GUN TESTS GRADE: F

$270

If you’re looking for a SCAR and the RX22 doesn’t suit your fancy, another company imports a SCAR replica in 22 LR. Let’s see what our testers thought of it.

The ISSC MK22 appears to be a clone of the Anschütz RX22. With an MSRP of $665, the MK22 could be found at CDNN Sports (CDNNSports.com) on sale for $300. The rifle has the same weight, configuration and controls as the RX22. While our rifle at first seemed to have the same black finish as the RX22, the ISSC MK22 finish quickly started to bubble and peel off in multiple locations.

Our testers had the same complaints about the rifle’s comfort with open sights. While the buttpad stayed on the rifle, the base plate of the pistol grip came off a couple of times. Interestingly, while the RX22 would fire without the magazine, the ISSC MK22 would not fire without a magazine. Some of the testers thought this was a good feature in a training rifle. The magazines are identical for both rifles. They are easy to load, drop freely, and hold the bolt open when empty. Some of our testers found the magazine difficult to reload as it would not also seat or lock in very well.

The bolt on our example was mounted on the left side. Some of our testers liked that because it allowed the off hand to manipulate the bolt without altering the firing grip. You can transfer the bolt handle to the other side if that is your preference. The safety was easier to use on the MK22 than the RX22. The trigger on the ISSC was actually judged to be superior to the Anschütz. While slightly heavier at 5.9 pounds and demonstrating the same spongy release and excessive overtravel, the two-stage trigger was easier to use, with much lighter take-up.

Formal accuracy testing proved to be a great challenge. The ISSC MK22 frequently experienced failures to feed and extract. Since we had the same results with three different magazines and all three brands of ammo, the testers concluded that the fault was with our rifle. The fact that none of the magazines would seat or lock up securely might indicate an issue with the magazine interface on our particular rifle. However, further research indicated that these problems are common with the model. In fact, the only brand of ammo we were able to get to work consistently enough to reliably test was the Federal 40-grain roundnose. We eventually squeezed out three groups that averaged a solid 0.9 inch. Two other groups were larger, but were disqualified due to functional difficulties. We only got two groups out of the Winchester 36-grain hollow points: one was 1.71 inches and the other was 0.82 inches. We never were able to produce a group out of our rifle with the Aguila 40-grain roundnose. Bottom line is that our example of the ISSC MK22 was not able to meet our testing protocols.

Our Team Said: Despite hope that we would find a quality SCAR replica, our testers found very little to like about the ISSC MK22. There were problems with the fit (pistol grip), finish, and reliability. The ISSC MK22 got one tester so angry that she said she would not pay a dollar for it. The frustration was real and prevented anyone from having any fun with the rifle. If a rifle like this isn’t fun, then it simply is not worth buying.

Written and photographed by David Tannahill, using evaluations from Gun Tests team testers.

22 LR Range Data