Iver Johnson 1911 .22 Conversion Kit

[Miami_JBT]

A gunshop just south of Patrick SFB had an Iver Johnson Deluxe .22 Conversion Kit for $225. These were made by Ceiner just up the road in Cocoa Beach for Iver Johnson, who is further just up the road in Rockledge.

The Deluxe Kit has a Millet rear target sight and a dovetailed front sight. Plus a nice polished finished and a serrated flat along the top of the slide to reduce glare. I already have a Ceiner kit for my Berettas and another for my AR-15s. So, having one for my 1911s is good too.

 

[PolarFBear]

I had one for years. Used it on a Colt and Springfield 1911. Accurate enough for "plinking". No issues, no complaints. Sold it after I got a dedicated GSG 1911 22; great gun.

 

[Miami_JBT]

I had one for years. Used it on a Colt and Springfield 1911. Accurate enough for "plinking". No issues, no complaints. Sold it after I got a dedicated GSG 1911 22; great gun.

I have a pile of dedicated .22 pistols, but for the price. This will be fun for plinking.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I have an Iver Johnson (Ciener) conversion. It has been excellent, and has never given me any problems.

 

[Seven High]

I have a Kimber 1911 22 caliber conversion. The slide does not lock back after the last round has been shot. Other than that, it works perfectly.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I have a Kimber 1911 22 caliber conversion. The slide does not lock back after the last round has been shot. Other than that, it works perfectly.

The Ciener (and Iver Johnson) conversions don't lock open on empty, either. That's because the slide is aluminum, and locking against the steel slide lock would bash up the slide in very short order.

There is (or used to be) one .22 conversion for 1911s that locks open, but that one has a steel insert at the slide stop notch.

 

[stuckinthe60s]

my kingdom for a kart....again.

 

[Seven High]

I saw an advertisement a while ago for a modified magazine follower that would lock open the slide when the magazine was empty. Apparently it was not a successful design.

 

[Miami_JBT]

.22 kit on my Colt 1991A1 Series 80 Government Model. I tried some Federal through it, specifically this stuff:

It didn't have enough "oomph" to cycle the slide. Manual says use some really fast fast.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Try CCI Mini-Mags

 

[DaleA]

I have a 'genuine' Colt conversion unit with the floating chamber that I've complained about on this site enough times that I just won't do it again.

I've heard lots of good things about the Cierner and some questionable things about Cierner himself but that's just second or third had gossip.

I just went out and bought a Ruger Mark II target and haven't looked back although sometimes I wonder if a few more ramen noodle meals wouldn't have been worth it to get an S&W Model 41. You know, buy once, cry once.

(I got the Ruger for $200 around 1980 and still have it and it still shoots VERY well after thousands of rounds.)

 

[Miami_JBT]

Try CCI Mini-Mags

That's what I'm going to try next.

I have a 'genuine' Colt conversion unit with the floating chamber that I've complained about on this site enough times that I just won't do it again.

I've heard lots of good things about the Cierner and some questionable things about Cierner himself but that's just second or third had gossip.

I just went out and bought a Ruger Mark II target and haven't looked back although sometimes I wonder if a few more ramen noodle meals wouldn't have been worth it to get an S&W Model 41. You know, buy once, cry once.

(I got the Ruger for $200 around 1980 and still have it and it still shoots VERY well after thousands of rounds.)

I have a pile of .22 autos and a 70s era S&W Model 41 is part of that pile. The rest are Ruger MKIIs and MKIIIs.

 

[rc]

I have a Ceiner kit. They are a bit picky and some things I've learned about them is the newer polymer mags on the market fit but don't work very well due to drag on the feed lips. The original aluminum mags have less drag on the slide and function much more reliably. Your kit will probably run with the federal stuff if you clean and lubricate it and make sure it's sliding well on your particular frame. A little rattle in slide to frame fit is a good thing for these kits for smooth operation. The ejectors sometimes start to wander loose so make sure yours is staked ok. While not target grade, the Ceiner made kits can produce 2 or 3 inch groups at 25 yards for training. I know some people may do better with some ammo but they are basically fun plinker grade trainers that are perfect for teaching new shooters. While Mini Mags are usually good, Aguila and Armscore high velocity are worth trying also.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

I have a Ciener 5-inch conversion and an Iver-Johnson 4-1/4-inch (Commander) conversion. Both have been flawless. I've had them both for years.

 

[PzGren]

I have a Colt conversion kit with the floating chamber that runs well with copper plated high speed ammo but has mediocre accuracy, at best. Getting the floating chamber out after 50 rounds is not easy, after 100 rounds it is a real challenge.