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1911 22lr Conv Kits


Irate

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I am looking for a 22LR conversion kit to save some money with this new ammo price increase. I was browsing google and my local gun shop and I was wondering if you guys could help me. First of all, is the kimber kit worth $300+? And also, has anyone heard of Jonathan Arthor Ciener? I was on his site ( http://www.22lrconversions.com/ ) and he has some good prices( $199). Are his kits any good? Thanks for all the help in advance.

Irate

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Dear Irate: I shoot bullseye, which is a precision discipline. All of the guys who have 22 LR conversion units for their 1911s use the Marvel conversioin unit because of its accuracy and reliability.

I've seen the Kimber and Ceiner units. They are not regarded as being as accurate as the Marvel unit. I shot a gun with the Ceiner unit and concluded that it was worthless for target use, even at 25 yards.

Marvel also makes conversion units that can be used on STI and SV guns.

http://www.marvelprecision.com/beauty.htm

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I am looking for a 22LR conversion kit to save some money with this new ammo price increase. I was browsing google and my local gun shop and I was wondering if you guys could help me. First of all, is the kimber kit worth $300+? And also, has anyone heard of Jonathan Arthor Ciener? I was on his site ( http://www.22lrconversions.com/ ) and he has some good prices( $199). Are his kits any good? Thanks for all the help in advance.

Irate

I was initially excited about Marvel introducing their S_I conversion. That is until I did the math.

The cost of the conversion, 3 extra mags and narrower front sight (to mock my current set-up) is $605. Add the cost of $330 in .22lr ammo that I would be using this year for a total of $935, just to get set-up.

Then look at what my out of pocket would be to shoot the same amount of major power ammo reloaded from my bench.....$3.99/50rds for a total of $574.56. That is a savings of $360.44 to shoot regular .40cal ammo for me.

I think I will stick with what I have. I think it would be better off to shoot full power ammo if/whenever possible anyway. I 'spose if you don't reload, you could save. But why not reload regular match ammo anyway for the same reason?! I saved a little over $2,000 since I bought my press two years ago! That is above and beyond my equipment costs. :huh:

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7200 rounds of .22 ought to cost a LOT less than $330.

That is an average price from Midway. Alot of the ammo there is more than that! :(

Most of the cheaper stuff is out of stock!

That is $2.29 a box of 50. Next time you are in the store, look at the going price for a box of .22lr. I think you may be surprized.

Don't forget to add tax into that as well. That $3.99/50rds of my reloads is with taxes and shipping included. Basically the cost of all factory ammo doubled as far as I have seen.

Edited by Rocket35
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No, I don't reload. I use factory "beer can" Blazer ammo. As far as 22 ammo, I purchase Remington Gold Bullet for which I pay 12something for 550 rounds. But anyway, besides the practice value, I would like to have a 22 pistol. So I figure why not save $200 and just get a conversion (since if I bought a 22 pistol, it would be the $500 walther p22). Also, I don't plan to buy any extra mags since I will practice the reloads with the real mags. I do plan to reload in the future when I find a place to put the equipment. So it sounds like the Marvel unit is the one for me, thanks all.

Irate

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The Marvel unit can be very picky. Many people with Marvel units end up with very accurate single loading pistols. I know they're nice units but be prepared to shake out the bugs. Often folks have to ream out the tight match grade chamber to get reliable feeding.

Honestly, the USPSA and IDPA shooters are knuckle draggers compared to the bulleye geeks. We don't require the kind of accuracy the Marvel kit can provide.

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:) Sounds good Irate- if that option works best for you- great- the Marvel unit is a handsome choice....good luck and maybe I will see you at the range...

By the way, I just bought a Walther P22 for my oldest daughter for her birthday on the 3rd of Feb. That is initially why I was crunching numbers. For what it is worth- I paid $329 for the new Walther at Gander Mtn in Appleton on Monday. I felt guilty for going to a major match and missing her birthday this weekend. Still cheaper than the conversion by the way! ;) **Thread drift off**

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:) Sounds good Irate- if that option works best for you- great- the Marvel unit is a handsome choice....good luck and maybe I will see you at the range...

By the way, I just bought a Walther P22 for my oldest daughter for her birthday on the 3rd of Feb. That is initially why I was crunching numbers. For what it is worth- I paid $329 for the new Walther at Gander Mtn in Appleton on Monday. I felt guilty for going to a major match and missing her birthday this weekend. Still cheaper than the conversion by the way! ;) **Thread drift off**

Oh man, if I can get a p22 for that, I would jump on it. Did it come with 2 mags or just one?

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If you want bullseye level accuracy then the Marvel is the only unit to consider. (I have not tested the new Accurate Arms unit)

The Ceiner and Kimber units are plinkers!

Jarvis previously offered an all stell unit for use with high velocity ammo and it was better than the Ceiner/Kimber but not as good as the Marvel.

The only minus with the Marvel is that since the slide is made of aluminum it does not stay open after firing the last round - a small price to pay.

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Oh man, if I can get a p22 for that, I would jump on it. Did it come with 2 mags or just one?

Yeah, it comes with two magazines. It locks back on last round has windage only adjustment for rear sight and different height front sights for elevation. Daughter likes the larger insert for the grip. And it is a double/single action. Holster and mag pouches should be here tomorrow- she is really anxious to start practicing. :)

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Just my $.02, but If you want a .22 that is 1911 "like" take a look at the Ruger 22/45. It has a plastic lower that is ergonomicaly similar to the 1911... It is also accurate enough for Bullseye shooting. I have an old MKI and like the whole series of Ruger .22 pistols, it is extreamly accurate and reliable (takedown is a pain for the first 4-5 times, but it gets better.)

On one of the other forums I go to, someone was talking about his Walther .22 and how unreliable it is. I have seen several bad posts about them. (not a scientific study by any means....) Make sure you do some research....

JMHO

Billy

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The Marvel is definitely the most accurate of the bunch, and Colt Ace mags from Brownells work great at a much smaller cost than the ones from Marvel. FWIW.

Alan~^~

Sounds good. I ordered a marvel, unit 2, about a week ago. Now I just have to waaaaaaaaaaaait. For you guys that purchased one, how long did it take?

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  • 2 months later...

Just an update to this thread. My marvel precision conv kit still hasn't come, apparently there was an issue with the manufacturer of the barrels of the model I ordered. Last I heard, the barrels are in and it shouldn't be long now before mine comes.

In the mean time, I purchased a Walther P22 and am very happy with it. It's an accurate little pistol. I broke it in the day after I got it with 500 rounds and I think I had 5 malfunctions the whole time, most due to not chambering the next round. I was very impressed with the single action trigger. And for $250, I couldn't pass it by. Now if only marvel would get their butts in gear....

Irate

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  • 2 weeks later...

I purchased a Marvel unit 2 last winter and put it on a dedicated Caspian frame to practice steel shooting with. The only bulk pack ammo I could get it to run with is Federal Automatch and then with a really light mainspring. Now that I have it working nearly 100% I love it and shoot it almost every day. Hope you enjoy yours. Jason

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In the mean time, I purchased a Walther P22 and am very happy with it. It's an accurate little pistol. I broke it in the day after I got it with 500 rounds and I think I had 5 malfunctions the whole time, most due to not chambering the next round. I was very impressed with the single action trigger. And for $250, I couldn't pass it by. Now if only marvel would get their butts in gear....

Irate

Glad your walther worked out so well... I was considering one, when I talked to some people who own them. They all said DONT. They all had major problems. with them... Hopefully they have gotten the bugs worked out.

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Midway USA sells the Marvel conversion units and right now they have the unit 1 with adj. sights in stock (the weaver rail one is backordered). I'm not sure why people buy them directly from Marvel and wait, unless they don't know this.

That's where I bought my unit 1 with the rail and mine functions flawlessly, even with all 4 of my metalform colt ace mags. I did break the edge around the chamber very slightly and polished the feed ramp. The trick with all .22's is to test a lot of .22 ammo to find out what functions as close to 100% with your gun and/or is the most accurate. I don't know why, but every .22 (even the same model) likes different ammo. In my Marvel, I've found that Federal American Eagle AE22 works 100% though it's dirty. Most people start with CCI Minimags as they are known to usually be the most reliable but in mine they jam once in a blue moon while the American Eagle doesn't.

PS. I love my marvel. I have it on a dedicated (cheap) Charles Daly frame and it works great.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I shot a prototype from Tacticle Solutions on Saturday at my very first Steel Match. Very nice, I had one jam near the end of the match, not sure if it was my thumb riding on the slide or if it jamed on it's own. TS is making their own mags and it runs like a charm. They should be releasing it in about a month or so. Price isn't set, but was said to be between $350 - $450. They are also offering one with a threaded barrel for a comp or suppressor.

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I've had a Wilson kit for 6-7 years and I have lost track of how many bulk packs it has eaten without a hiccup. Replaced the recoil spring & mag springs. The original cast aluminum mags are much better than the new steel ones.

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