Advantage offers conversion kits for a number of handguns, including one of the most popular handgun brands: Glock. Recently, I was able to obtain and evaluate a rimfire conversion kit for my Glock 19 Gen2 pistol. My kit arrived in a hard plastic carrying case with a slide assembly, magazine, a cleaning kit and detailed instructions. Installing the conversion kit was dead simple, and anyone who has field stripped a Glock pistol will be able to complete the process in less than a minute. The only key is to ensure the ejector is properly installed on the barrel when assembling the gun. The sights are similar to what one might find on a stock Glock. The front sight is a white dot, while the rear sight is an adjustable outline typical to the platform. The slide and barrel assembly in the conversion kit are lighter than the original parts they replace. The Advantage Arms conversion kits can be had for many different Glock models. While the company makes kits for both Gen4 and legacy-generation Glock pistols, the kits are not interchangeable. In other words, you cannot run a Gen4 kit on an older frame.
In addition to the company’s line of Glock conversion kits, Advantage Arms offers rimfire kits for the Springfield Armory XD and XD(M) pistols. Additionally, the company offers a number of kits for 1911 pistols. The Springfield Armory kits fit a wide range of models and come standard with adjustable sights. The 1911 kits are designed to work with full-size, mil spec 1911A1-frame pistols. A matte black finish is standard on all models
If you are looking to shoot rimfire rounds through your 1911, Kimber has a kit for you. The Rimfire Target Conversion Kit will convert a full-size Kimber or another brand’s 1911 pistol to fire .22 LR ammo. The kit includes a 5-inch, match-grade barrel and adjustable target sights. A polymer, 10-round magazine is included with the conversion kit. The kit will work with any mil-spec 1911 with a 4-inch or 5-inch barrel.
Similar to the conversion kit for full-size 1911 pistols, the Kimber Rimfire Compact Conversion Kit will transform the company’s Ultra, Compact and Pro models into .22 LR pistols. The kit will also work with other brands of compact 1911 pistols. The kit includes a stainless steel barrel, lightweight aluminum slide and a polymer magazine. The sights are drift adjustable.
Sig Sauer offers a number of rimfire conversion kits to cover the classic line of pistols including the P220, P226 and P229 models. These kits are easy to install, as they merely require the shooter to remove the slide assembly and replace it with the assembly included in the kit. The kit’s aluminum slide is machined from solid aluminum billet and topped with adjustable target sights. Sig cautions that the kits are not designed to work with California-compliant models, nor will they work with the older P220 pistols that used a magazine release located on the heel of the gun. Standard kits use a 4.5-inch barrel. Sig Sauer also offers kits that use threaded barrels. With the threaded barrel, a shooter can easily add a sound suppressor for safer shooting.
The single-action P938 is a popular pistol in the Sig Sauer catalog, and now shooters can convert the gun to shoot .22 LR for cheaper practice and plinking fun. The kits come as a standard conversion and as a target version. The standard kits include everything needed to transform the gun to a rimfire pistol, including a slide and barrel assembly plus a 10-round magazine. The Target kit upgrades the sights to fully adjustable target sights.
Tactical Solutions offers a pair of kits for Government- and Commander-length 1911 pistols. The 2211 kits are made of heat-treated steel for longevity and a realistic feel during training. The Standard kit comes with adjustable sights, while the Combo Rail kit adds a Picatinny rail between the sights for the addition of an optic.
Tactical Solutions also makes a pair of rimfire conversion kits for Glock pistols. The first is for the G17 and G22 models, and the second is for the G19 and G23 models. Both kits are fully compatible with all generations of Glock pistols, including the modern Gen4. The TSG-22 kits use 4140 steel instead of aluminum to retain a familiar heft for accurate training. Factory Glock sights are also used on the guns to give the shooter a very good training experience. TSG-22 kits can also be had with standard or threaded barrels for the addition of a sound suppressor or other muzzle device.
.22 LR rimfire handguns have long been popular with shooters as a way to build fundamental skills without abusing the hands or the wallet. A number of companies make rimfire conversion kits for existing self-defense handguns that allow a shooter to train with the exact pistol he or she relies on for protection. Scroll through the gallery above to learn about some of the best .22 LR rimfire conversion kits available on the market today.
