22 conversion

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Pat-inCO

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Did/do you mean the Kimber conversion?

If so then I have one and I bought one for my daughter. One of those took a bit of
"break-in" and the other didn't. By break-in I mean hand cycling the slide until it
runs freely. Then clean and lube it, and have fun. :D

The one I got for my daughter took about fifty times and it has been flawless since.
Mine took North of four hundred times, but has not given me any problems after the
initial cycling. My guess is that the manufacturing tolerance build-up on mine was
the problem. As I said, once I got it working smoothly, it has not had any issues
since (not sure how many my daughter has run in hers but mine is WAY North of
3,000 with zero problems).

P.S. Do remember it does . . . not . . . lock the slide back on empty magazine.
 

hittman

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Are these conversions close in price to a dedicated/factory made 22LR 1911? If so, I'd maybe consider that route.
 

dakota1911

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Kimber has them for $339 MSRP. I have one I bought years ago to go on a 2003 or so Kimber Target Elite II. If I had it to do over I would have bought it in black not silver. On mine the slide was not held back when the mag was empty. Not sure if Kimber has changed that or not. If looking at a new unit you might also see what Brownells, Midway, and others are selling on the intergoogle.
 

Pat-inCO

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hittman said:
Are these conversions close in price to a dedicated/factory made 22LR 1911?
If so, I'd maybe consider that route.
Kimber made (past tense) a devoted .22lr 1911 that was (and I like Kimber) so far
out of line that many dealers would not even carry one. It was . . . not . . . worth
even half the $500 to $600 they wanted for it. Really poor!

Take their .22lr conversion and put it on a steel frame, you suddenly have/had a
VERY good plinker and many say even better than that. 8)
 

hittman

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I'm not sure why anybody would buy a Kimber at all but that's another conversation for another day :lol: ..... I'm thinking a GSG 22LR 1911 is in the $250 range. Think this same GSG gun is sold under other labels too .... maybe Sig??

So .... if you can "convert" a gun for $350 but own a 2nd gun made in that caliber for cheaper ....... I'd think about owning 2 guns instead of 1 gun and parts.
 

s4s4u

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hittman said:
I'm not sure why anybody would buy a Kimber at all but that's another conversation for another day :lol: ..... I'm thinking a GSG 22LR 1911 is in the $250 range. Think this same GSG gun is sold under other labels too .... maybe Sig??

So .... if you can "convert" a gun for $350 but own a 2nd gun made in that caliber for cheaper ....... I'd think about owning 2 guns instead of 1 gun and parts.

Do you have any personal experience with the GSG? I asked the dude behind the counter at the local toy store if they run good and he wouldn't give me a straight answer.
 

hittman

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I had one of the GSG and a couple of buddies had them too. Although, I think one of them was labeled Sig but understand they were made for Sig by GSG. Regardless, we didn't shoot them a lot but never had any problems I recall.

For us, they were kind of a novelty item thats "new" wore off pretty quickly. Seemed funner to shoot the 45ACP 1911s for a bigger bang.
 

Pat-inCO

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hittman said:
Seemed funner to shoot the 45ACP 1911s for a bigger bang.
Good point, but as a training aid, the 1911 in .22lr is excellent. You even have a
built-in tap-rack drill each time (every ten or less rounds). :wink:

While the .45ACP is funner, there is also funnerer, and funnerest is when you have
both at the range and can switch calibers simply by picking yup the other one. 8)
 

hittman

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Some would argue the 22/45 would be as good or better training gun.
 

loaded round

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Never used the Kimber conversion kit so I can't comment on it. However I have had two Ciener Conversion Kits and presently have his Platinum model kit and it's worked on every 1911 style frame I've tried it on with the exception of an older Colt Gold Cup that had been custom tuned. It was the firearm and not the Ciener unit. Suggest you try one if you can find one.
 

eveled

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I have a Wilson combat conversion kit. I used it enough to know it works on my Ruger.
 

loaded round

Hunter
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I use a Ciener Conversion Kit on my SR1911 and it works perfectly. I have the Platinum Cup model that has adjustable sights and it's as accurate as most 22lr target pistols. Ciener Conversions Kits usually can be found on both eBay and Gunbroker for reasonable price. Don't know if Ciener is still in business for new conversion kits.
 

gunzo

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I've got 2, a Colt that works well on any 1911 I've had it on. And a Kimber that can sometimes be a bit finicky. It has one Kimber mag & 1 Promag. When I find a combo that's dependable, I like the Kimber conversion better than the Colt. That's just me.
But, I boxed them both up over a year ago with the intention of selling them. Never did, but don't use them either. :roll:
 

NVSeabee

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I have a Kimber conversion kit for a full size 1911, if you look close you will find that the Kimber kit is made by Ciener. Mine always worked well.
 

dakota1911

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When I was trying to sell my Kimber Target Elite II to a friend he wondered about the conversion and would it work for pests on his ranch. I put it on and shot at just over 20 yards holding the pistol with two hands at my "high class" target using CCI HP ammo as I recall.



Now my Kimber unit that I bought back around 2003 or so is different from either of my Ciener Platinum Cup units which I bought from Brownells back when Brownells sold them. I also have a Marvel unit and a Colt Ace unit from 1978 also. Recently I bought an Atvantage Arms unit but have not played with it much. If there is an advantage to the Kimber unit is it sort of comes apart like a regular 1911 compared to say a Ciener unit or a Marvel unit.
 

daveg.inkc

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I bought a Colt Gold Cup .22 for $300. It is black finish with Ruger 1911 white grips. Very nice looking. But, does not group as well as my Ruger's auto loader .22's. But, what does?
 

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