GSG 1911 22 LR 5″ Two-Tone Polished Slide — Superb Rimfire 1911

Description

The GSG 1911 is a full-size 1911 in 22 LR, and this is the configuration that looks like one. A polished slide over a black frame with checkered black grips is the classic two-tone treatment, and underneath the finish it is the same pistol that rimfire 1911 shooters have been using as a trainer for years: correct 1911 controls, a single-action trigger and a 5 inch barrel.

A Rimfire 1911 That Behaves Like a 1911

The reason to buy a rimfire copy of a centerfire pistol is trigger time, and that only works if the copy behaves like the original. The GSG 1911 gets the important parts right: a single-action trigger, a thumb safety and an extended beavertail grip safety in the correct positions, low-profile fixed sights, and full-size 1911 dimensions. Anyone who shoots a 45 ACP 1911 will pick this up and not have to think about anything.

The practical upshot is that drills — draws, reloads, transitions, trigger control at speed — can be run for a small fraction of the ammunition cost, and the muscle memory transfers directly to a centerfire 1911. That is the whole argument for a rimfire trainer, and this one holds up.

Specifications

• Model: GSG 1911
• Caliber: 22 LR
• Barrel: 5 in
• Capacity: 10+1
• Action: single action semi-automatic
• Sights: low profile fixed
• Safeties: thumb safety and extended beavertail grip safety
• Slide: polished
• Frame: black
• Grips: checkered black
• Magazine: one 10-round magazine supplied

A word on ammunition in rimfire semi-automatic pistols generally: they are more particular than rifles about what cycles them. High velocity 40-grain loads in the 1,200 fps range are the safe starting point, and most subsonic or match ammunition designed for bolt guns will be too weak to run the slide reliably. Keep the chamber and breech face clean; rimfire ammunition is dirty and a neglected 22 pistol will start short-stroking long before a 45 would.

Why it is worth considering

• Full-size 1911 controls, dimensions and single-action trigger in 22 LR
• Polished slide over a black frame, the classic two-tone treatment
• Extended beavertail grip safety, so the hammer does not bite
• Correct single-stack 1911 grip width, not a fattened rimfire profile
• Ammunition costs a small fraction of centerfire, so practice actually happens
• 10-round magazine supplied

Who it suits

The GSG 1911 in two-tone suits the 1911 shooter who wants to practice ten times as much for the same money, and the buyer who wants a 1911 that looks like one without the price or the recoil of a centerfire. If the polished slide appeals, this is the version to buy; if you would rather not wipe fingerprints off a gun, the all-black configuration is mechanically identical.

Magazines, Ammunition and Transfer for the GSG 1911

The pistol feeds from a 10-round single-stack magazine, and spares are inexpensive and widely available. As with any rimfire semi-automatic, the magazine is where most reliability problems start and end: keep the follower clean, do not leave them loaded for years at a time, and replace a magazine that starts causing failures rather than trying to diagnose the pistol itself.

For ammunition, high velocity 40-grain copper-plated round nose is the default answer and works in nearly every rimfire pistol made. Importer specifications are published by American Tactical, which brings German Sport Guns into the United States. Compare this pistol with the threaded-barrel AD-OPS in black, the AD-OPS in grey and the GSG FireFly, or browse our full German Sport Guns range.

All firearm orders ship to a licensed FFL dealer for transfer, and MAG5 Firearms will coordinate the paperwork with the dealer of your choice.