I carry a SW1911 9mm Pro Series on and off duty, I also have a Springfield Loaded .45 and a Colt 1991-A1 .38 Super. Like everyone else I'm concerned about the cost of practice and thought it would be great to have a 1911 in .22lr. I figured I could use the same holsters and gear, everything would function the same way, all the switches would be in the same places, etc. and be able to shoot 200-250rds for the cost of one box of cheap 9mm FMJ.
I looked at conversion kits but decided I wanted a dedicated gun. That way I can shoot a bunch with the .22 then finish off the range session with a couple of mags out of one of the centerfire 1911's. I looked at the Chiappas but they were really cheap feeling and looked like they were made from some kind of pot metal. Also, they were set up in basic GI style while my carry gun has the beaver tail, ambi-safety, etc. so the Chiappa wasn't what I was looking for. I saw the GSG-1911 online and people were really talking it up. I liked the looks, it's set up just like my carry gun, and it appeared to be truer to the 1911 platform. I guess a lot of the parts will actually interchange with real 1911 parts. I also saw the pics of the future Colt but it's not available yet and I don't like rails on 1911's.
So, the thing that finally cinched it for me was that Midwest Hunters Outlet had a sale 2 weeks ago and they had the GSG for $282 plus $20 shipping. I ordered one and also ordered two spare mags (the gun comes with one mag), they're expensive but they're well made and metal. AIM Surplus has the best price on the mags, $29.99, but shipping is a little expensive. The two mags came to $72 and change shipped. With the $20 FFL transfer fee I'm into everything for $395.
It is surprisingly nice when you see it in person, all metal, nice grips, decent finish - nice and even - don't know how well it will hold up to holster wear, though. It weighs about the same as a lightweight centerfire 1911, dimensionally it is the same, and in the hand it feels like any other 1911. The trigger is pretty good, about 4-5lbs with a little creep, I think it will improve with use and proper cleaning/lube. It does have a mag safety but for my needs that doesn't matter.
I put 20rds through it the day I picked it up (no troubles) and another 250 or so today, mostly cheap Federal bulk pack. I didn't do anything to it but take it out of the box and start shooting. The gun ran great except for some subsonic Aguila, it would eject them but not pick up the next round, no surprise as it's not made to shoot subsonic. It is accurate, though it shot a little high and bit to the right. It comes with three different height front sights and both front and rear sights are dovetailed so sighting it in won't be an issue. I didn't make any changes to day because I left the box in the house and was too lazy to go up and get it.
It was great being able to use my duty gear and shoot on the cheap! I shot our qualifying course of fire, lots of stuff from the draw, double and triple taps, failure drills, etc. The mags drop free so I was able to practice mag changes as well. Basically I did everything I would normally do except my ammo cost was 20% of what it would have been shooting 9mm. My only complaint about the gun is that the sights are plastic and the front sight took a beating with all of the drawing from the holster. I'll need to see if I can find a metal replacement.
So, IMHO, if you're looking for a dedicated .22lr 1911 the GSG is the way to go based on what's available at the moment. The gun will pay for itself through savings in less than 2500 rounds compared to what it would cost me for 9mm ammo and I'll go through that pretty quick because I can see that I'll be do a lot more shooting thanks to the lower cost. Also, I got a CMMG .22lr conversion kit for my AR-15 for my birthday. I haven't tried it yet but it should be the perfect compliment to the GSG.
Here's some pics with my Springfield for comparison:
This is 11rds, off hand (without trying too hard), from 10yds-
I looked at conversion kits but decided I wanted a dedicated gun. That way I can shoot a bunch with the .22 then finish off the range session with a couple of mags out of one of the centerfire 1911's. I looked at the Chiappas but they were really cheap feeling and looked like they were made from some kind of pot metal. Also, they were set up in basic GI style while my carry gun has the beaver tail, ambi-safety, etc. so the Chiappa wasn't what I was looking for. I saw the GSG-1911 online and people were really talking it up. I liked the looks, it's set up just like my carry gun, and it appeared to be truer to the 1911 platform. I guess a lot of the parts will actually interchange with real 1911 parts. I also saw the pics of the future Colt but it's not available yet and I don't like rails on 1911's.
So, the thing that finally cinched it for me was that Midwest Hunters Outlet had a sale 2 weeks ago and they had the GSG for $282 plus $20 shipping. I ordered one and also ordered two spare mags (the gun comes with one mag), they're expensive but they're well made and metal. AIM Surplus has the best price on the mags, $29.99, but shipping is a little expensive. The two mags came to $72 and change shipped. With the $20 FFL transfer fee I'm into everything for $395.
It is surprisingly nice when you see it in person, all metal, nice grips, decent finish - nice and even - don't know how well it will hold up to holster wear, though. It weighs about the same as a lightweight centerfire 1911, dimensionally it is the same, and in the hand it feels like any other 1911. The trigger is pretty good, about 4-5lbs with a little creep, I think it will improve with use and proper cleaning/lube. It does have a mag safety but for my needs that doesn't matter.
I put 20rds through it the day I picked it up (no troubles) and another 250 or so today, mostly cheap Federal bulk pack. I didn't do anything to it but take it out of the box and start shooting. The gun ran great except for some subsonic Aguila, it would eject them but not pick up the next round, no surprise as it's not made to shoot subsonic. It is accurate, though it shot a little high and bit to the right. It comes with three different height front sights and both front and rear sights are dovetailed so sighting it in won't be an issue. I didn't make any changes to day because I left the box in the house and was too lazy to go up and get it.
It was great being able to use my duty gear and shoot on the cheap! I shot our qualifying course of fire, lots of stuff from the draw, double and triple taps, failure drills, etc. The mags drop free so I was able to practice mag changes as well. Basically I did everything I would normally do except my ammo cost was 20% of what it would have been shooting 9mm. My only complaint about the gun is that the sights are plastic and the front sight took a beating with all of the drawing from the holster. I'll need to see if I can find a metal replacement.
So, IMHO, if you're looking for a dedicated .22lr 1911 the GSG is the way to go based on what's available at the moment. The gun will pay for itself through savings in less than 2500 rounds compared to what it would cost me for 9mm ammo and I'll go through that pretty quick because I can see that I'll be do a lot more shooting thanks to the lower cost. Also, I got a CMMG .22lr conversion kit for my AR-15 for my birthday. I haven't tried it yet but it should be the perfect compliment to the GSG.
Here's some pics with my Springfield for comparison:
This is 11rds, off hand (without trying too hard), from 10yds-
