I have the Kimber, and mounted it on my Colt Light Weight Commander frame. Probably my favorite 22, and eats anything I feed it.

 

I have the Advantage Arms 1911 Standard kit I got from CMC Government supply. The AA kit locks back on the last round where the Kimber doesn't. The AA standard kit had adjustable sites. CMC has the AA Standard Kit in stock for $288. I like my AA 1911 kit so much I built up a dedicated Rock Island Armory frame.

I'm not 100% sure any of these kits will work with a series 80 Colt frame because it has a firing pin block. You might have to remove some parts to work with any 1911 22 rimfire conversion kit. I don't have a series pistol to test.

I just searched the series 80 1911 frame with 22 LR conversion. Here is a link.

https://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=249641

http://www.cmcgov.com/Advantage-Arms-1911-22LR-Standard-Conversion-Kit.html

Here is a picture of my AA 1911 standard kit on it's RIA frame.

 

Thanks for the intel and referral to CMCGS, VASCAR2 :bthumb:

I'm not 100% sure any of these kits will work with a series 80 Colt frame because it has a firing pin block. You might have to remove some parts to work with any 1911 22 rimfire conversion kit. I don't have a series pistol to test.

AA website says: Advantage Arms .22 Standard Conversion Kit for true mil spec full size 1911 Model A-1, Series 70 or Series 80

I just searched the series 80 1911 frame with 22 LR conversion. Here is a link.

https://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=249641

Good link, thanks again. Having the conversion slide milled to relieve it doesn't seem like a big deal. I'll look into it more.

Just saw the AA Standard kit is down to $267.81.

Indeed! It's $277 delivered to my door, however the target model, with sights mounted to the barrel, seems inherently more accurate for $316

I'd love to hear from owners of both Standard and Target models, re accuracy - also I don't expect national match level performance from a 22LR conversion

 

Just saw the AA Standard kit is down to $267.81.

 

Sent AA customer service an email about fitting their conversion kit to a series 80 NMGC and here is the response!

"The slide should just pop on and you should be ready to go, without any modifications"

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

The following is not what I expect the OP wants to hear.

Buy a Nelson Conversion. You will not regret the acquisition. bob

 

I have one too...you could not be more correct!

 

I have two J.A. Ciener conversions for 1911 frames. I did not have any problem fitting them and the magazines WORK. His conversion is priced on their website at $199. The barrel is very accurate.

 

Nelson. None better.

AA target, Marvel Precision, acceptable.

Kimber, Ceiner, no.

 

Just checked out the Nelson 1911 conversion page online, looks like a very nice kit, thank you.

The design is credited to Bob Marvel, so did Nelson just make a better Marvel? Lol

It also seems very similar to the AA Target Model in design (sight rail attached to barrel, doesn't move) - what makes Nelson's execution better?

 

The sight rail attached to the barrel is nothing new but something that Fred Kart perfected way back in the early 70's. Shopping for a 1911 .22 Conversion isn't an easy process. Price and features run the gamut. Marvel and Nelson for a precision bullseye quality unit are the big 2 in no particular order. All the rest are copies of some sort.

 

I won't comment on the various conversion kits. you have plenty of that already and more to come.

I will say though, if you are anything like I am, then conversions suck. Took me one trip with my conversion to build it up on a dedicated frame.

Of course with you being in Cali, it may be different for you.

 

I won't comment on the various conversion kits. you have plenty of that already and more to come.

I will say though, if you are anything like I am, then conversions suck. Took me one trip with my conversion to build it up on a dedicated frame.

Of course with you being in Cali, it may be different for you.

CA has little to do with anything, I just want to use my Gold Cup and don't "enjoy" shooting 45 ACP as much as I do rimfire, not to mention the cost difference

My 22/45 Mk 3 (soon to have a mk 2 trigger) is a great, accurate shooter, but it's my only 22 pistol and my GF and I have to trade off. I figured if I got a conversion kit for my 1911 we can both shoot rather than me spending $1,000 on another good "on roster" 22 Cal handgun.

I also didn't want to spend $500+ on a conversion kit when I can buy a complete Kimber for $700 but I do know you get what you pay for, so buy once cry once. And there's no FFL, DROS or 10 day wait on a conversion kit - so instant gratification lol

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

I’m thinking about the Marvel #1 but like you I don’t want to spend that much. Again, I think I will cry once, otherwise I know I will cry twice when I have to buy the one I should have bought in the beginning.

 

I own a marvel #1

Bought the Marvel as a kit with a Springfield 1911. I have built a dedicated frame for it now. Doing this will allow a much lighter trigger pull the a conversion based on a center fire gun.
Its as accurate as my High Standard and Marvel has been very good about warranty issues, even with me buying used.
I wouldn't do this again due to the magazine issue with a conversion kit. Old Colt ACE metal magazines work great, they cost about $100.00 each. The glass reinforced resin magazines wear out and tend to be hit or miss on function.

For the price of a conversion kit and quality magazines you can buy a Buckmark or a reloading set up to feed your Gold Cup. 185 grain SWC's with about 3.5 grains of Bullseye are a joy to shoot.

 

I hope I am not too late

HEllo, I have a lot of experience with various 1911/22 kits.

I have owned:

Ciener: works, entry level, plinker grade

Tac Sol, great material used, poor design. Runs poorly and not very accurate

Nelson, very nicely made, good materials, runs well, very accurate. Takes about 2 or more months to receive your order, unless they fixed that.

Advantage Arms Target, well made, runs great, locks back, jury still out on accuracy. I am considering using a Ransom to test it. If it gave good accuracy, it would be a best value. It is obvious that the AA ( Target only) and Nelson were designed by the same person ( Bob Marvel)

Kimber, I like the design, very accurate, does not lock back, more fail to chambers than any other kit, regardless of which bottom end I use, including Kimber. I have had fits trying everything to make these kits run ( I have tried 5, yes 5). I have not yet, but may try to lap the slide/frame to loosen the rails a bit. It will NOT run SV ammo in the cold. In the very warm weather ( above 75f) it will run SV at about 85%. This is with a 17# MS. I want to love the kit, but its lack of reliability prevents me from this.

If I could only have one, I would pick the Nelson. The Nelson ( on a Ruger SR1911) has made me put my model 41 way in the back of my safe.
Please note, my Nelson is a few years old, and I waited for it to be built. I am not sure if their quality remains. They certainly made no attempt to hide the fact that they had very little spare time. Larry is very polite and helpful though.

But, the best 22 kit of all, is the CZ Kadet. I realize that we are talking 1911 here, but anyone looking at 22 pistols needs to consider a CZ75 host and a Kadet II kit.
My 75 SA trigger ( after some love) rivals any 1911 I own, and the kit runs beautifully with CCI SV ammo. None better.

I hope my input helps you decide.

Good Luck, enjoy the process

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

Rich

 

.22 conversion kits

I normally keep my pie hole shut and use these sites for good info and entertainment but here I go. My first experience with conversions was in the 80s (oh oh, long story). I bought a Colt kit with the floating chamber for use on a government model and a gold cup. Accuracy and reliability wasn't great but hey, I was shooting .22s out of a .45. Had to clean it before 100 rounds just to get it to run. With a steel slide and thicker barrel, it weighed more than the .45. Colt then started remaking the service model ace. Pricey but I signed up. I think they made them For collectors, not shooters. Pretty guns but accuracy and reliability went down. Along comes Ciener. Aluminum slide, lighter, more accurate and reliable. What's not to like? People had problems with him and his product, but not me. Then Kimber turns up with the rimfire target. Basically a ciener design but more reliable, accurate and realistic with the barrel bushing and recoil spring guide. BTW I don't think it's reasonable to expect a .45 kit to work on a 9mm. The ejectors will be in two different locations but I digress. Can it get any better? Sure. Bob Marvel comes along and makes a .22 target pistol topper for the 1911. It has it all, great accuracy/ reliability with one drawback. Clearing a stoppage isn't the same as with a full slide. Poor for practice but then again, there are less stoppages anyway. Life is good. The CZ Kadet kit is pretty much the same design. Combine it with a CZ match hammer and you have a .22 target pistol, all the way. So basically it boils down to the fact that things got better and we now have choices or options to choose from. The solution is easy ; buy one of everything. I'd say that's my 2 cents but I think i'm up to a quarter.

 

Nelson. Call Craig if you have fitment questions.

 

Everyone has different goals/expectations. Here were mine, in order of importance to me. YMMV.

1. Reliability, feeding, etc.

2. Accuracy (ransom rest at 50 yards)

3. Options. Steel v aluminum. Quite difference balance. Short or long slide? Are quality adjustable iron sights available? Is a full length sight integrated sight rail available for a dot sight? Also, is last round slide lock-back important? Try calling the various manufacturers, see who you get, what answere you get. Ask about using SV ammo v HV. Etc.

4. Cost

If you look on the Bullseye Forum, generally only Marvel or Nelson make the grade. Bob Marvel is no longer associated with Marvel.

 

Nelson Custom (Threaded Barrel / Scope Rail w/Vortex Venom RD) / STI frame (C/P frame cut). 400rd HV break in, now runs Lapua or SK standard ammo w/9lb recoil spring. Use at least an 18-20lb main spring for reliable ignition. Some feed probs caused by mag release button (catchs height / mag slot), usually too high. This can cause round to strike the top edge of chamber. Some of the double stack mags have molding flash on the mag feed ramp which will stall or stop a feed, pocket knife deburr cures that. There is a fix for short FP travel but I hesitate to describe the fix, let Nelson Custom fix it. Keep the disconnector spring pressure just enough to raise the disconnector, also polish the disconnector tip and narrow (if necessary) to fit within the slide disconnector slot (more like a keyway cut). Less drag the better. I admit this combo is overkill, but STI grip & sights match the open gun.