AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG SEPTEMBER (^201979)
DEFIANCEDEFIANCE
However, the De ance upper will
attach to and function with a stan-
dard AR-15 lower.
The 13" aluminum free- oating
handguard features a full-length
top rail, which combines with the
receiver rail for 20" of uninterrupted
rail space. Rail sections (available
as accessories from Kriss) can be
attached to the handguard at the 3-,
6- and 9-o’clock positions via screws.
Though the slots in the handguard are
not explicitly compatible with name
brand rail systems, KeyMod rails can
be attached directly with their screws.
The De ance is equipped with the
same folding backup sights that Kriss
puts on the Vector ri es and pistols.
The front post is adjustable for eleva-
tion and the rear adjusts for windage,
with no tools required. The rear sight
has large (0.177") and small (0.059")
apertures for differing light conditions.
Kriss supplies the ri e with one
15-round magazine (a 10-round
magazine is available where required
by law). The magazine is identical in
size to a standard 20-round AR-15
magazine, and drops free for reload
training. The magazine interface is
compatible with Black Dog Machine’s
.22 Long Ri e AR magazines, which
are available in 10- to 50-round
capacities (blackdogmachinellc.net).
Magazines must have a hold-open fea-
ture to work the De ance’s bolt catch.
On the range it quickly became
apparent that two things set the
De ance apart from most tactical rim-
re trainers—reliability and accuracy.
Right out of the box it was 100-percent
reliable with any ammunition we threw
at it, the bolt locking open on every
empty magazine.
For accuracy testing, we mounted
a Vortex Strike Eagle 1-6X scope on a
Vortex mount. With its free- oating
barrel design the ri e proved it had
more than plinking-grade precision.
The De ance’s single-stage trigger has
a slight take-up before breaking at just
under 6 lbs. At 50 yds., the ri e averaged
groups of just under an inch, with CCI
Mini-Mags, providing near-m.o.a. results
and raising the possibility that, with a
heavier barrel and match-grade ammuni-
tion, you could expect the De ance to
deliver some serious accuracy.
Once we nished clocking bullets
and punching paper it was time
to ring steel and ventilate cans.
While running tactical carbine
drills the De ance handles like a
fullsize AR-15. Double-taps and speed
reloads failed to result in even the
slightest hiccup.
With current ammunition prices, the
De ance should pay for itself in fewer
than 3,000 rounds, based on the differ-
ence in cost between .22 Long Ri e and
.223 Rem. ammunition. This may seem
like a lot to the casual shooter, but to
the competitor or serious self-defense
student that may be less than a year’s
worth of practice. But you don’t need
economics as an excuse to like the
De ance. It combines center- re AR
features and center- re AR perfor-
mance with all of the training advan-
tages of the .22 rim re, providing an
easy way to get in more trigger time
with the AR-15 platform.
SEPTEMBER (^201979)
Once we nished clocking bullets with the AR-15 platform.
MANUFACTURER: KRISS USA (DEPT. AR), 912 CORPORATE LANE, CHESAPEAKE, VA 23320; (855) 574-7787; KRISS-USA.COM
KRISS DEFIANCE DMK22C
32 " TO 32.25"
16.5"
CHAMBERING: .22 LONG RIFLE
ACTION TYPE: BLOWBACK-OPERATED,
SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIMFIRE RIFLE
RECEIVER: 7075-T6 ALUMINUM;
BLACK ANODIZED
BARREL: 4140 CHROME-MOLY STEEL
RIFLING: SIX-GROOVE; 1:16" RH TWIST
MAGAZINE: 15-ROUND DETACHABLE BOX
SIGHTS: FLIP-UP; ELEVATION-ADJUSTABLE
POST FRONT, WINDAGE-ADJUSTABLE
APERTURE REAR
TRIGGER: SINGLE-STAGE; 5-LB., 15-OZ. PULL
STOCK: DEFIANCE DS150
WEIGHT: 7 LBS.
ACCESSORIES: OWNER’S MANUAL,
HARD CASE, LOCK
MSRP: $699
.22 LONG RIFLE
CARTRIDGE
VEL. @ 10'
(F.P.S.)
ENERGY
(FT.-LBS.)
GROUP SIZE (INCHES)
SMALLEST LARGEST AVERAGE
ARMSCOR PRECISION
36-GR. HP
1157 AVG.
17 SD
107 0.72 1.17 0.96
CCI MINI-MAG
40-GR. COPPER PLATED RN
1144 AVG.
25 SD
116 0.40 0.82 0.59
REMINGTON
GOLDEN BULLET
36-GR. PLATED HP
1164 AVG.
23 SD
108 0.77 1.56 1.28
AVERAGE EXTREME SPREAD 0.94
NOTES: MEASURED AVERAGE VELOCITY FOR 10 SHOTS OVER A COMPETITION ELECTRONICS
PROCHRONO DIGITAL CHRONOGRAPH AT 10 FT. ACCURACY RESULTS FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE, FIVE-
SHOT GROUPS AT 50 YDS. FROM A CALDWELL MATRIX REST. TEMPERATURE: 58° F. HUMIDITY: 60%.
ABBREVIATIONS: HP (HOLLOW POINT), RN (ROUND NOSE), SD (STANDARD DEVIATION).
SHOOTING RESULTS (50 YDS.)
0.5" 0.5"
10.75" TO 14 "
The Kriss De ance .22 lower receiver (bottom) compared to a standard .223 Rem.
AR-15 lower (top). The De ance lower lacks provision for a buffer and action
spring, but is compatible with standard AR re-control parts.
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