KRISS USA out of Chesapeake, Virginia are rolling out last year’s biggest “secret“, their DEFIANCE DMK22 series.

Perhaps most know for the characteristic KRISS Vector carbines, it’s now time for Kriss to get their AR-15 .22LR onto the market.

This is an AR-15 style sporting rifle in .22LR. The DMK22 series comes with various models like:

• DMK22C, in various Ceracote color finishes
• DMK22C-LVOA, with exclusive licensing from War Sport Manufacturing LLC

The suggested retail price starts from $699.00. The LVOA from $799.

They will be available from Q2, 2017.

The DMK22C features a 16.5” 4140 Chrome Moly barrel with a 1:16” twist rate, ½” x 28 RH threading, and black nitiride coating. The free floating hand guard is 13″ long and made from aircraft grade aluminum, with a Picatinny top rail and modular rail section attachment points at the three, six, and nine o’clock positions.

The proprietary sporting rifle receivers are forged from an aluminum alloy and are designed to be compatible with AR-15 upgrade parts; such as MilSpec butt stocks, pistol grips, dust covers, charging handles, forward assists, magazine releases, muzzle devices, and hand guards. The bolt catch functions with the included DEFIANCE .22LR magazine to lock the bolt back when empty, even when the magazine is removed.

Further customization can be achieved with different barrel profiles, through a patent pending barrel adapter system.

Interestingly, the DMK22C is also compatible with most Ruger 10/22® aftermarket barrels.

That confirms the suspicion from last year’s TFB article.

Additionally, select .22 LR AR-15 magazines also fit and feed in the DMK22C, though they do not trigger the bolt catch. The DMK22C is also compatible with a select number of AR-15 aftermarket trigger packs.

DMK22C-LVOA

For the DMK22C-LVOA model, KRISS has partnered up with War Sport Manufacturing, to allow them to produce a .22LR version of their Low Visibility Operations Application (LVOA).

The most eye-catching feature of the LVOA is the hand guard, detailed below.

You can find the real version of the LVOA on War Sport’s homepage: http://www.warsport.com/lvoa-firearms-war-sport/

If you don’t like the standard hard anodized black finish, you can choose from Ceracote finishes like Flat Dark Earth, OD Green, and Alpine White ceramic.

As an owner of a White AR-15 in Arctic Mirage Flage I can tell you that it only looks brand new and white once, and that’s before you start shooting it. Oil, dust, dirt, carbon and fingers don’t mix well with white surfaces, but if you can live with that or a lot of cleaning – go for it!

I personally think .22LR rifles are great fun to shoot, and a great tool regardless if you’re training for 3 Gun, practical shooting or other needs. I use them for IPSC Mini Rifle, and have managed to reach the podium a few times. It’s cheap, less noisy and safer but has most, if not all, of the normal excitement that rifle shooting has on offer. You can actually shoot a lot faster with a .22LR than with a .223 Rem, it’s frustrating as it feels you can shoot faster than your brain can acquire new paper targets.

The Kriss DMK22C is about twice as expensive as a Ruger 10/22, but I would without a doubt go for the Kriss based on what I’ve seen so far.

If you want to lay your eyes on the first ones, they will be on display at the KRISS USA booth, #8003, during the 2017 SHOT Show.

You can also check online: HERE.