Okay, just got back from the range playing with my latest project: A Wilson Combat (read: Ciener) .22 LR conversion kit. What a flawless piece of kit. I did not have time to group it, but at 10 yards, it shoots into a 1.25" patch on the white background paper. 
Here's what we did:
I've bought a Norinco .45 1911A1 JUST for the sole purpose of shooting .22 LR with my Wilson Combat (read: Ciener) .22 LR conversion kit. It's just fabulous. I dropped a BUL trigger kit that lightened and shortened the trigger. It came with a skeletonized hammer. Then I added a flat mainspring housing for my smaller hands and my wife's hand, too. The entire package is flawless. The Ciener / Wilson kit shoots like a house on fire with hardly any FTE's or FTF's... well maybe if I really attempted to "limp wrist" things, but the high velocity .22's from Cambodian Tire (Federal Bulk Pak 525 Count at $ 13.99) work very well. Oh yeah, I dropped in a "no frame modification" Beavertail grip safety, most likely made off-shore. I did not modify the Norinco frame in any way. The pistol is fabulous.
You can use your NP29, but the 9mm ejector is too centered. I would recommend driving the ejector retaining pin out and shooting the kit without the 9mm ejector. The Ciener kit has it's own .22 LR ejector already. Now this driving/removing of the ejector pin may become rather onerous so I got around all that by purchasing a Norinco .45 1911 from a CGN member here. Hey, at $ 300 Who gives a shzt ?
The Norinco is made to spec and it's just a wonderful range gun that uses my existing M1911/Browning HP holsters. All the friends I take to the range love this pistol the most. You cannot go wrong with the Ciener kit. Too bad JA Ciener and his organization are a bunch of idiots when it comes to customer service. Now, on the other hand.... www.p-d-ent.com are the Distributors of Wilson Combat products here in Canada. Give them a shout and buy the Wilson Combat conversion kit (Ciener) ... they can get extra magazines at $ 65.00 each, pricey, but you will get lotsa use out of the .22 LR kit. Trust me on this one.
For those of you with Norinco .45's or any other .45 1911 frame, this Ciener kit is just dandy. Okay, we are not talking about "Hammerli" accuracy here. We are just practicing our double taps, rapid reloads , and the fun "muscle memory" drills.
Now, here's the real upside to using this Ciener kit. When I owned the most fabulous and reliable .22 pistol (Ruger 22/45), I discovered that it did not like the M12 USGI holster (barrel too long, target sight too sharp) I was drawing from to practice. That's why I sold the Ruger and took my chances with the Ciener kit. It's a decision that I will never regret. NOW, the Ciener topped .45 looks and feels right at home inside my wife's Blackhawk 1911 SERPA holster that hangs on a Specialty Defense Systems MOLLE Tactical Extender. It looks and feels perfect inside my extra M12 with Specter Gear Drop Leg extension. And soon it will be right at home as my High Power is gonna fit in the Safariland 6004 that I ordered, since my wife took my BHI SERPA 1911 holster.
Life is sweet.
Cheers all,
Barney
Here's what we did:
I've bought a Norinco .45 1911A1 JUST for the sole purpose of shooting .22 LR with my Wilson Combat (read: Ciener) .22 LR conversion kit. It's just fabulous. I dropped a BUL trigger kit that lightened and shortened the trigger. It came with a skeletonized hammer. Then I added a flat mainspring housing for my smaller hands and my wife's hand, too. The entire package is flawless. The Ciener / Wilson kit shoots like a house on fire with hardly any FTE's or FTF's... well maybe if I really attempted to "limp wrist" things, but the high velocity .22's from Cambodian Tire (Federal Bulk Pak 525 Count at $ 13.99) work very well. Oh yeah, I dropped in a "no frame modification" Beavertail grip safety, most likely made off-shore. I did not modify the Norinco frame in any way. The pistol is fabulous.
You can use your NP29, but the 9mm ejector is too centered. I would recommend driving the ejector retaining pin out and shooting the kit without the 9mm ejector. The Ciener kit has it's own .22 LR ejector already. Now this driving/removing of the ejector pin may become rather onerous so I got around all that by purchasing a Norinco .45 1911 from a CGN member here. Hey, at $ 300
Who gives a shzt ? The Norinco is made to spec and it's just a wonderful range gun that uses my existing M1911/Browning HP holsters. All the friends I take to the range love this pistol the most. You cannot go wrong with the Ciener kit. Too bad JA Ciener and his organization are a bunch of idiots when it comes to customer service. Now, on the other hand.... www.p-d-ent.com are the Distributors of Wilson Combat products here in Canada. Give them a shout and buy the Wilson Combat conversion kit (Ciener) ... they can get extra magazines at $ 65.00 each, pricey, but you will get lotsa use out of the .22 LR kit. Trust me on this one.
For those of you with Norinco .45's or any other .45 1911 frame, this Ciener kit is just dandy. Okay, we are not talking about "Hammerli" accuracy here. We are just practicing our double taps, rapid reloads , and the fun "muscle memory" drills.
Now, here's the real upside to using this Ciener kit. When I owned the most fabulous and reliable .22 pistol (Ruger 22/45), I discovered that it did not like the M12 USGI holster (barrel too long, target sight too sharp) I was drawing from to practice. That's why I sold the Ruger and took my chances with the Ciener kit. It's a decision that I will never regret. NOW, the Ciener topped .45 looks and feels right at home inside my wife's Blackhawk 1911 SERPA holster that hangs on a Specialty Defense Systems MOLLE Tactical Extender. It looks and feels perfect inside my extra M12 with Specter Gear Drop Leg extension. And soon it will be right at home as my High Power is gonna fit in the Safariland 6004 that I ordered, since my wife took my BHI SERPA 1911 holster.
Life is sweet.
Cheers all,
Barney
