.22 1911 conversion kit

III-Percent · May 19, 2013, 09:58 PM

Had a question - could be a dumb one but I'll ask anyway - just bought a 1911 from a buddy chambered in .22 and was curious what the difference is between what I've got and a .22 conversion kit in terms of barrel, slide, etc. Could I theoretically use parts from the .22 1911 as a conversion kit for my Para USA 1911 chambered in .45? I got it from him for 50$, the frame is beat to hell and it needs a lot of TLC, but I figured it would make a good project for the time being and with conversion kits costing 300$+ I figured what the hell and bought it. Again, could be a dumb question, just answer it before the beginning public humiliation

mxsailor803 · May 19, 2013, 11:00 PM

Maybe you could swap, probably not though. Is it a dedicated .22 1911? Brand?

III-Percent · May 20, 2013, 08:04 AM

The .45 is a Para USA then the .22 is a dedicated .22 I believe, will have to check the brand when I get home but it was a German made .22 1911 - can't remember for the life of me what the brand was. Can edit my post later this afternoon with more details.

Valerko · May 20, 2013, 10:14 PM

I'm pretty sure most dedicated .22 in 1911 platform are not actuall 1911. Few differences in parts ,size, mags....
At least form onces I've seen. 1911 conversion is basically new slide you put on your existing 1911 frame and use conversion magazine.

**Aguila Blanca** · May 20, 2013, 10:51 PM

German-made could be Colt/Umarex (manufactured by Walther) or could be GSG (German Sport Guns). Neither offer conversion kits, they sell only complete firearms in .22 LR (Umarex also has "real" 1911s, but those are made in Turkey). The slide from a Umarex won't go on a standard receiver, and the barrel is integral with the receiver. It is possible that a GSG slide and barrel could be fitted to a standard 1911 receiver, but I don't see the point if you already have the complete pistol.

And if the Para is a double stack, you won't have a magazine.

III-Percent · May 21, 2013, 09:24 AM

Okay looks like it is the GSG 1911 chambered in .22 by American Tactical. What I was basically looking to do was take the slide and entire upper half of the GSG .22 1911, scrap the frame and everything, and use that slide/barrel/etc. as a conversion kit for my .45 to save myself the 300$ on a new conversion kit. The Para .45 I have right now is a single stack, but the mags that came with the GSG seem to be different than my Para mags and don't fit into the magwell. May have ended up buying a 50$ paper weight haha. The .22 pistol itself is junk, just thought I might be able to fix up the slide and use it as a conversion kit for the .45. Oops >.<

**Aguila Blanca** · May 21, 2013, 03:50 PM

Why is the GSG "junk"? Does it shoot? If so, get a can of spray Gun-Kote from Brownells and refinish it.

Personally, I don't like conversion kits. Mind you, I own three of them and they all work great. It's just that when I have a slide and barrel sitting there, my dinosaur brain keeps whispering "That ought'a be a gun," until I go and build a receiver to make my "conversion" into a dedicated pistol. The notion of beginning with a complete pistol and turning it into a conversion just doesn't work for me.

Venom1956 · May 21, 2013, 03:56 PM

as agulia stated they are not true 1911s therefore you can't just swap them into a standard 1911 frame.

Secondly what could've possibly happened to a GSG 1911 that renders the frame 'junk?' have you contacted them about it?

III-Percent · May 21, 2013, 05:57 PM

Yeah I can definitely understand that Aguila haha. And I didn't mean they were junk in general, I mean this one is completely thrashed haha. Aside from needing a parts kit to get it shooing again it looks like every time the previous owner broke it down to clean it he used a phillips head screwdriver and a hammer. It has huge gouges in the frame and a portion of the slide is all beat to hell. I originally figured I would completely strip the frame, grind it all down to take off the finish and fix the gouges and then re-finish it and build it back up. Then I realized the serial number isn't even imprinted into the frame but rather thrown on in the form of a decal or paint. So if I were to refinish it, I would remove the serial number in the process which would not be good. So now I'm left with a beat to hell 50$ paperweight I think.

**Aguila Blanca** · May 21, 2013, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by III-Percent

I originally figured I would completely strip the frame, grind it all down to take off the finish and fix the gouges and then re-finish it and build it back up.

The frame is Zamak, so you can't build it up by welding. You could use a metallic epoxy, such as J-B Weld. You wouldn't need to strip the original finish to do that to the gouges.

Quote:

Then I realized the serial number isn't even imprinted into the frame but rather thrown on in the form of a decal or paint. So if I were to refinish it, I would remove the serial number in the process which would not be good.

I am quite certain that you are mistaken. Serial numbers must be stamped or engraved into the metal. It may not be very deep, but I'm pretty sure if you examine it closely you'll see that the numbers are into the metal and would show up after refinishing. Gun-Kote is not thick at all. Or you could use Brownells' Baking Lacquer, which is perhaps even less thick than Gun-Kote.

Quote:

So now I'm left with a beat to hell 50$ paperweight I think.

Fifty bucks isn't bad for a shooter. If I didn't already have a couple of conversions set up as dedicated rimfires, I'd buy it from you for fifty bucks sight unseen.

III-Percent · May 22, 2013, 08:12 AM

Thanks for the advice Aguila, will have to see what I can do - would definitely be worth it if I could refinish it I guess. I got caught up in the whole conversion kit idea and didn't really stop to think that I got a .22 pistol with a threaded barrel for 50$ haha. Even if it costs 100$ or so to fix and refinish it still isn't a bad deal. Didn't have a chance to check out the serial number last night when I got home, will have to check it out after work today. From what I remember when looking at the serial number over the weekend, it almost seemed raised rather than engraved into the frame, but I could be wrong.

**Aguila Blanca** · May 22, 2013, 09:26 AM

A year ago the MSRP on your pistol was $369.95. If you bought it for $50 and put another $50 to $100 into it you'll still be $150 ahead.

Here's a review of your pistol's "tacti-cool" big bother:

http://ezine.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=124

BTW - Assuming yours is probably an early one (because of the extensive abuse), you might be interested to know that the first pistols had a problem with the recoil spring guide rod. The design changed, and there are also aftermarket replacements out there that are significantly superior to the factory guide rod. I'll suggest that you might want to discover the Rimfire central forum ( http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/ ). Check them out, and read up on the specifics.

III-Percent · May 22, 2013, 09:37 AM

Awesome, thank you I appreciate it!

Fishbed77 · May 22, 2013, 11:00 AM

Quote:

German-made could be Colt/Umarex (manufactured by Walther) or could be GSG (German Sport Guns). Neither offer conversion kits, they sell only complete firearms in .22 LR (Umarex also has "real" 1911s, but those are made in Turkey).

GSG offers a .22LR conversion kit. My brother owns one that he occasionally mounts on his SW1911.

May 19, 2013, 09:58 PM	#1
III-Percent Member Join Date: May 18, 2013 Location: Hillsboro, OR Posts: 30	.22 1911 conversion kit Had a question - could be a dumb one but I'll ask anyway - just bought a 1911 from a buddy chambered in .22 and was curious what the difference is between what I've got and a .22 conversion kit in terms of barrel, slide, etc. Could I theoretically use parts from the .22 1911 as a conversion kit for my Para USA 1911 chambered in .45? I got it from him for 50$, the frame is beat to hell and it needs a lot of TLC, but I figured it would make a good project for the time being and with conversion kits costing 300$+ I figured what the hell and bought it. Again, could be a dumb question, just answer it before the beginning public humiliation __________________ "It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams

May 20, 2013, 08:04 AM	#3
III-Percent Member Join Date: May 18, 2013 Location: Hillsboro, OR Posts: 30	The .45 is a Para USA then the .22 is a dedicated .22 I believe, will have to check the brand when I get home but it was a German made .22 1911 - can't remember for the life of me what the brand was. Can edit my post later this afternoon with more details. __________________ "It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams

May 21, 2013, 09:24 AM	#6
III-Percent Member Join Date: May 18, 2013 Location: Hillsboro, OR Posts: 30	Okay looks like it is the GSG 1911 chambered in .22 by American Tactical. What I was basically looking to do was take the slide and entire upper half of the GSG .22 1911, scrap the frame and everything, and use that slide/barrel/etc. as a conversion kit for my .45 to save myself the 300$ on a new conversion kit. The Para .45 I have right now is a single stack, but the mags that came with the GSG seem to be different than my Para mags and don't fit into the magwell. May have ended up buying a 50$ paper weight haha. The .22 pistol itself is junk, just thought I might be able to fix up the slide and use it as a conversion kit for the .45. Oops >.< __________________ "It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams

May 21, 2013, 03:56 PM	#8
Venom1956 Senior Member Join Date: October 4, 2008 Location: WI Posts: 3,656	as agulia stated they are not true 1911s therefore you can't just swap them into a standard 1911 frame. Secondly what could've possibly happened to a GSG 1911 that renders the frame 'junk?' have you contacted them about it? __________________ E-Shock rounds are engineered to expend maximum energy into soft targets, turning the density mass into an expanding rotational cone of NyTrilium matrix particles, causing neurological collapse to the central nervous system.- Yeah I can do that. I guarantee you will know it if a bicyclist hits your house going 1000 mph. -Smaug

May 21, 2013, 05:57 PM	#9
III-Percent Member Join Date: May 18, 2013 Location: Hillsboro, OR Posts: 30	Yeah I can definitely understand that Aguila haha. And I didn't mean they were junk in general, I mean this one is completely thrashed haha. Aside from needing a parts kit to get it shooing again it looks like every time the previous owner broke it down to clean it he used a phillips head screwdriver and a hammer. It has huge gouges in the frame and a portion of the slide is all beat to hell. I originally figured I would completely strip the frame, grind it all down to take off the finish and fix the gouges and then re-finish it and build it back up. Then I realized the serial number isn't even imprinted into the frame but rather thrown on in the form of a decal or paint. So if I were to refinish it, I would remove the serial number in the process which would not be good. So now I'm left with a beat to hell 50$ paperweight I think. __________________ "It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams

May 19, 2013, 11:00 PM	#2
mxsailor803 Senior Member Join Date: February 8, 2010 Location: SC Posts: 1,344	Maybe you could swap, probably not though. Is it a dedicated .22 1911? Brand?

May 20, 2013, 10:14 PM	#4
Valerko Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2012 Location: NY Posts: 184	I'm pretty sure most dedicated .22 in 1911 platform are not actuall 1911. Few differences in parts ,size, mags.... At least form onces I've seen. 1911 conversion is basically new slide you put on your existing 1911 frame and use conversion magazine.

May 20, 2013, 10:51 PM	#5
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,480	German-made could be Colt/Umarex (manufactured by Walther) or could be GSG (German Sport Guns). Neither offer conversion kits, they sell only complete firearms in .22 LR (Umarex also has "real" 1911s, but those are made in Turkey). The slide from a Umarex won't go on a standard receiver, and the barrel is integral with the receiver. It is possible that a GSG slide and barrel could be fitted to a standard 1911 receiver, but I don't see the point if you already have the complete pistol. And if the Para is a double stack, you won't have a magazine.

May 21, 2013, 03:50 PM	#7
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,480	Why is the GSG "junk"? Does it shoot? If so, get a can of spray Gun-Kote from Brownells and refinish it. Personally, I don't like conversion kits. Mind you, I own three of them and they all work great. It's just that when I have a slide and barrel sitting there, my dinosaur brain keeps whispering "That ought'a be a gun," until I go and build a receiver to make my "conversion" into a dedicated pistol. The notion of beginning with a complete pistol and turning it into a conversion just doesn't work for me.

May 22, 2013, 08:12 AM	#11
III-Percent Member Join Date: May 18, 2013 Location: Hillsboro, OR Posts: 30	Thanks for the advice Aguila, will have to see what I can do - would definitely be worth it if I could refinish it I guess. I got caught up in the whole conversion kit idea and didn't really stop to think that I got a .22 pistol with a threaded barrel for 50$ haha. Even if it costs 100$ or so to fix and refinish it still isn't a bad deal. Didn't have a chance to check out the serial number last night when I got home, will have to check it out after work today. From what I remember when looking at the serial number over the weekend, it almost seemed raised rather than engraved into the frame, but I could be wrong. __________________ "It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams

May 22, 2013, 09:26 AM	#12
Aguila Blanca Staff Join Date: September 25, 2008 Location: CONUS Posts: 18,480	A year ago the MSRP on your pistol was $369.95. If you bought it for $50 and put another $50 to $100 into it you'll still be $150 ahead. Here's a review of your pistol's "tacti-cool" big bother: http://ezine.m1911.org/showthread.php?t=124 BTW - Assuming yours is probably an early one (because of the extensive abuse), you might be interested to know that the first pistols had a problem with the recoil spring guide rod. The design changed, and there are also aftermarket replacements out there that are significantly superior to the factory guide rod. I'll suggest that you might want to discover the Rimfire central forum ( http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/ ). Check them out, and read up on the specifics. Last edited by Aguila Blanca; May 22, 2013 at 09:32 AM.

May 22, 2013, 09:37 AM	#13
III-Percent Member Join Date: May 18, 2013 Location: Hillsboro, OR Posts: 30	Awesome, thank you I appreciate it! __________________ "It does not take a majority to prevail... but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams