17 HMR upper

**Julio** · 06-07-09, 01:42

Bill,

I'm really glad to hear the Valkyrie is on track. I think it's great that you have brought this excellent little cartridge and the deservedly popular AR platform together.

Would you ever consider consider doing some .22WMR Valkyries? I'd love one in HMR but here in the UK the law prevents us from owning semi-autos in any chambering other than .22LR and .22WMR.

There are plenty of .22LR AR uppers about, of course, but nothing in WMR (despite the modernisation of the cartridge's ballistics thanks to Remington's 33-grain and CCIs 30-grain polymer-tipped loads), and now that you've got a magnum rimfire system in production, hopefully it wouldn't be too big a step to cater for both cartridges in due course?

**BiggLee71** · 06-07-09, 23:20

sounds very interesting.the .17 hmr is a great round for target shooting/plinking.(not to mention smoking a varmint once in a while!)

**mds2004** · 12-27-09, 15:06

Is there any update on this? Im hoping to see the finished version at SHOT show in a few weeks. I would buy one when released too!

**Bill Alexander** · 12-28-09, 17:07

The announcement from Remington regarding the problems they had seen in semi auto 17 HMR rifles obviously put a substantial delay in the work while we figured out what was going on and why they were having problems. No one ever wants to discuss a problem so there was a lot of back tracking and an equal amount of testing to see if the problem existed in the system we have built. This was not only in examining the rifle designs but also extended to the powder chemistry and what specifications the rounds were being loaded to.

Happily the problem with the 17 HMR was rifle related and the cartridge remains a sound proposition for a semi automatic mechanism just as long as the design accounts for the few oddities of this caliber. Our extractor claw has proven to be most annoying and we are now on generation 3 but with a lot of problems solved. Equally we are now on generation 2 for the recoil spring as the balance for the spring/mass in this system is exemplified by it being such a small cartridge with so little firing impulse. The spring has to be perfect every time and despite the diminutive cartridge the recoil spring takes a lot of work that was not expected.

The gun is a complete joy to work with. Recoil is mild and the cartridges ability at longer ranges taxes the trigger control and ability to judge wind. Routine hits on soda can targets at 200 yards off the bipod are the norm until you let the wind get away from you or the trigger breaks badly because you did not get the correct hold. Stepping out to 300 yards I can say this caliber continues to dazzle albeit only punching paper and we spent a few too many afternoons trying to group 10 shots into the head box of a silhouette target and being confounded by the wind. Arriving the little 17 grain slugs will still punch through 3/4" ply with authority which was a surprise.

If I am raving about this gun it is not because of the gun so much as when you get back behind a full power AR. Unlike a 22 rimfire, the gun challenges you to extend ranges and then punishes mercilessly if you have the slightest err in your technique. Back on the Grendel at 600 yards, the silhouette is no longer any challenge and a 580 yard squirrel is better sport. The 17 is a phenomenal caliber in its own right but will definitely be a superb trainer.

I have already asked Grant in respect to posting pictures of the gun and the internals and he has consented to let me even though we do not currently sponsor the site. As soon as I get the pictures I will see if I cannot get them up.

I will be eschewing a stand at SHOT this year so will not be doing a formal release thing. As soon as the guns are ready I will get them up on my site and will also make sure that I let m4carbine.net know on this thread.

Bill Alexander

**kennp** · 02-09-10, 14:56

Hi Bill,
We in the UK would really like you to put some .22WMR barrels on a few of these & get them over here ASAP. We have .22LR ar's & we are alloud .22WMR in semi auto but nothing centre fire in semi auto, we lost them in 1988 & dearly miss them. The closest we can get to what we had would be your new AR in .22WMR
There is a rumour that CZ who already do an AR upper in .22LR may be coming out later this year with a .22WMR version but theres nothing yet.
You would have a definate market over here in the UK with a .22WMR version Bill.

**kennp** · 02-16-10, 02:12

Does anyone have any update info ?

**Bill Alexander** · 02-20-10, 15:19

Sorry, not reading the forums much at present as the work is lying in ambush for me.

Just took a break from the finishing of the first guns. Everything is now ready and we will be releasing the first rifles to customers. I expect to have the information up on the web site soon and will be taking orders.

Three basic versions all with an 18" barrel. One is simply a paint job on the standard item so really two builds.

First is a free float with a vented tubs hand guard. Will do that with a dipped camo coating for the hunters who want this. The final is the same guts but we have plugged them into a monolithic receiver we worked up with Mega Machine initially for a piston operated weapon. Looks way to pretty not to include this build.

Bill Alexander