Bear Creek Arsenal Builds A New .22 Mag Semi
It’s the firearms manufacturers’ equivalent of The Quest For The Holy Grail—a reliable, safe semi-auto rifle chambered in .22 Magnum. Now, Bear Creek Arsenal has a new take on this idea, with the just-released 202.
Bear Creek Arsenal @ TFB:
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That magnum problem
It’s not that great .22 Magnum semi-autos don’t exist; look around, and you’ll find them on the market. And you’ll also find a long history of these designs being introduced, then discontinued under various excuses. The ones that remain in production tend to be higher-end, more limited-production models.
The Bear Creek Arsenal 202
And that’s what it seems we have here with the new 202 model. Bear Creek says it comes with a 416R stainless steel threaded barrel (the thread protector is included, of course). The stock is an over-molded Hogue offering, with sling mounts integrated. The rifle’s barrel is .920-diameter, and buyers can pick from a list of options for fluting, length and finish. An 11-degree target crown is standard, and Bear Creek says the rifle comes with “a high-performance bolt with an enhanced firing pin which provides better durability and accuracy.”
The receiver is made of 7075 T6 aluminum, with an integrated Picatinny rail. The 202 feeds from a flush-mount detachable 9-round rotary mag. The charging handle and trigger appear to be Bear Creek’s own design, built for performance, and they say that other aftermarket parts will also fit this action (“stocks, barrels, triggers, magazines, and more”).
With a 16-inch stainless bull barrel, the rifle weighs 6 pounds, 8 ounces. MSRP will depend on the options, but this version of the rifle is listed for $498 on the Bear Creek Arsenal website—see more info there.
Professional hoser with fudd-ish leanings.
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Not a Magnum Research copy, I'm sure.
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