Which .22LR ?

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HM2PAC

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I am trying to decide btwn a BuckMark and an Advantage Arms 1911 Conversion Kit.

A BuckMark Hunter will run me $385 and $29 per mag. (Allows for scope.)

The AA Conversion Kit will cost $350 and $25 per mag.

Is it better to have a conversion for an existing pistol, or an entire new pistol?

For me the price difference is negligible.

The BuckMark allows for a scope, Bbl switch out, easy access to a suppressor.

The conversion allows for cheap practice with my carry weapon.
 
Go with the Buckmark. Knowing how to shoot two guns is better than knowing how to shoot one gun. No need to put all the practice wear on your centerfire anyway.
Just speaking for myself, there is no way on Earth I would pay for a "conversion kit" when the same amount of money would buy me a good gun that will be better than the conversion kit anyway. My horse just don't carry no dummies.

:cool:
 
Oooh, good question. I wrestled with this dilemma myself after getting my 1911. Seemed like a conversion was the logical way to go, until I picked up a Buckmark. Now my SA Loaded does what it does best, and so does the Browning. ;)
 
The conversion allows for cheap practice with my carry weapon
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No it doesn't, unless you mean practice at plinking. Using a .22 conversion to practice tactical shooting is possibly cost effective moneywise, but is, in my opinion, plain out and out foolish in a tactical sense. The rounds from a 22 will not have the same trajectory as those from a .45, they do not give the same recoil as those from a .45 (thus you do not handle the gun the same when shooting), it does not take as much time to come back to a good sight picture after each shot with a 22 as it does with a 45, the magazines do not weigh the same and the feel for the heavier ones is lost, reloading drill are almost pointless from a tactical viewpoint while using 22LR rounds in place of .45ACP, the list goes on.

You would be much better off with the Buckmark being what it is - a 22 rimfire, and the 45 being wehat it is - your primary carry weapon.

All the best,
Glenn B
 
Practice is still practice. Whether I'm in my basement dry firing, shooting a .22, or full on .45ACP.

It all has value.

I can reload .45 ACP for $7 per 100 rds.

I can buy .22LR at $9 per 550 rds.

Saving money hardly seems foolish to me. I don't think anyone would argue that using .22 to practice being "tactical" is a good idea. It is not what I had in mind either.
 
The conversion allows for cheap practice with my carry weapon.
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I may be against the masses. If this is your carry weapon then yes it does make sense. The Advantage Arms will allow you to zero the sights. Point of impact will be wherever you put it. This will allow you to have lots of very cheap practice with drawing, manipulating your safety, getting a sight picture and firing. Yes, you could do that with the Buckmark, but it will not be from the same holster, or controls. It will also not be the same trigger on your carry weapon. You will of course need to practice with your normal loads. But I am very sure that the practice you get from the 22 conversion will enable you to get on target and fire that very important first shot quicker. Yes, you can get that way by shooting lots and lots of 45. If you yank the trigger on a 22 it goes off target just like it does on a 45. Shooting a 1911 improves its trigger (to a certain point) with the price of ammo going up and up it makes sense to do what you can to improve. Muscle memory works!!

Any shooing improves your performance, but if you have to rely on your carry weapon then lots of practice with that will help. So why not practice cheaper.

Of course if you want a whole new pistol then get the Buckmark!
 
I bought a Kadet slide for my CZ, don't regret it in the least. As a matter of fact, it's one of my all time favorite firearms I've shot. And I've had two Ruger 22's.
 
I shot the Sig Sauer Mosquito the other day. Very sweet gun. I have a Hammerli Trailside with is also great.
 
neither one

I'm a huge fan of the buckmark, but I would go with a Ruger 22/45. It is designed to feel like a 1911. It doesn't have anywhere near the same heft but as far as the grip it does very much feel like a 1911 in your hand. With a little work you can even put 1911 grips on it. Get one with the same barrel length as your carry weapon and it makes great practice with the open sights. Then you can scope it if you want and remove the scope for 1911 practice. I usually go through a brick a week of .22 and it has vastly improved my shooting with my center fire weapons. NO it does not help with follow up shots on a gun with recoil, but it does help you put that most important first shot where you want it.
 
there is no way on Earth I would pay for a "conversion kit" when the same amount of money would buy me a good gun that will be better than the conversion kit anyway. My horse just don't carry no dummies.
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I have three Ruger MK II's and a Benelli MP95E so I appreciate dedicated .22's. However, there is something about shooting a full size service pistol with a .22 conversion unit. The CZ Kadet Kit sits upon both my CZ75B and 75D PCR. Its fun, as accurate as my Rugers and reliable.

Better get another horse.
 
It dosent matter which gun you shoot. The more you shoot the better you get. Dont worry about having the exact feel or the safety in the same place. Most people can shoot more than one type of pistol proficently.
 
I say get both - you'll eventually want both a dedicated .22LR pistol, and a centerfire conversion for your SD/CCW pistol.

On the one hand, if you only have the conversion, and something breaks in your 1911 lower, now you can shoot NEITHER .22LR NOR .45ACP until you fix it - but, if you have a dedicated .22LR, at least you can get SOME practice in while your 1911 is down...

On the other hand, the conversion DOES give you the opportunity to decrease ammo costs while practicing the VERY important skill of drawing from your CCW holster to the first shot - which you would NOT get with a different .22LR pistol, especially since most holsters for the Buckmark and Ruger are open-carry-style field-type hunting holsters with snap-over straps, as opposed to CCW-style holsters. Of course, you can order ANYTHING on a custom basis, but as far as something you can buy off the rack at a gun store, the closest I've found is Fobus' plastic paddle, which I can't seem to grok properly - if I don't hold my mouth right, the gun locks in and won't draw for love or money...:mad:

So, what I'd do if I were you, is get whichever is on sale, or the least expensive, or available in Very Good used condition, first - then pick the other up when you get the chance.
 
A local shop can get me the Advantage Arms conversion kit for $285, so it's on order.

I plan on picking up the Buckmark later this spring.

Thanx for all the input.
 
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