Earlier this year, KRISS USA announced that they would be coming out with their Vector 22. They came out with a carbine (CRB) and pistol (SDP) version of their popular KRISS Vector line of firearms but these are chambered in .22LR. KRISS USA sent their Vector 22 CRB and SDP-SB in for review.

KRISS Vector 22 CRB

The Vector 22 CRB is a 1:1 rimfire version of their Vector carbine which is normally chambered in 9mm, .40 S&W, 10mm, or .45 ACP. Exterior wise the Vector 22 looks just like the CRB model however there are some differences right away. Take a look at the photo of Vectors below.

The Gen 2 centerfire Vector CRBs come with that large rectangular barrel shroud. The Vector 22 CRB does not. However, it does come with a free float handguard and threaded barrel. I removed the handguard and discovered that the 22 CRB barrel is made similar to the centerfire CRB so I was able to use my original Vector CRB barrel shrouds.

The Vector 22 CRB is a fun gun to kit out with accessories.

The CRB comes with the same Defiance AR-style stock as the DMK22 that I reviewed. It was easy to replace it with my RAL8000 HK416 stock.

Below is my COVID19 setup with SIG folding visor stock.

The fact that the Vector 22 is chambered in .22LR means I can use stock setups that would not normally be suited for the centerfire. My TROY PDW stock is terrible on a .45ACP Vector CRB, but on the Vector 22, it works well.

SKU	KV22-CBL00
Model	Vector CRB
Caliber	.22LR
Capacity	10 / 30
Barrel Length	16.0″
Overall Length Collapsed	34.5 in / 867.3 mm
Overall Length Extended	37.7 in / 958.8 mm
Operating System	Direct Blowback
Action Type	Semi-Automatic
Stock	6 Position Adjustable Stock
Color	BLACK
Weight	7.4 lb / 3.3 kg
Barrel Material	4140 Chrome Moly
Barrel Finish	Black Nitride (QPQ)
Twist Rate	1:16″ RH
Thread Pitch	1/2×28

Vector 22 SDP-SB

The real winner is the Vector 22 SDP-SB. I never had a pistol vector so this is as good as it gets to having an SBR. Plus it is in .22LR. It has all the same features as the CRB model but in the form factor that the Vector was designed to be.

The Vector 22 SDP-SB comes with a fixed buffer tube just like their Defiance DMK22 rifles. It looks like a carbine buffer but it is thicker inside and won’t work with a real AR-15 buffer. The SDP-SB comes with a generic SB Tactical brace.

I swapped it out for the original KRISS Vector brace that was designed to resemble the original Vector stock. They also come with the same Defiance BUIS as the DMK22 so I swapped them out for the BUIS that came with my .45ACP Vector carbine. They are engraved “KRISS VECTOR SUPER V”.

However I am not a fan of a brace that does not fold. So I added a folding hinge.

One problem I have with this setup is how thick it is due to the buffer tube. Also the safety selector switch hits the brace when it is folded.

I ditched that style of brace and used the Picatinny adapter from Engineered Silence that I used when I reviewed their 10/22 chassis.

Now I can use the FSB1913 from SB Tactical. Super low profile and it folds. As you can see in the photo below, the brace does not block the grip or trigger. It does block the left side safety selector but you can flip the right side.

While the Vector CRB comes with a free float MLOK handguard, the SDP-SB only comes with a bottom Picatinny rail. You have to buy the side rails separately. You can buy them off the KRISS USA online store for $26.95 each. Or you can buy the KRYTAC airsoft versions for $17.95.

If you notice above I have my prototype mag release lever and it works on the Vector 22 but it requires a slight modification to the Vector housing. Take a look at the photo below. There is a wall just above the mag catch. I had to cut that away to make room for the mag release bar to bolt to the mag catch. FYI this is the mag catch I used on my .45ACP Vector. Which confirms that the Vector 22 uses .45acp sized magazines and the same mag catch.

Look Inside The .22LR Vector

While the Vector 22 looks like a Vector on the outside, the inside is a little bit different. I compared it to my neighbor’s Vector CRB since he has a gen 2. Unfortunately you can not swap the uppers of a centerfire with the rimfire Vector. If you take a look at the bottom of the uppers, the block (nose piece according to KRISS USA) that used to be the Vector light housing has a cut in it for the rimfire version whereas the centerfire version does not.

For some reason, the trunion of the rimfire Vector is thicker and has these huge bolts on the front side. That is why the light block nose piece in the upper has a cut in it.

 

Another issue with the upper housing incompatibility is the fact that the .22LR vector does not have a traditional SUPER V vectoring bolt. See those oval loops in the OD green lower that stick up? Those are part of the slider in a centerfire Vector. Well, the slider interferes with the rimfire Vector upper so it won’t fit together.

 

If you look underneath the Vector upper housing you will see a difference in the trigger housing. The rimfire version (highlighted in blue) has thicker walls than the centerfire version (highlighted in red).

So while the centerfire upper could fit on a rimfire lower, it won’t because the nose piece at the front does not have the cut to accommodate the screws in the rimfire trunion.

   

Field Stripping The Vector 22

The rimfire vector does not have a SUPER V system in it. Instead, it is a straight blowback bolt. In order to remove the bolt for cleaning, you need to push the back of the buffer forwards to get the two silver retaining pins out.

Once you push the buffer forward, the retaining pins can clear the right side of the receiver. Push them out left to right. They can only come out on this side.

Then slowly ease pressure off the buffer and pull the recoil spring and guide rod out. Be careful, the guide rod is not captive.

Below are the parts you can remove from the Vector 22.

As you can see in the photo below, the rimfire Vector lacks the raceways for the vectoring bolt like the centerfire Vectors. Instead, the raceway is a straight line inline with the barrel.

There is a considerable amount of empty space below the bolt that is not being used. I would like someone to make a compartment that replaces the bottom plate that can store small parts or even ammo in this large cavity. It would have to be a sealed compartment since the rimfire Vector 22 is a blowback design and dirt can get down into this space.

Shooting The Vector 22 CRB and Pistol

Shooting the rimfire vectors is not that different from the centerfire vectors. While the safety selectors are ambidextrous, the layout of the Vector is not really left hand friendly. In order to operate the charging handle, you have to reach under or over.

When we first tested the rimfire Vectors it had some issues feeding CCI Clean-22. These are breast cancer awareness versions that have pink powder coated bullets. They would constantly fail to feed.

 

 

This is what happens like 50% of the time.

I reached out to KRISS USA and they said they used CCI AR-Tactical .22LR ammo. So I tried those and the gun cycled just fine. In fact, I tried the following .22LR ammo and other than your stereotypical bad rimfire round they cycled just fine.

• Winchester M-22
• PRIME 40gr
• SK Standard Plus
• Federal Black Pack

 

The one thing that is not great about the rimfire Vector 22 is the accuracy. It is terrible even with good ammo. Below are some groups at 25 yards with the Federal Black Pack. My friend Kythe used that ammo to kill three squirrels at 370 yards using his Voodoo V-22 rifle.

While my friend Kythe has had good accuracy with Federal Black Pack ammo in his premium bolt gun I tried my favorite rimfire bolt gun ammo, SK Standard plus but shooting them at 100 yards. The KRISS Vector 22 Carbine did not do very well. I used a bipod and rear bag as well as my Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24×50 scope.

Below is one bullet hole even though I fired ten.

While it is not a fair comparison, here is a 5 shot group using the same ammo out of my Ruger Precision Rimfire. Also shot 100 yards away.

I even recorded the shots through my Phone Skope Skoped Vision.

Final Thoughts About The Rimfire Vectors

These guns are plinkers first and foremost. They were not really designed to be shot for precision or accuracy so it was not a fair comparison against precision rimfire bolt guns. I did want to eliminate the variable that the ammo is inaccurate and that is why I used those bolt guns as a control. This shows that the inaccuracy of the Vector is not due to using bad ammo.

The Vector 22 is a fun gun to plink with. If you like the aesthetics like I do, then you will have a lot of fun with these guns. I prefer the pistol over the carbine though. Especially since I did not see much accuracy with the 16″ barrel. But considering states like California that restrict handgun sales, you will not be able to get the SDP-SB anytime soon.

The Vector 22 carbine and pistol only come with a single 10 round magazine each. I would have preferred if it came with a couple more. You can get more now on KRISS USA’s webstore for $17.95 each. Since KRISS USA designed the magazines to the same dimensions as the .45ACP KRISS Vector, you can use any Glock 21 compatible baseplates. I can’t wait for their extended 30 round magazine. 10 rounds goes fast when you are plinking and reloading these magazines is slow. They do not have a slider like the Glock 44 magazines. Unfortunately, KRISS USA designed their plinker Vector before Glock even announced their Glock 44. It would have been great if the Vector 22 could use the Glock 44 magazines instead. However, even if the Vector 22 was designed to use 9mm sized magazines, it would be Glock 17 length and the Glock 44 is a Glock 19 pattern sized pistol.

The Vector 22s retail for $649.99 MSRP and come in three colors. Black, FDE and white. For more information go to KRISS-USA.com.