Ciener .22LR conversion or dedicated .22lr pistol???

F

Fusternc

New member
Hey guys...
I am looking into getting more shooting in for less money, and being that I don't have alot of time/patience to do much reloading I am researching .22lr handguns. I have a brand new Springfield 1911 "loaded" model that I think I'd like to get a Ciener .22lr Platinum Cup conversion for. I can get the conversion for $249 shipped. I can also get Ruger MKII .22 pistols for about the same price. Would I be better off getting a dedicated handgun for this, or should I go with the conversion route? Afterall, I really like the feel of the 1911 in hand vs a lighter weight .22 pistol. Any advice or opinions one way or another? Thanks!

Nathan...
 
I thought about one for a long time. I was going to order one from Dillion but it says down at the bottom of the ad not to use with Springfield pistols! So I bought a Ruger 22/45
 
Can anyone else confirm that the Ceiner .22lr conversions will not work with my Springfield 1911 "loaded"? I have heard one person say they do, and one say they don't.

Nathan
 
I'm not keen on the conversions. I am planning on just getting a dedicated pistol for bulk shooting practice. Can't make my mind up whether to get a ruger or a smith and now I am considering a Sig Trailside instead.
The .22 conversions are not supposed to be very reliable and I think that would just tick me off.
 
Greetings, While I am a devoted Sig fan, might I recommend the bull barrel Ruger
MK-II KMK-512. Very accurate and made of
stainless steel construction. :)

Regards,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
I wanted one of these units many years ago. Every time I got the money together I bought a new pistol instead. First a Ruger Mk II, then a S&W 617, then a S&W 41. I finally got one the first of this year.
It fits real snug on my Colt Gold Cup frame, but I put a lttle lube on the rails, hand cycled it about 50 times, loaded it up and I have put 500 rounds of various ammo through it so far. The only real problem I have had is with the Remington Sub Sonic HPs. I didn't expect those to cycle the action and it didn't.
I haven't stripped it for cleaning yet, just wiped some excess lube off of it at about 200 rounds.
I haven't done accuracy testing from the bench due to lousy weather, but so far I'm encouraged with the accuracy.
I'm real happy so far.

Neil Casper
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Fusternc:
Hey guys...
I am looking into getting more shooting in for less money, and being that I don't have alot of time/patience to do much reloading I am researching .22lr handguns. I have a brand new Springfield 1911 "loaded" model that I think I'd like to get a Ciener .22lr Platinum Cup conversion for. [/quote]

A friend of mine has one of the .22 conversion kits for the 1911.
It's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot. You still get the feel of the big Colt, but really cheap to shoot. I do not believe his conversion is Ceiner though.
If I were a big 1911 fan, I'd get the kit.
 
http://www.22lrconversions.com is Ciener's web address. I would suggest you call them to confirm the use of one on a Springfield. Ciener also manufactures the units sold under the Wilson Combat and Kimber name. I have owned and used on for a year now, fired something in the area of 2500 rounds with only a couple of malfunctions. One failure to extract, and a few stovepipes and or misfires. I can pretty much rest assured that the only real failure was the extraction one, as the ammo did not fire with a second strike on the misfires, and the stovepipes were few and far between. Feed and function have been 100% when I stick to the recommended High Velocity ammunition. Accuracy has been very acceptable, limited only by the poor sights of my fixed sight unit. With better sights, and ammunition the unit really, really likes, such as CCi Stingers, the accuracy is on a par with a dedicated .22 such as my Ruger 22/45. A good argument could be made either way as far as conversion vs dedicated. I went with a dedicated first, buying a Ruger .22/45 because of the same grip feel between the .22/45 and the 1911. The .22/45 is also a dimensional match for the Browning Hi Power, so it allowed me to shoot a gun with similar feel to both HP and 1911. After getting the basics of auto vs revolver transition somewhat in hand(pun intended ;) ), I bought the Ciener unit to use on my Kimber as an alternative to .45 ammo. The results have been worth the couple of hundred dollars spent, in my case, YMMV. I like being able to use the same frame, trigger and release on the Kimber for the sake of retained memory. In answer to the topical question though, I would advise aginst the conversion based on the weight issue. The converted Kimber is much lighter than the .45 configuration, and has a much different feel. If you are comfortable switching between guns, and a difference in felt recoil and action doesn't bother you, then a conversion can be a good thing. However, if different sights, and a different feel during actual firing can tend to upset your timing, the conversion may work against you. Another plus for the 2 gun route, is just that. 2 guns. It makes for easier shooting if you invite company, or want to train someone, as well as having a 2nd gun in case the first isn't available. IMHO, I would suggest checking out the Ruger .22/45, or even a Browning Buckmark first. Both offer the same feel as the 1911, with similar controls for safety and mag release as well as slide release. The sizes are different, but the location is close enough to work.
 
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