Ciener 1911 .22 conversion... avoid?

Gadsden

Gadsden

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A friend of mine was asking me about this Ciener 1911 .22 conversion for his Springfield Trophy Match.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/31...ine-1911-government-22-long-rifle-gloss-black

Hell of a good price, and I have heard decent reviews on Ciener conversions. However, I have also heard support horror stories and that Ciener has been brought up on charges. I can't decide if the good price is worth him risking being stuck with a lemon conversion.. anyone:

A: Have an opinion (although I know that is doubtful on NES.. worth a shot [wink] ) on if it is worth getting.
B: Have experience with that conversion on a Springfield Trophy Match.

Thanks!
 
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I'd buy it if its a good price. I've got one for the AR15 and it functions flawlessly.

Never tried one in the .45 buy have seen good reviews.
 
From what I understand the conversions are fine, it's just that if you buy one from him directly you may never receive it even after you pay him. Buying from Midway should be safe.
 
I own one for my 1911 and it works flawlessly.

BUT . . .

- I've been told that I was lucky, as some don't work right when you get them.
- Ciener offers NO SUPPORT, none whatsoever, so if it doesn't work, you are SOL.
- From the time I ordered one until I received it was >6 months. It was ordered from a third party and I didn't have to pay until they shipped it.
- It does NOT hold open after the last round.

If at all possible, I'd opt for the Advantage Arms (probably same wait) and they do support their products (which are excellent, I own a Glock AA conversion). AA tells you what ammo works with it (Rem Golden Bullets - cheap and CCI mini-mags - expensive) and if you use anything else you will likely have problems.
 
I have one on a Commander frame. It went on with no fitting and worked well. The only problem I have had is with the mags. I have five and two would occasionally fail to feed. Polishing the inside where the follower rode fixed this. While I do like this unit I would not buy another. If you have problems with any of Ciener's products you are on your own. I also have an older Colt conversion on a full size frame which has been flawless.
Charlie
 
Finalygotabeltfed said:
I'd buy it if its a good price. I've got one for the AR15 and it functions flawlessly.

Never tried one in the .45 buy have seen good reviews.
Click to expand...
+1.. my AR conversion has paid for itself a dozen times over.

jasons said:
From what I understand the conversions are fine, it's just that if you buy one from him directly you may never receive it even after you pay him. Buying from Midway should be safe.
Click to expand...
That is my theory, that with buying from Midway it can be returned if there is an issue. Even if it does not last forever if it holds up long enough to pay for itself it would be a wash.
 
Mr Ciener was charged with fraud to the tune of $20K and he has an awful rep with the BBB. There are better outfits to get a 1911 conversion from. Advantage Arms is one another is Marvel I believe,there are a few others but their names escape me right now.
 
Spend a little more and buy the Marvel . It is by far the most accurate .22 i have ever shot . It was a little tight at first but now its flawless. It outshoots guns three time its price.
 
I have 2 Ciener 1911 conversions for my Colts, they work great

BUT

I ordered a Glock conversion from him 1 year and a half ago after a year I paid the $10 he charges to tell you your order is on back order and still haven't heard anything or gotten anything
 
If you decide to get a Ceiner make sure you get some extra mags and parts for it. That way when the company goes tits up at least your conversion will be useable for awhile.

-Mike
 
Are the Marvel conversion kits readily available? The Advantage Arms Glock 17 conversion kits from the Glock Store are backordered for one year.
 
Marvel kits are used by those that are serious competitors. I'm sure that they are scarce with a long wait time.

AA kits are also scarce and run great. They are worth the wait.

However, I lucked onto a G17/22 AA kit that someone was selling on Glocktalk . . . no wait.

You might check the 1911 forums and also luck out on a good kit without waiting months/year.

I've seen 1911 kits for sale at most gun shows, including the Holbrook show (happening today). I never made it to the show yesterday, so I can't speak to this particular show, but if you are in the area it might be worth a try.
 
Alex Cannella said:
Are the Marvel conversion kits readily available? The Advantage Arms Glock 17 conversion kits from the Glock Store are backordered for one year.
Click to expand...
Try Gunbroker.com. I order one for a friend a while back and there was no waiting for it,granted it was a little more expensive but I had the kit in a few days. I was with him when he used it and it fuctioned with most of the 22 ammo he had,v\even some old PMC 22 zapper.
 
I had a Ciener 1911 conversion that worked OK but wasn't quite as accurate as I wanted. Sold it and bought a Marvel that was a real "tack driver". It came with a test target that measured .72 in for ten shots at 50 yds. The only draw back was that this conversion was extremely unreliable. I finally used a stock chamber reamer to open up the tight match chamber. Since then I have had no problems.

One thing to remember is that the Ciener/Atchison 22 LR conversion for the AR is the most popular version on the market. The patent on this conversion has run out a long time ago so that several manufacturers are now producing these conversions. The end result is that parts for this conversion are widely available. Several other manufacturers have produced conversions of their own design and then ceased production, leaving their customers with no source for replacement parts; DPMS is an example.

Due to this potential problem I stick to the Ciener/Atchison design because I know that I will always be able to get parts. The last thing I want to do is invest a lot of money in a conversion that I can't get replacement parts for.
 

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