1911 in .22LR?

M

Model12Win

Moderator
Hey gang! :)

Looking to buy a 1911 style .22 auto. I want it to look and feel like the real deal, ideally the same weight and size as a government model. I do not want a Ruger 22/45, it does not look anything like a real 1911.

Does anyone make such a gun that is also reliable enough for target shooting? I plan to use it as a trainer for my .45 1911 and also because I love the way a 1911 feels in hand.

Please help! Thanks!
 
Marvel, Kimber and Ciener make 22 uppers that will fit on a full size 1911 lower. A friend of mine has a Kimber unit and it's reliable and is pretty accurate.
 
Browning 1911-22

I have one, it is a 8/10 scale down from full size government 1911, made of alloy frame and slide, very reliable, I used to carry it in my front pocket.
 
This topic was recently discussed in this thread.

https://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=584556

Rodfac I thought made some good comments on conversion units.

I had a genuine Colt conversion unit with the 'floating chamber' that did not work at all well for me but don't let that sour you on other conversion units or even the Colt conversion unit. After all my experience was with ONE gun and ONE conversion unit.

Another one to consider is the 85% Browning .22LR.
http://www.browning.com/products/firearms/pistols/1911-22.html
I freely admit I thought this was kind of a stupid idea until I was given one to try out. It fit my hand VERY well and I was as accurate with that as any handgun I've ever tried. The accuracy really surprised me. They are a little pricey though---$530.
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/72991

Disclaimer: My favorite .22LR semi's will always be Ruger Mark whatever, Browning Buckmark, and if I could afford it the S&W model 41. (Also maybe the S&W Victory.)
 
I have the Colt Rail Gun. They also make a standard and Gold Cup. It's not really a Colt. Walther makes it in Germany and Umarex imports it. They claim 85% of the parts fit a .45 ACP 1911. Of course, that excludes barrel, slide, magazine, recoil spring, etc.

Overall, it's pretty good. A tad thinner than my Ruger SR1911 Commander, and no where near as heavy. Otherwise it feels like a 1911. It's NOT 85% of the size like the Browning.

I've got about 2,000 rounds through it without any major problems. Being full sized, there's no muzzle flip at all. Like a lot of .22 semi-autos it's very picky about ammo. No problem with CCI, Thunderbolt, most Aquilas. Won't run WWB worth S##t.
 
I was in search of the same thing as the OP. I never came across any full size 1911/22 that felt as if it was quality made. I ended up buying the Ruger 22/45 and its a fantastic reliable and accurate 22 with controls and grip angle that approximate a 1911. Fast forward a bit and I was in the market again. I looked at several aftermarket and factory replacement slides for Gov 1911s in 22LR. Kimber makes a nice 22 upper, except it doesnt lock open. Ceiner, Marvel and IMO the best value Advantage Arms http://www.advantagearms.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=AASOS&Category_Code=1911
I actually ended up changing platforms to CZ and bought a Kadet upper.
 
It's not really a Colt. Walther makes it in Germany and Umarex imports it.
Click to expand...
Walther barrel. The rest is Umarex die cast. You can also buy it as a Umarex and save a few $$$. Its one of the better 1911/22 I have seen. Browning is probably the best quality, its 80% the size of a 1911.
 
Armscor makes an all steel 1911 22. It has a cutaway slide like a Beretta 92. I dont know anything about it, but wanted to throw that out there. They also make a combo version that has the 45 upper end, and the 22 upper.

Armscor XT Series
 
There is no 1911 in .22LR that really feels like a centerfire 1911. I have a Ciener conversion on a steel 1911 receiver, and I have a Kimber conversion on a steel 1911 receiver. I have also fired the complete Kimber .22 caliber 1911, as well as the GSG and Colt/Umarex 1911.

The Kimber pistol is all aluminum. It shoots well, but being all aluminum it's so light that I've shot airsofts that felt more like I was holding a real firearm. It's better as a conversion on a steel receiver, but still not quite the same. The Ciener conversion is very similar to the Kimber (in fact, the original Kimber conversion was a re-badged Ciener) and shoots well, but the slide is aluminum. Iver-Johnson also sells the Ciener conversion under their name.

Between the Colt/Umarex and the GSG (which is also sold by Sig under the Sig brand), it's basically a toss-up. Each has aspects I prefer, and aspects that I don't like.

The 85%-scale Browning 1911-22 is a cute little toy, but that's all it is. With a street price of around $600, it's massively (IMHO) overpriced for what you get, doesn't feel at all like shooting a real 1911, and has a truly atrocious trigger. It also has a magazine safety, which a "real" 1911 never had.

In the end, I sold my Ruger 22/45 because it just isn't the same as shooting a 1911. I keep the Kimber conversion, but the one I shoot most is the Ciener base model (with the GI-style sights rather than the deluxe model with adjustable, target sights). I have a genuine Colt conversion, but I don't shoot it.
 
After trying several conversion units and "sorta" copies of the 1911 in .22, I gave up, and decided that not only is there no really good .22 version of the 1911, there is no longer any reason for one. The original reasons were to allow the military and the National Guard to practice indoors in bad weather and to save money in the Depression era. Today, with availability of good .22 pistols in a wide price range (and the 1911 long gone as the service pistol), I can't see a need for a .22 version of the 1911. As for a .22 version of the M9 and the new SIG, dependence on a pistol for military use has become less over the years, and practice with the standard pistol seems to serve the needs of the armed forces; cost reduction, if a significant factor, can be attained by use of a simulator.

Jim
 
I feel a bit differently, my Browning Compact 1911/22 is a bunch of fun to shoot even if a bit smaller it still looks and acts like a 1911. If .22 fun is really what you want: Sig P 938 in 9mm with the short ( same size as regular 938) conversion kit, has night sights and is a reliable, accurate little bugger. Even looks a lot like a tiny 1911.
 
All these newer arms or kits are blowback. If you can find one, get an original Colt Ace kit with the David Marshall "Carbine" Williams floating chamber action. It has more weight and recoil which is better for training purposes.
 
If the gun is going to have the heft and balance of a real 1911, the rimfire version will have to have a steel frame and slide.
While Colt's Ace and Conversion Unit will result in an all-steel gun, the floating chamber, as already noted, can be a pain.
There are some modern conversions that use a reciprocating steel bolt inside a fixed steel "slide" that have the weight, and have better long-term reliability.
A buddy has one from Tactical Solutions, but there's also the Marvel, and probably some others that may just be rebranded versions of those two.
 
I have a Sig Sauer 1911-22. Doesn't have the heft of a real 1911 and doesn't break down like one but it was fun to shoot. It's been "parked" since the shortage of 22 started in years past and since I reload, i'd rather shoot centerfire. I doubt that I'll ever go back to shooting 22s.
 
^^^

True. Considering the cost of .22 ammo these days, and the cost of a "1911" in .22LR, it's probably more economical in the long term to just buy an entry-level 1911 in 9mm (like a Rock Island, for example), and reload powder puff 9mm ammo.
 
Have GSG's and the Browning.....like them all.

002_zpsxiquja0r.jpg
 
I have a Ciener on an Officer's 1911 frame. I love it. They also make a .22LR upper for the full size 1911 as well. There are several companies that make them as mentioned above. You can put it on a lower of your favorite 1911 and practice on the same gun you shoot your .45s or 9s from.

 
Nice Larry, I also forgot my Llama .22 pistols which are 7/8, size 1911 clones if you are lucky enough to find one of the early pistols without a rib. All steel too..
The original floating chamber conversion kits are far too pricey today and malfunction prone unless you get a trouble free one (rare) Colt later offered one without the floating chambder that was a much better performfer. Either way you get steel components and the closest thing to feel like a .45 pistol.
 
I broke a long shooting drought recently by going to the range with my Colt Mark IV and Browning HP with Ciener units. They are extremely well made, only disadvantage is that since they are made from aluminum you may encounter some slide/frame friction-nothing that lots of shooting won't cure.
Like all 22s you have to find out what ammo they like. I get 100% reliability firing Remington high speeds, lots of FTE with W-W and CCI and Federal-but I got a quarter size group firing Federals out of the Mark IV.
 
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