Liked the 15-22 when I had it and it was very fun to shoot, but ended up selling it because of the versatility of the 10-22. Said versatility will be wasted on some people, so its preference.
The Nordic NC-22 takes the lead in the .22 RF AR platform rifle.I'm not downplaying the S&W, they are light, accurate, and from what I've heard they are the best .22 rimfire AR platform rifle.
Yeah, but an AR-15 is so much fun!22lr is still a LOT cheaper than 223/556 so I can see the appeal.
Just about any old 22 rifle will work for training a newbie. IMHO an AR-15 is so much more fun to shoot that if your going to get something in the AR style go ahead get the .223/5.56 version.That and with the controls being identical it can be used for introduction or training. And while you can get conversion kits for a fill size AR to shoot 22 by the time you buy one you may as well spend a couple bucks more and have the dedicated platform with less hiccups to deal with. I know I would much rather take a new shooter to the range with my 15-22 for the first hundred rounds so that they are familiar with it and then let them have a few shots with the 223 after they are comfortable. A whole #311 of a lot cheaper too.
I actually am supposed to take someone who has never shot before in the next couple months when their schedule is conducive to making things happen.