Dedicated .22LR vs 9mm with a conversion kit

C

canoetrpr

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
Location
Just North of Toronto
I'm looking into purchasing a .22 semi. Tried out a friend's S&W 41 which was superb. Also looking it High Standard.

Down the road I would also like to get a 9mm for the fun that comes with the louder bang :) That said, ammo is SO much cheaper in .22 that I expect I will be shooting more .22 than anything.

I don't plan on entering bullseye competitions. I'm just getting started. I do like a gun that is capable of accuracy so that I can grow into it.

I am currently inclined to get a nice .22LR first (SW 41 or High Standard) and then at some future date go for a 9mm like a CZ 75B or a Glock 34. Alternatively, I could get one of the 9mms right now with a conversion kit.

What do you guys think is a better option?

How will the CZ and Glock compare to a dedicated .22LR like the SW 41 or High Standard models in accuracy at 20-25 meters?

Any particular 9mm that has the best / most reliable conversion kit?
 
Well, you could get a CZ75 with the .22 conversion, or a Sig 226, and the conversion..

I went with the GSG 1911 .22, it's a quality gun, great for plinking and of course, fun to shoot..

Cheap, too!
 
I've got the the CZ combo setup per my signature and love it. Definitely worth the extra saving to get. Have seen a SP01 and Kadet advertised recently and I think there is still a Sig setup on EE which definitely be on the list as well. Other option is a Glock with AA .22 kit.
 
Kendres said:
I've got the the CZ combo setup per my signature and love it. Definitely worth the extra saving to get. Have seen a SP01 and Kadet advertised recently and I think there is still a Sig setup on EE which definitely be on the list as well. Other option is a Glock with AA .22 kit.
Click to expand...

Where is the conversion kit available and what does it cost over and above the base CZ75. Will it fit on the SP01 ?
 
The thing with conversion kits is that they cost as much or more than some VERY nice separate .22 pistols. So there has to be some other reason for a kit rather than a whole other gun to my way of thinking.

One reason for the kit over separate gun is if you will be using the same gun in center fire for competition and this is the ONLY gun you plan on shooting and training with for a LONG time. In such a case the conversion kit makes perfect sense because you can do drills with it that are not dependant on the recoil and see how you're doing. And every time you pull the gun from the holster and present it for that all important first shot you're practicing with the same gun, same grip, same sights and same trigger as you'll use in your matches.

Now that's all fine and dandy. But few of us are that focused on our competition shooting or have or plan on only shooting one handgun for such a length of time that this is a big factor. For "us others" my own feeling is that I'd far rather have a whole other gun which is dedicated to rimfire fun.
 
BCRider: There is something to have 2 separate units but in the set I have it was way cheaper to go a kit.
If shopping around gets you a great deal for 2 separate pieces then great. To each his own, I just like mine.
 
BCRider said:
Now that's all fine and dandy. But few of us are that focused on our competition shooting or have or plan on only shooting one handgun for such a length of time that this is a big factor. For "us others" my own feeling is that I'd far rather have a whole other gun which is dedicated to rimfire fun.
Click to expand...

This is sorta exactly why I'm leaning towards a separate pistol for .22LR. Also nice to have two pistols if I take someone out to the range with me.

That CZ with the Kadet kit sure looks nice though! Temptation is that I'd have both a 22LR and a 9mm right away.

Tomorrow I'm trying out a friend's High Standard - he is thinking of selling it - and I have a feeling I'm going to love it.
 
I collect various autoloaders, and I do try to get appropriate .22 conversion kits when I can. They're fun for plinking, but I find that I can spend as much, if not more, for one of the kits than I would simplying buying a separate .22 pistol. And the ones that I get sometimes require some handwork to make them fit and function properly. They'r neat to have, but I wouldn't do it if I weren't a collector.
 
I see Armco has a Ruger Mk.1 with the bull barrel for just over $300. I love mine- it's the most accurate pistol I own.
 
Unless, as noted, the competition or collecting angle is important to you then I would go with the dedicated .22 . I have enjoyed my CZ75 for almost 30 yrs and although I would dearly like to have a Kadet kit for it there is just no way I could justify the expense unless I were to sell off my K22 revolver. Not going to happen, as I like them each on their own merits.
 
It will take you a long time for you to be able the match the accuracy a cz 22 can deliver. When you use good target ammo in either the cadet or conversion it keeps up with the "more accurate" 22's. After having owned many handguns including the fancy target pistols I can safely say were I in your shoes cz would be the top five or seven of my top ten list. They are that good. My only remaining 22 pistol is a dedicated kadet. It has shot 1 inch groups at a hundred yards during a test. Full rest of course and an expert running it not me. We were amazed. They are great pistols the hidden gem about the cz is the fact that They are NOT ammo fussy and will cycle everything. Very few 22 pistols will do that and as an added bonus they stay cleaner than most.
 
Kendres said:
BCRider: There is something to have 2 separate units but in the set I have it was way cheaper to go a kit.
If shopping around gets you a great deal for 2 separate pieces then great. To each his own, I just like mine.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong. I'd LOVE to have a Kadet kit for one of my CZ's. But I balk at the prices of the kits that I've seen. If I were to trip over a deal on a kit somewhere that didn't cost me as much as a good condition used Ruger Mk "something" I'd jump on it.

But so far that hasn't happened. The best I've ever come across was an older 3screw Ruger Single Six with some outer fair wear but in excellent shooting shape for $150. And you can bet I darn near set my back pocket on fire getting my wallet out for THAT one... :D

Canoetrpr, the Hi Standard guns are darn fine. But be aware that they made a range of models from relatively inexpensive plinkers up to full cased Olympic Match grade guns that are like old fine Swiss watches. The cheaper ones are still darn good for plinking. But the fancy grade ones are that much more accurate that if you're getting decent size groups with some other gun your groups with the match gun will shrink by about 20% just due to the gun.

Many of these older pistols are styled with a sharply raked back grip angle. If you compare these to the more vertical 1911'ish angle you'd think that they were made for two totally different styles. And you would not be far wrong. By trying a couple of these out myself holding my wrists at a natural rest angle and then raising the gun up to sighting hold and then opening my eyes I found that the raked back angle is a natural hold if I stand somewhat sideways and use a one hand "bullseye" stance. But the same grips when held in the modern two handed isosceles triangle position ended up pointed at the ceiling. On the other hand the 1911 style angle worked excellent for the two handed hold with a good natural pointing but ended up pointed at the floor if I tried this "blind lift" test with the side on bullseye competition stance.

It's certainly not that you cannot shoot them comfortably in the other method. Just that you need to flex your wrist angle a little to aim. What I have noticed though is that when I shoot one handed bullseye style I tend to get better groups with my Mk III than I do with my vertical angle S&W 422 where I have to bend my wrist to the more unnatural angle. But then really tight groups for bullseye match shooting is where all the subtle little things have to match up to perform at your best. The grip angle is simply one more of those subtle things. In speed style handgun matches all that subtlety is tossed out the window and any grip angle is OK with a little practice. Plus you're generally shooting such matches with the two handed hold.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom