i just discovered this and am very interested in it. btw, i already have the chiappa 1911-22 and love it. reliable depending on the ammo. not a great finish gun but i have put this gun through hell and back, 5k plus rounds and the barrel bushing broke off which chiappa sent me a free replacement. i know this m9 is to be the same quality range for a gun that cheap but have any of you have experience with it or seen it? just carious because this can perhaps be my next purchase along with a real m9. (i'm in the market for another .22lr plinker when i get rid of my sw 22a, was also considering the beretta 21a as a fun gun)
chiappa m9-22
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CraigC
Sixgun Nut
My opinion and impression of their 1911 would keep me from buying anything else from them.
BCRider
Member
I'm afraid that my experience with my one Chiappa made gun along with the experiences of 3 or 4 fellow shooting buddys and talking to my local smith that shoots with us and does most of the local CAS gunsmithing leads me to agree with Craig.
It seems like too much time and manufacturing cost is spent on making them look good and not enough is directed towards quality design and fabrication.
It seems like too much time and manufacturing cost is spent on making them look good and not enough is directed towards quality design and fabrication.
MedWheeler
Member
Posts two and three would actually be useful if they included some more information as to why their writers hold those opinions. I'm kind of curious, too, but I don't pay any credence to those who just say "avoid 'em" and run.
BCRider
Member
OK.
My personal experience. I bought an Armi Sport flint lock. Armi Sport being the "antique" branch of Chiappa. The lock is poorly designed with the sear wheel that is attached to the hammer being smaller where the full cock notch is located than the half cock. So if I pull the trigger slowly it drops from the full cock and catches on the half cock notch "ear" with a snap. To get it to fire I have to pretty much snap at the trigger. On top of this there is no supportive sub plate which is called a "bridle". So the hammer is only suported by one pivot and then the sides of the hammer and cocking notch wheel. Which means that it's incredably fussy to set up for proper play but still wobbles around so the trigger pressure needed to release the hammer is less than consistent.
Then the little tab on the mainspring broke so now I have a wall hanger. I likely COULD look at replacing the spring on warranty or simply buy one but the lock itself is so poorly designed and executed that there is simply no point. I either have a $100 wall hanger to sell or have to buy a proper lock for it from one of the classic style black powder gun suppliers.
A shooting buddy with a Chiappa 1911-22 had a few minor issues which got fixed after a lengthy warranty repair trip through the LGS. WHen it got back they put about 300 to 400 rounds through it and then something let go. I didn't see it but the boy's grandfather that bought it so the youth could shoot it for practice said that the slide split a big hunk out of the side and had other cracks running through the rest that was still in one piece. That implies that it likely fired a round with the case not fully in battery since I can't see a .22 doing that much damage otherwise. The LGS worked with them and they now have a Ruger Mk III.
The local gunsmith has gotten to where he refuses to work on Chiappa 1892 rifles as Chiappa tool so many liberties inside that he can not make the gun work well without spending more of the owner's money than the gun is worth. He explains that to them and they usually go away instead of pursuing the issue.
In particular he cringes when he sees one chambered in .357 since they tried to make too many .45Colt parts work with the smaller caliber and the result is much like "fruit salad". He told me a few of the things and they are total deal stoppers for sure unless a lot of the parts are replaced with ammo specific options. Options which Chiappa apparently doesn't sell. So he would be confronted with trying to make some other brand of major parts fit into the Chiappa gun. I just don't recall what the other issues were. But they were goodies.
I don't like to slag a brand but you insisted. I feel it's not fair to happy owners that have gotten successful Chiappas, in this case, that are enjoying them. I do know that I won't risk it again. Not until I see information suggesting that they mended their ways.
My personal experience. I bought an Armi Sport flint lock. Armi Sport being the "antique" branch of Chiappa. The lock is poorly designed with the sear wheel that is attached to the hammer being smaller where the full cock notch is located than the half cock. So if I pull the trigger slowly it drops from the full cock and catches on the half cock notch "ear" with a snap. To get it to fire I have to pretty much snap at the trigger. On top of this there is no supportive sub plate which is called a "bridle". So the hammer is only suported by one pivot and then the sides of the hammer and cocking notch wheel. Which means that it's incredably fussy to set up for proper play but still wobbles around so the trigger pressure needed to release the hammer is less than consistent.
Then the little tab on the mainspring broke so now I have a wall hanger. I likely COULD look at replacing the spring on warranty or simply buy one but the lock itself is so poorly designed and executed that there is simply no point. I either have a $100 wall hanger to sell or have to buy a proper lock for it from one of the classic style black powder gun suppliers.
A shooting buddy with a Chiappa 1911-22 had a few minor issues which got fixed after a lengthy warranty repair trip through the LGS. WHen it got back they put about 300 to 400 rounds through it and then something let go. I didn't see it but the boy's grandfather that bought it so the youth could shoot it for practice said that the slide split a big hunk out of the side and had other cracks running through the rest that was still in one piece. That implies that it likely fired a round with the case not fully in battery since I can't see a .22 doing that much damage otherwise. The LGS worked with them and they now have a Ruger Mk III.
The local gunsmith has gotten to where he refuses to work on Chiappa 1892 rifles as Chiappa tool so many liberties inside that he can not make the gun work well without spending more of the owner's money than the gun is worth. He explains that to them and they usually go away instead of pursuing the issue.
In particular he cringes when he sees one chambered in .357 since they tried to make too many .45Colt parts work with the smaller caliber and the result is much like "fruit salad". He told me a few of the things and they are total deal stoppers for sure unless a lot of the parts are replaced with ammo specific options. Options which Chiappa apparently doesn't sell. So he would be confronted with trying to make some other brand of major parts fit into the Chiappa gun. I just don't recall what the other issues were. But they were goodies.
I don't like to slag a brand but you insisted. I feel it's not fair to happy owners that have gotten successful Chiappas, in this case, that are enjoying them. I do know that I won't risk it again. Not until I see information suggesting that they mended their ways.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Me either but he asked for it.
IMHO, the Chiappa is a cheap piece of junk. It is mostly pot metal and my first impression is that it is made as cheaply as humanly possible. I wouldn't take a free one. Just like the Heritage Rough Rider and Cimarron Plinkerton. There are better options for not much more money. The GSG 1911 looks to be a very good pistol for the money. I would've bought one had I not a Ciener conversion already.
doubleh
Member
I can't speak to the m9 but I bought a Chiappa 1911 after giving up on finding one of the GSGs. Little gal at the gunshop said they had sold a bunch of them with no comebacks and they were having no luck getting the GSG. It required the break in period just as the manual states. I have had no problems what so ever with it. Maybe I got the only good one they made. 
It has been good enough that I bought one of the Plinkertons that is also made by Chiappa at the same store. Little gal said she had sold a ton of them to the local SASS boys for practice guns. I just wanted it to play with. It's like the 1911, no problems at all.
It has been good enough that I bought one of the Plinkertons that is also made by Chiappa at the same store. Little gal said she had sold a ton of them to the local SASS boys for practice guns. I just wanted it to play with. It's like the 1911, no problems at all.
MedWheeler
Member
CraigC and BCRider, detailing your personal, firsthand experience is hardly "brand-slagging." Sometimes we actually want to know why you feel the way you do. Thank you for providing "the rest of the story" (BCR actually does have firsthand experience, too.)
I still, as I've mentioned before, have a hard time believing any of us would refuse a "free one" of almost anything we talk about here, though.
I still, as I've mentioned before, have a hard time believing any of us would refuse a "free one" of almost anything we talk about here, though.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I would. I'm way beyond that point. I don't have the time, space or inclination for such things.
wally
Member
Mine is a total POS and spending $60 to send it back for "repair" was a waste of time and money. I'd never buy anything from Chiappa because of this. Everyone lets bad guns get out, but making me pay to send it back when defective out of the box really chaps, and then returning it without fixing the problem and then ignoring my follow-up Emails has made me an enemy.
The only thing mine was good for was for live fire practice clearing stovepipes, didn't matter what ammo I used. Now the hammer has broken so I plan to junk it -- too bad we don't seem to have "gun buy-backs" around here.
I've got 7 mags for it, you can have them all for $75. send me a PM.
i already have 5 mags, more would be great but that price is a bit much for me at the moment. i still haven't found the gun yet, until i do i'll have to do more research on it. glad i'm not the only one who has had a good experience with chiappa. Only gun i've had problem with was my savage 93r17, i almost trashed it brand new.
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