.22Lr Conversion kits? How do you like them?

[twoblink]

To me, at first, conversion kits seemed like a great idea, but then later... I am rethinking them..

Let's say I own a grock (I don't, but let's say) and I buy a .22LR conversion kit for it. Sounds great right? two guns in one? But hmm.. But let's say I'm taking a girl to the range, first time out. I have her shoot the .22LR, and then shoot the bigger caliber later.. But while she's practicing, I want to as well... And so I'm thinking that a second gun in .22LR is a better way to go then a conversion kit.. Or buy two guns, and leave one permanently converted...

Anybody else think like me, likes their guns set in the caliber and not have to much with conversion kits? Skunk says, an AR15 with a .22LR conversion kit; sounds great... but I come back from the range, and I forget to convert it back to .223, and SHTF, and I grab my rifle and a few .223 magazines, only to find.... oh my gosh!! I have a .22LR upper on it right now!!

Just something that makes me go...hmmm...

 

[Sven]

I really enjoy my CZ75B conversion kit... doesn't hurt that I can leave my Hakan grips on the gun - shown below with the 9mm upper.




Custom Grips by Hakan



Has been 100% reliable with all ammo except Federal, which seems to be loaded pretty light. If I lube the rails well enough, no failures with that stuff either. Would love to have Stephen Camp shoot my gun so I could post groups, but I usually have too much coffee before I go shooting, so nothing to show... suffice it to say, the .22 round is very precise/accurate.

Same controls and weight as the CZ with the 9mm upper - great for introducing new shooters, cheap practice, good no-flinch training.

Go for it!

 

[Poodleshooter]

My only complaint with the .22 pistol conversion kits is the price. It seems that many kits go for $300+ yet offer less accuracy than a $225 Browning Buckmark.
To the same extent this is true of kits such as the AR-15 conversions. Expensive new .22 upper or $140 Ruger 10/22? I took the Ruger. The .22 upper isn't really usefull for much more than a plinker or inexpensive short range training. I have the 10/22 for a plinker, and I shoot for accuracy with .223.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Love them. Got one for the CZ-75 and a couple for the Colt 1911 (both series 70 and series 80). Also have one for the HK-91 (NIB) and the AR-15. The AR one isn't used since I bought a dedicated upper (which I'm still trying to get to the range) with its own modified Ceiner conversion kit.

On the AR, better to have a dedicated upper. The .224 bore for the .223 is too big for the .221 caliber 22 LR bullet. The 22 LR bullet leads up the normal bore (especially 1:7" twist bbl) and isn't accurate at all.

The advantage of the conversion kit is that you've got the same gun and can train with it (especially for training women and kids.

 

[bogie]

I had one of Jon's .22 kits on a 1911, and never had a failure to feed, failure to fire, etc... VERY nice to play with, and actually cheaper than reloading, if one wanted to spend a lot of rounds on trigger control, etc...

 

[Russ]

Sven,

How much did those Hakan grips set you back? I've been thinking of them for my CZ. Sure are pretty.

Russ

 

[Sprout]

I have nothing but love for my CZ Kadet kit. It's accurate, reliable, and I think it is more fun to shoot than a dedicated .22, for some reason.

When I take people to the range to shoot, I find it very useful to have them move up a caliber rather than switch guns. It only takes about 30 seconds to switch, and I always switch it back to nine when I pack up.

Thankfully, I have my 686+ to amuse me while they are plinking away with .22. If I didn't have a second gun I might feel differently.

 

[PATH]

I was thinking of getting one for the 1911 but then I just bought a .22. Just a preference.

 

[Gmac]

A couple of years ago my wife gave me a Tanfoglio ( Italian CZ clone) 22/45 conversion.She bought the complete kit (gun & 2 barrels/slides etc.) at our local shop for $399. The shop owner sold several of these guns but hasn't been able to get more. Accuracy with either caliber is very good but you have to keep the slide rails lubed for the 22 to function properly and it doesn't like cheap Federal ammo. CCI works fine though. All in all it's loads of fun to shoot besides being cheap.

 

[BigG]

22 rimfires are noted to "like" certain brands of ammo better than others. Before you buy a major supply for SHTF scenarios, it pays to try a few type in your gun to see which it "likes" in terms of accuracy and reliability. HTH

I've found a lot of the value priced 22 LR to be substandard in performance.

IIRC, my Ciener kit on my Colt 45 Auto likes 22 Stinger by Rem. Shoots as good as my K22 with that.

 

[geekWithA.45]

AR .22 conversion kits....

Pros:

Shoot all day for a couple of bucks
negligible recoil
Everybody wonder's what the heck you're shooting...especially if there are other AR's on the line with you...


Cons:

Dubious accuracy
Chamber/bore cleaning required before going back to .223
.22 LR leaves your upper absolutely filthy/gritty

 

[BerettaNut92]

I'm big on having the same manual of arms.

Shooters should be concentrating on sight picture and trigger control, not overwhelmed by all the different control doodads on the thing.

It's nice to have them familiar with the Beretta 92 and AR-15 as they're internationally accepted.

Better to have them familiar with something they may end up needing to use one day, than some proprietary goofy manual of arms seen on lots of .22s.

 

[10-Ring]

So far, I'm gatting .500 w/ them. I've tried w/ a Glock & it worked GREAT. The other was a no name one for my 1911...not so impressed. It was not reliable or accurate (the best of what you look for in firearms ).
To me, the one on the GLock made the most sense 1st because it worked well & 2ndly I was thinking that since its a poly-frame, there would be no matting taking place w/ either slide & frame combo.

 

[biere]

I went with a 22lr handgun first.

Now I am considerinig the conversions.

I like the idea of a gun being able to do multiple things and do like keeping the same trigger pull and feel.

I could see where the conversions might let you play in a grey area if the government or wife told you no more guns.

I have never tried or thought about the rifle conversions, I researched the glocks and 1911 conversions and plan to start there.

 

[Steve Smith]

I absolutely LOVE my CLE AR rimfire upper. I take it down to the OTC and shoot in a league. Keeps me on my toes in the Highpower off-season. My match rifles ain't my fightin' rifles, so they behind the fightin' rifles when I get home.

 

[NEon]

Marvel on a Caspian Aluminum frame. Less than an inch at 50 yards. There is a way on them, however it is worth it. They have a fixed barrel system. Only way to go.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

I too am in LOVE with the .22 conversion for my M16A1. Simply pop out the bolt, stick in the .22 bolt, insert 30 round .22 magazine and have some full-auto fun without paying $5 per second.

 

[Topgun]

I'm still considering a Marvel. Really accurate from what I have read and heard.

But I would want to sell my Hi Standard Trophy first. They would duplicate each other's purpose.

And the HS won't shoot the 1" 50 yarder.

 

[CZPreB]

Another 'Yes' Vote...

...for the CZ Kadet.

Accurate. I've got a ways to go before posting 'one ragged hole' jpgs, but the only thing that limits my comfortable shooting range with this setup is getting the target too far away to see the little holes.

Reliable. Went to a show and bought 100 rds. of everything I could find (a big bag!) and the only thing that didn't cycle was some Aguila subsonic (*not* the 60gr 'Snipers,' it likes those just fine).

Fun to shoot. 250 rds. of 9mm tires me out, but I can spend .22s until the rangemaster forces me to take pity and let him go home.

Inexpensive. $250 out the door with 2 mags, 100 rounds of Velocitor (thought I'd need souped-up ammo to cycle it -- see above) and a cleaning kit. It's reduced my 9mm ammo consumption enough to have paid for itself in less than three months. A side note on the purchase: It's 'parts' and not a new firearm, so no paperwork/waiting period/etc. as a separate .22 pistol would generate.

And, as others pointed out, I'm still practicing, not to mention practicing more/more often, with my primary defensive pistol.

What's not to like?

 

[CleverNickname]

I have two kits, an Advantage Arms kit for my G19 and a kit for my full-auto Uzi. The G19 kit is nice for trigger practice and new shooters. The uzi kit is great for mag dumps. Whole lot cheaper than dumping a mag of 9mm.

 

[Atticus]

http://www.22lrconversions.com/hipwr-pg.htm

Me want.

 

[Kharn]

I have a Colt .22lr conversion for my AR15. I've stopped using it in my 1:7 Colt upper due to leading, but my 1:9 Oly loves it. Its awesome for teaching little kids (my girlfriend's 9 year old cousin LOVED the 10lb, 20" Oly HBar with the .22 kit installed) how to shoot, and great for plinking when my brother's using my Rem597.

I'm looking to get one of the Ciener kits for my 1911 this spring due to MD's new gun laws (and going to college out of state, makes it a real pain to get back in time to pick up my gun after the waiting period).

Kharn

 

[Greybeard]

Kharn -

Not to hijack the thread, but ya might wanna do a search over at TFL for thread(s) comparing various folks' satisfaction - or lack of - with various manufacturers. I've got a Ceiner for Glock 17. I would have bought a .22 conversion kit elsewhere (like Advantage Arms) if I knew then what I know now ...

 

[Kharn]

Greybeard: I'll look into it, thanks for the advice.

Kharn