I went to the range last night – again – and before I knew it I’d put another 200 rounds through my 1911. That’s 400 rounds in the last week. This is very quickly becoming an expensive addiction. I want to continue to train with the 1911, but I don’t know if I can afford to shoot it as much as I’d like. I have a Ruger Mark III, but it feels so different from the 1911, I don’t feel like practice with that gun helps.
So I’m very seriously considering a .22 conversion for my 1911. I figure at the rate I’m going, if I only shot half as much .45 as I do now, I’d probably pay for the conversion within a few months.
My first question is, what’s the general consensus on .22LR conversion kits for the 1911? Is there any particular brand I should look for? Colt and Wilson are at the top of my list right now. I’ve seen a few old Colt conversion kits floating around, most recently at FS, but they’re all well used and seem kind of expensive. What about Wilson – I’m a big fan of their other products, so I’d imagine the conversion kit has to be pretty good. I’ve seen other kits online, but I don’t know anything about the manufacturer or their reputation. Is there anyone else I should look into.
Second question is, do I need to take into consideration the platform I’m putting the conversion on? Will custom parts or trigger jobs cause a problem with a .22 conversion? Or should I just get an old 1911 clone and slap a conversion on that instead?
Or (third question) is there a better alternative to the conversion kit? What about a .22 that feels similar to the 1911 (like the Ruger 22/45)?
Thanks for your input!
-Christopher
So I’m very seriously considering a .22 conversion for my 1911. I figure at the rate I’m going, if I only shot half as much .45 as I do now, I’d probably pay for the conversion within a few months.
My first question is, what’s the general consensus on .22LR conversion kits for the 1911? Is there any particular brand I should look for? Colt and Wilson are at the top of my list right now. I’ve seen a few old Colt conversion kits floating around, most recently at FS, but they’re all well used and seem kind of expensive. What about Wilson – I’m a big fan of their other products, so I’d imagine the conversion kit has to be pretty good. I’ve seen other kits online, but I don’t know anything about the manufacturer or their reputation. Is there anyone else I should look into.
Second question is, do I need to take into consideration the platform I’m putting the conversion on? Will custom parts or trigger jobs cause a problem with a .22 conversion? Or should I just get an old 1911 clone and slap a conversion on that instead?
Or (third question) is there a better alternative to the conversion kit? What about a .22 that feels similar to the 1911 (like the Ruger 22/45)?
Thanks for your input!
-Christopher