Colt's 1911 .22 conversion kit? Your experiences

[JT-AR-MG42]

Just looking for input on the kits and your shooting experiences with one concerning function
and how long the floating chamber is good for before cleaning is needed.

I'm looking at a '50s shooter grade kit that has been lightly buffed and re-blued, so no
collector value here.

JT

 

[Reinz]

While I don’t have the conversion kit, I do have a pair of Colt Aces I believe to have been made in the 70’s.

They both have the floating chamber and function as they should. Though it has been a decade or more since I have shot them, I don’t believe I shot them more than a few hundred rounds per session.

I think you will enjoy using that conversion kit.

Edit to add: The floating chamber does NOT cause recoil to reflect that of a 45 acp as advertised. In fact, I can’t tell any increase in recoil at all.

 

[bannockburn]

JT-AR-MG42

I had a Colt Ace .22 conversion kit and ran it on a Colt Government frame. Reliability was not it's strong suit and accuracy was just average. I traded it and moved on. Some years later I had an Essex frame that I put together and was looking for a .22 conversion kit for it. Tried to order a Marvel Precision kit but it seemed like they were always out of stock on the model that I wanted. Had the same problem with Advantage Arms. Finally one night I found online (I don't remember if it was Midway or Brownells) that had a TacSol 2211 conversion kit and it was in stock! I ordered it right then and there and received it a couple of days later.

Overall I thought it was nicely designed and well made and didn't require any fitting to the frame. The slide is all steel while the magazines are aluminum. Accuracy is very good as it's very reliable with most .22 ammo (Wolf Match Target and CCI Mini Mags are good to go). Only problem with the .2211 is that TacSol no longer makes it. It was discontinued a few years back though you might be able to find a used one online.

​

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Just looking for input on the kits and your shooting experiences with one concerning function
and how long the floating chamber is good for before cleaning is needed.

I'm looking at a '50s shooter grade kit that has been lightly buffed and re-blued, so no
collector value here.

JT

I've only read about the floating chamber conversions, but in another forum someone mentioned his chamber becoming temporarily stuck:

https://www.1911forum.com/threads/colt-floating-chamber-problem.464308/

The poster admits that he slacked on cleaning prior to the malf, so I'm thinking you should probably clean thoroughly after each range session.

Of course, I do that with every gun I've ever owned, so grain of salt. FWIW, I clean my Ciener 1911 conversion after every single use. It has an aluminum slide, so I tend to use more Q-tips and solvents than brushes.

 

[Speedo66]

A friend had a Colt Ace, Navy property, with the floating chamber.

I did indeed get stuck, often, PITA often, to the point I had no interest in shooting it.

It gets filthy inside, I don’t know if it was lead or powder residue, but it would get stuck shooting just a box of ammo. Became difficult to pull apart. It was too much of a pain for me to want one.

 

[Bottom Gun]

I’ve had a couple of the Colt conversion units. The ones I had weren’t particularly accurate and the floating chambers are worthless. They foul and stick closed and don’t really have any effect on recoil. My opinion of the Colt units is they are overpriced and not that good.
I’ve had conversion units that are better. The Marvel and Ceiner units are more accurate than Colt.

The Kimber units are the best I’ve had. I mean the new style Kimber units with the polymer magazines, not the early re-branded Ceiner made version. The Kimber units are reliable and the most accurate conversions I’ve used.

That’s been my experience. Good luck in your search.

 

[1KPerDay]

Mine works great and is very reliable on the right frame with the right ammo. It has a definite increase in recoil compared to a standard .22 system, but it's nowhere near a centerfire cartridge. Very fun to shoot.

Here's a couple of old videos if interested.

 

[dfariswheel]

There are ways to keep the Colt floating chamber running longer.

1. Select ammo that doesn't lead up as bad. This will usually be a better grade plated bullet type.
2, Polish the chamber in the barrel and the piston exterior to a very smooth finish. Fouling won't stick as bad.
3. An ultimate fix is to polish and send the barrel and piston to a good firearms plater and have them hard chrome plated. Fouling won't stick to hard chrome very well and cleans easily.

 

[Bwana John]

I always wanted a floating chamber Colt Conversion. Between figuring out the janky ejector, the extractor tension, the floating chamber sticking, $100 magazines, buying and putting together a frame… etc it was a pita and expensive to get running, but it is a unique, neat pistol.

The Ceiner 1911 .22 conversion worked from the beginning, but required (another) frame.

The Ruger Mk2 Government Model was the least expensive, and shoots the best.

 

[cfullgraf]

I have a 22RF Wilson complete slide/barrel conversion mounted on a Colt Mk IV, Series 70 frame. It is similar to a Ciener conversion barrel. It shoots and functions great. I'm not sure if Wilson still sells them.

The Colt frame developed a crack in the dust cover after the collet bushing failed and jammed up the gun. I figured 22RF would not beat the frame too much.

The original Mk IV Series 70 slide had been re-barreled with a 38/45 Clerke barrel and was installed on a new Olympic Arms frame that I assembled.

(The well used 45 ACP barrel from the Colt got installed in a Thompson 1911 and improved the accuracy of that gun.)

 

[Jim Watson]

The weak point of my 1970s SM ACE is feeding.
Magazine quality is erratic. Colt brand with horse seems best.
I don't know of a magazine tuner as for 2011's.

My Nelson conversion is superior, reliable and accurate.

 

[JT-AR-MG42]

Thanks for all the replies.
May end up passing on it even at the good price offered.
Seeing how my nephews are being raised anti-gun is enough of a headache for now.

This kit is post war with the Stevens (looks like a Coltmaster to me) sight and
it also has a spare bushing and slightly different ejector with handwritten notes concerning their use in a skinny barrel .38 Super.

Does make me rue the day I passed on a Kart set-up years ago though.
Think I'll stick to shooting the Woodsman MT and my High Standards.

JT

 

[Jeff olson]

I had one fitted to an auto ordnance frame. When it did fire, accuracy was disappointing. When it did fire. Down the road it went. Made a nice little profit though.

 

[Rodfac]

I've had a Colt sliding chamber .22 upper for 25 years. With most any ammunition, I've had to re-clean the chamber after approx. 50 yds.

A friend had good success with his by keeping the sliding unit dry, while mine required lubing with very light oil. Back in the day that was WD-40, but Rem Oil or something like it would probably work as well or better.

While cleaning, I used a .45 bore brush on the innards to get the build up of grease/bullet lube and powder fowling out. Following that cleaning regimen, it ran fine but was never as accurate as my modern Ciener, Marvel, & Advantage Arms .22 uppers. I've not shot it in several years, but it would keep good ammunition, hi-speed, in 3" at 25 yds from a rest. CCI Mini-Mags were the most consistent. HTH's Rod

 

[paul105]

I HAD an Ace (the entire pistol) with the floating chamber. Big pain. Save yourself some grief and get something else (even if you have to wait). Have both Marvel and Nelson conversions that are great.
.
Marvel - Unit 2 ( https://www.marvelprecision.com/ )
.

,
Nelson Custom ( https://www.nelsoncustomguns.com/22lr-conversion/ )
.