Kimber did build a 1911 22 Target (not a conversion) not sure if they still do.

 

Nothing wrong with 22LR conversions, but understand your want for a dedicated full size rimfire pistol.

That said, my two Kimber conversions (3" Compact and 5" Target) have both served me very well over the years without the need for a dedicated pistol:





As for accuracy, my little Compact conversion nailed this jackwabbit at 52 paces with irons and CCI Mini-Mag HP's:



And if I ever do find a Kimber 1911 22 Target, it will come home with me! Good luck with the quest.

 

The Browning is scaled down, but is the pick of the litter....

 

I have the GSG, same gun as the Sig, couldn’t ask for a better pistol. Zero issues even with subsonic ammo. ATI makes these, plus the Mauser branded version… find the least expensive one, in the color you want.
It’s the closest to a real 1911, and small parts are interchangeable- trigger, safeties, mag release, main spring housing…

 

Mine too. Had it for several trouble-free years. It gets a lot of use too. Only issue is that the second retaining pin is polymer and wears and falls out. Doesn't seem to effect reliability.

 

i would probably go with the ruger 22/45. i'm not a huge ruger fan, but the 22 auto has been around since 1949. they work, and work well. they are plenty accurate. after spending years and more than a few bucks on more expensive 22 autos i gave up and got one. its not a perfect choice, if its 1911 that you want, but its a good one. second choice would be the browning black label. it has a smaller grip which may, or may not, be better for your hand size. after that i'd jump in the deep end and get a nelson conversion. just the conclusions from 50 years of testing, all for the bargain basement price of $0.00. and over priced at that.

 

HAMMERLI ARMS FORGE H1 1911 22 LR

See if you can put your hands on one of these.

 

Hi, I have just bought one! Do you have the gun? Opinions on it? Thank you!

 

Thanks guys, appreciate the input.

I have a Ruger MKIV Target and a MKIV 22/45. In the past I have owned all of the other MK variants as well as a SR22 and a couple of Buckmarks. All were truly excellent 22 pistols, but I have an itch for a dedicated 1911 22.

I only have one centerfire 1911 at this time, a SA Mil Spec 45 acp. I got it recently after a few years without one in the house. Not sure what got into me wasting my time with other firearms.

My Mil Spec is pretty similar to the one I carried in the Army over 50 years ago and since getting it I have been shooting 50 to 100 rounds every day. I can't get enough of it. Even though I reload I cannot afford to keep it up at that pace, so I want a 22 version. I don't want to keep changing the upper and don't have a second lower I can use for a conversion kit.

So, I have been looking at reviews on the web and before making a decision wanted to see what you folks thought. Good to read the comments but I just ordered a Walther Colt 1911 22lr.

 

Ive tried several 1911-22 offerings and overall I didn’t think much of them . So to throw you a curve, have you considered a 9mm ?
They make better range guns imo .
Also with a lot more options.

 

op, tell us how it worked out for you.

 

I'm here to tell you, I have 2 of the worst problematic 22's ever made. Sig 1911/22 and a GSG 1911/22. I should say had.. With FTF and Ejection problems in both I made it my mission to make them run, and they do now. Each of them run like a watch without any failures. If you like to tinker then either one is for you. The GSG is identical as the Sig and all upgrade parts are available, and can be had for around $300. They are both very accurate, but not like a Smith 27. I can walk you thru the upgrades if you end up with one, and how to overcome the problems that plague them.

 

As I mentioned in another thread I just bought a vintage Colt .22 conversion unit. Between these and the Colt ACE definitely the closest thing to a proper centerfire 1911. Not the most accurate or reliable, and most definitely not the cheapest! Not made since the 1980s so they can be tough to find.

 

I have two of the 85% scale 1911-22-A1 Brownings.
A "Government" and a "Compact".
Both are good choices for a small (literally pocket size for the Compact) 22 pistols.
The A1 version has an 6061T6 aluminum frame (Black Label is polymer).

 

I bought the GSG, the former maker for Sig. It is a tack driver. I bought those magazine adapters that let you shoot 14 rounds in the 10 round mags for it. Only works with this brand. I shoot it suppressed and it is my go to night time skunk shooter with a cheap little laser on it. You cannot miss a running skunk at night if you have enough light to see it. The new grips on it help me find it in the dark

 

I never understood the appeal of the modern purpose-built "1911" .22LR. That's all they will ever be.

I'd rather have a .22LR that was purposely designed around a good idea, rather than one that's been forced into a mold.

 

As a former CCW instructor i found that having an identical handgun in 22 as your carry gun is about the smartest thing a new shooter can buy. Adding a suppressor helps people improve their skills with handguns and rifles. Adding a laser does so as well.

I can buy 22 ammo for 7 cents per round, 45 acp is closer to 50 cents per round. The economies make sense/cents.

Above I showed a picture of the 1911-22 and two Walthers, one in 22 and one in 380, same deal. I have many pairs of identical gun including wheel guns. Here is a picture of one that really helps and some of my students who use Glocks bought one as a trainer the first day that I trained them, because they found my copy so easy to shoot. The Glock 44 is in 22 cal. It is the exact size as the Glock 12, 23 and a similar model in 357 Sig. It comes with 10 round magazines but i bought several 16 round aftermarket magazines. When I get to the range, I have about 100 rounds loaded ready to go. In my GSG 1911-22 I also have about 100 rounds loaded in magazines. I also have one of the GSG Firefly formerly the Sig Mosquito. When I show up at the range with that one, I have about 150 rounds in loaded magazines. That one is DA/SA and similar to all Sigs like that.

The Glock 44. The only difference is weight, the 22 version weighs 10 ounces less, but controls and trigger feel the same. The light weigh and extremely easy slide to rack make it ideal to teach people with weak or diseased hands to shoot, all day long. And shoot fewer rounds with their bigger gun in 9mm, 357 Sig or 40 SW. That is why so many people choose them.

When I take my 1911s in 400 Corbon, 10mm or 45 or 38 Super to the range, I always take the 1911-22, and fire up those 100 rounds or so of loaded magazines that are in that gun carry case. Just a little extra training, or fun shooting.

My 2 cents.

 

I could just as easily say my .22 AR is an impractical firearm with none of the power or versatility of a true 5.56 AR. And yet I shoot it more often than all of my conventional .22 rifles AND centerfire ARs combined. Rimfire replicas of centerfire firearms are a fun and economical way to shoot more, using a familiar platform. It's not necessary for every firearm made to be the most size-efficient, accurate or practical weapon in their class. Some guns exist just for pure fun.

 

You made the right choice going with the Walther/Colt.

 

I used to shoot my dad's Colt Conversion Unit on top of his Colt frame from his service pistol he bought when he left the army. The frame is a 1913 made Colt frame! I shot this during college and afterwards a lot. Magazines are hard to find and sometimes have feeding problems but the experience, with the floating chamber, is quite similar to shooting a .45 caliber. Love it! Wouldn't sell it for anything. Newer ones may be more reliable and cheaper but the Colt Conversion is fun to shoot.

 

Ruger MkIV 22/45 feels like a 1911 with the reliability of a Ruger 22, plus all the Volquartzen & TK upgrades available for them & if you like ‘em colorful there’s the Lite models.

Ruger® Mark IV™ 22/45™ Rimfire Pistol Models

www.ruger.com

Ruger® Mark IV™ 22/45™ Lite Rimfire Pistol Models

www.ruger.com

 

I have a GSG. It's okay.
Runs great with standard velocity ammo and suppressed.

Like my Ruger MK IV much better though

 

I bought a Kimber conversion years ago and it was a great accurate addition to my toys. I played with a bunch of the dedicate .22 1911s but I just didn’t like the difference in size, weight and feel. None of them gave me the accuracy I was getting out of the Kimber unit either.

So I found myself wanting to be able to “fit” the conversion to a frame for absolute best accuracy and being unwilling to alter one of my existing 1911 frames I found a 1911 RIA frame on GB for a reasonable price and fitted my Kimber to it and built a dedicated 1911 .22 that feels, weighs and operates like my “big” guns but allows me to send thousands of rounds at targets for a fraction of what it costs to do it with my .45 and 10mm guns.

if I had to do it again I’d go exact the same route.

 

I have one, it is a 8/10 scale down from full size government 1911, made of alloy frame and slide, very reliable, I used to carry it in my front pocket.

 

Well, as I mentioned, I ordered the Walther Colt 1911 and picked it up today. The FFL is also an indoor range so I did some range work immediately, without cleaning the pistol first.

Fit, finish, function and reliability are excellent. Accuracy was decent but not quite up to my Ruger MKIV Target or Ruger MKIV 22/45.

I ran 10 different types of ammo through, from Lapua Midas + and Pistol King, to Eley Target, to Federal Auto Match, including some high velocity, standard velocity and target velocity. Everything fed, extracted, ejected and worked the slide perfectly. There were a couple of failures to fire with the cheap ammo and I am satisfied it was the ammo and not the pistol.

I shot offhand, both one and two handed, at 5, 7, 10, 17 and 20 yards. The really expensive ammo shot about the same as the cheaper stuff, with only one cheap brand shooting poorly. Surprisingly, Federal American Eagle, High Velocity 38 grain copper plated hollow point shot better than all the rest, by a wide margin. In fact, with that ammo it may be as accurate as my Ruger MK pistols but I will need to shoot off a bench to verify that.

I care about it all; looks, reliability, durability, accuracy, heft, balance, pointability, and feel but if anything matters most to me it is accuracy. So, my initial thought was I would not be shooting it as often as my Rugers. But then a strange thing happened. After trying all the different ammo types I just kept shooting. Good thing it is a 22 because I probably shot 300 rounds through it. I didn't intend to but it was just so much fun to shoot this thing.

I did not want it for a 1911 trainer. I am retired and shoot just about every day and I reload. I shoot my 45 acp 1911 2 to 4 days a week and usually shoot about 100 rounds each trip. I don't need a separate trainer. I wanted it because there has always been something magical about the 1911 ever since I was issued my first 1911A1 in the Army over 50 years ago.

We all know there is something special about how a 1911 feels and that is what I like most. This pistol feels just like a centerfire 1911 and is just a hoot to shoot. Being a 22 makes it just that much more fun for high volume shooting. It may turn out to be my favorite range gun. I think I will keep my 45 for edc.

 

Well, as I mentioned, I ordered the Walther Colt 1911 and picked it up today. The FFL is also an indoor range so I did some range work immediately, without cleaning the pistol first.

Fit, finish, function and reliability are excellent. Accuracy was decent but not quite up to my Ruger MKIV Target or Ruger MKIV 22/45.

I ran 10 different types of ammo through, from Lapua Midas + and Pistol King, to Eley Target, to Federal Auto Match, including some high velocity, standard velocity and target velocity. Everything fed, extracted, ejected and worked the slide perfectly. There were a couple of failures to fire with the cheap ammo and I am satisfied it was the ammo and not the pistol.

I shot offhand, both one and two handed, at 5, 7, 10, 17 and 20 yards. The really expensive ammo shot about the same as the cheaper stuff, with only one cheap brand shooting poorly. Surprisingly, Federal American Eagle, High Velocity 38 grain copper plated hollow point shot better than all the rest, by a wide margin. In fact, with that ammo it may be as accurate as my Ruger MK pistols but I will need to shoot off a bench to verify that.

I care about it all; looks, reliability, durability, accuracy, heft, balance, pointability, and feel but if anything matters most to me it is accuracy. So, my initial thought was I would not be shooting it as often as my Rugers. But then a strange thing happened. After trying all the different ammo types I just kept shooting. Good thing it is a 22 because I probably shot 300 rounds through it. I didn't intend to but it was just so much fun to shoot this thing.

I did not want it for a 1911 trainer. I am retired and shoot just about every day and I reload. I shoot my 45 acp 1911 2 to 4 days a week and usually shoot about 100 rounds each trip. I don't need a separate trainer. I wanted it because there has always been something magical about the 1911 ever since I was issued my first 1911A1 in the Army over 50 years ago.

We all know there is something special about how a 1911 feels and that is what I like most. This pistol feels just like a centerfire 1911 and is just a hoot to shoot. Being a 22 makes it just that much more fun for high volume shooting. It may turn out to be my favorite range gun. I think I will keep my 45 for edc. View attachment 735626 View attachment 735627

Put a suppressor on it and you will like it even more. No head phones or anything on your head but maybe a ball cap. If you have private land you can walk around and shoot grasshoppers and snakes or pine cones. Practice laying or sitting or whatever. Drinking coffee while shooting sticks floating down a creek or river is an advanced for of meditation. Some call might call is training for that shooting where you are sitting in a cafe, but I just call it fun.

But I do call them trainers. Cause I do think I get a little better over time. The GSG and Sig have an adapter that changes the mag from 10 to 14 rounds as I mentioned above. I also find that anytime I take a 45 r Super or 10 to the range, the 22 goes along tool. Just a natural thang..

 

I have one of the Walther/Colt .22s. I've been very happy with it. Runs like a top and is quite accurate.
The only thing I didn't like was the flat mainspring housing. Arched works much better for me. But I found that with just minor tinkering, a standard arched 1911 MSH can be made to fit perfectly.

 

If I had the money a Colt Ace would be my first choice!

 

I’ve got a pair of Aces that have been good to me, so I feel no need to look for the other 1911 22’s.