It's the pick my next gun question :) ->

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edamon2k

New member
I've got a Sig P226 that love. However, shooting 1000-1200 rounds a month is getting pretty expensive (it's all indoor range, paper target - i.e. slinging quarters at .10 cent targets, ;) ) $160-$180 in ammo alone is getting pricey. If it could cut that by a 1/3rd I'd be happy, fill the rest in with cheapo .22's.

Anyhow... been looking around at this .22LR conversion kit stuff and it's intriguing. So, I of course went looking for a kit for my sig and there was none to be found.

Since is kinda of screw around gun, that'll be shot mostly in .22, but obviously some 9mm put thru as well. I'm trying to keep it cheap as possible, and no, I don't want to just buy a .22 pistol, don't like how they feel or look.

So I got the list narrowed down to (or narrowed for me, only guns that offer .22LR kits)

Glock - Just not a fan of the composite frame guns and the slide rubs the webbing on my hand).

Taurus - I like how the 92/99 feel, they shoot decent too. Taurus also makes their own .22LR slide/barrel kit.

CZ - They feel a little thin, but not bad, not shot one and the range has none to rent. They sell a Cadet .22LR kit as well, however the website states "some machining may be required" thats not real promising.

Anyhow, it's really a coin tosser between the Taurus and the CZ,
I'm leaning toward taurus, only because I know the Taurus name and the Beretta its modeled from has a good reputation.

So what say you guys?

I can get a CZ locally for ~$350 a Taurus online is in the $350-$399 range, locally it's like $450-$550 (is that steep or is the net that cheap?)

thanks,
damon
 
Well the only consistent reports of a reliable .22 conversion kit is the advantage arms one for the Glock series of pistols. That does not mean the others and others for other guns are bad-just that it seems a there are a lot of negative post on almost everything else. You also forgot to mention the 1911 as a candidate I know several companies make a .22 kits for it.

Since price is a real concern, buying a new centerfire and a conversion kit (that cost 1/2 to 1/3 the price of the a decent pistol) seems like the hard way to go about it.

I think you might want to look around a little bit more for a quality .22 that you do like the look and feel of. Have you seen the Beretta 84's? pretty good looks, large enough they don't have that "toy" feel to them, and being double action like your Sig it might make a good practice gun.
 
Blue,

Yeah, it's certainly a round about way to do it, but I figure for $550/$600 I get a decent 9mm and a .22L (that has a full size frame).

The Beretta 84's I thought were .380's?

thanks,

-d
 
I don't think either choice you mention would be wrong.

Taurus makes nice guns. I've heard nothing but good things from actual owners of the steel framed autos.

However, with your choices I'd go with the CZ. Check out the CZ forum for other opinions than mine about the gun.

CZs are top notch guns. Mine is my most accurate handgun. It is very reliable (I had one minor hiccup in 1300 rounds when I let the oil on the rails go dry). It is very durable, as a gun designed for military use it is designed to take a beating. Some models are still available with pre-ban high cap mags. It is priced like a Taurus or Ruger but has both the quality AND workmanship of a SIG. I don't know of very many owners who aren't very pleased with their choice to go with a CZ, in fact most become addicted and start collecting CZs.

I have heard nothing but good things about the .22 Kadet conversion for the CZ75.

Also, if you want a gun with a full sized feel in .22 but want to save a few bucks you can get the CZ .22 Kadet ( see the CZ website info on this model ). This gun basically looks, feels and functions like the CZ75 but it is .22 only. The advantage is that it is a little cheaper than a CZ75 and Kadet kit and you don't need to take it to a gunsmith for fitting. The disadvantage is that it isn't any cheaper than a CZ75 and I would personally prefer getting a CZ75 in 9mm or .40 cal and spending approx. $200 more for the kit. I think it is worth the $200 to have both the .22 kit AND the service caliber handgun. However, if you don't want the trouble of a gunsmith (something you'll probably need with the Taurus kit too) or you don't need the service caliber gun, it will save you money to get a dedicated .22 and this will still feel like a service handgun in the hand.
 
chaim,

I'm with you on owning both calibers. Thats a pretty good case you make for CZ, they are also pretty cheap locally v.s. Taurus's (I'd prefer to avoid mail order/gun broker, sounds like a hassle).

thanks for the info, I'm going to look into them.

-d
 
edamon2k,

I added a .22 Kadet conversion to my mil-surp CZ75, and didn't need any gunsmithing. It works flawlessly. The CZ is a great gun and, for me, is the most accurate 9mm I own-- more than my P228.

However, don't dismiss getting a dedicated .22 pistol. For less than the price of the .22 kadet conversion you can get a basic .22 like the Ruger mkII or 22/45. I even have a (don't laugh!) a S&W 22A which has well over 50k rounds through it. It still groups better than the Kadet.

OR, spend the dough on a progressive press and start reloading. Should pay for itself in a year. :)
 
The only advice I can offer is that I own both a Taurus PT99 and an EAA Witness. The Witness is very comfortable, moreso, for the, than the PT99. The Taurus is more accurate for me but I have shot it more often. That says something. They have both been 99.9% reliable. The Taurus has been 100% for me personally.

The Witness is a solid steel gun while the Taurus has the alloy frame but they both feel like solid guns to me. But if it was purely a target/fun gun, the heavier Witness may be preferable.

You can have either of them customized once the notion strikes. LangdonTactical.com offers trigger jobs with a replacement trigger for The Taurus for relatively little money, in my opinion.

I know a lot of people disrespect the Taurus/Beretta design but if I could only keep one of my full-sized 9MMs, it would surely be the Taurus but my actual recommendation would be hold them both, see which is more comfortable. Figure out if you would rather pay more for the Taurus with the drop on .22 conversion then make your decision.

Good luck.
 
For the money you'll spend buying another gun with a .22lr conversion you could buy everything you need to start reloading. (Like throwing nickels at dime targets:p) Of course you won't spend less on ammo, you'll just shoot twice as much!:D
 
Between CZ and Taurus, CZ wins hands down. CZ could probably charge twice as much as they do for their pistols; they're that good. Taurus pistols are worth what you pay for them.
 
Edamon2k,

Can't really comment on the taurus model you are talking about but the CZ won't let you down. I own Glocks, H&k's and Berretta's, 1 year ago I stumbled across the CZ forum and became interested in these pistol's. Well to date the last four pistols I have bought have been CZ's, these things are addictive.
Accuracy and reliability are top notch, loads of hicap mags still floating around for around $35.00. The gunsmithing that is associated to fitting the Kadet slide to the 75 frame takes all of about 3 minutes, it is all laid out in the manual. The Cz 75 is the most accurate 9mm I own and the Kadet is ultra accurate also. Someone over on the CZ forum has the Kadet kit for sale at $175, this is a great price.

Good Luck in your decision
 
Thanks for all the replies guys.

The CZ looks like a great value, I'll pick one up for sure. However, a very recent purchase by a friend has changed my mind 180 degrees on what to go with next. We are also a bit competitive.

He picked up a custom concealed kimber with modified everything for a steal, like $895 (retails around $1400).

I really hadn't considered going with a .45 or something like a Kimber, but after looking at this piece, it's amazing. There is also a .22LR kit available for the 1911 design.

I think this is going to be next, going to wait a wee bit, as it's going to cost a bit more then I had anticipated spending right now. However, after seeing it, I'm in love. haha.

--d
 
He picked up a custom concealed kimber with modified everything for a steal, like $895 (retails around $1400).
Click to expand...

Do you mean the CDP? If you do, and can get one for $895 and you have that much money available- jump, run don't walk to the store and buy the thing. Around here the cheapest I've seen a Kimber CDP, USED, was $995. New they are around $1200 here.

If you don't quite need the CDP the "basic" Kimber Custom goes for about $700 around here (online or where you are it may be a bit less).
 
nah, it was a one time deal.. brand new gun, on consignment, just showed up that day -- guy needed $.

I'll not be so lucky, haha.

-d
 
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