22 cartridge conversions for 45 Colt revolvers

[Fort Reno Kid]

Howdy Pards

 

Until recently I wasn’t aware of  22 cartridge adapters for 45 Colt revolvers.

 

Bot mine from Numrich Gun Parts Corporation. Ain’t cheap but they enable one to practice economically using 22 ammo in 45 cowboy revolvers. Came in useful for my membership at a close-by indoor shooting range. They don’t allow handloaded ammo. The inserts enable me to practice with my Ruger OMV and Ruger Blackhawk.  The inserts are metal machined to 45 Colt dimensions and bored for 22 rimfire.  There’s a tiny bit of rifling but, in my humble experience, the rifling doesn’t do much. Still, enables me to use my Cowboy shootin’ irons with 22’s and get in meaningful practice. I use 1/2” red dots a few yards out and reasonably close groups tell me if I’m observing good handgun practices. Virtually no recoil but plenty of flash and bang. Definitely clean the revolvers and inserts after use. Plenty of carbon buildup.

 

Expensive insets? Yes,  but a box of 22’s is a lot cheaper than a box of 45’s and aside from recoil the practice is close to the real thing.

 

For what it’s worth , the inserts drop easily into my Blackhawk but not so easily into my OM Vaquero … in fact one cylinder of the Vaquero won’t take an insert without a tap from a mallet. Suspect they’d work in the Italian clones but don’t have practical experience.

 

An outfit called UniqueTek also offers their version of cartridge inserts. They state that their inserts are smooth-bore instead of rifled but I doubt that would interfere too much for close-range practice. They have an interesting website; offer some interesting products.

 

At such time as the great ammo shortage eases … we must have faith! … I’ll be curious to try 22 shorts and the Aguila BB and CB caps to see if better, longer-range accuracy might be obtained. For now, my ample supply of 22LR do good work.

 

To the moderator: I have no financial interest in either firm and no ulterior motives. Just want to make my Pards aware of an interesting possibility.

Adios

 

Fort Reno Kid

 

PS.  Not to cast aspersions on Numrich’s website, but their search function could stand to be a bit more user friendly. If you want to review their info on the inserts, enter PN# 765870 and save ourself a frustrating search experience. Found the UniqueTek site’s search function to be more user friendly.

 

 

[Patagonia Pete]

Thanks for the review!! Always wondered about those things. 

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

Normally, if I want to shoot .22's in my basement, I just shoot my Colts cambered for that cartridge.   That being said, the ability to convert a regular "main match" revolver to use 22's for practice is an intriguing one.   I have to admit though that the item discussed looks like it's more trouble than it's worth, and I don't think it would have any kind of appreciable accuracy.

While I don't yet have one, these things from Kirst look far more practical to me...

https://www.kirstkonverter.com/22-colt-conversion-kit.html

https://www.kirstkonverter.com/22-caliber-colt-pocket-model.html

https://www.kirstkonverter.com/22-remington-conversion.html

Depending on what you want to convert, or is that konvert, these things look pretty cool.   Too bad they don't make one that lets you convert a SAA though.

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

I've seen these before.  Below is a link I found:

 

https://www.theshootersbox.com/45-COLT-to-22-LR-Caliber-Adapter--Chamber-Reducer--Stainless-Set-of-6_p_35356.html

[Sedalia Dave]

The Kirst converters are nice but awfully expensive.

 

I wonder why no body makes inserts for 38 special cylinders?

[Equanimous Phil]

Once, a pard brought his adapters (pretty sure the ones from TN Mongo's link) to the range and we could try them. Don't know what .22 ammo we used, but 2 out of 5 rounds didn't go bang in my Uberti Cattleman equipped with VTI's Light Mainspring (SI:01016). So, I decided not useful for me.

 

We use the 12GA->.22 adaptors now and then during indoor season at our club. But it feels kind of strange to shoot a SG without recoil...