Review: GSG 1911 .22LR
By: Michael Em (Mez)
In todays world of ever
increasing cost of ammunition we are all looking for better, low cost ways to
practice more. One method is to use a
.22. There are many excellent .22’s to
choose from. The Ruger MKII series (and
new models) or the Browning Buckmark are 2 excellent examples. But they do not mimic the size or shape of
your favorite handgun.
Ideally, you should use a
.22 that is the same size, shape as your handgun. For those who shoot the 1911 family of
handguns, GSG (German Sport Guns) has the solution for you.
GSG is producing an
excellent copy of the 1911 but designed around the .22 cartridge. The GSG 1911 is a full size copy of the 1911
handgun. Made from lightweight aluminum
alloy with a steel barrel and steel parts where necessary. It has a 10 round magazine (10 not 12. Don’t be an over achiever like Gundiva) and
fixed sights. Other features are
ambidextrious safety, magazine disconnect safety and changeable front sights (3
different heights) to help set zero.
In the box you will find
instruction manual, tools for cleaning and takedown and the obligatory safety
lock.
One additional feature is
the GSG can accept a threaded adaptor for those who own suppressors.
The GSG 1911 functions as
any other 1911. But does have a slightly
different takedown. In their need to
overdesign everything, the Germans added an additional screw and pin on the
right hand side of the frame that must be removed in order to field strip the
GSG 1911.
What I like:
1.
The fit and
finish is excellent. This is one
handsome pistol right out of the box.
2.
Reliability is
also excellent. (Using proper ammunition)
I was able to shoot approximately 900 rounds through this pistol over a
3 month period without cleaning before I experienced failures of any kind. A thorough cleaning solved these
problems. If you take care of this
pistol and run ammunition it likes, it will run reliably for you.
3.
Accuracy is
good. Definitely not a target
pistol. But 2-3 inches at 15 yards is
realistic. Basically a standard 4 inch
clay pigeon out to 20 yards should be doable if you have the skill. Plenty accurate for a training pistol.
4.
The magazine
functions very well, feeds reliably and is a nice heavy duty steel
construction. (Again, it holds 10, not 12)
5.
Some parts are
interchangeable with 1911 parts. I was
able to replace the safety for one I like better. (Note:
not all parts will interchange)
6.
Full size 1911
and will fit into standard holsters. As
will the magazines fit into standard carriers.
7.
Lighter weight
than a standard steel frame 1911. Being
an alloy Aluminum frame, there is a significant weight savings. This is great for a long day of training or
competition.
What I’m indifferent about: (Things that irritate me but are not deal breakers)
1.
This handgun
works best with high velocity .22 ammunition.
Reliability goes down when using standard velocity ammunition. But you do get to practice your malfunction
drills. This could be a good thing.
a.
CCI Mini Mags
work wonderful in this handgun.
b.
Try several
different brands of high velocity ammunition and see what works best. (And no, CCI Mini-Mags are not
expensive. When you start buying Eley
Match, then you can complain about expensive ammunition)
2.
The magazine
disconnect safety. I’m not a big fan of
a magazine disconnect safety. Especially
when the original design does not have one.
But the Europeans like them for some reason. But the good news is, this feature is easily
removed. Just remove the backstrap as
you would with any 1911, and pull out the spring and transfer bar that make up the
magazine disconnect safety then reinstall the backstrap.
3.
The finish does
wear quickly. Being an aluminum alloy,
the frame and slide are anodized. And
most commercial anodize finishes will wear quickly with heavy use. After 3 months of use for Steel Challenge
competitions, I noticed typical holster wear.
Do expect cosmetic wear if you use this for training and are drawing
from a holster. This is solely cosmetic
and will not affect performance.
4.
The factory
guide rod is plastic. This is a known
weakness of this handgun. It will break
eventually. Be prepared for this. The good news is, replacements are readily
available. Either the factory plastic
one or an aftermarket stainless steel rod.
The good stainless steel rod will run around $25.
5.
Cost. The cost is moderately high for a .22. The base model will run approximately $350
and go up from there. Sig Sauer also
sells this same handgun under the Sig name.
They just charge you more. ($380 - $460). But with the Sig you have one option not available from GSG. The Sig comes in Black, OD Green and everyones favorite FDE (Flat Dark Earth).
Shop around
for the best price. Magazines are also a
bit pricey at approximately $30-$40. But being all steel, they should hold up well and give you years of service.
What I don’t like: (Things I
want the factory to improve upon)
1.
The safety
catch. It is nice the GSG 1911 has an
ambidextrious safety. But does it need to overly large with sharp corners? I think the safety is ridiculous. It is too large and has many sharp corners. I would definitely replace this item. Which I did.
2.
The plastic
sights. Really? Plastic sights? WTF GSG?
For the price you charge, I would at least expect aluminum sights. Something a little more durable than
plastic. But I guess the 1911 is such an
uncommon firearm there isn’t a large aftermarket base to use a standard off the
shelf part.
a.
In reality, I
think there should be some aftermarket sights that will fit. But I do not know for sure. I don’t know which dovetail the GSG is cut
for. Call the factory to verify before
buying aftermarket sights.
Conclusion:
If you are a 1911 fan and
want to shoot lower cost .22 ammunition, look at the GSG. It may be a bit pricey but I think in the long
run you will get good value for it.
Especially if you practice a lot.
It has a few irritating nags
that I want to see the factory improve upon.
But overall I think this pistol will give you good reliable service and
value.
I like this pistol. I would definitely buy one again and even
recommend it to friends and family.
