Micah

Incidentally, I found a video on Youtube tonight of a 4 part series of a guy disassembling the Colt tactical, and it looks very simple. Appears as though the rear ring may be spring loaded because he just pulled it back and lifted off the handguards.

That's a good thought. I had looked at a couple complete lowers at a recent gun show and thought about a .22 upper, but wasn't sure what I thought of the Chiappa . . .but had that thought, that I could get a 223 upper, and even looked at some surplus AR15A1, or M16 A1 styles . . . which are a lot harder to find now then they used to be. But I like having a base I can build a rimfire on or a .223. . . Still thinking it all through as to my best options. There is some comfort in having an actual .223 AR if things ever fall apart and get real squirrelly (which I pray never will) . . and they are fun to shoot too at the range for sport.

Thanks for the welcome. I am a gun guy, but do not have an AR, though it's something I've toyed with for decades. When I was in high school I really wanted the Jager AP 74 - .22 clone of the Colt SP 1 . . I still like them, but I think the Colt Tactical is a better firearm. (Umarex made a nice Walther P22 that I own.) That's probably why I would like to get the Colt tactical M16 rifle, though they seem to be a whole lot more difficult to find than the M4 carbine. . . I have not ruled out an actual AR, but I'm in the stage of life where my net income is not reconciling with my gross habits. . . so as I think about it, the Colt Tactical seems like my best course. But I'd really like to put triangle handguards on one.

Does anyone know if it is possible "retro" fit the Colt / Umarex M16 .22 rifle? Specifically, will standard Viet Nam A1 era Triangle Handguards fit on the Umarex M16 22 rifle? Question 2, does it take an act of Congress to swap these out, or is it fairly simple?