.22LR Conversion Kit Advocacy

[BerettaNut92]

Reasons to choose a .22LR conversion kit over a dedicated .22LR pistol.

1. Same manual of arms = more familiarity. When you have a failure, you can rack the whole slide instead of that stupid pinchey-pulley action that .22 target pistols seem to have. Much more ergonomic and therefore much easier to clear; I have to fight some of these .22LR plinkers like the 22/45 and SW22 to get them to cycle.

2. Same trigger = more familiarity. You can practice the trigger reset on your combat arm, which is hard during dry-fire. Much more efficient than using full power 9mm to practice trigger reset, as it eliminate the feel of the recoil...all your feel is the trigger and the reset. Dry firing, you don't get the true feel as you have to cycle the slide.

3. For DA pistols like the Beretta, 2nd strike capability. 22 ammo can be finicky and instead of clearing every round that has a light strike, just pull the trigger again. Or practice malfunction drills on your combat pistol (again, same manual of arms).

4. Not sure about other pistols, but the Beretta conversion is pretty darned reliable. I've only had one stovepipe but it's probably because I haven't cleaned the thing since I bought it, with 1300 rounds thru the thing by now. Rugers and a S&W 22 auto that I've played with have had problems feeding, ejecting, extracting, whatever. The Beretta just runs.

The downside is the cost. Kits sometimes cost more than a barebones .22 pistol, but if you already have a trigger job on your Beretta, 1911, or whatever, you have the same sweet trigger.

Not all Beretta .22s have light strike problems, I have a liiiight mainspring on mine, so that causes the light strikes. I'm sure having the standard 92FS mainspring, most of these problems will go away.

 

[cratz2]

Looks like you pretty much covered them all. I used to be pretty pleased with most of the decent 22 pistols on the market but after having four or five 1911s all slicked up with triggers and safeties that run like glass, I'm pretty disappointed with anything short of a Model 41. Sure I know a couple guys with Ruger MKIIs that are great... and they usually have $200 in parts on top of the $200-$250 price of the original gun.

Might as well get a Marvel.

The main reason I made the jump is purely because we recently moved to a house were we can shoot pretty much anytime the notion strikes. I have a Dan Wesson revolver that my wife has claimed as her own so I needed something better than my S&W 22A and Phoenix Arms HP-22.

 

[BigG]

I got the Ciener kit that I use on my .45 Gold Cup frame. Shoots like a champ and gives all the benefits you listed. What's not to like?

 

[Pilot]

I have and shoot both

I really like my CZ Kadet Kit .22 conversion. Its very accurate and reliable with most types of ammo and it has DA capability because its sits on either my CZ-75B or PCR. But I also have a couple of Rugers (a 5.5 inch Mk II and a 22/45) for plinking/target and a Benelli for more serious target work. Its hard to beat the 4 inch Ruger 22/45 for price, weight and fun, but I find the Kadet comes to the range with me a lot more.

 

[444]

I have a Ciener conversion kit on my Colt Officer's Model for all the reasons you mentioned. It is very accurate. Scary accurate. However, mine is very ammo sensitive. If you are running the right ammo (CCI) it runs fine. But it won't run with the cheap Wal Mart stuff that I buy in large quantities to shoot in all my other .22s. I also haven't had the same luck with other .22s that you seem to have had. I must own at least a half dozen .22 handguns and all of them run great. I have two of the Rugers that were mentioned currently and have no problem with either of them and I have shot the crap out of them. I have owned at least one Ruger autoloading .22 handgun since I was 9 years old and have not experienced any problems at all and all are bone stock except the sights. I have a new one coming that I paid over $900 for. But it has an internal suppressor.

One little story I have to tell. I was out shooting my Ceiner conversion at a popular local shooting spot last year when up drives a guy I vaguely know and his son. Both father and son (how should I put this ?) have very strong personalities. They began telling me about the son's S&W autoloading .22 pistol. How it was the greatest handgun ever devised by man. I was nodding my head. Then they explained to me what a great shot the son was. He shot all the time and was just incredible. I made some comment that this was great. The son then volunteered to give me a demostration of just what could be achieved if you had this gun and his skill. He placed a number of clay pigions on a hill side about 50 yards from where we were standing loaded the gun and walked about half way to the targets. He emptied the mag and never hit one. He came back to the truck and offered to let me shoot his gun. I declined but said I would give it a try with mine. I fired from right beside the truck and broke them all with one shot each. He said, you must shoot a lot, and they left me alone.

 

[farscott]

I have both dedicated .22 pistols and a Marvel conversion. I find that I use them for different purposes. My S&W 41 is for Bullseye shooting, and my Marvel is to remain proficient with my 1911's and its manual of arms. The Marvel is also good for iron sight practice and work on my trigger control since my 41 has a dot sight mounted.

I agree that the .22 conversions offer a great deal of practice and fun for very little money. I shoot much more rimfire than centerfire since the rimfire is so much more affordable.

 

[JoeHatley]

I've got a Ciener upper on a dedicated alloy 1911 lower. Great set up!! Quite accurate, very light weight, and reliable up to around the 200 round mark. Then it needs brushed out. I wish the slide would lock back...

Also have have a couple of Ruger .22s. A mostly stock MKII Target and a Volquartsen customized 22/45. Both are reliable and very accurate, although the 22/45 has a much nicer trigger.

What do I grab most often?!? I gotta be honest... these semi's have been gathering dust for quite a while. However my S&W K-22 Masterpiece sees lots of range time. If you've ever owned one, you'd know why...

Joe

 

[BigG]

Not to make the thread drift too far off target, but, the K22 Masterpiece is a lot of gun for the money. I love to shoot mine also, Joe.

 

[10-Ring]

Yup, Senor Skunk has summed it up pretty well. I would also suggest that that stick w/ the quality conversion kits, it will make a difference.

 

[BerettaNut92]

I been looking at my checkbook and thinking "Where the hell did all this money come from?!?!?!"

Ever since I switched to .22, I been eating again. 22 rules Then the safe is relatively empty....

 

[Jspy]

Count your blessings Skunk; I look at my checkbook and wonder where all the money went...

Then I take a look in my safe...

 

[TooTaxed]

Ciener v. Marvel?

Decisions, Decisions! Got a Kadet for my CZ-75B...now am agonizing between the Ciener Platinum and Marvel for my Norinco M1911A1...can you who own or shoot both provide informed pros and cons of each?

By the way, I'm not happy with my fairly expensive, new, SS Ruger Mark 2...fairly frequent stovepipe jams regardless of ammo brand or type, no matter how carefully I clean the gun... Took it back to the dealer, who found nothing wrong, said I need to clean it! Fooo.

 

[BigG]

I got the plain Ceiner kit with fixed sights. It's dead on with my Colt frame at 50 feet. Can't ask for better. Can't comment about the adj sight model but I didn't need one as it turns out.

 

[bompa]

I got the fixed sight Cienier kit and put an Optima on it..It is just great..Shoot all day for pennys,well almost..

 

[Selfdfenz]

If you keep an eye open, once in a while in SGN the Ceiner's are sort of on sale.
Priced below $200 for the 1911 fixed sight kit. That has me thinking ever time I see it.
S-

 

[Handy]

I didn't see the accuracy issue on the downside list.

With the exception of the $350 Marvel, a stock $200 Ruger or Buckmark will be far more accurate than all of the conversions. Accuracy is a major reason alot of people shoot .22 pistols, not just cost.


And yes, most people leave their Ruger and Buckmark pistols stock. I'm not sure how you would spend an extra $200 on them.

 

[Sprout]

Not to sound like the conversion kit nut, but my Kadet will do 2 inches at 25 meters (six rounds), according to the test target. And from my experience, I think the test shooter was having an of day. Mine hits the 5" plate at 50 yeards with boring regularity, and I know I'm the limiting factor, not the gun. With cheap-o Federal Bulk Pack.

Are Mark II's or Buckmarks really that much more accurate?

 

[larryw]

I hear the Marvel kit wll do 1/2" at 50 yards, which is what my MkII does. Sprout, you may want to test some different ammo.

I like a different pistol for different calibers so muscle memory takes over. For example, the recoil on a 45 is different and I don't want to start limp wristing. Granted, I've seen a few nice conversions shooting very, very well, but none caught my fancy to the point where I gave it serious thought.

 

[cratz2]

I'm not sure how you would spend an extra $200 on them.

If you get a trigger, grips and an optics mount, you're at $200.

 

[Sprout]

I couldn't hit a 1/2" with a laser-guided smart bomb. I bet it's me, not the ammo. But thanks.

 

[cratz2]

That's the thing... I'd be willing to best that 99% of folks that buy a conversion kit are just glad to get time with their favorite centerfire without it costing $10 per 50 shots... regardless of if the shots go into .5" groups at 50 yards or 5" groups at 50 yards.

Very few people can hold these types of groups... I can't and not to brag but I'm way way up in the top half of shooters I've ever shot with. Must guys I know can't even consistantly get on paper at 50 yards offhand.

 

[BerettaNut92]

I'd be willing to best that 99% of folks that buy a conversion kit are just glad to get time with their favorite centerfire without it costing $10 per 50 shots

Cratz2, I think you nailed it...it wouldn't be the same with a rental 22/45 or my friend's SW22.

 

[Handy]

A cheap Ruger will hold less than an inch, in my experience. That is better than anything but, as I said, the Marvel.


Cratz, if we are comparing a .22 adapter to buying a Ruger, why are we discussing optics mounts and trigger jobs?

The stock trigger on a MKII is better than most every centerfire auto.

Buying optics for a Ruger is cheaper than doing it for a 1911 or CZ.



All I'm saying is that for less than $300, what you gain in familiar feel to your centerfire you lose in accuracy. It's just a choice. I'd rather have two guns than 1.5 guns for the same amount of money, especially if that second gun is going to be more accurate than the half a gun.