22 conversion kit

[T Money]

i have a 38 super and decided to purchase a .22 conversion kit but the conversion kit was a .45 to a .22 and the kit did not fit. i called up the manufacturer and i was told that if i removed the extractor the kit would fit properly. i was wondering if it was safe to fire without the extractor and what kind of side effects will accur.

[vesmcd]

T Money, it's the EJECTOR(the little piece pinned into the frame above the magazine), not the extractor you need to remove. Most .22 conversions ARE made to fit .45's. The main difference is the ejector. The 38super/40/10mm ejector is offset toward the centerline of the frame more than the 45 and doesn't line up with the ejector slot in the conversion slide.The conversions have a built in ejector, so the factory ejector doesn't even have to be in the gun.Rember, the factory ejector is probably pinned in. Take off the slide and look in the frame rails for a small(1/16" hole). Use a long nose 1/16" punch to drive out the pin.Pinch the ejector in the end of a vice jaws(pistol frame pointing up&down) and use a soft faced hammer to tap on frame (if necessary)to remove ejector.
Install conversion kit and burn ammo!
Mine (Ceiner) works best on Remington Golden Bullet ammo($8.50/550 rnds - Wallyworld).

[John]

I think the whole idea of having a conversion kit, is to use it as an interchangeable top-end, on a pistol of a different caliber. If you have a spare frame that you want to convert to a .22 caliber pistol, the above solution is fine, but if you want to be able to fire both calibers easily, removing the ejector is not a good idea.

I am not sure of the dimensions right now, but I would say that the .22 slide could be machined to fit on a .38 frame, without removing the ejector. Any gunsmith worth his lathe, should be able to do it, if the slide dimensions allow it.

Rgds

[vesmcd]

Since we don't know the brand of conversion, altering the slide may or may not be an option. If it's a Ceiner, the answer is no, as per the conversation I just had with Mr.Ceiner.
So, if you use the super for the conversion you may have to remove the ejector, just don't forget to put it back on when you switch back to super.
I found out the hard way that a 1911 doesn't function well without the ejector.
Personally, I would shop around for a frame and the necessary parts to assemble a dedicated bottom end for the conversion.I have a Ranger alloy commander frame that I put a Ceiner commander kit on. Verry light weight,short, easy to handle. Even my girlfriend and her 9 y.o. grandson like to shoot it.