CIENER .22LR conversion kit for Beretta 92

[ghostie]

My girlfriend just recently bought a .22LR conversion kit for her Beretta from a CGN member. We took the kit out for the first time this weekend. It worked really well, had no problem cycling on any of the ammo we fed it (Federal "Champion", Remington "Cyclone", CCI "Mini-mag" and CCI "Stinger"). It always fired, and could be fired very rapidly. We just had one problem that soured the experience (see below).

Some photos:

The big let-down was that the sight picture was F'd up. In order to hit near point of aim, you have to line the sights up like this. The front sight is molded right into the slide like an old style Beretta, but the rear sight looks like it will push out. I'm thinking that the first course of action should be to look into getting a lower rear sight. If the rear sight can't be removed and re-installed without buggering the whole thing up, I thinking that the rear sight could be ground down and the notch taken down a few mm as well. Suggestions on how to fix this would be appreciated (but please no "you are aiming/shooting/installing the kit incorrectly-type comments. Trust me, it's none of that. The sights need to be adjusted. We had a number of other people try the gun out as well).

 

[tiriaq]

Either alter the existing rear sight, or replace it. Would be easier than doing anything with the front sight.

 

[IM_Lugger]

What distance were you shooting at? did you try at 25yards? Did all the ammo have the same POI? (for both you and GF?) I would ask at Berettaforum.net if other people are having the same issue before moding anything...

Looking at your drawing I assume the gun was shooting high when the sights were aligned properly. I wonder if adjustable beretta sights would fit the .22 slide. (I'd ask at Beretta forum and/or take a good look at the old dovetail on the original slide and see if they're the same)

 

[misfire]

Any chance of silver soldering on an extension to the front sight? Filing down the rear sight would do it as well but it looks like a lot needs to be taken off. Not a 'smith just my two cents worth......good luck.

 

[ghostie]

Any chance of silver soldering on an extension to the front sight? Filing down the rear sight would do it as well but it looks like a lot needs to be taken off. Not a 'smith just my two cents worth......good luck.

I was also thinking about this right off the bat. The GF doesn't like the idea though, as she is pretty sensetive about the looks of her gear.

What distance were you shooting at? did you try at 25yards? Did all the ammo have the same POI? (for both you and GF?) I would ask at Berettaforum.net if other people are having the same issue before moding anything...

Looking at your drawing I assume the gun was shooting high when the sights were aligned properly. I wonder if adjustable beretta sights would fit the .22 slide. (I'd ask at Beretta forum and/or take a good look at the old dovetail on the original slide and see if they're the same)

We shot 10, 15, 25. It does shoot high, way high, and it gets higher the further out you go. Point of impact was about the same with all the kinds of ammo. If you dip the front sight down, like in my drawing, you could achive a decent grouping - but it is a lame way to aim a gun, so I don't really have a great idea as to this kit's accuracy. Overall I would have to say that this seems to be a very high quality kit. We just have to figure out the best way to get it sighted in and it should be a keeper.

I had a similar issue with the SIG Mosquito when I first got it, but it has the interchangable front sights, so you can correct the problem by putting on the tallest of the front sights. With this Beretta kit, it's tricky because the front sight is pretty much a constant (barring the kind of thing discussed in the above quote).

I'll have a look at Berettaform, see if anyone has any ideas.

 

[IM_Lugger]

If you dip the front sight down, like in my drawing, you could achive a decent grouping - but it is a lame way to aim a gun, so I don't really have a great idea as to this kit's accuracy

POI shouldn't really effect accuracy you should still be able to get a good group regardless of its position on paper...

 

[ghostie]

What I mean is "achieve a decent grouping near point of aim".

All I'm really looking for here is whether anyone else has one of these Ceiner kits and whether they have tried removing the rear sight. After 20 years of firearms ownership and shooting, I've pretty well got the basics of how to aim firearms and how distance and velocity can affect point of impact.