GSG M1911 22 LR 5″ Blued with Wood Grips — Superb Rimfire 1911

Description

The GSG M1911 is the plainest and most traditional configuration in this range, and for a lot of buyers it is the right one. A blued finish over an alloy frame, wood grips, a 5 inch non-threaded barrel and no rail — this is what a 1911 looked like before accessory rails and two-tone finishes, rendered in 22 LR so it costs a tenth as much to shoot.

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 M1911 gets the important parts right: a single-action trigger, a thumb safety and a grip safety in the correct positions, 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 at all.

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 because nothing about the layout has been compromised for the sake of the smaller cartridge.

Specifications

• Model: GSG M1911
• Caliber: 22 LR
• Barrel: 5 in, not threaded
• Capacity: 10+1
• Action: single action semi-automatic
• Frame: alloy
• Finish: blued
• Grips: wood
• Sights: fixed
• Safeties: thumb safety and grip safety
• 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
• Traditional wood grips and blued finish rather than a modern treatment
• No rail and no threaded barrel, so the profile stays close to the original pattern
• The configuration ATI catalogs as California compliant
• Ammunition costs a small fraction of centerfire, so practice actually happens
• 10-round magazine supplied

Who it suits

The GSG M1911 suits the shooter whose centerfire 1911 is a traditional one and who wants a trainer that matches it. It also suits anyone buying a first 1911 in any caliber: the layout, the controls and the manual of arms are all exactly right, and learning them on 22 LR costs almost nothing. If you want a rail or a threaded barrel, the AD-OPS configuration has both; this is the version for people who want neither.

Magazines, Ammunition and Transfer for the GSG M1911

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 two-tone GSG 1911, the threaded-barrel AD-OPS 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.