anyone playing with 1911 22lr conversions?..

im thinking of getting a conversion to minimize ammo costs but worried about them, are they any good?

im pretty sure a little itsy bitsy 22lr wont have any effect on a frame and slide designed for a 45acp, but...

how tight is the conversion inside the frame and slide?
does the conversion affect accuracy of the firearm at 15-25yds?
longevity and reliability of the conversion? FTF, FTE? stove pipes?


and im a firm believer in " you get what you pay for", any recommendations/suggestions for a particular MFG?

A friend of mine used to have a Kimber conversion kit. We had nothing but problems with it jamming (ftf and stove piping). We tried it on a Colt and a Kimber frame, both had the same issues. It had a nice fitment on both frames and held good groups, when it worked. The other thing about the kit was that it would only (sometimes) work with high velocity ammo. Bulk ammo did not work at all, it would fail to cycle or stove pipe every time. He ending up selling it and buying a stand alone Kimber 1911 22r. After seeing the problems with the kit, I too bought a stand alone 1911 22r, three of them as a matter of fact. In my opinion you'd make out better with buying another gun in 22lr instead of a kit.

I have the Kimber Conversion also. I use a Kimber Custom II Stainless as a host. I haven't had any problems with it. First couple of hundred rounds it only liked CCI ammo (which is recommended by Kimber). After the break in period it will eat anything. Of course, .22 ammo is like finding hen's teeth. I know of one other guy that has one and has no problem with it either.

It's a bit like anything else. You get what you pay for! The old Kart conversions (not available for many years) were a bullseye shooter's treasure! Marvel Precision makes a few flavors. their Unit 1 is for the bullseye competitor and is made to function with STANDARD VELOCITY or Match ammo. The Unit 2 is for general shooting and is set up for High Velocity ammo. Mine seems to like CCI mini-mags best. As far as I know these are the "race horses" of the type. With the dearth of .22 LR I haven't using my unit as much as I would like to!

Visit their site: http://www.marvelprecision.com/

Having been there and done that, just spend a few bucks more and get a ruger mk3 or a 22/45. Don't let people crying about difficult teardown scare you. If you can read the instructions you can do it.

What are you trying to do? Shoot a .22 and happen to like the 1911 (don't we all) or looking to train and become proficient with a 1911 paying less for ammo.

If your looking for training you should think about an Airsoft pistol. I know what your thinking, but NO they are not just toys for kids.......they are toys for adults too. You can get an Airsoft 1911 that is all metal, cycles the slide on every shot, functions exactly the same (safety, slide release, grip safety, mag release) and has almost the same weight. Best of all you can shoot it anytime you want in your backyard. You can practice in your backyard and let your wife / kids / any hot babe play with it to. They are surprisingly accurate at short distances, You can hit a beer can all day at 10 paces.

Here is an example. If you search for one look for a GBB (gas blow back) pistol. It cycles the slide and reloads every time you pull the trigger.

http://www.evike.com/products/30127/

http://cdn1.evike.com/images/large/GP_WE_412MEU_lg.jpg

I use the Marvel unit and it's more accurate than some of my dedicated .22 pistols. They are all ammo sensitive, but once you find what it likes they run quite well.

Lycanminelovescheapremingtonsthrope

I have a Kimber conversion, it shoots well and functions well on a Kimber custom II frame - I like it. The airsoft idea actually holds merit. I used my daughters airsoft Beretta 92 in an aisoft "campaign" and was amazed with how well it mimmicked the real thing - I handled her "glock" and it was almost identical to my 17. Plus they are quiet and safer if you want practice quick draw and shoot techniques. Just be warned, there is nothing SOFT about them - they leave welts through your jeans when fired from 20 feet away...

My 2 cents... Cb

Another Marvel Owner here, excellent excellent conversion. They used to ship with the shot groups in a button mine where all touching each other at 25 yards, I believe its more accurate then I am. They have gone up quite a bit, every so often I do see a use done on Gunbroker. Its not just a conversion but really a precision 22 upper for your frame.

I can tell you with certainty that the sig sauer 1911 .22 conversion is junk. Even with my good ol' CCI mini-mag, which has always been ultra reliable in all my semi auto .22 pistols/rifles, wouldn't cycle. I've heard better things about the marvel conversion as other said on here but I don't have any hands on experience with that piece of equipment. I've heard the kimber conversion is okay as well but I have yet to trust a Kimber product as I hear they have significantly declined in terms of quality control.

Honestly, I like the airsoft gun idea that a couple other people are suggesting. Keep in mind, depending upon where you live, there may be a local ordinance against discharging firearms of any kind which believe it or not can sometimes include air soft guns (don't get me started on how ridiculous that notion is). Also, just in general, treat the air soft gun exactly as you would treat a real firearm. It can look enough like a real gun to seriously land you in some hot water (as in don't leave it in your trunk and drive to New Jersey...)