Your taughts on government models .22 LR

Pre-1898

Pre-1898

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This week I am going to challenge the test to upgrade my PAL to RPAL. I shall do fine as I have been a handgun owner and a club member for several years in the past and alway kept myself updated with the law.


I am very interested in a Government model but since .45 ammo are quite expensive and I want someting CHEAP to shoot and ALL STEEL made, I am seriously thinking about the Colt Government .22 caliber.

On the other side there is the Chiappa which is much less expensive to buy but I was told it as an alloy frame, and I dont know much about its quality and reliability.

Can I please have your taughts on these two pistol, ( or any similar makes & models)
 
The Colt Government .22LR is a licensed reproduction made by Walther in Germany distributed by Umarex of pellet gun fame. It has an all METAL body (read Alloy) ,I don't think the .22LR round has enough recoil to work a steel slide,could be wrong on that though.
I am thinking about a GSG .22LR conversion for my 1911.. have to find out if it will fit my old (1917) Colt pre-A1. That way I would have a good solid frame and very nice trigger with the low cost plinking only .22LR can provide.
 
I have the Gold Cup model. So far it's quite good, pros are that it's a good weight, is quite accurate and locks open when the magazine is empty. Cons would be a lack of extra magazines, it seems to like the good ammo (40g high velocity and better) and the trigger on mine felt rather gritty to begin with although it seems to have improved with use.

The slide is made of aluminum, though.
 
Probably more expensive than a .22 clone, but you might consider a centerfire pistol with a .22 conversion kit. I have a NP29 with a Colt kit. It works very well.
 
The Colt conversion kit has a steel slide. Many (most? all?) others have alloy slides. The Colt can have a steel slide because of the floating chamber which increases the recoil impulse to the slide.
 
Conversion

Pre-1898 said:
So maybe considering a Colt .45 and a .22 conversion kit ? I really want all steel Not really interested by alloy !
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If you are interested in a high quality steel conversion, take a look at the one by Tactical Solutions. It is pricey as are the magazines but the quality is very good. I understand that Wanstalls will be bring them in to Canada.

I have mine on a Commander sized 1911 and I'm very happy with it. It does lock back which most of the conversions do not.

PM me if you want more info
 
The real looking .22's IMHO are all pretty crappy, until you get into the higher priced guns.

Kimbers .22 lr 1911, and the CZ 75 Kadet, are about the only ones I would buy after having owned the GSG, and the SIG Mosquito. Surprisingly enough the Mosquito was more reliable than the GSG.

Really if you want a 1911 you will never be happy with the cheap .22 versions.

If you want a good reliable .22 lr, I would look at a revolver, or a Ruger, or Buckmark.

If .45 acp is the issue buy a 1911 in 9mm. The NP29 is 10 times the gun these crappy .22 replicas will be!
 
mlehtovaara said:
The real looking .22's IMHO are all pretty crappy, until you get into the higher priced guns.

Kimbers .22 lr 1911, and the CZ 75 Kadet, are about the only ones I would buy after having owned the GSG, and the SIG Mosquito. Surprisingly enough the Mosquito was more reliable than the GSG.

Really if you want a 1911 you will never be happy with the cheap .22 versions.

If you want a good reliable .22 lr, I would look at a revolver, or a Ruger, or Buckmark.

If .45 acp is the issue buy a 1911 in 9mm. The NP29 is 10 times the gun these crappy .22 replicas will be!
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I think the Kimber's biggest problem is its weight. It is far too light for a 1911, something like 23 oz.

The Kadet would be a good choice but its main drawback is the tiny slide, which can be hard for some fingers to grip. Otherwise it's a great, feels like a big gun, especially with the right ammo. I have one but I think I like the Colt just a little bit better.
 
my first handgun was a kimber 1911 in .45 with a kimber .22 kit. for me, it was the best of both worlds. i could go to the range and shoot 50-100 rounds of .45 than slap on the .22 slide and barrel and shoot another 500+ rounds of .22 for about the same cost. IMHO, the ability of shooting .22 out of the same platform with nearly exact feel, helped make me a much better shooter. even if ammunition costs were not an issue with .45, i beleive the mucsle memory developed shooting .22 with minimal recoil is an extremely effective way to improve your skills.

As has been previously noted in this thread, if you really want a cherry .22 shooter, get a ruger or a hamerelli or something like that. i have never like those guns just because i am used to the feel of a 1911.
 
GSG 1911 .22 lr

trebor2880 said:
A lot of people love their GSG 1911 .22, me included.
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+1 on the GSG 1911 .22 lr

I also still have a 'real deal' Colt .22 conversion unit that I use off of a SA 1911A1 frame that I finished up with spares from the parts box. But the GSG is currently my 'go to' when I want to shoot .22 lr off a full size 1911A1 frame.

My GSG 1911 .22 lr:

DSCN0264.jpg


My Colt .22 Unit:

DSCN4193a.jpg


I've even found that the GSG 1911 .22 lr magazines work & function 100% with the Colt unit.... :cool:

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NAA.
 
I like the Colt conversion units. Never really have an issue with them, although I need to be diligent with cleaning. I usually shoot bulk pack Federal ammo, and they work well. Accurate enough for me, I don't think I'd trade them for another brand.
 
deadman said:
I like the Colt conversion units. Never really have an issue with them, although I need to be diligent with cleaning. I usually shoot bulk pack Federal ammo, and they work well. Accurate enough for me, I don't think I'd trade them for another brand.
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+1 on the need to keep the Colt .22 unit clean.

I've had a couple different units over the years. The Colt unit design has the "floating chamber" which notoriously can become gummed up with the residue from .22 ammo. Once the floating chamber becomes dirty then malfunctions generally occur. [Fail to feed, fail to fire, fail to extract, fail to eject]. If kept clean it will run like a champ.

The GSG 1911 .22 lr pistol does not have the "floating chamber", so my experience has been that, while cleanliness tends to enhance the reliability, the GSG unit will process a lot more ammo before it "needs" to be cleaned.

Pic of my Colt .22 conversion unit on a WWII vintage Colt USGI 1911A1 frame:

DSCN1090.jpg


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NAA.
 
Cleaning the Colt unit isn't a big deal, its no more work than any other pistol. Rotate and remove the floating chamber, quick swab.

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I think if you want a 1911, the conversion is the way to go. A dedicated rimfire pistol is nice, but if you are only buying one you get the bonus of caliber swapping.

Two of my Colt units with their respective "parents".

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