Browning 1911-22 A1/Compact

[ltxi]

Somehow, the very existence of this downsized 1911 Browning .22 escaped me until yesterday.

Anyone gots any useful opinion?

[Longitude Zero]

I have seen several at the LGS but have not handled or shot one.

[Bawanna]

Greg has one and as I recall was fond of it.

I saw one at a Cabela's up here, looked at it some, wandered a bit and went back for another look and a guy was buying it.

It looked good to me.

[ltxi]

Next door neighbor person picked one up this past weekend. The compact version. I got to handle it for about ten seconds. For me, a 1911 guy with small hands, it appears the perfect .22lr. Why the hell hasn't someone done this before?

I was thinking of offering her an unfired stainless bull barrel 22/45 and an unfired bull barrel Buckmark for it.....straight across trade. That be how impressed I was.

[gb6491]

Greg has one and as I recall was fond of it.

I saw one at a Cabela's up here, looked at it some, wandered a bit and went back for another look and a guy was buying it.

It looked good to me.

You've a good memory boss!
I do have the "full size' version and still like it a lot

Here are my thoughts on it from last year:
"I have one and like it a lot.

(high res photo: http://gbrannon.bizhat.com/1911-22a.jpg )
The frame and slide are aluminum.There is a steel breech block in the slide (the two roll pins hold it in place) that contains the extractor and firing pin. The frame has a steel insert that is the ejector and part of the rails. It also has the disconnector tunnel in it.

The rest of the frame parts are scaled down 1911. While there are a lot of MIM parts, I find the fit and finish of the pistol at least equal to the GSG and Umarex 1911 offerings I've examined (though I have not disassembled either further than field stripping).

There is a magazine safety, but is should have no effect on trigger pull as it is a stud on the trigger bow that will contact the mag release when a magazine is not in place. With a mag in place, the release is positioned so that the stud on the trigger will clear a space cast into it's body.

My first session with it, I went right from the register to the range pausing just long enough to put a little lube on the rails and the barrel. Burned through a little over 300 rounds (mix of Blazer, Winchester Wildcat, Federal Champion, and American Eagle) without a single hiccup I did get a little hammer bite, but absolutely loved shooting this gun.
Left, best group of that session was my last nine rounds (ten yds. standing)
Right, ten rounds standing at about three yards; should be adequate for an unexpected encounter with a snake or varmint (though I prefer to give them all the space they want).

To date: the round count is nearing 1500. I've had a dud round and three failures to feed. The first failure to feed came somewhere after 400 rounds. It didn't feed at all from the magazine (figured the follower was gumming up), then I had another round from the same magazine load jam. These rounds were from my grab bag of loose/ejected/picked up rounds. My guess is that the second round to jam was deformed. If it were deformed and bound things up when it was in the magazine tube, that would probably explain why the the other round didn't feed at all. The other FTF was using Remington Target loads (standard velocity), I'm guessing I just wasn't gripping the gun tight enough as it looked like a "limp wrist" failure to me. The rest of the Target loads fed/fired/ejected without issue. I've also run some hyper velocity rounds through it; they worked fine but I'll not use them in it. Frankly, I was surprised to shoot that many assorted .22 rounds and only have one dud. The FTFs I would attribute to faulty ammo and a shooter induced failure.
Three things I'd like to see or could use improvement:
Better sights, the ones on it are true "GI".
Re-profiled hammer or grip safety, I get a little bite from the hammer now and again (nothing bad).
Trigger pull is a tad heavy, but breaks cleanly.

Here's a little video I put together. It's my first effort at really editing one and it has no redeeming social value, but was fun to make:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkCtcGgfN3c "
Regards,
Greg

[Bawanna]

I remember that video. Very very cool. Browning ought to have that on their website. Just makes a person want one really bad.


And of course he has to post a pic of that awesome Llama just as I was slacking on a search for my own.

[mr surveyor]

I tried to resist, but had to look for prices. Looks like the $550 range. Now I want one. I haven't had the "gun lust" in 2-3 years ... except for the .44 mag lever gun I bought a couple of months ago. I do love 1911's and have wanted something in the scaled down version, similar to the Springfield that hit the scene around 2007, but just couldn't part with the amount of money the Springer 9mm was priced at. The Browning in .22 lr would be a very nice addition to my little herd. Now I'm feeling the lust return.


surv

[Salty]

I have shot the Chippa http://www.gunblast.com/Chiappa1911-22.htm thru about 200 rounds. One fte. The price and quality of the pistol is very good. Magazines are expensive. I think a Kimber 22 slide kit for my regular 1911 is the way to go for me in the long run. The 22/45 Ruger doesn't replicate a 1911 any more than my S&W 41 does.

[ltxi]

Thanks, guys....and especially for the commentary and video. Now it's gotta have as I refocus the collection.

[Glock Holiday]

Nothing but MIM parts and aluminum I believe. I thought the Browning looked cool but it is very expensive (around $500 dollars) and it's still a .22 at the end of the day. You could buy a full size 1911 in .45ACP for around the same price with better sights than the tiny toy like Browning and the one I shot bit the web of my hand quite a bit no matter how I held the thing but hey, it's your money.