P226 .22lr Conversion kit.. worth it?

CUSTOM441

CUSTOM441

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I just picked up my dream handgun, a Sig P226R in 9mm. I seriously love the thing! I'm relatively new to shooting handguns (it's been a while) and have primarily been a rifle guy. I need some practice with the fundamentals of shooting a handgun like the proper stance, trigger pull, sight picture etc. and want to frequent the range twice a week if I can. I know the P226 isn't a cheap gun, but feeding it a few hundred rounds of 9mm every week may get pricey and it'll just add insult to injury if I'm shooting all over the map! I was thinking of picking up the .22LR conversion kit so I can practice these fundamentals and keep my costs down while maintaining the 226 platform. Basic math tells me if I average 100 rounds every time I go to the range, I save roughly $32 per trip by practicing with .22LR. It'll take me ~14 range trips for my cost savings to cover the cost of the conversion kit. Savings aside, is this kit worth it or am I better off practicing my fundamentals shooting 9mm out of the gate if this is the gun and caliber I'll be using the most? Cheers!
 
I thought about getting one of those but I bought an Alfa Proj 22lr revolver instead. I don't actually use it too much because shooting 9mm is much more fun. How about putting the money towards some reloading gear to cut your ammo costs?
 
I can't speak to the Sig Conversion kit but I do have the Kadet Kit for my CZ 75B. I love it. probably the single best purchase I made relating to pistol. It let's you practice with your regular trigger pull and grip. Don't forget to shoot some centre fire once and a while so you can remember what the big bang is like...
 
Cranberry said:
I thought about getting one of those but I bought an Alfa Proj 22lr revolver instead. I don't actually use it too much because shooting 9mm is much more fun. How about putting the money towards some reloading gear to cut your ammo costs?
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The idea of saving money by reloading it a Noble one in my experience it ends up in just shooting more... which is always a nice way to go too!
 
Absolutely worth it. Since I bought the X-change kit, I haven't taken my .22 pistol out. But, wouldn't advocate using the conversion kit as a proxy for shooting 9mm. Shooting .22 is too different from shooting 9. You won't ever learn recoil control or get used to the "boom" of a 9 if you're shooting 22.
 
If you enjoy shooting rimfire then go for it. However if you are only shooting it to be better with your centerfire then it is a bit a waste of money. Effective dryfire practice with your centerfire pistol
will build your skills with it better and cheaper then rimfire. I have shot a lot of rimfire and I enjoy it however for skill development dryfire is the most cost effective way to go.
 
For those of you that have the kit, I've been told the slide will not hold open after the last round. Are there mods to change this? Do any of you load a dummy round first to be safe or do you just count your shots?
 
CUSTOM441 said:
For those of you that have the kit, I've been told the slide will not hold open after the last round. Are there mods to change this? Do any of you load a dummy round first to be safe or do you just count your shots?
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It's my understanding that there is no last shot hold open...

My thoughts are this... If dry firing of the unit would knowingly damage it why would the designer build it that way?

My other thought is doesn't everyone count their shots...
 
Why buy a .22 slide for $400 when you can get a .22 1911 for $300?

I have a kadet for a cz75 and I'm still trying to justify the cost vs benefit...

If you want to practice with your sig I would just practice with the 9
 
I purchased the Sig P226 22lr and then purchased the 9mm slide. Money well spent. This was my first pistol and it really helped my tigger control and aim. The slide does not lock back with factory mags but someone on the forum( not sure if they still have an ad up), was making 3D printed mags and mag inserts that did function with the slide stop therefore locking the slide back on the last round. Here it is.

h ttp://shop.gsdesigns.ca/P226-22LR-Magazines-with-Slide-Lock-Feature-P226-22LR.htm
 
Cory24 said:
Why buy a .22 slide for $400 when you can get a .22 1911 for $300?

I have a kadet for a cz75 and I'm still trying to justify the cost vs benefit...

If you want to practice with your sig I would just practice with the 9
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What .22lr 1911 costs $300?

The benefit for me would be to maintain the P226 trigger pull, ergonomics, and functionality while practicing basic technique with cost effective ammo.. I'm not trying to shy away from 9mm here. Although I can appreciate the cost savings of just buying a cheaper .22lr pistol, I don't think that's what I'm after.
 
I compete with a P226, life is good. Now for my clients / business, I use a .22 LR conversion kit. I already have the holsters for them and myself. Train like you compete, compete like you train.

The P226 conversion .22 LR magazines fit all my pistol pouches that I use for competition/ training (since they already hold my G17 mags and P226 mags).

I have discovered that .22LR pistol platforms are rather sensitive and finicky at the best of times, hence the P226 conversion kit. It too can be finicky with ammo when the platform gets dirty (after a client's session with 500 rounds) :)

It's now a perfect excuse/reason/opportunity to teach them how to clean a pistol. ha haha ha After all, I am tactical teacher. LOL :eek:

Cheers,
Barney
 
TacticalTeacher said:
I compete with a P226, life is good. Now for my clients / business, I use a .22 LR conversion kit. I already have the holsters for them and myself. Train like you compete, compete like you train.

The P226 conversion .22 LR magazines fit all my pistol pouches that I use for competition/ training (since they already hold my G17 mags and P226 mags).

I have discovered that .22LR pistol platforms are rather sensitive and finicky at the best of times, hence the P226 conversion kit. It too can be finicky with ammo when the platform gets dirty (after a client's session with 500 rounds) :)

It's now a perfect excuse/reason/opportunity to teach them how to clean a pistol. ha haha ha After all, I am tactical teacher. LOL :eek:

Cheers,
Barney
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Do you see a difference in performance after teaching people the basics and letting them practice with the .22lr conversion kit, and then switching them over to the standard 9mm barrel? This is exactly what I'm curious about..
 
CUSTOM441 said:
For those of you that have the kit, I've been told the slide will not hold open after the last round. Are there mods to change this? Do any of you load a dummy round first to be safe or do you just count your shots?
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There are mods to the follower, I believe, to make the slide lock back. But, I haven't tried.

I count my rounds, and I put a dummy round (snap cap) so I don't drop the hammer on an empty chamber.
 
CUSTOM441 said:
For those of you that have the kit, I've been told the slide will not hold open after the last round. Are there mods to change this? Do any of you load a dummy round first to be safe or do you just count your shots?
Click to expand...
There is a reason why Sig designed the .22 conversion to NOT hold the slide open on the last shot. The .22 slide is made of aluminum (as the .22LR round does not have enough energy to cycle a steel Sig slide). The slide stop would peen the soft aluminum slide in no time if it was catching it open on the last shot.
 
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