Hammerli 208s vs marvel conversion

First topic message reminder :

hi,i see lot of reviews about Hammerli 208s,very interesting and beautiful pistol. i want to know what is the best option between conversion(my next project) and 208s and pros and cons between hammerli 208s and conversion.

willnewton wrote:

Chris Miceli wrote:I have noticed a twang recoil feel from the 208, so far out of all the 22s I’ve tried I like the recoil feel of the steel slide marvel and the aw93

That twang must be from shooting with your pinkie extended.    

I have both a 215 and Nelson and Marvel conversions. 

The 208/215 is the best if you were just going to own one pistol for BE right now and can swing it.  Later when you buy a 1911, you can get a Nelson.

If you have a 1911, get a Nelson.  Then later, you can buy the Hammerli.

It is not a matter of which is best, only which one you buy first. 

Previously, I shot the 215 better by MANY points and it was my goto pistol.  However, I recently bought and installed some Nill adj. match grips on my Nelson conv. and took it out to league night.  In my first two league nights with the conversion, I have set a personal best total the first week and a new sustained fire best score the next.

The guns are much closer in feel now, but the Hammerli trigger is unlikely to be matched in a conversion, ever. That opinion is not a dealbreaker by any means,  I hope I always have both.

Nelson better than marvel??

My new Nelson is better than my older Marvel. No doubt.  The recoil buffer, the accessory pack, the lockback, and reputation of the Nelson co. make a better package in my opinion, but I do like my Marvel (which has a Nelson buffer on it now), I just use it as suppressor host now and use the Nelson for Bullseye.

Would you like to be able to dry fire? Then don't buy the Marvel.   

Marvel firing pins are installed out of a pile. Nelson firing pins are fitted to each conversion.

I thought it was hogwash about the Marvel Precision product, even though the person that told me was the person who, well let's just say, if he told something about a MARVEL product I should take it as information straight from the horses mouth.

My firing pin broke after using my Marvel for dry fire practice a few months later.  It was not hard to fix, but I learned my lesson and do not dry fire it any more.

Now, things could have changed since this person knew the QA procedures of Marvel Precision, but he assured me that the folks at Nelson build them the way HE meant for them to be made.

willnewton wrote:My new Nelson is better than my older Marvel. No doubt.  The recoil buffer, the accessory pack, the lockback, and reputation of the Nelson co. make a better package in my opinion, but I do like my Marvel (which has a Nelson buffer on it now), I just use it as suppressor host now and use the Nelson for Bullseye.

Would you like to be able to dry fire? Then don't buy the Marvel.   

Marvel firing pins are installed out of a pile. Nelson firing pins are fitted to each conversion.

I thought it was hogwash about the Marvel Precision product, even though the person that told me was the person who, well let's just say, if he told something about a MARVEL product I should take it as information straight from the horses mouth.

My firing pin broke after using my Marvel for dry fire practice a few months later.  It was not hard to fix, but I learned my lesson and do not dry fire it any more.

Now, things could have changed since this person knew the QA procedures of Marvel Precision, but he assured me that the folks at Nelson build them the way HE meant for them to be made.

I bought a  used marvel few months ago on ebay with .647" at 50 yards buttom and the bore is super clean and new,no dry fire strikes. My first option was nelson but they dont ship To Puerto Rico. My marvel have 2 gsg mags and 2 ribs,one with adjustable sight and other for scope mount.

I have the same setup on my Marvel.  You might ask Nelson if they will ship you the accessory pack or recoil pad, since there is nothing but hardware.

You will probably not have any strikes on the breech until after the tip snaps off about 1/2” back inside the conversion where the pin is not fitted and you keep firing, which will then launch the tip into the breech face.  You may not even notice the pin is broken until it has peened the face enough to affect chambering.  That was my situation.  When a misfeed occured I blamed the magazine, and ordered an EGW high magazine catch, but then they became more common even though I had cleaned the chamber.  Next, I started noticing brass shavings.  A closer inspection revealed the problem.

Just make sure to use a plug or pad for dry firing.  A #6 drywall anchor with a notch clipped out so the extractor doesn’t grab it works.  

Sometimes a small magnetic business card fridge magnet can be cut to fit, but it may not allow the slide to get back into battery if it is too thick.

I hope you are doing well since the hurricane.  My home was flooded and neighborhood destroyed by one in the past.  The news crews move on, but the recovery can take months or years.

I have a 208, low mileage 208s, and  new Nelson top on a dedicated custom Caspian lower, built by Jon. I also have a Marvel on an STI lower.

Comparing only these four guns, I would definitely say the difference is in the triggers. I would put my 208 on par with the Nelson/ Caspian that Jon built.  The 208s has rhe 2 stage trigger, which is more fun to shoot. I see no measurable difference in accuracy among them, more difference in the ammo. CCI SV works very well, black box a bit better.  All four guns are 100% reliable.


I have Rink grips on the 208s and the Nelson, CMM 1911 conversion grips on the 208, so it feels exactly like the STI/marvel. I'm not really a fan of the standard 1911 style grips. 


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willnewton wrote:I have the same setup on my Marvel.  You might ask Nelson if they will ship you the accessory pack or recoil pad, since there is nothing but hardware.

You will probably not have any strikes on the breech until after the tip snaps off about 1/2” back inside the conversion where the pin is not fitted and you keep firing, which will then launch the tip into the breech face.  You may not even notice the pin is broken until it has peened the face enough to affect chambering.  That was my situation.  When a misfeed occured I blamed the magazine, and ordered an EGW high magazine catch, but then they became more common even though I had cleaned the chamber.  Next, I started noticing brass shavings.  A closer inspection revealed the problem.

Just make sure to use a plug or pad for dry firing.  A #6 drywall anchor with a notch clipped out so the extractor doesn’t grab it works.  

Sometimes a small magnetic business card fridge magnet can be cut to fit, but it may not allow the slide to get back into battery if it is too thick.

I hope you are doing well since the hurricane.  My home was flooded and neighborhood destroyed by one in the past.  The news crews move on, but the recovery can take months or years.

thanks will. the recovery will long time,years.