I had a Browning 1911-22 not long after they came out and will say I was not impressed for the price. It did improve with shooting but has a buffer and looked like the buffer would wear fast and at that time Browning didn't list replacements. Not up to what I would consider normal Browning standards. Later I considered getting a suppressor and bought a S&W Victor with the threaded barrel and there is no argument that it is far superior to the Browning and a better deal with two mags included. Ended up being denied on the suppressor but kept the S&W as it is a really nice 22 pistol in a good price range. I guarantee you would be happier with the S&W.

 

Thanks, I’m very happy with the two Ruger MKII’s I have. One a Gov’t Target, one threaded. I’m not looking for a replacement... I’m looking for information on the Browning....I’d be buying a new one maybe I should have clarified that (last couple years of production).

 

Back when I had a FFL, I sold a few but never shot one. The customers who bought them were satisfied. Personally, they feel “dinky” if you are used to a full size 1911. About the size of the old Llama 22.

 

I like my Browning 1911’s I got the .22 and my wife has the .380, they are fun to shoot. I really got them for ladies and kids to shoot. They are very easy to learn the 1911 with. I carry the .22 around the yard often for critters. You don’t even realize it is there.

The .22 eats all ammo... the .380 don’t like cheap reloads, but is 100% with good performance ammo

 

I was just wondering whether to take the Ruger Mk I or the Ruger Blackhawk (30 Cal Carbine) to the range today. Decisions, Decisions....

The little Mk I is a wonderful practice piece as it has a thumb rest and just feels right in the hand. That thing doesn't like hollow points however. BTW, my neighbor also has one and it doesn't like them either. Maybe it was a design thing.

 

I've had a Browning 1911-22 since they first came out.
Here's a little I wrote about it then:
"I have one and like it a lot. It's about 85% the size of a standard GI model 1911 (and very light weight).


The frame and slide are aluminum (well that's what the Browning rep says in a Shot Show video)
There is a steel breech block in the slide (the two roll pins hold it in place) that contains the extractor and firing pin. The frame has a steel insert that is the ejector and part of the rails. It also has the disconnector tunnel in it. The frame does not appear to have any grip bushings (can't say for sure as I did not remove the grips, rather just looked into the mag well). The grips (in keeping with the "GI" theme of the gun) are made of plastic. The rest of the frame parts are scaled down 1911. While there are a lot of MIM parts, I find the fit and finish of the pistol at least equal to the GSG and Umarex 1911 offerings I've examined (though I have not disassembled either further than field stripping).
The magazine safety will have no effect on trigger pull as it is a protrusion on the back of the trigger that contacts the mag release when a magazine is not in place. With a mag in place, the release is positioned so that the protrusion clears a space cast into it's body.

First session with it, I went right from the register to the range pausing just long enough to put a little lube on the rails and the barrel. Burned through a little over 300 rounds (mix of Blazer, Winchester Wildcat, Federal Champion, and American Eagle) without a single hiccup. I did get a little hammer bite, but absolutely loved shooting this gun....
Left, best group of that session was my last nine rounds (ten yds. standing)
Right, ten rounds standing at about three yards; should be adequate for an unexpected encounter with a rattler (though I prefer to give them all the space they want).

To date: I haven't cleaned it and the round count is nearing 900. I've had a dud round and three failures to feed. The first failure to feed came somewhere after 400 rounds. It didn't feed at all from the magazine (figured the follower was gumming up), then I had another round from the same magazine load jam. These rounds were from my grab bag of loose/ejected/picked up rounds. My guess is that the second round to jam was deformed. If it were deformed and bound things up when it was in the magazine tube, that would probably explain why the the other round didn't feed at all. The other FTF was using Remington Target loads (standard velocity), I'm guessing I just wasn't gripping the gun tight enough as it looked like a "limp wrist" failure to me. The rest of the Target loads fed/fired/ejected without issue. I also ran 5 hyper velocity rounds through it; they worked fine but I'll not use them in it. Frankly, I was surprised to shoot that many assorted .22 rounds and only have one dud. The FTFs I would attribute to faulty ammo and a shooter induced failure.

Three things I'd like to see or could use improvement:
Better sights, the ones on it are true "GI".
Re-profiled hammer or grip safety, I get a little bite from the hammer now and again (nothing bad).
Trigger pull is a tad heavy, but breaks cleanly.

Here's a little video I put together. It's my first effort at really editing one and it has no redeeming social value, but was fun to make: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkCtcGgfN3c "

Seeing my gun is about 9 years old (and still operating as described above), I guess I shouldn't speak to the quality of the current guns, but if they are anything like mine I'd think they worthy of consideration
Regards,
Greg

 

Thanks for the feedback!

 

I got the compact model some years back when they first came out - before the polymer frame versions appeared. A note on that is that they still use an alloy sub-frame inserted into a polymer shell. The nice thing about polymer frames is they don't show age unless deliberately abused. I've got Glocks, Sigs, and FN's that show zero signs of handling and wear on their polymer frames, and the advantage is significant reduction in weight - a good thing.

The easiest way to see if the 1911-22 has a polymer frame is look at the serial number. Those with alloy frames have it right on the surface and those with alloy have it stamped into the alloy sub-frame nestled inside the polymer grip housing.

The 1911-22 is about 65-70% the size of a standard 1911 with the alloy frame version running around 14 ounces empty. It feels exactly like a miniature 1911 right down to the grip and thumb safety, and tiny spur hammer, and the diamond pattern real-wood grip scales. Field stripping is the same as well: Depress the recoil spring plunger and rotate the barrel bushing to release tension, then run the slide back to locate the tiny notch over the slide stop and push it out. Then the slide runs forward off the frame. The recoil spring with plug comes out, and the barrel exits the slide via the nose after the bushing is reverse-rotated and remove.

The gun is quite tiny, even by .22LR standards and smaller than the likes of a Walther P22 or Ruger SR22 by a good margin. While longer and taller, the 1911-22 is 6 ounces lighter and narrower than the Phoenix Arms HP-22, but then that's at a nearly 4X greater cost premium! The gun fits a man-sized hand surprisingly well, but the web is cramped a bit, and it doesn't take much for web-skin to find its way between hammer spur and thumb safety tang. The magazine is quality built and does an excellent job of supporting the little pistol's reliability. In all the years I've owned mine I don't remember it ever having a malfunction, and just like it's grandpa version, the Browning has a proper last-round slide lock.

In every way the Browning 1911-22 is "better" than my P22 which does have an alloy chassis inside polymer grip shell, but not for that reason, but because it has everything you "need" in a truly compact package - again just like it's grand father, being super narrow really enhances the ability to tuck the gun in to the body so it disappears. The Browning field strip is also superior to the P22 an S&W M&P 22 handgun which both use a funky take down lever than must be rotate and pulled out, then the slide pulled all the way back and lifted off. Quite simply, the Browning is exactly like owning a full size 1911 which must be experienced side-by-side with all the other types of .22 pistols to be appreciated!

Shooting is easy and fun, and perfect for teaching kids or non-shooting spousal units. The gun is accurate and very fast-shooting. The 1911-22 makes an excellent SD carry piece for those so inclined.

My own "issue" is the price. The little guns aren't cheap and as such, mine tends to get less shooting time than my much less expensive, more "expendable" .22 pistols.

 

The 1911-22 A1 version is still available in aluminum frame.
In Government and Compact

ALL the Black Label guns have polymer frames.
Both 22 and 380.
They have the big beavertail like modern 1911s
so they are easy to spot.

https://www.romegunandpawn.com/Hand...wn.com/Handguns/semi-automatic-handguns/1911-22-a1-22lr-gry-425-101br051-879490

 

Just wanted to add a bit more eye candy showing the 1911-22 Compact model. Also shown in direct size comparison to the Kahr P380.

 

I must say I really like shooting my Browning 1911-22 Compact pistol finding it fun and reasonably accurate. Since you added other pistols to your search I would suggest a Sig 938 .22 conversion kit. That way you have a defensive pistol and a fun plinker all in one, just love to shoot mine and it sports night sights to boot. For a 1911 conversion (absent competitive shooting) my fifties era Colt conversion looks and feels like a real 45.

 

I like these 85% scale 1911s enough that I have two 1911-380/22 Convertibles and a 1911-22 (aluminum frame), all with 3.6" barrel. I've added a LCI to the 380s.

 

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