Best .45 to .22 conversion?

I've saved my nickels and want to go to one grip/trigger etc for my BE work.

If I were to buy ONCE and CRY once, which unit would you buy?  And if you have the time, please tell me why.
Also, advise me as to which ones to avoid for accuracy and functioning problems.

Thanks guys, Perry is coming and outdoor practice is happening with the warmer weather.

Nelson.  They have some design refinements that make it better than Marvel or Advantage Arm's target model.

Call them and let you know that you are a Bullseye shooter from the forum.

Might want to check with Chambers Custom Pistols. A few guys at my club have them and are very happy with them.

 Frank

If buy once, cry once is your thing, Chambers conversions have prestige that the others don't have.

The 5 guys at my club like the Chambers .22, two of them had Marvel (High Master and Master) but had problems with them, sent them to Joe for tune-up and work good now (so I'm told) They just got the latest Chambers Version (Complete gun) and as far as I know like them. As for me I don't have one yet. I'm busy working on my Feinwerkbau AW-93 so I can't rate any conversion from Personal experience, though long time ago I had a Kart Conversion. I did talk to Caspian and Gary is looking for a frame I can use to build a test .22 conversion.

TAJ45, What kind of 1911 are you going to be using for the lower end of your conversion?

Colt Series 70 at this time......

I'm waiting on a reply as to availability and price on the Chambers.  Any one have a ballpark for the kit?

The Chambers conversion kit is about $1500.

Like Frank described, I have a Marvel, but I could never get it to run reliably enough on my lowers--and I'm good at tuning.  I upgraded to the Advantage Arms Target and found there are significant improvements to the design.  I have examined the Nelson and those have the same improvements as the Advantage Arms--and possibly a couple more.  Bob Marvel used to be with Marvel Precision, then he was working with Advantage Arms for awhile, then he was working with Nelson, so as he came up with ways to improve the design, he incorporated those changes into the production of those models.  The Nelsons are $420 for iron sights and $395 for scope base.

Joe Chambers used to work for Bob Marvel, and he's quite skilled.  He may have incorporated additional improvements to his design.

The Karts and Dvorak conversions are also quality items.  You can get Dvorak from KCs Custom Guns.  I believe those are all steel and give you a more similar feel to the 1911.

I never had a problem with the lighter nose on the Marvel/AA design.  I've shot a 293 and a number of 285+ NMCs with my Advantage Arms on my ball gun's lower (Springfield Loaded Target Stainless)

I would only buy a  chambers if I had him build the whole gun.  to  realize any conversions potential you need a very good 1911 set up, If your just going with adding it to your 1911 then buy the nelson you wont be disappointed.

The same Advantage Arms conversion that I use is on sale on Ebay for $330.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Advantage-Arms-AAC191122T-22LR-Colt-1911-Pistol-Conversion-Kit-w-Cleaning-Kit-/311339394759?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item487d4626c7

+1 on the Nelson
I have both a Marvel Unit 1 and a Nelson. They both shoot sub 1". The Nelson has all the latest Bob Marvel enhancements and comes with the completely redesigned polymer mags that work flawlessly.

My Marvel Unit 1 took a while to get to run near perfect but it would still have an occasional failure to feed. Using the same ammo (Wolf Match) in my Nelson there are no issues.

I plan on using my Marvel Unit 1 for .22lr EIC matches this summer.

- Dave

Rob Kovach wrote:The same Advantage Arms conversion that I use is on sale on Ebay for $330.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Advantage-Arms-AAC191122T-22LR-Colt-1911-Pistol-Conversion-Kit-w-Cleaning-Kit-/311339394759?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item487d4626c7

That's a good price but by the time you buy the scope rib and extra mag IMO you could get a better unit in the nelson for 395.00 with scope rail and two mags.
http://www.nelsoncustomguns.com/store/

The Advantage Arms scope rail is an extra $60. If you never want to shoot irons then the Nelson is the smarter buy.
Nelson occasionally posts a Facebook special for a second magazine with purchase of the Nelson kit.

I bought a chambers will let you know how it works out sub 0.75 at 50 yards. It's expensive but when you consider he will fit it to your lower the premium is less then it appears at first.

KC, (or anybody that knows)

I see he has Dworak conversions listed under his 22 conversion lower price list. 
"
The price for the above package is $1250.00
Deposit of $650.00
Dworak conversion w/1 Colt magazine fitted to the lower  $1700.00"


Is the Dworak conversion adding only 450.00? That seems like a steal to me. How long is the wait for one?

I looked into it and the were on back order about 2 months ago. And yes that whole package is a value when you consider KC get over 3K for his center fire guns.

I can't get Dworak to answer my email or phone calls.  Delivery went from Sept, to Jan to Mar.  I've pretty much given up on the possibility of his conversions being available.  I do still have some parts and can support the Kart / Dworak conversion.  But getting a new one I think at this time is pretty much a fantasy.

Dworak has been unavailable for ever seems like, I don't know a sole that has gotten one from him in many years. id buy a nelson or chambers and forget the rest.

My Advantage Arms conversion arrived. Threw it on a Remy 1911 R1 frame and test fired 5 rounds. It worked!

I'm very happy with my Nelson Conversion.

Happy with my new AA conversion. No issues with CCI sv.

kc.crawford.7 wrote:I can't get Dworak to answer my email or phone calls.  Delivery went from Sept, to Jan to Mar.  I've pretty much given up on the possibility of his conversions being available.  I do still have some parts and can support the Kart / Dworak conversion.  But getting a new one I think at this time is pretty much a fantasy.

KC,
when fitting a Kart or Dworak to a wadcutter lower do you find that the 1911 ejector needs massaging? I find that the conversions fit fine on a frame with a standard GI ejector but neither fit on anything with an extended ejector. Do you massage the outside of the ejector on the frame or the ejector in the conversion? thanks for any help.

Very happy with AA Target and AA's magazines.  At 25 yards with some older Eley, most shots touch.  However, when I changed the lower to a low cost ATI "GI" (was using a Kimber lower) I found that the AA magazines are at the upper limit of size and the inside of the "GI" is at the lower limit.  Result was that the magazine went in, but would not come out!  My efforts to remove finished the expensive magazine.  Most 45 magazines are OK, but some are just too large.  [low cost that it is, but the "GI" is tight when using 45ACP - in 45, would make a nice carry]   [using 25mm Ultradot on the AA Target's top rail and it has been easy to use]

So I can thin the wonderful AA mags, or find another lower.  Suggestions on a lower cost 45 as base for AA Target?

Mac

worked fine on a basic Ruger 1911 R1 lower.

robert84010 wrote:

kc.crawford.7 wrote:I can't get Dworak to answer my email or phone calls.  Delivery went from Sept, to Jan to Mar.  I've pretty much given up on the possibility of his conversions being available.  I do still have some parts and can support the Kart / Dworak conversion.  But getting a new one I think at this time is pretty much a fantasy.

KC,
when fitting a Kart or Dworak to a wadcutter lower do you find that the 1911 ejector needs massaging? I find that the conversions fit fine on a frame with a standard GI ejector but neither fit on anything with an extended ejector. Do you massage the outside of the ejector on the frame or the ejector in the conversion? thanks for any help.

Robert, I have not had a problem with ejectors on a Kart or a Dworak.  Maybe I've just been lucky?  My best guess would be that the extended ejectors you've had problems with are possibly not in "spec" to the print.  Regardless just do your massage and ensure 100% reliable function and away you go.  Or option two would be remove the ejector completely if it's going to be a dedicated lower.