Opinion needed - which 22 Cal conversion kit?

[tprice]

I'm going to buy a 22 cal conversion kit for one of my autos. I have a Ruger Mk II - so please no "why buy a conversion kit when you can have a whole pistol" comments, thank you.

What I'm looking for is an opinion on which one to get? I have a SIG P226, a Kimber Custom II, and a Beretta 92FS. Most of the opinions I have gotten so far is to get the Kimber Kit, but others say the SIG kit is more reliable. Both are about the same price, but the Beretta one is about $100 more.

Any opinions?

 

[Quack]

Marvel Conversion for the 1911.

 

[EddieNFL]

Marvel. Only drawback I have found is I have to run a lighter spring when the weather turns cold.

My local dealer recommended against the Kimber...and no he doesn't sell Marvels, but he is a Kimber dealer.

 

[dom1104]

Yeah I would definatly go the Marvel route for the 1911 you already have.

I had CZs, so I went with the Kadet and could not be happier.

I love conversions.

 

[Quack]

Marvel. Only drawback I have found is I have to run a lighter spring when the weather turns cold.

i didn't run into that problem, but i have a 18# mainspring in.

 

[Demitrios]

Go with the Marvel. It's a little pricier but you're getting a more accurate conversion.

 

[Quack]

if you want really accurate, then get the Marvel Unit 1.

here's Rob Leatham's Steel Challenge .22

 

[Hk Dan]

Ciener makes a kit for the 1911 and the M92, but then you have to deal with Ciener. That is a sacrifice big enough for this Marine to preclude shooting a conversion kit...<g>

 

[mljdeckard]

Don't deal with Ciener. Call Brownell's or Midway, deal with them. If there's a problem, let THEM deal with Ciener. I have owned and shot the AA Glock kit and the Ciener 1911 kit.

Here's the thing about all .22 conversions. They all need break in, and they all prefer hotter ammo. It is trying to cycle a slide that is heavier than the bolt on a .22 pistol. (There is one kit I have seen that only cycles part of the slide, I can't remember which one it is.) The 1911 kit is the oldest and most standardized. You can also get 15 rd magazines for it, I don't know about the other two. I think that in the last few decades, we have gotten used to not really needing a break in period on guns like we used to. On .22 kits, I have found that after a few thousand rounds, you can use a lot more kinds of ammo, they run much more reliably, and you don't have to clean as frequently before they start to jam.

I would get the 1911 kit just because there is a much larger variety of guns it will work with, and I can loan it to a lot of my friends.

 

[essayons21]

I have a Ciener kit and it runs fine. Use high velocity ammo and plenty of lube. Just make sure you Kimber has a standard ejector. My Springfield Champion uses a different ejector (the style used with 9mm and .40) which will not work with the Ciener kit.

 

[Quack]

The Kimber Kit used to be made by Ciener, now they make it in house using the same design. Also if you have a ramped barrel, the Ciener & Kimber are not designed to work. the Marvel is.

 

[essayons21]

No doubt the Marvel is the best out there, just remember that some of us are on a budget.

 

[EddieNFL]

i didn't run into that problem, but i have a 18# mainspring in.

Eighteen or eight? I contacted Marvel when I first had the problem and was told 10 is standard. I bought eight and nine pound springs for cooler weather and haven't had problems since.

Another advantage is the Marvel works with cheap Remington Thunderbolt ammo. The expensive plated rounds aren't required.

 

[Quack]

i have 18# mainspring in my Wilson. works fine. are you using the Unit 1 or Unit 2?

 

[tprice]

Thanks everyone!

I ended up getting the Kimber model over the Marvel, call me stupid but I preferred having a Kimber frame mated to a Kimber slide.

An amazing piece of fun. Ran the slide a few hundred times at home to wear off the "paint" and get the thing smooth. 500 rounds of 22LR later, and it's my official fun gun now!

Only problem was one (1) failure to load from a magazine not being seated properly. Otherwise, flawless.