TargetTalk

I'm purchasing a Marvel conversion unit and am looking for a dedicated frame.. I'm a bit reluctant on picking up a complete Springfield GI and tossing the slide back in the box just to use the frame. So I'm looking at $650+, for the 1911, as a partial investment for this 22.

Is this practical or would it be in my better interest to have a frame completed for me? Would this be a fraction of the price? Advice/Recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Mine was built on a Remsport frame and all the parts are from the best producers in the market. That way you will have an excellent gun, much better than a cheap gun to start with

If you go to Camp Perry they usually have Caspian 2nds for sale there. Some of these have cosmetic defects only and would be a good choice for a dedicated base for a Marvel.

sorry for the double post

I would look for a complete Essex frame,. I have seen them for around 350.00 They are some great frames

If you don't already have a .45 to put the Marvel on then it seems kind of pointless to me since you would not have the advantage of "same gun for all matches". If you DO have a .45 just put the Marvel on it. You would be spending a lot more in gunsmithing in addition to the price of the frame.

Although the Marvel is a fine unit, for the money you are talking of spending you could have a dedicated .22 for Bullseye and International.

Rover wrote:If you don't already have a .45 to put the Marvel on then it seems kind of pointless to me since you would not have the advantage of "same gun for all matches". If you DO have a .45 just put the Marvel on it. You would be spending a lot more in gunsmithing in addition to the price of the frame.

Although the Marvel is a fine unit, for the money you are talking of spending you could have a dedicated .22 for Bullseye and International.

of course the problem there is a lot of people don't want to shoot with a 3.5 pound trigger in the rimfire match if they don't have to, and yet they like the feel and balance of the Marvel. My friends who shoot them for rimfire say that it has raised their 45 scores, even when it is on a dedicated lower.

I'm shooting a Baer Hardball, but I don't want a 4 lb pull.

The object for using a Marvel is to hone my .45 scores. I'm shooting about 100 points under my 22 average which will not do. With limited .45 ammo, I know the Marvel will help.

Anymore suggestions will be helpful.

Thanks.

Orion wrote:I'm purchasing a Marvel conversion unit and am looking for a dedicated frame.. I'm a bit reluctant on picking up a complete Springfield GI and tossing the slide back in the box just to use the frame. So I'm looking at $650+, for the 1911, as a partial investment for this 22.

Is this practical or would it be in my better interest to have a frame completed for me? Would this be a fraction of the price? Advice/Recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Hi Orion,
I did exactly that, I bought a Springfield GI 45 (which is a really impressive gun, by the way) with the intent of making a dedicated lower for my Marvel.

Of course being the consummate amateur gunsmith, I ruined the hammer and sear in short order. A few hundred dollars later with some parts from Cylinder and Slide (really nice stuff, well worth the price) I was set up with a lower for around $750, about what Rock River was charging at the time (not that mine is that nice).

After all is said and done, the conclusion I came to was that the Marvel as a dedicated 22 was not worth the price. As a 45 training device (or part of a 3 gun setup) it makes more sense, but why not just use your 45 lower?

What I may do now is to send out the Springfield to be set up as a regular Bullseye gun, then I'll have the combination to use as a pair. This makes more sense to me. If you might want another 45 but just not now, I'd buy the GI 45 and just put the upper parts on the shelf for now. Who knows what you'll want to do in a few years? A cheap frame is not that much cheaper than a GI 45 after you get the trigger done, and you'll get a significant head start on another 45 in the future if you choose.

What I don't understand is why some people seem to be reluctant to swap over from Marvel to 45 on the same frame in a match. Seems easy to me.

Steve.

Orion:

Back to your original post and follow up. I don't understand the fact that you don't want to shoot the marvel on the Les Baer since the trigger is about 4 pounds; but want to shoot to improve your .45 scores? From my experience, this is exactly what we need to do to train for shooting the .45 ball matches. It ain't the recoil, but the sight alignment and trigger process that will determine how well we do with the .45 in ball matches. Been there, done that, got the patches. As a matter of fact, my Bullseye marvel runs +3.5 pound triggers all the time so the transition to CF / .45 is nothing.

Also, I know running a marvel on a Les Baer is not a problem, no wear on the frame rails due to the aluminum slide. I use one on a LB Premier II as a backup bullseye .22 for quite a number of years. I've used marvels from the original series through the "H" series with no problems, although some marvel slide stops might be a bit tight in the LB frame. LB's generally hold the magazines pretty tight and generally high enough to negate most of the feeding problems you hear about using older Colt, Essex, etc. frames.

I highly recommend getting an open sight marvel, adding a axle bushing to the end of the barrel for weight (compensators / anything that sticks past the barrel end requires cleanding), and get to traning. (Not just shooting, but training which is entirely different, but another subject anyway.)

From your location, it looks like your close to our area so please check out the Sir Walter Gun Club and Durham Pistol and Rifle Club bullseye matches. Hope you can make it out to the matches sometime.

Cecil Rhodes

CR10X,

You make a good point. I'll pass on getting a dedicated frame right now and use what I got.

I'm heading that way in about 5 weeks, still in AF training.

I'll be shooting in every match in the area, starting in May. Looking forward to getting back to the firing line.

Thanks.