Ahead of the 2012 SHOT Show, Magnum Research announced a new .22 LR rifle called the MLR22AT. This rifle is part of the Magnum Lite series of rimfire rifles offered from Magnum Research.
The MLR22AT uses a graphite bull barrel which is supposed to be six times stiffer than steel, up to a pound lighter than steel and dissipates heat up to 43% faster than steel. This rifle has a 17″ barrel and synthetic stock, making a total weight of 4.25 pounds.
The MLR22AT uses the Ruger 10/22 trigger group and magazines. I admit to not knowing much about the Magnum Lite line of rifles, so I do not know what kind of arrangement Magnum Research (owned by Kahr) has with Ruger for the parts production. But, it certainly speaks to the quality of the 10/22 rifle.
MSRP on the Magnum Research MLR22AT is $562.
With less than two weeks from the 2012 SHOT Show, a lot of new guns and products are being announced. Keep checking back as we report on them, and bring you live coverage from the floor of the show.
As of October 2013, this rifle is still being sold by Magnum Research. In fact, the company has expanded the line with a number of different options including different stocks and calibers. The .22 LR is the most popular, or most common, caliber. However, Magnum Research is offering some of these guns in .22 WMR (aka .22 Magnum.)
Several of the MLR22 rifles use a very colorful, and attractive, stock. The guns all share certain common features including the Picatinny rail receivers and the threaded barrels. The threaded barrels allow the shooter to add a variety of muzzle brakes and sound suppressors. While a .22 WMR might not be a best choice for matching to a can, running one on a .22 LR, especially with a subsonic load, would make for very quiet shooting.