How come not more .22lr conversions?

[matai]

How come there aren't more .22lr conversions?

These are some positives I thought of:

1. They are almost always sold out.
2. They're great for training.
3. They're cheap.
4. They're half the engineering of a full gun (could be wrong about this)

I currently have .22lr conversions for my Glock 20, Sig P226 and AR15 and strongly factor in the availability of .22lr conversions in future purchases.

.22lr conversion producers I could think of:

Advantage Arms
Twisted Industries
Ceiner
Sig
Tactical Solutions
CMMG
DPMS
Marvel Precision
Kimber

Any thoughts on this?

 

[happygeek]

Beretta makes one too.



I think they make them in Italy and import them in batches. I signed up for their email alert several months ago, and then ordered within 30 minutes of getting the email. I noticed the next day they'd sold out in less than 24 hours. The wife sent pictures, I won't be home for awhile to try it out.

I've had a pair of CMMG 22LR AR uppers for years, one with irons and one with a 2-7x scope. The other nice thing about them (22LR rifles) is that you can shoot them on pistol ranges, and of course they make a lot less noise.

Luckily I stocked up a bit before the panic. Hadn't bought ammo since late summer 2012, still have a couple thousand rounds of 22LR, and I figure the stuff should be around at a decent price by the time I get back to the states.

 

[stressed]

What's the point of having a bunch of .22's if I can't even buy any bullets for them.

 

[herrwalther]

What's the point of having a bunch of .22's if I can't even buy any bullets for them.

You hereby win the internet.

Going from centerfire to rimfire with as few parts as possible is an endevor some companies don't want to come up with. Some companies would rather go out of their way and make a separate .22 firearm clone of a larger caliber than make a conversion kit. Such as the S&W M&P .22

 

[Pilot]

The CZ Kadet Kit .22LR conversion is top notch. It works on all modern CZ-75based pistols, and is reliable, and accurate.

 

[Deus Machina]

I want a Kadet kit for my PCR so bad.

But my dad paid less for the Ruger 22/45 he gave me for my birthday a few years back.

That's why.

 

[tarosean]

3. They're cheap.

Not really.. Comparatively you can buy complete 22LR rifles and handguns pretty darn cheap from a variety of manufactures... Sure they wont be tackycool or the same platform but they are useable.

 

[olderguns]

I wish there were more and that they really were cheap, I can't couldn't find one in stock anywhere for my G29, and the places that sold were asking $300.00 or more when in stock, I just got a used Ruger markii and I think I got a better deal with that than a conversion that may or may not run well.

 

[bannockburn]

matei

You forgot one of the first .22 conversion kits: the Colt Ace. I had one years ago and while it was very well made and reliable, accuracy wasn't all that great.

Currently I have two conversion set-ups: a TacSol on a dedicated M1911 frame and a CZ Kadet for my P-01.

 

[Lex Luthier]

One of my Kimber 1911s came with a .22 conversion slide/ barrel. I have used it maybe twice. Got it back before the hubbub. I even tried to sell it once at a show and was told nobody wants them. Hmm.

 

[statelineblues]

Had one many years ago. The one .22 conversion I ever had was a Pachmayr S&W Model 39/52 conversion kit (made by the German firm Peters-Stahl). It came in a wooden box and was fitted to the S&W Model 52 I owned at the time. It worked very well and sometimes I regret having to sell the set. (The picture came from GB because I don't have any of my set).

Currently I own a GSG-1911 .22 - I find a dedicated pistol more accurate.

 

[jrdolall]

ATI sells a 1911 with a conversion kit. Easy change over and the 22LR seems to be reliable but I have not really tested it for accuracy. One of these days I will make that a priority.

I have a Ceiner kit for my AR. It works fine and is relatively accurate with good ammo out to 50 yards. I have not tried it past the 50 yard mark and, of course, it sprays a bit with bulk ammo.

 

[wally]

As has been said they are usually within $50-100 of a complete .22lr pistol. Worse most of the conversions don't work reliably with cheap bulk pack ammo which IMHO unless you are buying it for the .22lr leg of a 2700 bulleseye match, kind of defeats the whole purpose.

That is what is good about the CMMG AR15 .22lr conversion and the Spike's tactical dedicated .22lr AR upper -- they test fire them at the factory with Federal bulk pack before shipping.

 

[Mk VII]

I had a Service Ace conversion at one time. It needed some brisk ammo and preferably copper-plated or the floating chamber thing seized up solid with lead. As for duplicating the feel of the real thing - it didn't.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

In an AR they tend to be inaccurate due to overstablization. The 1:12 guys see a lot better accuracy that the 1:7 guys who are lucky to see minute-of-paper-plate groups at 50 yards.

Mike

 

[HankR]

3. They're cheap.

Not really.. Comparatively you can buy complete 22LR rifles and handguns pretty darn cheap from a variety of manufactures... Sure they wont be tackycool or the same platform but they are useable.

I used to live in a state that made it very difficult to buy handguns and modern sporting rifles. There was absolutely no paperwork or hassles for the conversion kit, so even at 2/3rds the price of a new gun, the kit made sense.

When I lived "back east" there was not a lot of opportunity to shoot centerfire rifles. The kit made sense as a training tool then, since everything up to and including pulling the trigger was the same. Same sights, same trigger, etc.

Now I live in a different political climate, and I have kids, so an extra totally separate .22 makes more sense for me. YMMV

 

[locnload]

Here is my take, and its just based on my personal opinion. I can buy a conversion kit for my Glock or my M&P, wait for months to get it, and pay around $300. Or I can walk into the LGS, pay $370, and get a complete M&P22 that is pretty much just like the M&P9. Now I how two guns instead of one gun with extra parts. More guns is always better.

 

[stonecutter2]

Based purely on my local situation, 22LR conversions aren't as attractive because absolutely no one, and by no one I mean not a single business location anywhere near me, has any 22LR bullets for sale. Waste of effort to even try to find them anymore. They are never in stock. A guy at Dick's sporting goods told me to come and wait in line on Fridays, doors open at 8am, 1 box limit - get here early because *if* they have any it won't be much. Ummm, that's freaking clown shoes stupid, for a brick of 22LR. The total lack of availability has completely soured me on the 22LR at this point (as I imagine you can tell).

I know, I know. Your local stores are overflowing with so many 22LR bricks that they're falling out the door and into the streets. They throw some in your bag just to free up shelf space. God bless you. But not here. If you ask anywhere they just laugh. No one knows when they'll get more, except Dick's who expects me to treat them like they're made of solid gold and cast in the fires of Mordor. I totally don't get it.

I laugh at anyone's suggestion that we are still in hard times in America, because people have so much money to spend on stockpiling ammo since December that they must be doing just fine. Or, they're eating Spaghetti-O's on furniture built from 22LR bricks. I just know that the ammo insanity has completely hosed my summer range time.

Anyways, a 22LR conversion in theory is nice because you can train with your rifle/pistol using cheaper ammo. If you can't find any of the ammo, who cares how cheap it could be. I think that is a factor at this point of more companies building up 22LR conversions. The ammo supply chain is so messed up that companies won't dedicate research time to something that has a suppressed demand due to ammo availability.

 

[Furncliff]

Armscor / RIA makes this swich upper set. .22 / .45

I really like my CZ Kadet. The switch takes about 15 seconds the .22 upper has target sights, an all around quality product.