1911 .22 Conversion Kits?

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Dalkowski110	1911 .22 Conversion Kits?	Lead	[-]
Posts: 1370 (11/29/09 03:18 PM) Forum Co-host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None With a gunsmithed Auto-Ordnance 1911 "WWII" model on layaway, I've naturally been pricing .45 ACP ammo. With the amount of shooting I'd like to be doing with this particular gun (a lot), it's not cheap. I'm also not set up to handload (yet...I will be by this summer). However, I've since stumbled across the fact that you can buy a .22 LR conversion unit for your 1911. Reading the reviews, they seem to fit pretty nicely. There also seem to be three brands: Colt, Kimber, and Marvel. Marvel seems to work best, but also happens to cost upwards of $500. For the same price, I could get a Ruger .22 auto, the Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket Automatic I've been dying for, or even save up $200 more and buy a Kimber or Smith & Wesson 1911 that's just a devoted .22. Kimber, which is made by Ciener, is much less, plus I've seen a ton of reviews for it (since Cabela's sells it online). Unfortunately, while it certainly does save money, the near-universal complaint about the Kimber kit seems to be that it's not very accurate. "Not very accurate" and "1911" are not words that should go together. Still, I'm open to any ways to accurize the thing, which several Cabela's reviewers did. Finally, there's the Colt. It's less than the Marvel on gunbroker, and from what I've read, it's more accurate than the Kimber (nobody compared one to a Marvel, although I will give the Marvel this: it does sound like the most accurate kit on the market). Also, unlike the other kits, it'll work with .38 Super (you never know...I may eventually want one or stumble across one, heh). Thing is, it also tends to be picky about ammo and jam when it gets dirty...something it does very easily, after only a few hundred rounds. Still, I think I could solve that by equipping my range bag with a dental pick, a toothbrush, and some Hoppe's. What do you guys think I'd be best off getting? Or would I be better off just buying another .22? Last Edited By: Dalkowski110 11/29/09 03:21 PM. Edited 1 time.
Colin		#1	[-]
Posts: 2088 (11/30/09 12:58 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I have no experience with a Marvel. However a friend has both a Colt conversion and a Ciener. The Colt continues to fire for about 200 rounds before it quits. however the floating chamber seizes up in about 50 to the extent that you can't disassemble it for cleaning. Accuracy is about what you'd expect from a Colt commercial 45. The Ciener is a lot simpler than the Colt; it's straight blowback. Neither it nor the Colt are ammo sensitive. But while the Ciener is accurate enough for plinking, it's not accurate enough for anything else. On my friend's unit, the plastic magazine was so fat it rubbed on the stirrup of the trigger, so you could fire it, but you then had to pull the trigger forward to fire it again. He couldn't get a new magazine out of Ciener, but got another one from Midway, which worked OK. His experience with both conversions have sort of cured me of wanting a 22 conversion. Anyway, I handload, and can make lots of 45ACP plinking ammo that will shoot well out of my Series 70.
Dalkowski110		#2	[-]
Posts: 1371 (11/30/09 02:12 PM) Forum Co-host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thanks for the response Colin. From the sound of it, I'm just better off getting another .22 pistol and waiting until I have handloading equipment before really plinking with my 1911.
Bryan 45		#3	[-]
Posts: 2607 (11/30/09 10:24 PM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I have a Kimber conversion that's about 5 years old. It is a little picky on which bulk ammo it will run, but it does function well w/ the 550 round boxes of Federal from Walmart. Off hand at 15 yards it will stack a full magazine under 2" or so. I shoot USPSA and 3 gun competition w/ my single stack, so I use the conversion for practicing target transition and movement while shooting. Plenty accurate for these sort of activities.
7GREEN		#4	[-]
Posts: 715 (12/01/09 12:17 AM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	My Ciener unit prefers HV ammo, otherwise works well, and yes, I have heard that Ciener has poor customer service.
Dalkowski110		#5	[-]
Posts: 1372 (12/01/09 03:21 AM) Forum Co-host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Do you guys that own Ciener/Kimber kits and like them believe them to be worth the while of owning, or should I save my money to buy a Ruger Mk. I, Smith & Wesson Model 34-1 revolver, some other "classic .22 pistol" of that ilk, or even a Kimber or Smith & Wesson devoted .22 1911...both of which have gotten rave reviews in terms of accuracy? It would be REALLY nice to have a firearm that uses multiple calibers, especially one I expect to use so much like the 1911, but if it was picky as heck about ammo and not as accurate as, say, the Ruger or Smith & Wesson or .22-devoted 1911, would you guys think it to be worth it? I'm kinda torn.
1bolo		#6	[-]
Posts: 532 (12/01/09 09:53 AM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Hey JW, My only experience is with an OLD Colt conversion I picked up 30 some years ago. It is not ammo sensitive,is most accurate with standard or target velocity ammo and as far as fouling,never an issue.Yes it got really dirty around the floating chamber but a shot of bore cleaner and it would take off shooting again. As far as accuracy,the Navy ROTC at University of Idaho was kind enough to let me shoot with them when I was in grad school and it never embarrassed me(can't imagine walking around campus now with that and my gear headed for the basement of the old gym!). John "Pity the Man who hears the pipes and was'na born in Scotland!"
Bryan 45		#7	[-]
Posts: 2608 (12/02/09 08:55 AM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I wouldn't recommend a dedicated .22 in a 1911 style gun. No sense paying $600 or more for just a .22 when for $800 you can get a .45 and .22. On the Ruger or Smith idea- I really enjoy shooting my Mk II, but it's so much different than any centerfire handgun, I don't use it much. I also have a Colt Diamondback in .22, but it rarely gets shot because I don't shoot revolvers very often. They are both fun to plink with, but most of my handgun shooting is focused on competition- so it makes more sense for me to shoot a 1911. The conversions are not necessarily picky about ammo, it just needs to be high velocity. CCI Mini-mags are all but guaranteed to work, and like I mentioned the Federal bulk HV works great in mine. The mainspring weight in the 1911 has as much to do w/ functioning of the conversion as anything.
Dalkowski110		#8	[-]
Posts: 1376 (12/02/09 10:07 AM) Forum Co-host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	"I also have a Colt Diamondback in .22, but it rarely gets shot because I don't shoot revolvers very often." Would you recommend this as a .22 revolver? I know of rave reviews of the Python and Diamondback centerfire revolvers. I really like wheel guns and outside of the oft-recommended Smith & Wesson 34-1, I'm really kinda lost in that market for rimfires.
JTB1967		#9	[-]
Posts: 804 (12/04/09 06:21 PM) Veteran member Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I had a Marvel unit and it was super accurate. It's needs a well tuned trigger to get the best accuracy though. The average commerical 1911 trigger just isn't a target trigger.
Bryan 45		#10	[-]
Posts: 2610 (12/10/09 11:14 AM) Host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I've been out of town a few days. The Diamondback is a nice revolver, but at twice the price of a Smith, I'd go w/ the Smith. I'd look for a K frame though if you plan on shooting it a lot. My brother in law had a 34, and while a nice piece, for target shooting the K frame felt much better. A K-22 masterpiece would be hard to beat, and there are enough of them out there you should be able to find a nice one under $500.
Dalkowski110		#11	[-]
Posts: 1398 (12/10/09 01:26 PM) Forum Co-host Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	"A K-22 masterpiece would be hard to beat, and there are enough of them out there you should be able to find a nice one under $500. " Thanks for the advice! That gun just leapt to the top of my .22 pistol wishlist!
Kivaari	22 conversions	#12	[-]
Posts: 2778 (02/07/10 04:23 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I've an older Colt kit which I've had for 25 years or so. It runs like a top, nary a hiccup.

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1911 .22 Conversion Kits?

1911 .22 Conversion Kits?