Red dot on a SIG / GSG 1911-22LR?

[basicblur]

Anybody in here have any experience / suggestions AFA mounting a red dot on a SIG / GSG 1911-22LR?

Been thinking 'bout playing with a red dot on a handgun just to see how I like it. I have a SIG 1911-22LR in FDE, and darn if I didn't run across one that I thought I'd like to copy, but the owner says about 2 weeks after mounting the Leupold red dot on the slide, the slide cracked.

I assume because the slide is made of a zinc alloy to keep the weight down (and reduce cycling problems since it's a 22LR), I'm screwed AFA trying to mount on the slide?

I'd considered buying another, identical pistol and building a poor man's race gun to shoot side by side with a stock gun jest fer fun / experience.

I would post a pix, but don't know how the owner would feel about it, so here's a link to the gun that got my interest:
http://www.cwaccessories.com/Photo-Gallery.html

It's the next to last picture on the page labeled SIG with Leopold red dot, custom made mount, long black base pad.

I guess I'll start looking at frame mounted red dot bases, but I sure did want to keep it clean by sticking with a slide mounted red dot.

If I can't mount it on the slide, I may just have to can that idea?

Talked to the shop today - they said they'd probably not Cerakote the magazines - figured they'd get scratched up in a hurry.
Looks like he's Cerakoted the compensator, grip safety, backstrap, magwell, magazines, and base pads.

The Wilson grips sure seem to have a brownish tint in the picture (which I like), but he says they're black - apparently just look brown due to the lighting.
At's a shame, as I like the brown tint on the grips on the FDE gun.

Any suggestions / experience appreciated!

 

[wally]

I love the little slide mounted red dots but have never tried one on a pot metal pistol.

Buy a metal pistol like the S&W M22A, Beretta Neos, Browning Buckmark, or Ruger 22/45 and you can try a red dot cheaply with a Primary Arms MD-09 or Bushnell TRS-25.

As far as I know the SIG 1911 is another version of the GSG pot metal pistol, I'd ask the original owner how its held up assuming he's run several thousand rounds.

The Burris Fastfire is a very good place to start for a "reflex" type of red dot, in fact its the cheapest I've found that you can count on and they have a great warranty.

 

[basicblur]

Doing a little more research, it sounds like the SIG slide may be aluminum.

I had to sign up on Rimfire Central in order to try to dig up some info - still no luck on anyone with experience mounting a red dot to the SIG slide.

As far as I know the SIG 1911 is another version of the GSG pot metal pistol, I'd ask the original owner how its held up assuming he's run several thousand rounds.

As stated in the OP, his SIG slide cracked about two weeks after mounting the Leupold red dot in a dovetail slide mount.

Did run across this post with lots of details on the SIG as well as differences between it and the GSG.

 

[Fishbed77]

Doing a little more research, it sounds like the SIG slide may be aluminum.

I'm pretty sure it's potmetal. My brother has one and the slide material is incredibly soft.

 

[zerobarrier]

My Sig 1911 with burris fastfire III

 

[basicblur]

Just talked to CW Accessories (Chet Whistle) and he said the slide cracked @ around 1k rounds - he said Dawson Precision used to advertise an adjustable rear site for the SIG / GSG, but pulled (the description) of the sight for the SIG / GSG - he assumes because folks may have had problems with the slide (cracking?) when mounting the Dawson Precision Rear Sight.

He said he thinks they still make the sight, but don't advertise it as for a SIG / GSG 1911.

Starting to look like mounting a red dot on the slide is a no-go.

At sucks, as I really like the clean look of a red dot mounted directly to the slide.

 

[zerobarrier]

You could do what I did then have the slide cerakoted in FDE. Me - I like the two tone look. I also got his shooter special#1 pack. I am very happy with it

 

[basicblur]

You could do what I did then have the slide cerakoted in FDE.

Was trying to do this on somewhat of a budget - buying the custom slide sold by CW Accessories then having it Cerakoted is stretching the budget a bit, 'specially if I buy a 2nd pistol.
'Course, I was going to get the compensator, mags, magwell, grip safety, backstrap and ? Cerakoted, so having the slide done also probably wouldn't add that much to the cost?

Not saying I won't eventually go that route, but still researching (and hoping)!

 

[zerobarrier]

Yeah you could always cerakote it later on like during the winter months to help with the costs now. It can get expensive I think I have around $1100 into that pistol.

 

[basicblur]

My Sig 1911 with burris fastfire III

Nice grips - what are they (VZ)?

I know I've seen them before - probably got a pix to them stored in my gun pix for possible future purchases.

I'm probably going with the Wilson Starburst grips - just wish I could get 'em with a brown tint to match the FDE of the gun.

 

[zerobarrier]

I know what you mean about the wilson starburst brown grips, I searched but could not find them. Those ar VZgrips I believe the operators maybe operators II in hyena brown

 

[basicblur]

I know what you mean about the wilson starburst brown grips, I searched but could not find them.

Well I decided to "bite the bullet" and buy another SIG 1911-22 (gotta stay off Slickguns.com!) - going to make this one a poor man's (I hope!) racegun and keep my original stock - should make for interesting play at the range to see how they compare.

When researching the Wilson Combat sights, I stumbled across the same sights in Black / Gray - just ordered them. I may end up returning them for the Black G10 Starburst grips, but I'm hoping the Black / Gray is more "less black" than gray? I'm wondering if the race gun @ CW Associates has the black /gray grips, although he told me they were black?

Wilson G10 Starburst Grips in Black / Gray.
Wilson G10 Starburst Grips in Black.

Still researching red dots / mounts - it's a shame the OEM slide will apparently not hold up to a dovetail mounted red dot.

I may let a gunsmith take a look and see about milling the top of the slide flat in order to accept a red dot mounting plate.

 

[basicblur]

Just called SIG... :banghead:

Was investigating the possibility of getting an OEM slide to experiment on - figured if it screwed up, just toss it and chalk it up to experience.

SIG will not sell the slide - you have to send the gun in to have the slide fitted.
Cost is $150 for an OEM FDE slide, $55 round trip shipping (no mention made of labor or ?).
If I were to go the CW Accessories EXoSKELETON route (which requires transferring some internal slide parts), I checked on buying those parts so I wouldn't have to rob the OEM slide parts. SIG will not sell those parts either (have to send the gun in)!

SIG is really becoming one prima donna PITA!

I had earlier checked on getting extra baseplates for my Mosquito in Desert Digital Camo (the gun came with 1, and all replacement mags have black baseplates), only to find SIG doesn't sell (or offer) magazine parts!

I contacted GSG / Germany (maker of both the Mosquito and 1911-22) trying to find info on getting the Desert Digital Camo basepads, but never got a reply.

 

[Sol]

Couldn't you have just gotten a 1911 in .45 and then purchase a 22 conversion for it?

I haven't priced a 22 conversion for a 1911...Could be pricey.

 

[basicblur]

Couldn't you have just gotten a 1911 in .45 and then purchase a 22 conversion for it?

I'm not real big on (most) conversions, and this thing is kinda getting away from me!

I just stumbled across this:
1. March 2011 issue of Guns Magazine has an article on the recently released GSG 1911-22, and on page 83 they have a short article on mounting a Burris Fast Fire II using the Burris Adjustable Novak Dovetail Mount. - they say "The Novak -type dovetail mount is correct for the GSG1911"!
http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/FMGPublications/GUNS/GUNS0311/?page=12

2. Called Burris - said I'd want the Fastfire III (figured I would), and he says they don't know of folks having problems with slides cracking as long as you use the correct mount - he said some folks have run into problems when using the wrong mount. He says I need mount 410322.
http://www.burrisoptics.com/fastfire.html

Things are starting to look up!?
I had already decided on using Burris Fastfires as my baseline, since they seem to get good reviews. I'm now mulling over whether to try the Burris Fastfire III using their (correct) dovetail mount?

Still a little worried, as the article in Guns Magazine was just a short blurb - no mention made of how it functioned, long term problems, etc?
CW Accessories made no mention of function problems with his setup before it cracked the slide - his dovetail mount was custom made.

 

[wally]

I haven't priced a 22 conversion for a 1911...Could be pricey.

Even the Marvel which is generally regarded as the best costs less than a second SIG/GSR .22lr caliber 1911. But if you don't already have a .45ACP 1911 the question is why not?

 

[basicblur]

In for a penny, in for a pound...
I guess it's too late now - looks like I'm all in at this point!

Wilson Combat Grips in Black / Gray on the way - a variety of parts from CW Associates (compensator, magwell / backstrap combo, couple of power magazine springs) and Nic Tayor (+1 & +3 basepads, +3 followers, grip tape for frontstrap and basepads).

Lucked up and scored a Burris FastFire III from Overstock.com for $188 delivered (10% off for signing up for their e-mails), and a Burris Adjustable/Novak Mount off eBay.

Seems I got off on the wrong track AFA slides cracking?
Googling lately has resulted in a gold mine of info AFA red dots mounted to SIG / GSG slides - 'course, not many long term reports found yet.

I plan on getting it pretty darn close to Chet Whistle's (CW Accessories) original race gun (thanks to him for allowing me to post the photo).

Will probably stick it all on there and test / debug - later on, may have all the add-ons Cerakoted to match, and it will give me little time to see how the OEM finish on the slide holds up. Reports seem to indicate it's very prone to wear.

If it does seem to be wearing after a while, I may have the slide Cerakoted along with all the other stuff - maybe this winter?

 

[basicblur]

Just an update...

Got the 1911-22 back from the shop yesterday - he:
1. Mounted the Burris FastFire III.
2. Timed the compensator - had to use a shim - original plan was to remove enough material from the barrel end of the compensator (per instructions), but the gunsmith said the body of the compensator would have ended up hitting the bushing. The timing was around 270 degrees off - if I go back and get the compensator Cerakoted (along with the magwell, mainspring housing, grip safety, and magazines), he could remove material from the compensator body (to keep from hitting the bushing) since it was going to be refinished.
3. All the +4 followers from NicTaylor00 would not allow the magazine to drop free when at slide lock - had to rip the magazine out. Fortunately, it took only one 17-rd. magazine run thru the gun to cure that problem? After the first mag dump, the magazine started dropping free - have run only 34 rounds thru it so far.
4. The mags with the +4 follower, +3 basepad, and stock spring worked fine on all rounds - I got some extra power mag springs from CW Accessories (just in case), but so far the stock springs seem to do OK.
5. The Burris FastFire III seems to have no negative affect on the operation so far.

Going to play with it a while, and will probably carry it back to the 'smith to get the compensator, magwell, backstrap, grip safety, and a few mags Cerakoted in FDE to match the gun. Think I'm going to leave the +3 baseplates black.