GSG 1911-22 Review

dontcatchmany · March 19, 2018, 10:00 AM

Since I put a handgun range in my back yard I have been shooting a lot more and shooting 9mm, 40 S&W, 357 Sig and 45 acp as well as 38 apcl/357 mag and 44 spcl/44 mag. Quickly I realized that my wallet was losing weight.

With arthritis and back and neck problems as well as other ailments my over all shooting accuracy had gotten less precise than I wanted. And I was trying to improve it.

I pulled out the SR22 to get cheaper trigger time to practice all the fundamentals of shooting that had ebbed considerably over the years.

I purchased the SR22 in 2013 and it was always problematic and would only shoot CCI Minimags with anything resembling consistently.

The SR22 became impossible to shoot so I sent it back to Ruger and hope to have it back soon.

Meanwhile I purchased a GSG 1911-22. Did not break the bank and it had some decent reviews.

Got it last Friday and cleaned it and put 10 rounds (CCI again) through it. All went well as I was mostly just familiarizing myself to the gun and had no time for more.

The next day I took it out and immediately had lots of failures to feed the first round and failures to eject. CCI Mini Mags.

Did some research and took out the Dremel and a pointed felt bob and some polishing compound. I removed the paint on the upper slide and frame slide rails and polished it and oiled it so that it was rather "wet" (came from research). Cleaned the gun also.

Went out yesterday started to shoot and every round was going halfway into the chamber and had a couple of rounds stick in the chamber.

What the heck?

I noticed that the ammo had a whiteish substance where the bullet meets the casing and the bullet seemed swollen and yes the ammo had been hard to get out of the box. Looked at the box and the thing had a $19.99 price tag so it was purchased when 22 lr ammo was hard to come by. Do not know what happened but I set it aside and used the brush supplied by GSG to clean out the bore some.

Proceeded to shoot 50 rounds of CCI Mini Mag ammo from a different box and all 50 fired flawlessly.

Then fired 50 rounds of PMC Zapper ammo (had to be old stuff) and all 50 fired flawlessly.

Finished the 50 rounds of the CCI Mini Mag and they all fired flawlessly.

Cleaned the gun up and polished a couple bits of paint that I had overlooked went back out again this am.

100 rounds of CCI were flawless.

Then 50 rounds of lead nosed ammo (Centurion). Had 5 failures to feed.

100 more rounds of CCI and in the first 5 rounds of that, I had a failure to fire and two failures to feed. I am thinking the lead nosed ammo caused that as the remaining 95 rounds were flawless.

Got more shooting to do but I do believe getting the paint off the rails and running the gun wet was the ticket.......and no more lead nosed ammo.

The gun is more accurate than I am, but as I was going round after round with no problems I noticed my accuracy increased quite a bit. It also is heavier and is much like my "real" pistols. I think it will be a good training pistol and maybe I can teach my wife and even my grandsons and maybe granddaughters how to use a semi automatic by starting with this.

Over the last 400 rounds except the lead nosed stuff the GSG worked better than my SR22 ever did. When I get it back I am going to take a closer look at its rails and see if I can do something with it to hopefully make it more reliable.

Sorry for the long post on a 22 lr pistol.

xcc_rider · March 19, 2018, 08:52 PM

Much appreciated review as I'm considering getting one myself.

GunFickle · March 20, 2018, 11:59 AM

I'm considering a GSG 1911/.22 vs the Colt/Walther 1911/.22 vs the Ruger MK IV 22/45. I just want something that feels close to my Colt 1911. I'll probably end up with the Ruger.

HistoryJunky · March 20, 2018, 01:49 PM

All the .22 pistols I've fired except for my Ruger Mark III Hunter are horribly unreliable.

My wife has the SR22. It is only reliable to any extent with CCI MINI MAGS. Any bulk or LRN ammo will make it choke in short order.

I have looked as the GSG 1911/22 but I don't want another unreliable .22 pistol. I don't mind the occassional issue because it's a .22.

Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk

Ricklin · March 20, 2018, 02:46 PM

My Mk. 3 was a jam o matic until I removed the little actuator tab for the loaded chamber indicator.
I somehow managed without one by always following the 4 rules.

I do like the LCI on my Glock 19. First off it's not obtrusive, second it does not affect the function or reliability. I like being able to feel it and know that there is one in the pipe.

It was rare to get through one magazine W/O a jam prior with the Mk. 3. At least on the Mk. 3 it's really easy to get rid of the offending little bugger. Lots of detail on this issue, just ask good ol Google.

No parts needed, unlike some of the other "fixes" on the market. External appearance is unchanged, the LCI just does not move once the little actuator tab is removed.

**Aguila Blanca** · March 20, 2018, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GunFickle

I'm considering a GSG 1911/.22 vs the Colt/Walther 1911/.22 vs the Ruger MK IV 22/45. I just want something that feels close to my Colt 1911. I'll probably end up with the Ruger.

If what you want is something that feels like your 1911, the Ruger is the wrong choice.

Yes, I know -- the grip angle is the same as a 1911's grip angle. That's all that's the same. I owned a Ruger 22/45 for many years. I hardly ever used it, because a Ciener conversion on a $25 1911 receiver I got from Sarco was so much more satisfying to shoot. I have also shot both the Colt/Umarex and the GSG quite a lot, although I haven't owned either one. I've also tested the Kimber Rimfire, and in addition to my Ciener conversion I also have a Kimber conversion on a dedicated 1911 receiver.

I still own the Ciener conversion and the Kimber conversion. I sold the Ruger several years ago because I never shot it. I never shot it because I simply didn't enjoy shooting it. No problems -- it was reliable (with CCI ammunition), but it didn't feel like shooting a 1911, so my preference lay in the direction of the guns that do feel like shooting a 1911.

Between the GSG and the Colt/Umarex, based on a sample size of one of each I found that the Colt/Umarex was slightly more accurate, but if I were to buy one of them (and only one) my choice would be the GSG, for the reason that the Colt/Umarex doesn't field strip at all like a real 1911.

Sevens · March 20, 2018, 05:02 PM

I have 5,474 rounds through my GSG 1911-22 at last count. I bought this pistol before Sandy Hook and as it came with a 2-year warranty, my plan was to attempt to shoot to destruction within that two years. When Sandy Hook happened, rimfire ammo disappeared and my quest to kill the pistol ended.

Mine runs well but it sure doesn't look good. Using FP-10 as my lubricant and running wet has somehow altered the painted finish on the cheap metal slide. The look doesn't bother me any.

The pistol has decent plinking accuracy but the sights are very low quality. Be especially careful if you choose to "adjust" them. Also with regards to accuracy, it's my experience that if you remove the barrel as part of a cleaning routine, EXPECT that you'll need 25-50 shots through it after re-assembly before it goes back to shooting to POA and as tightly as it did before you took the barrel out.

I've absolutely had fun with the GSG 1911-22 but in my opinion, it is different than most firearms that I own and in a big, big way: nothing about this pistol makes it feel like it's going to be around longer than me. The materials just aren't there. While most of my firearms will live on for generations beyond me with good care, I cannot see that with this pistol.

Even still, it's been fun and worth what I paid for it.

PSP · March 21, 2018, 07:22 AM

My GSG 1911/22 has been a perfect performer since I bought it June, 2012. It needed no modifications or any special treatment at all to function well. I find the gun to be quite accurate. Not my favorite plinker but a competent pistol no doubt. Great mag design.

I pretty much shoot Mini-Mag in all of my pistols because I've found it to be the most trouble free brand. Only my SR22 and Daewoo shoot other brands, including cheap stuff, reliably.

libiglou · March 21, 2018, 09:42 AM

I have the sig version and seldom shoot it anymore. Its going to my oldest as soon as he gets his pistol permit. In my experience it's a reliable pistol with a variety of ammo. Needs to be kept clean. The sights are horrible(they tend to shift during long periods of use and if its hot outside) This can be fixed. Accuracy is Plinking grade. I decided I wanted something better in a 1911 platform and got a nelson conversion on a dedicated frame. More money but definitely worth it. This setup is competition ready. Something to consider......

dontcatchmany · March 21, 2018, 05:06 PM

Put 300 rounds through the GSG yesterday evening and this am. CCI mini mags.

Flawless. Not a hiccup....except that the shooter does need the practice. Approximately 700 rounds including my first post.

Got two new magazines yesterday in the mail and used them yesterday afternoon.

Got a couple of auto loaders on the way as well as 3,000 rounds of CCI mini mags. My thumbs hurt.

A lot cheaper than shooting my other calibers to work on mechanics.

March 19, 2018, 10:00 AM	#1
dontcatchmany Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2010 Posts: 460	GSG 1911-22 Review Since I put a handgun range in my back yard I have been shooting a lot more and shooting 9mm, 40 S&W, 357 Sig and 45 acp as well as 38 apcl/357 mag and 44 spcl/44 mag. Quickly I realized that my wallet was losing weight. With arthritis and back and neck problems as well as other ailments my over all shooting accuracy had gotten less precise than I wanted. And I was trying to improve it. I pulled out the SR22 to get cheaper trigger time to practice all the fundamentals of shooting that had ebbed considerably over the years. I purchased the SR22 in 2013 and it was always problematic and would only shoot CCI Minimags with anything resembling consistently. The SR22 became impossible to shoot so I sent it back to Ruger and hope to have it back soon. Meanwhile I purchased a GSG 1911-22. Did not break the bank and it had some decent reviews. Got it last Friday and cleaned it and put 10 rounds (CCI again) through it. All went well as I was mostly just familiarizing myself to the gun and had no time for more. The next day I took it out and immediately had lots of failures to feed the first round and failures to eject. CCI Mini Mags. Did some research and took out the Dremel and a pointed felt bob and some polishing compound. I removed the paint on the upper slide and frame slide rails and polished it and oiled it so that it was rather "wet" (came from research). Cleaned the gun also. Went out yesterday started to shoot and every round was going halfway into the chamber and had a couple of rounds stick in the chamber. What the heck? I noticed that the ammo had a whiteish substance where the bullet meets the casing and the bullet seemed swollen and yes the ammo had been hard to get out of the box. Looked at the box and the thing had a $19.99 price tag so it was purchased when 22 lr ammo was hard to come by. Do not know what happened but I set it aside and used the brush supplied by GSG to clean out the bore some. Proceeded to shoot 50 rounds of CCI Mini Mag ammo from a different box and all 50 fired flawlessly. Then fired 50 rounds of PMC Zapper ammo (had to be old stuff) and all 50 fired flawlessly. Finished the 50 rounds of the CCI Mini Mag and they all fired flawlessly. Cleaned the gun up and polished a couple bits of paint that I had overlooked went back out again this am. 100 rounds of CCI were flawless. Then 50 rounds of lead nosed ammo (Centurion). Had 5 failures to feed. 100 more rounds of CCI and in the first 5 rounds of that, I had a failure to fire and two failures to feed. I am thinking the lead nosed ammo caused that as the remaining 95 rounds were flawless. Got more shooting to do but I do believe getting the paint off the rails and running the gun wet was the ticket.......and no more lead nosed ammo. The gun is more accurate than I am, but as I was going round after round with no problems I noticed my accuracy increased quite a bit. It also is heavier and is much like my "real" pistols. I think it will be a good training pistol and maybe I can teach my wife and even my grandsons and maybe granddaughters how to use a semi automatic by starting with this. Over the last 400 rounds except the lead nosed stuff the GSG worked better than my SR22 ever did. When I get it back I am going to take a closer look at its rails and see if I can do something with it to hopefully make it more reliable. Sorry for the long post on a 22 lr pistol.

March 20, 2018, 02:46 PM	#5
Ricklin Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Location: SW Washington state Posts: 2,013	Loaded chamber indicator My Mk. 3 was a jam o matic until I removed the little actuator tab for the loaded chamber indicator. I somehow managed without one by always following the 4 rules. I do like the LCI on my Glock 19. First off it's not obtrusive, second it does not affect the function or reliability. I like being able to feel it and know that there is one in the pipe. It was rare to get through one magazine W/O a jam prior with the Mk. 3. At least on the Mk. 3 it's really easy to get rid of the offending little bugger. Lots of detail on this issue, just ask good ol Google. No parts needed, unlike some of the other "fixes" on the market. External appearance is unchanged, the LCI just does not move once the little actuator tab is removed. __________________ ricklin Freedom is not free

March 20, 2018, 05:02 PM	#7
Sevens Senior Member Join Date: July 28, 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11,756	I have 5,474 rounds through my GSG 1911-22 at last count. I bought this pistol before Sandy Hook and as it came with a 2-year warranty, my plan was to attempt to shoot to destruction within that two years. When Sandy Hook happened, rimfire ammo disappeared and my quest to kill the pistol ended. Mine runs well but it sure doesn't look good. Using FP-10 as my lubricant and running wet has somehow altered the painted finish on the cheap metal slide. The look doesn't bother me any. The pistol has decent plinking accuracy but the sights are very low quality. Be especially careful if you choose to "adjust" them. Also with regards to accuracy, it's my experience that if you remove the barrel as part of a cleaning routine, EXPECT that you'll need 25-50 shots through it after re-assembly before it goes back to shooting to POA and as tightly as it did before you took the barrel out. I've absolutely had fun with the GSG 1911-22 but in my opinion, it is different than most firearms that I own and in a big, big way: nothing about this pistol makes it feel like it's going to be around longer than me. The materials just aren't there. While most of my firearms will live on for generations beyond me with good care, I cannot see that with this pistol. Even still, it's been fun and worth what I paid for it. __________________ *Attention Brass rats and other reloaders:* I really need .327 Federal Magnum brass, no lot size too small. Tell me what caliber you need and I'll see what I have to swap. PM me and we'll discuss.

March 19, 2018, 08:52 PM	#2
xcc_rider Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2016 Posts: 169	Much appreciated review as I'm considering getting one myself.

March 20, 2018, 11:59 AM	#3
GunFickle Member Join Date: March 1, 2018 Location: Barrackville WV Posts: 33	I'm considering a GSG 1911/.22 vs the Colt/Walther 1911/.22 vs the Ruger MK IV 22/45. I just want something that feels close to my Colt 1911. I'll probably end up with the Ruger.

March 20, 2018, 01:49 PM	#4
HistoryJunky Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2010 Location: Freeport, IL Posts: 833	All the .22 pistols I've fired except for my Ruger Mark III Hunter are horribly unreliable. My wife has the SR22. It is only reliable to any extent with CCI MINI MAGS. Any bulk or LRN ammo will make it choke in short order. I have looked as the GSG 1911/22 but I don't want another unreliable .22 pistol. I don't mind the occassional issue because it's a .22. Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk

March 21, 2018, 07:22 AM	#8
PSP Senior Member Join Date: June 2, 2006 Location: Bowling Green Virginia Posts: 4,487	My GSG 1911/22 has been a perfect performer since I bought it June, 2012. It needed no modifications or any special treatment at all to function well. I find the gun to be quite accurate. Not my favorite plinker but a competent pistol no doubt. Great mag design. I pretty much shoot Mini-Mag in all of my pistols because I've found it to be the most trouble free brand. Only my SR22 and Daewoo shoot other brands, including cheap stuff, reliably.

March 21, 2018, 09:42 AM	#9
libiglou Senior Member Join Date: June 28, 2017 Posts: 184	I have the sig version and seldom shoot it anymore. Its going to my oldest as soon as he gets his pistol permit. In my experience it's a reliable pistol with a variety of ammo. Needs to be kept clean. The sights are horrible(they tend to shift during long periods of use and if its hot outside) This can be fixed. Accuracy is Plinking grade. I decided I wanted something better in a 1911 platform and got a nelson conversion on a dedicated frame. More money but definitely worth it. This setup is competition ready. Something to consider......

March 21, 2018, 05:06 PM	#10
dontcatchmany Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2010 Posts: 460	Put 300 rounds through the GSG yesterday evening and this am. CCI mini mags. Flawless. Not a hiccup....except that the shooter does need the practice. Approximately 700 rounds including my first post. Got two new magazines yesterday in the mail and used them yesterday afternoon. Got a couple of auto loaders on the way as well as 3,000 rounds of CCI mini mags. My thumbs hurt. A lot cheaper than shooting my other calibers to work on mechanics.