Hammerli Tac R1 22 - SO MUCH FUN!

To me, Hammerli was always associated with target pistols back when I first started shooting at a club. However, their AR-15-type .22 rimfires, which I saw at the British Shooting Show, have caught my interest.

Arrival
The TAC R1 22 arrived shortly afterwards, and it immediately struck me as a different attempt on the generic type. I have used many polymer S&W 15-22s. The Hammerli stands out due to its aluminium components, but there are a few control changes that we will see later on.
The forend is fully ventilated with multiple M-LOK slots for accessories, and it allows the inner barrel to fully free float. The matte finish black barrel is a nice beefy spec, showing a 19mm diameter and 16” length. It’s threaded ½”x28 and arrives with a flash hider. Of course, a sound moderator can be fitted instead, if you prefer.

Real estate
The aluminium handguard is 330mm/13” long, with a full-length Picatinny rail completing the top of its roughly octagonal profile. The hard anodising has so far proven quite tough, and machining has been done to remove unnecessary weight while maintaining rigidity and mechanical grip. There are linear grooves milled into the upper facetted surfaces, and there are two QD stud anchor points just ahead of the action interface, offering plenty of versatility.

Irons
The iron sights are actually polymer, but this isn’t a downside, and they are fitted to the upper picatinny rail, fore and aft. Both fold flat and lock down when not in use, and a press of the side button flips them up under spring tension, without mechanical noise. The front sight has a single 2mm post that rotates to offer four elevation settings in collaboration with the windage adjustable rear. The rear uses a twin leaf design, and with the primary 5.65mm aperture up, you get a broader field of view and faster target acquisition. Flip up the second leaf and it offers a reduced 1.65mm aperture. This allows for more precise aiming from the 450mm sight ‘radius’ (the distance from the front to rear sight).

Aluminium top-to-bottom
Hammerli uses aluminium for both upper and lower action components, and these are held together with two pins front and rear, just like an AR. In detail, the right side shows a spring-loaded dust cover over the ejection port. If you clip it manually closed, it automatically opens as the bolt is cycled. There is a case defector behind the port, and at the very rear of the upper, you can see the T-handle cocking lever above the forward assist plunger, which is still included and functional, if not necessarily needed.

Easy to load magazines
The release catch sits on the right side of the magazine well for extended index finger operation, and the ten-round polymer mag slides in and out easily with a secure ‘click’. The single-column mags are full AR size but obviously moulded for .22LR cartridges. They are made easier to load with twin buttons on either side of the follower, so you can relieve pressure from the spring when feeding rounds into the top.

These aren’t the controls we’re accustomed to
There is a two-position safety catch above your thumb that moves down for FIRE, lift it for SAFE. It’s interesting that we now depart slightly from the norm. Looking at the left side of the rifle, you can see a bolt hold open latch and magazine release components, but neither are functional. This is no real issue, as long as you know how to control the rifle alternatively. The magazine follower and lateral buttons control the bolt catch internally, so you get automatic last-round hold open of the bolt. If you want to lock the bolt back from a closed position, you need to either leave it that way before you remove the mag or re-insert an empty magazine to operate the internal mechanism before pulling the t-handle back. Then remove the magazine. This is something to be aware of for range use, and once you remember a system, you can maintain it, but you can’t just pull the T-Handle back and flick the left side lever like a real AR-15 or S&W 15-22. The secret is, that once you learn the gun, you can just pull the bolt back and lift the bolt lock from inside the mag well with your extended index finger.

Extra length
The grip is typically AR-15 compatible and here, the hard polymer shows stippling for tactile assurance. There is a buffer tube locked on the rear of the receiver and this includes a telescopic butt offering five different positions. Therefore, you can alter the length of pull from 300mm/12” all the way up to 380mm/15”, meaning shooters of all sizes will be comfortable. There is a little bit of ‘battle rattle’ on the telescopic butt, but most ARs have this, yet I really liked the relatively slim cheekpiece profile that allows great head alignment with the irons or a low telescopic sight. Secondly, there were loads of anchor locations for sling mounting of both webbing-type and those with conventional studs. Too many manufacturers miss out on this and compromise versatility.

Don’t lose it
The rifle can be disassembled for cleaning in the same way as most ARs. First, push the rear action pin from the left through to the right, and when withdrawn, this will allow the gun to hinge open for full access to the chamber area and the trigger. Be careful, as the pin is not captive and can therefore be easily lost. For more comprehensive cleaning/access, the front pin can also be removed, if you want total upper/lower separation.

In use
I feel the gun is well-made, reliable, and consistent in operation. During testing, I used it with the iron sights, which I love using on steel, and with a scope fitted for some more dedicated group shooting and longer-range plinking. All the ammunition I used was 40 to 42-grain round nose or hollow point, and as long as you don’t go significantly below 1000 feet per second, the Hammerli performs reliably with any bullet. When I tried RWS Subsonic ammo, which is notably slower and quieter than pretty much anything else, I got a failure to cycle. However, I wasn’t massively disappointed. After all, with a blowback semi-auto, it was hardly surprising because it is the least energetic ammunition.
Interestingly, the rifle has an adjuster on the bolt and with the rifle hinged open, this is accessible to alter the spring tension on the bolt itself for differing ammo types. I did have a go and it did change the action tempo slightly for the more energetic subsonic and supersonic loadings, but the RWS were still just too lethargic to give 100% reliable operation, but everything else worked fine.
The trigger is a single-stage unit and quite heavy, showing a 3500-4500-gram weight range. The one I had weighed 3600-grams but was repeatable. You soon get used to timing your shots a bit.
With the correct ammo, ejection is positive and the action itself is not overly noisy. With a moderator fitted, I would quite happily have gone rabbiting with it. I only got the chance to use it in windy conditions and don’t feel I saw the ultimate capability on target, but it made me want to shoot it more, not just give it back with frustration.
During disassembly, I noticed the action internals stayed remarkably clean. This is always going to be ammo dependent but I really can’t knock the Hammerli’s honest performance at a modest cost. Plus, when I got to shoot a few rounds with a full support bag system that helped stabilise the rifle more, it did shoot some sub 25mm 5-shot groups at 75m, which made me smile.

Conclusion
The Hammerli is a nice gun to own and shoot. It’s not as accurate and consistent as a bolt action .22 or some expensive custom semi-auto ARs, plus it’s a little louder to shoot due to the reciprocating action, but it offers so much shooting fun because of the fast-fire capability and well-specified ergonomics. The aluminium construction increases the authentic AR feel, and with excellent flip-up open sights, you can really set yourself some testing target action.