Multiple slides on 1911 - good or bad idea?

[dmallind]

This idea came out of the .22lr conversion kit thread which I followed with interest. In general I like the idea of the ability to switch a 1911 to a .22lr for cheaper training with the pistol, and also to take advantage of the 1911 platform's rather than buying a separate .22lr for plinking.

That said what about concerns of slide fit and possibly "corrupting" the established interaction of the two when the .45 slide goes back on. Yes the slides are often aluminum in conversion kits but even then there is going to be some wear to the frame.

Now I'm not thinking of putting this on the Ed Brown or anything but then all my 1911s are "good" brands and pretty tight. The SW is the least tight but it's very accurate and has a scandium/aluminum frame so I don't want to screw that one up either.

Any thoughts from smiths or metallurgists? Specifically looking at frame/slide wear but ideas on other possible impacts to the core components welcomed.

 

[IThunter]

i was thinking that exact same thing, i just reposted my slide swapping question in the gunsmithing forum also...

 

[wally]

Most (all?) of the .22 conversions have aluminum slides so I'd not think this would be as issue.

Everytime I think of getting a .22 converison for a 1911, I look at the price, the price of extra mags, and the reports than most aren't reliable with the cheap .22 ammo so I decide I'd rather just buy another gun.

--wally.

 

[critter]

I have 2 slides for a SIG 229, one stainless and one not. I also have a short slide that I sometimes use on a full size Springfield Arm Govt model. I don't see a problem.

That said, I don't think it would be a good idea on a tightly fitted, target type firearm however. With 'normal' guns, there is a some slide to frame play anyway and if both slides work ok, I'd go with it.

It would take a lot of shooting IMHO to really wear the frame enough to screw up something.

YOUR MILAGE MAY VARY!

 

[f155mph]

I really don't think you'll save much money if any with a conversion kit. A good kit cost from $250-$350. A 22lr cost about the same. You also have to take into consideration that you are putting more wear on you 1911 frame also. I had a Kimber conversion kit, which I sold and replaced it with a Buckmark.

 

[dmallind]

Sorry - not clear really in what I was trying to say.

The "cheaper" part comes from practicing with the 1911 with .22lr as opposed to .45ACP ammunition. I'm especially thinking of this in the light of finally getting my wife to try shooting, where the combination of heavy gun and anemic firepower will be more comfortable as well as cheaper.

The implied "better" part was using a 1911 with the typical 1911 ergonomics and trigger to shoot .22lrs as opposed to buying a dedicated .22 pistol

The actual hardware is about a wash as you state. The wear to the frame is of course the prime reason I started the thread - to see if this would interfere with the "real" purpose of the 1911 by screwing up the slide to frame fit and interaction when the .45 slide goes back on. I don't think I'm likely to shoot enough so that the wear on the frame will actually cause any structural or functional failure of the frame per se - just screw it up enough for the "real" slide to be either less accurate or less reliable. I can't imagine the number of .22lr rounds from an aluminum slide it would take to cause any noticeable functional or structural damage to a high quality 1911 frame made for a much more potent caliber and a steel slide.

 

[Jim Watson]

I don't see much potential for accelerated wear.
Oil is your friend, lube 'er up and shoot.

 

[wally]

Managing recoil is the skill that needs to be mastered with centerfire handguns so practice with a .22 conversion IMHO will not really be a lot of help.

Shooting a .22 is great for improving your sight alignment and trigger pull so for a bullesye shooter maybe the Marvel conversion makes sense so as to have the same trigger for each stage (rimfire, centerfire, and .45), but for any "speed" shooting -- IPSC, steel plates, etc. I don't think .22 practice is really much benefit as recoil control is the main issue here.

Don't get me wrong, I rarely shoot less than brick of .22 at the steel plates when I go out and its a boat load of fun, but its little help when moving up to wacking them with the .45 or 9mm. In fact, it doesn't help because I'm much faster with the .22 because of the lack of recoil. My ruger 22/45 is close enough to a 1911 in terms of control layout and grip angle that I'm very comfortable with it, but then nothing could be more different than our Beretta Neos and I probably, on average shoot the fastest with it, go figure.

If your conversion won't work with the cheap "bulk-pac" ammo, it will cost close to as much as does 9mm FMJ to feed it. For cheap practice I've a 9mm 1911, its a "widebody" (Para P18 clone) and its great fun, but I shoot the .45 1911 the best when I shoot it a lot, 9mm is not that great an analog either, but a lot closer than a .22 is.

Now for from the holster, draw and first shot on target in minimum time practice, maybe the conversion would make a lot of sense, but if you start double tapping or engaging multiple targets it'll be fun, but probably not all that skill enhancing for your .45 shooting.

If you want to get your wife started shooting, take her to the store and let her pick a .22 of her own, this is IMHO by far the best way to go.

--wally.