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My politically astute friends say there’s no such thing as a free market. All I know is that shopping in the Eastern block countries before the fall of the Wall was about as exciting as discussing free market economics with people who say there’s no such thing as a free market economy. You want fun? Buy yourself an AR-style rifle. Just watch your wallet. Even in these post post-Obama days (or pre-post Obama days, depending on how you look at it), a grand day out with an AR can cost $300 in 5.56 ammo. Problem? Market solution! Manufacturers are building AR-style rifles that shoot .22 caliber (mostly LR) bullets. Like the ISSC MK22. Well, almost . . .

The ISSC MK22 is an Austrian FN SCAR clone. Just like its inspiration, the MK22 is not the cheap choice. ISSC hasn’t announced the exact price, and even if they did I’m not sure we can trust a company whose website still promises both May and September 2010 delivery. Rumor has it we’re talking about an msrp somewhere over the $500 rainbow.

Well, not a rainbow so much as a moonless night. You can have any color as long as it’s black. In terms of design, again, FN SCAR. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing depends on whether or not you’re the type of person who debates whether or not that’s a good thing or a bad thing on the Internet. If you are, it probably isn’t.

If you worship at the altar of tacticool, the MK22 is all that and a bunch of bullets besides. Even better, the Austrian armament only kinda feels like a toy gun. No surprise there: it’s fashioned from, gasp, metal parts. Some of the metal on our prototype tester said “lunchbox.” Most did not. The plastic bits—such as the big ass safety switch, adjustable stock and magazine—snick home with satisfying precision.

The ISSC MK22’s biggest draw: it kinda feels like a real gun. As you’d expect from a nearasdammit FN SCAR. More than that, the MK22 fires beautifully. The trigger is a bit of an on/off switch, but it’s perfectly controllable and endlessly repeatable. At least until you tear through twenty-two .22’s. Or ten, should you happen to live in a state whose name is unofficially preceded by “The People’s Republic of.”

Although the MK22’s recoil wouldn’t disturb any errant butterflies that mysteriously alight on the rifle’s Picatinny rail, the gun has a solidity, an ergonomic grace under pressure, that’s ballistically endearing. Respect. The sights switch from handgun style to rifle; a cute feature that ensures that the gun doesn’t catch on anything when you pull it from your Waffen SS trenchcoat. [Note to our German readers: das ist ein witz.]

As always, accuracy is down to the shooter. But if you can’t hit what you’re aiming at from combat distances with a .22 caliber LR long rifle, you’ll need a lot more practice. In regards to that challenge, two words: cheap ammo. Which is, of course, the entire point of this exercise. Or is it?

I reckon MK22 is ding an sich (it’s own thing). The MK22’s an ideal working replica for FN SCAR owners (like me) who want to practice their gun handling skills without taking out a fifth mortgage. And it’s an excellent choice for shooters who aspire to FN-hood, like the younger, less financially endowed members of our firearms fraternity (oh please Daddy please please please please). But it’s also a “real” gun.

Varmints within hailing distance don’t stand a chance. In terms of self-defense, many elderly, physically challenged and extremely timid shooters can only tolerate .22 cal recoil. While a .22 tends to make a criminal really mad, a bunch of .22s in the appropriate place stands a reasonable chance of taking the edge off their aggression. The MK22 fills that niche nicely.

In the final analysis, the ISSC MK22 is many things to many people: a range toy, a practice weapon, a varmint rifle, a self-defense piece and, above all, a hoot. It costs more than its .22 caliber AR-style rivals, but you can feel the price difference the moment you shoulder the Austrian rifle. The MK22 makes me glad that I live in a world where gunmakers are free to make the guns that people want. Ish.

Ratings (out of five)

Style * * * * *
Although not an exact copy, the FN SCAR clone is too cool for school (psycho burgers should take that literally).

Ergonomics Carry * * * * *
Let’s define this as running-around-and-hiding-behind-things ergonomics. In that case, wonderful! Light and well-proportioned, yet heavy and large enough to maintain control.

Ergonomics Firing * * * * *
Prächtig! You can shoot this thing all day, every day without any stress or strain.

Reliability NR
Not enough trigger time to make the call. A couple of hundred rounds with one failure to fire. Could be ammo-related.

Customize this * * * * *
You could throw just about anything on the MK22’s rail: light, laser, expensive scope, tactical cup-holder, etc. Would you bother on a $500+ gun? Sad but true: you would.

Overall Rating * * * * *
What’s not to like?

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68 COMMENTS

  1. I was quite interested until I saw that there is no provision for the operating handle to be moved to the left side. Thus, the ability for the MK22 to serve as a practice piece for my Scar 16s is severely limited.

    • There are actually 6 different spots, 3 left 3 right, on the rifle to place the charging handle. Just received mine today and can’t wait to see how it performs at the range.

      • Got ours yesterday and today we took to the range and wow it can shoot , eats anything you feed it we just love the gun .

  2. Is this a "real" rifle, a la SIG522, or a cosmetic shell holding a .22LR mechanism inside – think GSG5, Umarex Colts and their HK416??
    Thanks! And thanks for the review!

  3. I have been almost constantly attempting to learn as much as possible and/or locate one for sale ever since SHOT. The images in this review indicate changes have been made since the SHOT prototype. Are they finally in production? If so, where are they available? We registered as a "dealer" on the ISSC site and are now listed there but we never received anything from them except an email invitation to their international postal match.

    My Winchester 1885 High Wall .40-65 has a little Winder.
    My Remington .45-70 Rolling Block has two rim-fire friends (medium and small frame).
    My Marlin 1895 has a 39a.
    My FNH FS2000 has a Walther G22 (not close but at least a bullpup).
    My SCAR NEEDS a rim-fire friend too!

  4. WHEN? WHEN? WHEN?
    The delays in this rifles release are becoming maddening! I had a rep tell me "Mid-November, and that's firm". Well, guess what? Here it is the END of November, and it's still all but vaporware.
    I sold my M1A and my FAL to buy a SCAR-H, and I can't wait to sell the GSG and Ruger for this one.

    • My dealer has been saying the same thing for months. Note that I posted here for pics of the guts of the phantom of the rimfire range – none yet.
      We can't trust ISSC to release useful info – such as what does the internals look like – GSG and Umarex, or real-gun like SIG522 – then can we trust ISSC for a decent product?
      I'm at to the point that if we can't trust them to release on time – then we can't trust them to honor warranty issues should they arise either.

  5. My letter to ISSC – not that it will help…

    Hello,

    According to YOUR information, the MK22 was supposed to be released in the early 2010, then Sept, then Oct, then November – as they are “in customs”.

    Do you in fact have plans to get these “out of customs” – – in New Zealand or wherever ??? – – and actually import them into the USA – or; are you afraid of FN’s lawyers beating you for making an obvious clone???

    When Umarex announced their fake Colt, they created its own little website, and published complete specs including a downloadable manual. They did the same think with their fake H&Ks. You folks haven’t even published decent pictures for us to know if this is a real rifle like the SIG522, or a cosmetic shell like the GSG and Umarex guns. What are you hiding?

    My dealer is disgusted with your constant delivery excuses, and I know I am.

    • Update…

      I actually heard back from the ISSC USA folks. At the time, I was assured they would be shipping by Dec 15th.

      Today, Dec 23rd, I got an e-mail from my dealer telling me that the ISSC folks told him they were shipping him 5 rifles next week, 12/27.

      Hey, that’s only about 12 days late!

      I’ll pass.

  6. Just got mine yesterday – $419 plus tax. They didn’t have any extra mags or any other ISSC accessories(kinda a buff if they offer the extra goodies). I was pretty impressed with my M22 threaded pistol.(bought from same shop – threw in a few extra mags for free when I got it) The operating handle has six ambi locations that it can be ‘popped’ into on either side of the reciever. The sights attach to the picatinny rail, the front does not attach to the gas block on the barrel(boo). The barrel is faux and slips over a smaller barrel inside – this is visible after you unthread the flash suppressor from the outer barrel. The real barrel just sits inside of the faux one. It measures .568 in diameter not small but decently sized. (in no way does the colt/umarex piece even compare). It is not threaded either. Just like the real FN, the upper receiver on the MK22 is real metal and the lower is plastic. So at least it follows true on materials. The stock is only adjustable three spots instead of six like the real deal. It should be noted that the stock has some decent wobble where it connects to the back of the reciever and where the extension piece comes out of the back. Both are easily fixed(my umarex colt had ALOT OF PLAY) I will have to get out my trigger pull gauge, but it has a repeatable pull, kinda mushy, but then again – I haven’t shot it yet either. If it is anything like my ISSC pistol or My walther p22 it will be needing CCI ammo only. The lower receiver screws are coming out as soon as I can source some more hk push pins – it will make cleaning alot easier and WAYY MORE FUN. They are identical to the GSG ones. Come to think of it – alot of the reciever is looking like the gsg piece… Yeah – I pulled the GSG5 and the ISSC MK22 aparat and set them side by side – It is almost IDENTICAL INTERNALLY. I can’t wait to get to the range.I will be heading to the range tomorrow – The ‘snow’ we got here in houston TX pretty much closed everything for the day. I will be trying to feed just about everything through it (fed, rem, cci, armscor, win) to see what it likes and doesn’t. Overall, I like the rifle so far – the only thing I am going to complain about would be the stock being a bit wobbley, but then again I own a colt/uma and got that straightned out so it runs good for anyone that wants to shoot it – this will be an easy fix. Overall – 8.5 outta the box and better if it shoots decent will find out tomorrow.

  7. Henro – Your comments about replacing “screws” with “push-pins” indicates it does not strip like a real SCAR. Does this mean it does not allow a cleaning rod to be inserted from the chamber end of the barrel?

  8. OK, you can get the rifle at INDEPENDANCE FIREARMS in BRENHAM TX 979-421-9677. They sold mine to me at $419. Good people to deal with too. The mag is unfortunately unique to the ISSC only or at least the GSG, UMAREX/COLT and S&W 15-22 do not click in. (I know the GSG isn’t even close, but someone would have asked) No, the cleaning procedure is akin to the GSG (no rod through the receiver) as is the pins and screws that hold the trigger assembly into the receiver. All I can say is that after putting over 600 rounds down the pipe, it is reliable. I was even shooting winchester 333 and federal bulk 550. I had a few FTF’s, but maybe 8 outta 500. Pretty good for garbage ammo. We even had a chance to ‘lob’ some 22lr at the 200 and 300 yard targets while I was shooting my Savage 110BA(.338LM) It’s a fun shooter(MK22). Someone else needs to get one so I can compare notes!

    • I’ve only put through about 150 rounds of remington. 2 FTF, I don’t think that is that bad for that type of ammo and gun. I agree the stock quality is bad. Henro – what was your easy fix to the wobble in the stock? Overall, I thought the gun was fun to shoot. I thought it was very accurate. I shot it with the mounted sights. It will be interesting to see how this gun holds up after 1000 or more rounds.

  9. Got mine today. Have not shot it yet. My stock does not seem too wobbly but time will tell. One concern that I do have is after I removed the birdcage flash hider the barrel is torqued to one side. The flash hider actually aligns the barrel when it is threaded into the barrel shroud. I can wiggle the barrel around with two fingers around the shroud. Do not know at this point if this will hinder accuracy, especially is the shroud gets bent. Time will tell. Hopefully I will get to fire off some rounds this weekend after this Texas winter warning let’s off.

  10. The barrel nut(flash hider) will keep the shroud and barrel parallel to each other even if the shroud gets bent. If you do bend it your probably doing somthing really wrong though or trying to bend it. Shooting the gun without that hider on there will make the rifle’s accuracy goto H*ll. The easy fix for the stock was (at least for me) was a rectangular shaped eraser for paper(think school). It’s rubber, kept tension when I closed the stock on it when I put it in between the receiver and stock and eliminated the wobble. (not an awesome fix, but it fixed the issue for a buck and it doesn’t look bad if you can get a grey or black eraser) I had to try a few different sizes, but office depot had an assortment with different sizes and colors. worked great too.

    • I found an old eraser (blubble gum color) so I wrapped it in black electrical tape. It worked perfectly and looks like it is part of the gun. The stock has a nice solid feel to it now. Thanks for the cheap fix.

      I put another 150 or so of remington tbs through it. Only two FTFs. I’m going to get some better ammo and see if the FTFs get eliminated. accuracy is still very good. Next purchase is a red dot.
      Thanks again.

  11. use blackdog magazine or ceiner metal mags ? someone try to insert a blackdog mag or metal ceiner mag to fit and cycle. need to know this before purchasing mk22 rifle.

  12. I put the question to ISSC about mag compatibility, What I got back was quick and to the point – The MK22 uses MK22 mags only. Almost a 1000 rounds down the pipe and no FTF or FTE yet. Just a FTF or two every couple of hundred rounds. Did anyone else get one yet?

  13. Well I got an ISSC to test for my magazine and I wonder why the author was pontificating about all manner of things and not concentrating on the nitty-gritty of any 22 semi-auto – RELIABILITY; especially with a hi-cap gun like this.

    The build is not that substantial and shows a lot of plastic as well as light alloy metals. The mechanism is without doubt taken or heavily based (99%) on the German Sports Guns GSG5, which is an unreliable dog of a 22 semi. The magazine build/design is also the same, as is the slim barrel with dummy outer body to make it look normal. Likewise the automatic last round bolt hold open and magazine safety, which are nice features.

    It does however feel good in the hands and shoulder and is accurate enough for this sort of gun and it’s kinda’ cute looking too. Reliability; well there’s the rub – I managed to get about 200-shots out of it with a few, typical rimfire stoppages, which is about 50-rounds more than any GSG5 I have ever shot. Problem is the bolt mechanism is; literally ‘bolted in place’ and awkward and long-winded to remove for proper cleaning, which is essential on a 22 semi-auto of any type. In general in the UK; most shooters are just too idle to bother, if the strip-down consists of much more than driving out a couple of pins.

    One I had reached the magic 200-rounds and despite cleaning the mech the best I could with barrel cleaner and an M16, double-ended brush, I could not guarantee getting off a full 22-round mag without a few stoppages; and that was with hi-velocity ammo. OK we all expect a couple of hiccups, but when you get 3 or 4 every clip it gets annoying, as you can’t concentrate on shooting, as you are just waiting for the next stuff up!

    Here in Britain these 22 military look-A-likes are becoming very popular and I am in the process of writing a series on them for my magazine (Shooting Sports). I own a SIG522 and a Colt Tactical M16A2; both good designs but not without their occasional problems either. Don’ think I will be getting an ISSC though.
    Have a good day
    Pete Moore (Editor) Shooting Sports magazine

    PS like the spell check facility, my company does not bother on our website…

    • Just put another 200 rounds through it. Used mostly cc…one FTF, also ran some of the dreaded thunderbolt remington through it…two mags and no problems… keeping my fingers crossed that no issues pop-up. so far I very happy with my purchase. I’m being very careful loading the magazine…making sure the rounds are nice and straight…I also tap the magazine a couple of time to make sure everyhting is lined up….I don’t know if it helps but Im a little ocd and it make me feel lucky..

    • I own two Sig Sauer 522’s and unless I use the Remington Gold ammo in it, I never once had a FTF or FTE(and I have put at least 5000 rounds through each). For some odd reason the Rem Gold gunk it up.

      The odd thing about this is the Sig Sauer Mosquito is super picky with ammo and it loves chomping on the Rem Gold without any FTF or FTE, but not its tact rifle counterpart?? Yes I find it odd, but think its due to the gold coating on the bullet itself that keeps the parts lubbed on the pistol, but gunks up the rifle.

      • I dont use Rem .22 bullets in my guns, they put like an oil stuff on their bullets and they gunck up your gun like crazy. Wont use them.

  14. I already purchased this Rifle. Not a bad gun, handles very well, but, the fiberglass stock has got to go…. I have had it replaced 3 times already. The connection where the spring pushes the folding stock is so thin, it does not hold much weight.

    It would be better if it was in Aircraft aluminium…….

  15. Phantom9 your right about how to load your ammo in your mag. Making sure it’s lined up is very important so it feeds right. You can use any ammo brand what I notice as long as the ammo is line up right in the mag. Also make sure the last bullet you put in the mag has a little angle pointing up so it feeds. I had my MK22 for about 2 weeks, I had some FTF my first day at the range and it was because of how I loaded my ammo. Once I figured that out I shot over 1500 rounds and haven’t got a jam yet. I have used CCI mini mags, American eagle HV, Remington thunderbolt, Win Wildcats, CCI blazers and all works perfect. I also have a Sig522, I do like my MK22 a little more because it does feel better in your hands. Feels like a centerifle in a 22cal. I was at the range yesterday with no scope and had no problem shooting 100yards with sights it came with. The sight are cheap but it does work. I shot at 200 yards and if you find the right angle you can hit the target. Every day I shot this gun I like it more and more. The rear does wobble a little bit but when I shot I just apply more pressure when its press against my shoulder and it works for me. There are a little easy tweaks you can do to stop the wobble but it does not bother me. If your a good shooter then your good shooter. Don’t make those little thing stop you from your decision. Remember ever one’s opinion is there experience. Those people are not you so your experience can be different and what bothers them might not bother you. I read all the reviews out there and I have great experience with my gun so that just tells you. The only thing I don’t like is mags are hard to get. There always sold out. I guess that’s a good thing.

  16. I paid $430.00 U.S. at a gun show in W.P. B. Fl. I read alot about rifle before making decision to buy.You need to take all allen screws and loctite them with blue loctite for starters all except take down screws they will come lose if you dont.Now in back of receiver after you remove stock 2 silver allen screws need another washer installed they come loose.Reinstall with red loctite.This will cure any FTF with any ammo.Never had any feeding problems out of box just FTF.I have red dot and foregrip installed this gun is very accurate and fun to shoot.I shoot all kinds of jacketed ammo.Dont forget to blue loctite flash hider also.Good shooting to all!

  17. Just got mine the other day. went to the range, fired without missing a beat, the very next day the magazine is not wanting to spring the round up into position; this was every other shot i would have to . i took it home cleaned the gun and mag, took it back to the range it had improved but still misfeeds about two or three times. i personally feel this is a design flaw. the rounds fit so loosly in the magizine and they seem so bunched up. and the screw to the top rail nearest the rear sight already worked loose as witht the screw to the magazine loading assist the screw stayed in, but the nut on the other side fell out. easy fix. as far as accuracy, i can make a pop can dance all over the place even with removing the mag tapping it until a round pops up putting mag into gun and re-chambering. this gun was designed and advertised for semi auto not one round capacity bolt action the guy next to me had a bolt action 22 and was shooting faster than i was at one point. any input of how i can fix some of the issues is greatly appreciated

  18. I guess u did not read my post loctite everything mine has never failed to feed on mag when u load keep rounds to back of mag they should be in unison

  19. Smack mag on bench rimfire side down to keep rounds in unison or smack on your helmet like you have seen in military

  20. I bought an MK-22 in late April of this year. It barely fires 1 out of 5 rounds. ISSC has offered little to no help. I don’t even take the gun out anymore as it is so frustrating. I’m ready to take a sledge hammer to it and accept my losses.

    The rounds load, but there is a very slight dent on the cartridge end. It seems as though the firing pin isn’t striking hard enough.

    • I bought one about a year ago and mine does the exact same thing, it pisses you off so bad that you just want to throw it in the dirt. I can’t get issc to do a damn thing and their phone number is a fax number, cheap gun anyways, please email me if you have figured anything out [email protected]

  21. l have had my MK22 for almost a year and have not had any real issues. Being in the UK we are limited to what we can own depending and what type of range you have access to. The MK22 and others of the black rifle gang are a god send if you have no access to the real rifles of this type. The MK22 does not like lubricated rounds. I have even seen it reviewed in the UK with Eley rounds and they are the greasiest, these do not cycle. I have used Geco with very little problem. I have even used my MK22 tonight scoped up for a target competition at my local club. As the doctor says keep it clean and it will last you a lifetime (including your gun).

  22. I bought the MK22 3 months ago and have read every review and comment on this page since. I followed the advice and have used blue loctite on everything. I also followed links and advice on youtube to replace the bolts in the rear for longer versions to help with the light hammer. I’ve bought an extra mag and have 7-10 FTFs per 22 round magazine at the range. I’ve been testing it with the Remington bulk .22LR ammunition and it is horrible in this gun. My guess after reading more is that the gun doesn’t like this due to it being lubed ammo…While at the range I got so pissed off with it I bought the Smith & Wesson M&P 15/22 MOE and loaded it with the same ammunition. I shot 10 full magazines (25 rounds each) through the S&W without any FTFs FTEs or FTLs. I actually had fun at the range today! I will be trying the MK22 with Federal Ammunition over the holidays. I have to say for owning this gun for 3 months, I have never enjoyed shooting it since I just worry and get frustrated with it every time I take it out. I have worked more on cleaning it and trouble shooting it than I have on enjoying owning it! I love the looks and the feel of the MK22 if anyone is interested in buying this gun from me I would love to hear from you. Mine is the all black model, and I have 2 magazines for it. I would love nothing more than for the Federal Ammunition to cure all this but I highly doubt it will. I’ll write up an update on what happens in the next few weeks. Any additional advice would be appreciated if you have it.

    • Update: I took the MK22 to the range today and attempted to use the Federal Ammunition. everything was tight, the loctite bolts etc were all in good shape as far as I could tell. Loaded the magazine with the new ammo and attempted to fire the gun. Nothing. ejected that round and tried several more times with fresh .22 rounds. not one would fire. made sure the magazine was all the way in, I could hear the click when I pulled the trigger but it wouldn’t fire. I took the gun back to the store today to have it shipped back to ISSC in hopes that it will be taken care of and returned in working order. I love the feel of the gun, just wish it would shoot. I’ll update the sight when I get the gun back from ISSC and let you all know how the service was, how long it took, and what they actually did to fix it. stay tuned…the gun was given back 12-26-2011 at 5:30pm. I’m looking forward to getting it back.

  23. Bought mine last week,and put over 250rds through it with one failure to eject. When i loaded the mag I always smacked it on the back side to assure they were all lined up. Fun little gun,but does anybody have any extra mags they wanna sell. Cannot find them anywhere. If so please email me at [email protected] thanks.

  24. My wife bought me an MK22 for my birthday and after going to the range and firing 375 rounds of CCI AR Tactical rounds I am impressed. I had no FTFs or FTEs. The MK22 is the truth in my eyes. I just need to find out where to get the faux silencer I saw on the ISSC website and I will be set.

  25. I Finally got a hold of one in the desert tan color, really nice .22. I have about 600 or so rounds through it, CCI, which has given me no issues at all. completely love the look, feel and reliability. Highly reccomend this SCAR!

  26. I’m thinking about getting this. It’s on sale at a place near me for $400. I think it is worth the money from everything I’ve read. I’m not expecting the greatest gun ever but something I’m gonna have fun shooting. Plus it looks pretty sweet.

  27. I purchased one aprox month ago…NOT a good experience at all !!
    1st time to Range multiable FTF’s . Came home tighten all the screws and cleaned.
    went again..rail came loose with new red dot scope. could not get it to hit paper worth a damn. then the kicker…magazine would not feed..so I was done traded it off for a nice new Sig Sauer. was a bummer lost 200 bucks and was excited to have a fun .22 type AR. oh ya good luck buying a another magazine if you do find them there asking double of what they should be…

  28. Dear sr… I need to find a MK22 rifle, spare part 65,COOKING LEVER. can you help me about it??

    regards ALEX…………..

  29. I bought one of the first ones in country (USA), and have had a lot of troubles with it (two broken stocks, loose bolts, doesn’t work, etc.). At first ISSC was really good about replacing the stocks, and eventually, they sent me one that hasn’t broken. The first two broke just opening and closing the thing GENTLY!
    Loctite has fixed the bolts loosening on the top rail, and FINALLY there is an easy, reliable fix for the light firing pin issues. Read the following thread, then take the bolt appart (easy, but you need a T6, T8, and T10 Torx wrenchs), grind off FIVE loops of the firing pin return spring, and your troubles will be solved.
    http://fnforum.net/forums/fn-scar-16s/25613-issc-mk22-supressors-scopes-acessories-etc-6.html

  30. I `m trying to find parts for th ISSC austria msrmk22, the vertical and horizontal hexagon socket screws- part#108 in the manual. Also is it possible to get the entire action unit? I tried the website on the back of the manual to no avail.

  31. I have major jaming issuses with this scar replica. It wuld be a great gun if it didnt have the jaming problem and was made a lot better. i guess for the price its ok but still has sum issues. anyone know how to fix this prblem.if so email me

    • AHA! I fixed all the light rim strike issues!
      I was still having some failure-to-fire issues with some types of ammunition after doing the spring mod mentioned above, so I decided to figure out a solution myself.
      Take the bolt apart and remove the half-hemispherical “Firing Pin Safety” and its spring, and reassemble without them.
      Instantly the rifle has become 100% reliable. Save the parts in case you ever sell it, or need to send it back you can put them back in, but this fix worked wonders for me. Bear in mind I’m not responsible if you decide to do it yourself. You are removing a factory included safety feature, and thereby inherently making the weapon “less safe”, but no more so than other .22 designs such as the 10-22. Proceed at your own risk, but it worked wonders for me!!!

  32. Hi there very cool blog!! Man .. Beautiful .. Wonderful .. I’ll bookmark your website and take the feeds additionally?I am satisfied to seek out a lot of useful information right here in the publish, we’d like develop more strategies in this regard, thanks for sharing. . . . . .

  33. I just got my MK 22 last week and wow!!!!! I love shooting this gun i have put 500 rounds through it and not one misfire and as for the accuracy let’s just say i had a cheep tasco red dot on it and i was dropping gophers at 75 yards. Can’t wait till my scope gets here. There is only 2 problems with this gun the cleaning instructions the gun came with are horrible at best. Also my bore sight does not work because of the length of the muzzle and where the bore actually starts. In all reality that’s really more of a problem with my bore sight lol… But if you like tactical looking weapons and your want a good solid gun this is a great buy five stars IMO *****

  34. Budsgunshop.com had this exact gun today for 237.00 shipped..ordered me one..fig at half price cant beat it!!! 🙂

  35. If anyone is still interested in these….ISSC Mk22’s and GSG-522 are in the $200 range now. They are identical. One way to increase your reliability is to do the same tricks the GSG folks do. There is lots of info on GSG-522 mods that will work for this iSSC Mk22. It was all marketing hype years ago which lead to $500 price tags for basically an airsoft rifle made to shoot .22LR. I think most owners have since divested themselves of this rifle. This SCAR replica is not a ‘real’ gun like a SIG522. It is a GSG-5 / GSG-522 slapped in an airsoft quality SCAR body. Even the flash hider is the exact same one used on the GSG-522P. You can convert the 10 round mag into a 22 round mag by busting off the side window filler pieces. This is a common GSG-522 trick as well. 10 round mag Mk22’s sell for less than the 22 round versions, so why pay lots more for the same thing? Internally the mag itself is nothing more than a GSG-522 mage that has been bolted into a fatter shell.
    All in all the ISSC Mk22 and GSG-522 can be made into good firearms with a fair amount of tinkering. Would I trust my life on them, or use them for training? No. I got a Mk22 cheap, and before I even fired a round I stripped and modified it. I learned a lot from when I had GSG’s. I have no idea why I bought another GSG. Guess I just wanted something to tinker with again.

  36. From Canuckland,

    Just wanted to add my nickel’s worth (about 8 cents Canadian 🙂 about your great review of the MK22. I’ve just finished my first season with it and loved every minute of range time. After sighting in at 100 yards, I was consistently shooting 1 1/2 to 2 inch groups, which is good enough for me. Breakdown for cleaning is a breeze too. At my last range visit, I shot a 3-inch round spinner target clean off its railing at 100 yards, after about a dozen rounds. Bullet impact put serious dents in the cast lead target. So, I take your lighthearted comment about .22s annoying intruders with a grain of salt. 🙂 keep up the nice work!

    • To Robert Farago and Jim, enjoyed the article and all the comments. Came across your site by accident while i was researching the ISSC MK22. I just bought mine at a local gun shop, price very cheap, new rifle. I had been looking at this rifle for a few years,but the price was to much. Looking at the MK22, I immediately noticed some really nice features. Everything on it is ambidextrous, the safety, mag release and charging handle that has 6 positions that you can choose from. My MK also came with 2 mags, one tan,one black. Have 2 more coming in mail in a few days. Also this rifle came with 2 really nice flip sights similar to a magpul that has the spring release flip ups and are well made and fully adjustable. It has a nice two and a half inch flash hider and when I took it off, I saw that the barrel is an insert,and looks pretty heavy. No matter, I have a Colt Umarex built the same way with a stainless steel barrel and shoots very well. Have not gotten to shoot it yet just bought it a week ago. My Mk22 says on the side that it is a Generation 2 ISSC MK22 and also has American Tactical on the side.On the other side it says designed by ESC made in Germany for ISSC. It has lots of rails for attaching stuff and a cheek riser on back that I like too. It is polymer tan and has some weight to it not like the S&W which is really light to me. The only thing I would like to add is another charging handle, yes 2, one for each side, but it would be in a different slot, in case you are down and have your rifle facing the wrong way as to charge, you would be able to charge weapon no matter which side is up. Everything else is ambi why not ? However I have not been able to find a place that sells replacement parts.If you know where,please let me know, thankyou. Also saw where Issc is no longer in business, but saw that Anschutz makes a MSR RX22 that uses the same magazines and looks identical to the MK22. Hope yuins get to read this and maybe a reply. God Bless you my patriot friends. And yes Jim, my Colt Umarex and this ISSC MK22 are my house guns.

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