With the world tightening its belt, affordable firearms are in high demand. Aside from the initial cost of purchasing a gun, it’s always helpful to hedge that expense by starting out with, or adding, one that is cheap to feed. Always seeking to provide its customers with a means to stay on the range, TriStar Arms released its first rifle, chambered in .22 LR. Manufactured by Kral Arms in Turkey, this lightweight semi-automatic promises everything you need to get started or to perfect what you’ve learned over the years.
Dubbed the KR.22, it operates on the straight-blowback principle. As .22 LR doesn’t generate the same amount of pressure as centerfire cartridges, an extensive delay system isn’t needed to lock the breech closed during firing. Instead, carefully calculated recoil springs handle the task and allow the action to “blowback” when the cartridge is fired, ejecting the spent case and stripping a fresh round from the magazine. That magazine is one of the KR.22’s most redeeming features, as it’s a faithful reproduction of Ruger’s classic rotary design. So much so, it is compatible with Ruger 10/22 mags and most aftermarket higher-capacity ones as well.
The control suite on this rifle impressed me most, as it represents modern thinking and a better understanding of how new shooters operate. Aside from a cross-bolt safety, there is also a trigger-blade fail-safe. This makes for a smooth transition to or from most of today’s pistols, and it provides some extra assurance should a shooter forget to push the crossbolt over. On that note, forgetting is less likely with the KR.22, as the “hot” side is a brilliant red and the entire button is oversize. The magazine-release lever is just forward of the trigger guard. TriStar’s magazines drop out 90 percent of the way and can be pulled free with just finger-tip pressure. The Ruger mags I had fell all the way out, but to be fair, they are far more broken in.
Although only something like 10 percent of the general population is left-handed, I feel like that number is larger in the shooting community. To that end, we’re getting noticed, and firearms are becoming more accommodating. The KR.22’s bolt affirms this statement with its reversible handle. An Allen key is all that is needed to handle the task, and TriStar includes a handy key-ringed set with the rifle.
I was fond of the barrel choice, as 18 inches is about all you need for most .22 LR cartridges to reach their full potential. It’s also a good, medium contour that helps dampen vibrations without making the gun too heavy to shoot offhand. Lastly, it comes threaded from the factory in 1/2-28 tpi, and thanks to $0 tax stamps, the threads will undoubtedly get used.
The stock of TriStar’s rifle is likely what most are going to notice first, and largely what makes the asking price so unbelievable. Fully synthetic, it features a swelled wrist with aggressive texturing. The butt is skeletonized and thinned, making it more apt to ride a shooting bag. Molded over the receiver is a Picatinny rail section, which won the race against 3/8-inch dovetails decades ago; it’s just taking some manufacturers time to realize. Inside the last slot sits a white-dot, rear-sight notch, which aligns with a fiber-optic front post. Both are crudely adjustable, so I took advantage of the rail and mounted a Tract 22 Fire optic for accuracy testing. This scope features a customizable BDC reticle and turrets built for 50-yard adjustments. The KR.22’s stock has an adjustable cheek piece, so accommodating the extra height was no trouble, and I was able to make the rifle feel like it was custom-built.
Half the fun of owning a .22 LR is the same reason people curse them—ammunition. What shoots well in one gun may not perform the same in another, so finding what works in something new takes a bit of experimentation. When tasked with this challenge, I like to hit the high-, medium- and low-velocity bands. To do this, I tested Fiocchi’s Official 320 Match ammunition, CCI’s Blazer bulk fodder and Remington’s high-speed Cyclone hunting ammo. I also packed a Dead Air Mask suppressor for function-testing, to ensure the action would run properly when extra pressure was added into the equation.
Getting the rifle zeroed was easy enough, but its consistency was a bit loose. Reminding myself that this is an affordable trainer and not a match-grade precision rifle helped me make peace with my initial findings. Moving over to Fiocchi’s load sealed the deal, even to include a sub-MOA group. It’s amazing how large the swings can be, which is why I never take anybody’s praise or criticism as gospel when it comes to rimfires. The trigger was a bit mushy, but there wasn’t any significant grit or overtravel, so I consider it a win. Functionally, the gun did just fine, even with the suppressor mounted, which is arguably the greatest test of a .22 LR.
Pulling the scope off and stepping away from the bench, I turned the rifle on a 6-inch gong that I keep at 100 yards. Zeroing the iron sights was a bit of a chore, as there aren’t any clicks or markings for adjustments; you have to just guess and check. Nonetheless, I got there within two magazines and proceeded to shoot the KR.22 in classic field positions. It balanced exceptionally well, and with good ammunition, a trained shooter can keep all shots on this plate, even from the offhand position.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with TriStar’s latest rimfire import and can recommend it to anybody looking to add a .22 LR to the safe or who is testing the waters to see if the shooting sports are for them. The feature set and overall footprint are representative of what folks are looking for, and its adoption of the best-functioning and therefore most common rimfire magazine was a smart move. My sole complaint with the gun would be the flimsy front third of the Picatinny rail atop the receiver. Since this area is hollow, I actually crushed it with my scope mount. Yes, you can move your rings to steer clear of it, but unless you read this first, you might not realize how flimsy it is.
Nevertheless, the KR.22 is a welcome addition to the rimfire world and an excellent first step for TriStar into the rifle market.
