Review: GSG 1911

[mjrducky]

I've seen alot of intrest again on the GSG 1911's that shoot 22LR.

There actually are quite a few reviews already on INGO and on the webs but I thought I would put a "quick" one together for those still looking.

I'll start by saying if you like a 1911 theres no reason you wouldn't like this. If you don't like true 1911's because of the recoil with the 45ACP, then you might like this instead.

This is a target pistol, terrific shooter, excellent control with the 22LR and has the ability to add a suppressor to it for quiet fun.

The GSG is very well balanced in my opinion and thats with the mag loaded. It has a very smooth trigger, almost no felt recoil, and has an all around terrific design around the 22 from the ground up.

Even the magazines are nice and heavy, well made, easy to load. I think the extra mags are a little spendy at this time. I think as the market gets more of them they will come down in price. However they are not the cheap plastic I see in many 22's these days. Each magazine holds up to 10 rounds.

The barrel comes threaded with the end cap just like a P22. Many of the suppressor manufacturers are starting to make the thread adapter for it.


Pros:
Price about the same as some conversion kits.
Well made and great shooter
cheap to shoot with the 22
My wife likes to shoot it with me

Cons:
Magazine prices
I personally dont like the mag disconnect
I can't shoot it as much as I want (my wife is always shooting it)

A few pictures: and a video - thanks to OEF5 for modeling

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yaPCrYqVTc"]YouTube - GSG 1911 with Thompson Zephyr XL suppressor[/ame]

 

[Principal Skinr]

I love my GSG! Where have you found spare magazines and for how much? I'd like to pick up a few and take this thing to Friday Night Steel!

 

[mjrducky]

Anybody who sells the GSG should be able to get them. I've found them on the webs for 30.00 plus shipping and 21st Century has them in stock for around 39 plus tax.

YMMV

 

[kalboy]

Good review. Very interesting. Thanks for the scoop!

 

[OEF5]

Great review!

Who's the handsome guy you got shooting that weapon. Holy crap it's quiet!

 

[theweakerbrother]

Awesome review, Major! One day, I'm going to take one of these puppies home. Maybe even something that makes them go pew pew pew.

 

[Fenway]

I own one of these pistols and have yet to shoot it.... Appreciate the review. Great pics and movie as well! Awesome!

 

[GNRPowdeR]

It's been a year from the initial review and I'm wondering how everyone's GSG's are holding up? Looking to invest in a new plinker before Spring and this one has my attention...

TYIA,
GNRPowdeR

 

[gglass]

It's been a year from the initial review and I'm wondering how everyone's GSG's are holding up? Looking to invest in a new plinker before Spring and this one has my attention...

TYIA,
GNRPowdeR

My GSG1911-22 has almost 19,000 rounds through it since last September. It is as accurate and dependable today as the day I bought it.

Here is the list of breakages, and the cause for each:

• Broken Barrel Bushing - The bushing broke around the 2000 round mark, and ATI replaced it with a steel bushing. This was a known issue with the first GSG1911's and has since been corrected by GSG.
• Broken Firing Pin - The FP broke around the 10,000 round mark, and was repaired by ATI with a trip back to them. If the design has a weakness it is the Firing pin and its complex design... It is not just a straight piece of metal.
• Stripped Barrel Threads - The barrel retention threads stripped at around the 14,000 round mark, and the fault is entirely my own... I over-torqued the barrel retention screw too many times. ATI replace the entire barrel, even though it was user error that caused this condition.

I highly recommend the GSG1911, and consider it reliable. My pistol has had a couple breakages, but then again... I don't consider my high-round count GSG1911 a typical example.

This is an example of the GSG1911's accuracy at around 18,000 rounds fired. This is an extreme test of accuracy at 100 yards:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRJE87Gd86M[/ame]

 

[mjrducky]

It's been a year from the initial review and I'm wondering how everyone's GSG's are holding up? Looking to invest in a new plinker before Spring and this one has my attention...

TYIA,
GNRPowdeR

I have put over 10K rounds through mine without any problems minus the occasional FTE when it's very dirty. It's still a great gun to just plink with.

 

[teddy12b]

I've been debating on what 1911 22lr to buy. I want to get something that's reliable and will last a lifetime and this GSG shows some promise. Is there an easy way to see what generation of gsg1911 it is? I used to have a gsg-5 and there were soem differences made over their generations that were easy to spot from the outside.

 

[gglass]

I've been debating on what 1911 22lr to buy. I want to get something that's reliable and will last a lifetime and this GSG shows some promise. Is there an easy way to see what generation of gsg1911 it is? I used to have a gsg-5 and there were soem differences made over their generations that were easy to spot from the outside.

GSG1911's fly off the shelf so fast, that anything you buy today from a dealer will be the latest generation, and will have the latest parts.

My advice is to go for it... You won't regret it.