and 80s, the Philippine-based Armscor Arms produced and sold a visually similar .22LR semi-auto that from the International Space station resembled an AR. Don’t confuse the Mfour-22 with the Armscor M16 22.
Read the rest in my column at Firearms Talk.
Yes, this is a 22LR……