New Toy in .22

[SavageSig]

I went by Guns and Leather today and ended up with a Chiappa "Puma" 1911-22 (Thanks Ben!). Promptly took it downstairs and ran around 200 rounds of junk ammo through. By junk, I mean JUNK: a mix of Remington Golden Bullets, Federal 550, Yellow Jackets, Winchester HV, etc .22 rounds that had settled together in the bottom of my ammo bag. Most of it was a year or two old.

Reliability was pretty good. It wasn't rock solid like my old Cadet, but neither was it a jam-o-matic like my old Mosquito. Using the dirty crap ammo that I had, the pistol only had a handful of failures. Like maybe 4. And I suspect that it had a lot to do with my loading of the magazine and the fact that I didn't clean or lube the pistol before using.

I'm a bit rusty in the pistol shooting department, so I cannot speak to the match grade accuracy purported by gunblast, but shooting this pistol was very much like shooting my old SA 1911 Mil-Spec. The kick wasn't there, but the simple sights, grip angle and heavier single action trigger make this a great trainer for the real thing.

Fit and finish is just OK. It isn't a Wilson Combat, so don't get one expecting that. Grip safety isn't functional, but the thumb safety and slide release are. The pistol is single action, and the trigger is surprisingly stiff. Gunblast says it's around 7 and a half pounds, and my finger-sensor says mine is about the same. Not great for target shooting, but in theory, it should help your real world shooting. It's a bit like practicing with donuts on your bat: that way, when you're doing the real thing, it feels feather light.

Biggest con: the front sight is fixed, and must be *filed down* by the user to adjust for drop. It's shipped from the factory shooting 2-4" low at 25 yards. The instructions suggest rebluing after filing. I guess if it means getting the pistol in my hands at a lower price, that's alright with me. Kind of ghetto, though.

And it is very cheap. Only 289 + tax from the good folks at Guns and Leather. Really a steal.

All in all, I'm rather pleased with my purchase. I forsee more magazines in my future. I'm going to keep the trigger heavy to improve my general shooting skills. If you're in the market for a .22, I'd strongly suggest this one if you're into 1911's at all.

Pics available in a bit.

[gregintenn]

I've been wondering about those. Thanks for the report.

[SavageSig]

Here are some pics:

Notice the plastic magazine

With no built in easy loader, unlike a Neos. However, the mag spring seems very weak, and you don't need a thumb assist to load like a Ruger.

Notice the simple iron sights and fake grip safety. Yup, it is permanently depressed.

No idea what those red dots are for.

[John]

Thanks for the review...

I've been thinking about one of these for a little while maybe I will just have to go out and get one...

[iyaoyas98]

Looks kinda neat. The red dots mean your lock is lined up for fire.

I took the bait, didn't I?