Kimber .22 conversion kit

[BBQLS1]

Originally Posted by eyesopened

But if your 1911 is your dedicated carry pistol, a .22 conversion is a great way to practice live fire without spending a ton of money. A 22/45 is a great plinker as I have one, but the trigger feel is different than a 1911.

Cleaning your firearm is part of carrying. I'm going to clean it whether I shoot .22 or .45

You are also not shooting the type of bullet you would be when your carrying, therefore, the dynamics are way off. With the huge aftermarket available for the Mark IIIs, I imagine you can get the trigger how you want to match the 1911 if possible.

IMO, the best thing is to go to the range and use the Ruger to get your mechanics right and finish off with a box of .45 in the 1911 to fine tune everything.

The biggest problem I see with using a conversion is you are wearing down some of the mechanical parts of your gun and not wearing the whole gun together. I'd think that might introduce some reliability issues if you shoot a lot.

[jtkratzer]

Originally Posted by BBQLS1

The biggest problem I see with using a conversion is you are wearing down some of the mechanical parts of your gun and not wearing the whole gun together. I'd think that might introduce some reliability issues if you shoot a lot.

I appreciate your concern, but you said it yourself "I'd THINK that MIGHT introduce...."

First off, this isn't a carry gun. It's a target/range gun with adjustable target sights. I carry an XD. The 1911 is a blast and I love shooting it, but it's not a carry or defensive piece at the moment.

[The Knight Of Light]

You will not "wear out" a modern firearm by shooting a 22 conversion kit on it.

You will wear it out by shooting full power loads of center fire ammunition.

Also my Dedicated 1911-22 conversion has over 30,000 rounds through it with no problems. All I have ever done is keep it clean and change the recoil spring every 3000-4000 rounds.

[BBQLS1]

Originally Posted by The Knight Of Light

You will not "wear out" a modern firearm by shooting a 22 conversion kit on it.

You will wear it out by shooting full power loads of center fire ammunition.

Also my Dedicated 1911-22 conversion has over 30,000 rounds through it with no problems. All I have ever done is keep it clean and change the recoil spring every 3000-4000 rounds.

I didn't say it would wear out the gun, just that you are wearing some parts without others. This is especially true if the whole slide is replaced.

I just see buying another gun as a better option.

[BBQLS1]

Originally Posted by jtkratzer

I appreciate your concern, but you said it yourself "I'd THINK that MIGHT introduce...."

First off, this isn't a carry gun. It's a target/range gun with adjustable target sights. I carry an XD. The 1911 is a blast and I love shooting it, but it's not a carry or defensive piece at the moment.

It's a pretty reasonable assumption. If you really want a .22 Target gun, I'd still say get the Ruger .22 as it's pretty commonly used for that purpose.

If you still want the conversion kit, that's fine. I was just giving my opinion.

[The Knight Of Light]

You will break the conversion kit before you cause major wear on a well made 1911. Even on a glock you will break the kit first. I also have an atvantage arms kit on a glock 17 frame and it has had about 20,000 rounds with no major faults. I changed the recoil spring 4 times and kept it clean.

[jtkratzer]

Originally Posted by BBQLS1

It's a pretty reasonable assumption. If you really want a .22 Target gun, I'd still say get the Ruger .22 as it's pretty commonly used for that purpose.

If you still want the conversion kit, that's fine. I was just giving my opinion.

It's ok, I wasn't bashing you or even criticizing you. I just want to shoot .22 as it's cheaper. I enjoy the 1911 platform a lot.

[Palmguy]

First 100 through my Kimber conversion today without a hitch...zero malfunctions with the Federal 550 brick from Wally World. I had it very, very well lubricated. It would be nice if the slide locked on an empty mag, not a deal breaker for me though. Fun to shoot, the gun barely moved...it'll be a great training gun for the wife I think.

Based on my experience today I'd recommend the kit, no question. I do need to grab some more mags though...I had to reload way too often even with 4 mags. I'm not at all worried about wear, especially as the conversion slide is aluminum and my 1911 frame is steel...also my Kimber is pretty much strictly a range gun.

Can't wait to get my .22LR AR upper

[jtkratzer]

Originally Posted by Palmguy

First 100 through my Kimber conversion today without a hitch...zero malfunctions with the Federal 550 brick from Wally World. I had it very, very well lubricated. It would be nice if the slide locked on an empty mag, not a deal breaker for me though. Fun to shoot, the gun barely moved...it'll be a great training gun for the wife I think.

Based on my experience today I'd recommend the kit, no question. I do need to grab some more mags though...I had to reload way too often even with 4 mags. I'm not at all worried about wear, especially as the conversion slide is aluminum and my 1911 frame is steel...also my Kimber is pretty much strictly a range gun.

Can't wait to get my .22LR AR upper

I was thinking about getting this for the wife to shoot more. She had her first experience with action pistol shooting with reactive steel targets and really enjoyed it. She was shooting my XD45 compact and asked if .22 would knock the plates over.

[eyesopened]

Originally Posted by BBQLS1

You are also not shooting the type of bullet you would be when your carrying, therefore, the dynamics are way off. With the huge aftermarket available for the Mark IIIs, I imagine you can get the trigger how you want to match the 1911 if possible.

IMO, the best thing is to go to the range and use the Ruger to get your mechanics right and finish off with a box of .45 in the 1911 to fine tune everything.

The biggest problem I see with using a conversion is you are wearing down some of the mechanical parts of your gun and not wearing the whole gun together. I'd think that might introduce some reliability issues if you shoot a lot.

Sure you're not shooting .45, but you can still practice the trigger pull on your carry weapon without the expense of shooting .45. Also the design of the 1911 trigger slides back while the Ruger pivots on a pin. They are two totally different designs and I'd be impressed if a company would mass produce a trigger conversion for a 22/45 that mimics a 1911's trigger at a cost effective price.

The slide on the Kimber conversion is Aluminum while the majority of 1911 frames are some form of steel. Aluminum is going to wear much faster than steel so I wouldn't worry about the conversion kit "wearing" out your pistol. Plus parts for the 1911 are so plentiful that replaces springs and such wouldn't be difficult. What parts are you concerned with that would wear unevenly?