Sig Arms P245 Compact Pistol

The American Rifleman has used the phrase “Dope Bag” at least since 1921, when Col. Townsend Whelen first titled his column with it. Even then, it had been in use for years, referring to a sack used by target shooters to hold ammunition and accessories on the firing line.“Sight dope”also was a traditional marksman’s term for sight adjustment information, while judging wind speed and direction was called “doping the wind.” CAUTION: Technical data and information con- tained herein are intended to provide information based on the limited experience of individuals under specific conditions and circumstances. They do not detail the comprehensive training procedures, techniques and safety precautions absolutely necessary to properly carry on similar activity.Read the notice and disclaimer on the contents page. Always consult comprehensive reference manuals and bulletins for details of proper training requirements, procedures, techniques and safety precautions before attempting any similar activity. ® SIG ARMS P245 COMPACT PISTOL

The P245 pistol mirrors the basic design of the proven P220. The frame is alu- SIG Arms’ new P245 Compact pistol in .45 ACP is approx- minum alloy and the slide is carbon steel. imately 1/2" shorter in both length and height than its par- ent gun, the P220.The P245 pistol displays accuracy and qual- Operation of the P245 mirrors the ity workmanship fully in keeping with the company’s tradi- P220. The pistol is recoil-operated with a linkless, cam surface on the barrel lug that O .45 ACP shooters, the Sig-Sauer The new P245 Compact is approximate- moves the barrel upward to lock and down- P220 pistol has become a modern ly 1/2" shorter in length, more than 1/2" ward to unlock. There is no barrel bushing. Ticon epitomizing many of the latest shorter in height and 2 ozs. lighter than the Fire control is double-action/single-action features in a large-bore pistol. Accuracy of full-size P220. Although substantially with a decocking lever on the left side of the most P220 pistols is exceptionally good as smaller, the P245’s single-column maga- frame. Pressing the decocking lever down is handling and balance. The P220 is well- zine still holds six rounds (the P220’s holds drops the hammer into a notch in the sear known also for its durability and quality seven). The P245’s magazine has a polymer that holds the hammer away from the back workmanship. It is no surprise, then, that the base with a recurved finger rest on the front of the slide for safety. This is backed up by P220 has become a favorite duty gun for law lip and a polished steel body with five 1/4" an automatic firing pin safety that locks the enforcement officers who carry .45 ACP holes on each side showing the number of firing pin in place until the trigger has been pistols. But, for all these good things, the cartridges remaining. Another plus is a well- pulled. There is also a disconnector. P220 remains a large, service pistol ill-suit- designed, polymer follower that assists Location and function of all levers on the ed, due to its size, for discreet carry. There smooth feeding. Pressing the magazine P245 are identical to those of the P220. was a real need for a compact pistol in .45 release button allows the magazine to Disassembly and assembly of the P245 ACP with all the modern features and dura- instantly fall free. follow the same procedures as for the bility of the P220. SIG Arms now offers such a model—the P245 Compact. SHOOTING RESULTS

Like the P220, all .45 ACP Vel.@ 15' Energy Recoil Smallest Largest Average operating levers Cartridge (f.p.s.) (ft.-lbs.) (ft.-lbs.) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.) on the new P245 Winchester 230-gr. FMJ 772 Avg. 304 7.2 2.61 3.70 3.39 Compact in .45 No. Q4170 7 Sd ACP are located on the left side of Remington 185-gr. JHP +P 1051 Avg. 454 9.6 2.16 4.21 2.96 the frame. Sights No. GS45APC 14 Sd are a notch rear Speer 230-gr. JHP 767 Avg. 300 7.2 1.54 3.14 2.24 adjustable for No. 23966 12 Sd windage with a Average Extreme Spread: 2.86 vertical white indicator line Measured average velocity for 10 rounds from a 3.9" barrel. Range temperature: 59° F. and a front post Humidity: 70% Accuracy for five consecutive, five-shot groups at 25 yds. fired from sandbag rest. Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), FMJ (full metal jacket), JHP (jacketed hollow point). with a white dot.

50 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1999 from SIG Arms. This is immediately appar- The P245 employs a hook ent when one picks up the pistol. It also feels extractor on the right rear of the ejection port solid and hefts well. Operation was smooth, (arrow). The ejector but could be smoother with a small amount is mounted on the of detail hand work. Unlike the P220, how- frame’s right side. ever, the unloaded P245 is slightly muzzle heavy. Some shooters found this annoying while others did not. With the magazine fully loaded with six rounds, this condition all but disappears. The slide is finished with a matte-black polymer coating that substantially reduces glare on the sighting plan. This eliminates P220, and is easily accomplished for rou- the need for serrating the top of the slide. A passive firing pin safety locks the firing tine maintenance and cleaning without The aluminum frame has a matte-black, pin in place until moved out of engagement special tools . anodized finish that closely matches that when the trigger is pulled, allowing firing. The P220’s checkered, composite grip on the slide and should prove quite panels are comfortable and attractive, and durable. On the P245, the 3.9" barrel also Controllability and perceived recoil are considered by many to be one the pis- sports a blued finish except for the flat top become significant factors in compact, tol’s best features. On the P245, these have surface of the chamber, which has been large-bore pistols. In this regard, the P245 been exchanged for a pair of composite polished with a natural finish. The P245 is no exception—recoil with service and panels with a pebbled surface texture on barrel is stamped “.45 Auto” on the right +P loads is heavy. A buffer in the recoil both the sides and the backstrap. Many side of the chamber. spring guide rod would help controllabil- shooters who fired the P245 opined that the Fine horizontal grooves have been cut ity when firing +P ammunition. Grip pan- new grip panels felt too thick and the pull into the front strap, and the rear of the grip els made of Santoprene or similar recoil too long, resulting in grips that were not as panels have a pebbled surface—both of attenuating material would help tame comfortable as the old recoil as well, though such material tends model. Suggested im- We particularly liked the to “grab” on fabric when carried under provements included feed ramp (arrow), the clothing. thinner side panels, a polymer magazine follower P220 pistols are famous for their out- shorter pull length and and the low cartridge lift, of-the-box accuracy, and the P245 upholds old-style checkering. all of which contribute to that tradition. We found accuracy excep- Workmanship, fit the reliability of SIG Arms’ tional—see the accompanying table for a and finish of the P245 new P245 Compact pistol. summary of the results. Our test P245 pis- are consistent with the tol was fired with no problems whatsoev- high standards shooters er through several hundred rounds of .45 have come to expect ACP having both FMJ and JHP bullets in weights from 165- to 230-grs. The pistol also handled +P ammunition without com- SIGARMS P245 plaint, although recoil was increased as would be expected. We must comment MANUFACTURER: SIG-Sauer GmbH, favorably on SIG’s design of the feed Sauerstrasse 2-6, D-24340 ramp, polymer magazine follower and Eckernforde, Germany IMPORTER: SIG Arms, Inc. (Dept. AR), minimal cartridge lift, which all contribute Corporate Park, Exeter, NH 03833; to jam-free, reliable feeding. Nonetheless, (603) 772-2302 we found the magazines difficult to load CALIBER: .45 ACP with five rounds and a real thumb buster ACTION TYPE: Recoil-operated, semi- to load with six. A magazine loading tool The frame of the new SIG Arms P245 com- automatic pistol would make for a welcome accessory. CONSTRUCTION: aluminum alloy frame, pact pistol is made of aluminum alloy with carbon steel slide a black anodized finish. Magazine capacity We also particularly liked the P245’s FINISH: blue standard; two-tone or with the shortened frame is six cartridges. sights. These low-profile, high-visibility K-Kote optional units consist of a wide, front blade with a MAGAZINE CAPACITY: six, single-column which help grip purchase, which becomes large white dot and a drift-adjustable rear 1 OVERALL LENGTH: 7 ⁄8" important on large bore, compact pistols. with a suitably large notch highlighted by 3 WIDTH: 1 ⁄8" In keeping with its intended purpose, the a white indicator line on the bottom. They HEIGHT: 5" BARREL: 3.9" length, hammer forged, P245 has been dehorned on the front edges proved simple, robust and effective, The carbon steel of the slide and frame, but several sharp front post is available in different heights RIFLING: six-grooves, 1:16" RH twist edges remain. Some testers also thought to match ammunition selection. A SIG rear SIGHTS: white dot front, white indicator SIG Arms should eliminate the pointed sight pusher tool (available at extra cost) notch rear, drift adjustable for windage; lower edge on the recurved trigger bow. will ease drifting the rear sight if required. Siglite tritium night sights optional At 26 ozs. empty, the P245 is no light- The P245 is an excellent combination TRIGGER: double-action: single action, 1 weight. There are compact, large-bore pis- of advanced safety features, reliability, 5-lb. pull; double-action, 10 ⁄2-lb. pull STOCKS: two-piece, pebbled, black tols on the market today that weigh con- accuracy and high-quality workmanship composite siderably less (approximately 22 ozs. for that are easily worth the price. We could WEIGHT EMPTY: 26 ozs. example). While the lighter weight of such not find a brand or load of ammunition it ACCESSORIES: extra magazine, lockable pistols may aggravate perceived recoil, did not accept. Furthermore, SIG Arms plastic carry case, trigger lock pistols in this class are generally not fired backs each P245 with a one-year warran- SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $750 much, so recoil will be preferable to added ty on parts and labor against defects in weight for some owners. materials or workmanship.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1999 51 WEATHERBY SAS SHOTGUN

After a 10-year sabbatical from the semi-auto shotgun market, Weatherby is back with the Model SAS.The new shotgun has a self-com- 3 pensating gas system that shoots 2 ⁄4" or 3"shells without adjustment.

EMI-AUTOMATIC shotguns have been adjustment. As times change, so do shooter offered in the past by Weatherby, Inc. expectations and gun design. These changes SThe first reviewed in these pages was manifested themselves as the Weatherby the Centurion (Nov. 1972, p. 66), which was Centurion II with a 3" chamber, then the designed by Fred Jennie and produced in Model 82 semi-automatic (July 1982,p. 54). Japan. At that time, this shotgun was New to this model were Weatherby’s Multi- remarkable for its ability to fire either stan- Choke changeable choke tubes. This short- 3 dard or magnum 2 ⁄4" 12-ga. shells without lived gun was cataloged until 1989. After a decade-long sabbatical from the semi-automatic shotgun market, Weatherby Five stainless steel Integral Multi-Choke gave in to customer demands this year with (IMC) tubes come standard with the the introduction of the new Model SAS. The Weatherby SAS shotgun. The tubes are Weatherby SAS is a version of the SKB XL made by Briley and are certified for steel semi-auto (April 1979, p. 66), which had a shot through modified choke constriction. 3 separate barrel for 2 ⁄4" shells and one for 3" shells. We were first introduced to the new easy for a different shell or shot size to be shotgun at a writer’s seminar in November single-loaded as needed—a situation often 1998. There we had the opportunity to fire encountered when waterfowling. The bolt pre-production, advanced prototypes on release, aside from serving its obvious func- skeet and five-stand clays. An early tion, must be depressed to release the carri- Weatherby Model SAS was recently er so shells can be loaded into the four- The bolt release must be depressed to load received by the NRA Technical Staff to be round-capacity magazine tube. If need be, shells into the tubular magazine.This proved tested and evaluated. magazine capacity can be limited to two to be something of a nuisance when we The stock is satin oil-finished, grade III, rounds by inserting the supplied plastic plug took the Weatherby SAS goose hunting. American claro walnut with black, plastic into the front of the magazine tube. The plug pistol grip and rear fore-end caps. Cut is simply inserted and retained by the mag- checkering of 18 lines per inch wraps azine cap and does not have to be under the WEATHERBY SAS around the fore-end and is found on both magazine spring retaining ring like on most MANUFACTURER: New SKB Arms Co., pistol grip panels. A 1/2"-thick, solid, brown other shotguns. C.P.O. Box 141 Tokyo, Japan rubber recoil pad with black, plastic spacer Production Weatherby SAS shotguns IMPORTER: Weatherby, Inc. (Dept. AR), completes the stock. have a self-compensating gas system that 3 3100 El Camino Real, Atascadero, CA An aluminum alloy receiver finished in handles all 2 ⁄4" and 3" shells without 93422; (805) 466-1767 satin black has a somewhat shadbelly pro- adjustment. Like on the production SKB GAUGE: 12, 3" file and is tastefully adorned with the XL, early Weatherby SAS prototype guns ACTION TYPE: gas-operated, semi- automatic shotgun Weatherby name on each side. A magazine had a manual adjustment valve. Production RECEIVER: aluminum alloy cut-off is on the left of the receiver, while guns do not have this valve and rely instead FINISH: satin black receiver, blued barrel the bolt release is on the right. The cut-off on one size gas ports to admit the correct 3 OVERALL LENGTH: 48 ⁄8" is used to prevent shells from feeding from amount of gas needed to work the action. BARREL: 28" (tested), 30" the tubular magazine. This feature makes it When the gun is fired, powder gas enter- WEIGHT: 7 lbs., 6 ozs. MAGAZINE: four-round-capacity tubular Gas enters the SAS’s gas system through two ports in the underside of the barrel. 1 TRIGGER: single-stage, 4 ⁄2"-lb. pull When the shotgun is fired, this gas thrusts the piston and slide assembly rearward. STOCK: oil-finished, grade III, American The excess gas is exhausted out the top of the fore-end on either side of the barrel. 1 claro walnut: length of pull, 14 ⁄8"; drop 5 3 at heel, 2 ⁄8"; drop at comb, 1 ⁄4" CHOKE SYSTEM: screw-in Multi-Choke System by Briley, compatible with steel shot through modified ACCESSORIES: skeet, improved cylinder, modified, improved modified and full Briley choke tubes; choke tube key, magazine plug SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $749

52 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1999 Tubes are certified for steel WEATHERBY shot through modified MODEL SAS choke constriction. The Weatherby Model AVERAGE OF 10 PATTERNS SAS was patterned with the AT 40 YDS. results shown in the accompanying table, and function 31 26 fired with a variety of lead and steel shotshell loads. There were no malfunctions Four shells fit in the tubular magazine. Where certain laws apply— 48 49 especially when hunting waterfowl—capacity is limited by installing of any kind, and the gas sys- the supplied, plastic magazine plug.The plug is secured by the fore-end 41 42 tem did a credible job of cap, and need not be secured under the follower spring’s retaining ring. reducing felt recoil. Patterns from the modified tube 27 22 ing the gas cylinder through two barrel ports ger-blocking crossbolt in were more like those from a thrusts the piston and slide assembly rear- the rear of the trigger full choke. Depressing the ward. After approximately 5/16" travel, a guard behind the non- Modified Choke bolt release when loading carrier on the slide assembly pivots the lock- adjustable, gold-plated shells into the magazine ing block in the breechbolt downward out trigger. = Point of Hold proved to be something of a Winchester XX Magnum of engagement with the barrel extension. Our sample’s 28", vent Extra Long Range nuisance, especially when 7 we took the Weatherby SAS The piston and slide assembly continue rib barrel is equipped with 12-ga., 3"-1 ⁄8 oz.- No. 6 lead rearward until the fired shell is extracted and a single gold bead and is Pellet count—395 goose hunting. We recom- ejected. As the bolt moves rearward, an heavily swamped to Measured vel. @ 3': 1124 f.p.s. mend Weatherby consider operating rod at its rear compresses a butt- reduce weight and provide Remaining Energy Per Pellet eliminating this feature. The stock-housed coil spring that thrusts the bolt enough metal near the @ 40 yds.: 2.82 ft.-lbs. gun handles well though, forward again at the end of its rearward trav- muzzle to accommodate and points naturally. el. Gas is exhausted out the top of the fore- Weatherby’s screw-in Total Hits 286 (72%) Weatherby’s Model 21.2" Inner Circle 180 (46%) SAS is a good design and a end on either side of the barrel. Integral Multi-Choke 30" Outer Ring 106 (27%) Extraction is by way of a convention- (IMC) system. Five stain- well-made shotgun on al, single hook on the right side of the bolt, less steel, interchangeable which to base Weatherby’s and ejection occurs when the shell rim hits choke tubes—skeet,improved cylinder,mod- re-entry into the semi-automatic shotgun a small semi-circular stud in the barrel ified, improved modified and full—made for market. The gun functions well, is aestheti- extension. The reversible safety is a trig- Weatherby by Briley come with the gun. cally appealing and competitively priced. REMINGTON 597 MAGNUM

Remington has added the Model 597 Magnum chambered for the .22 WMR cartridge to its new rimfire autoloading rifle line.The added power of the .22 WMR makes the 597 Magnum versatile

N 1998, Remington introduced a new brown-laminated-stocked, stainless .22 which we received for testing. family of autoloading rimfire rifles des- Long Rifle Model 597 LSS and a black syn- The one-piece, black synthetic stock is Iignated the 597 series. Four models are thetic-stocked, stainless Model 597 SS. In well thought out. Though mostly hollow, it offered in .22 Long Rifle: a black synthet- addition to the .22 LR chambering, feels solid; having a modest beaver-tail fore- ic-stocked, blued, Model 597; a wooden- Remington now offers the 597 Magnum end, straight buttstock and generous pistol stocked, blued, Model 597 Sporter; a series, which follows the general lines of the grip. The upper contour of the stock’s wrist 597 (April 1998, p. 54), but is chambered matches that of the top of the receiver, which for the more powerful .22 Winchester creates a pleasing blending effect. A 1/4"- Magnum Rimfire (WMR). It is offered in thick, black plastic buttplate is press-fit into two versions: the blued, laminated-stocked the stock, as is the black plastic grip cap. Model 597 Magnum LS; and the black syn- Both are embellished with Remington thetic-stocked, blued Model 597 Magnum, logos—one of the old style on the butt and the new script “R” on the grip cap. The magazine release is at the front of the The magazine housing and trigger trigger guard. Pulling the release to the guard is one piece of plastic connected by rear frees the eight-round box magazine. a solid web of plastic. The trigger assem-

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1999 53 bly is a simple arrangement consisting of the trigger itself, two-piece trigger bar, SHOOTING RESULTS sear, skeletonized hammer and hammer spring. The rear piece of the trigger bar has .22 WMR Vel. @ 15' Energy Recoil Smallest Largest Average an upward extension that functions as a dis- Cartridge (f.p.s.) (ft.-lbs) (ft.-lbs) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.) connector when depressed by the bolt’s Federal No. P765 2153 Avg. 309 0.5 0.65 0.85 0.74 most rearward travel. The manual warns 30-gr. JHP 36 Sd against pulling the trigger while the gun is Remington No. R22M1 1717 Avg. 262 0.5 0.65 1.09 0.87 disassembled. This action may upset the 40-gr. JHP 22 Sd sear position and require the attention of a Winchester No. X22MH 1809 Avg. 291 0.5 0.63 1.02 0.82 gunsmith for correction. 40-gr. JHP 33 Sd The magazine release is in the front half Average Extreme Spread: 0.81 of the trigger assembly,and is pulled straight back to release the magazine by way of an Measured average velocity for 10 rounds from a 16" barrel. Range temperature: 50° F. Humidity: 35%. Accuracy for five consecutive 10-shot groups at 50 yds. from a sandbag rest. extension of the release button in the right Abbreviations: Sd (standard deviation), JHP (jacketed hollow-point) of the stock. Though the release is posi- tioned with right-handed shooters in mind, left-handed staff members found it conve- The 597 Magnum is equipped with satin- nient to operate. blued, steel metallic sights consisting of a A small spring-loaded bar atop the mag- fixed, ramped front blade with white bead azine well acts as a bolt hold-open device. and square notch rear, screw-adjustable for When an empty magazine is inserted or the windage and elevation. To accommodate magazine runs empty when firing, an exten- optical sights, the tubular receiver is pro- sion on the left of the red, plastic magazine vided with a dovetail rail for tip off scope follower lifts the bolt hold open into the bolt’s mounts. It is also drilled and tapped for a The fire control arrangement is straight- path. Cartridges in the magazine position the one-piece scope mount sold separately. The forward and the rear of the trigger bar has follower too low to engage the hold open. The one-piece mount takes full-size Weaver- an extension that acts as a disconnector. magazine itself is a detachable, black plastic type rings for use with 1" or 30 mm scopes. box with a capacity of eight rounds. All of these internal and external features The 597 Magnum we tested was equipped The barrel is attached to the receiver by are very similar to the standard 597. In order with a Bausch & Lomb Elite 4000 6-24X means of a clamp. A block at the chamber to see what sets the 597 Magnum apart from scope and fired for accuracy with the results end of the barrel slides into a cutout on the its .22 LR counterpart, you have to take a shown in the accompanying table. Although receiver. The barrel clamp rests in a recess look inside the tubular alloy receiver. Like .22 WMR is not known as a tackdriver, the at the front of the rifle’s receiver and is 597 Magnum proved surprisingly connected to the barrel block by an Allen- accurate. Function firing was with head screw. Tightening the screw draws CCI, RWS, Remington, Winchester the barrel forward to clamp it securely and Federal ammunition. There were between the receiver front and the barrel no failures of any kind. As with most clamp itself. This arrangement makes the rimfire semi-automatics, shooters barrel easy to remove and hints at the pos- must pay attention while loading magazines to avoid rim-over-rim sible availability of heavier target barrels 1 in the near future. jams. At 6 ⁄2 lbs pull, the trigger was on the heavy side, but crisp. The Model 597 Magnum proved to be sur- Although perceived recoil is negligible, 597 MAGNUM prisingly accurate. Recoil was negligible, shooters found the 597 Magnum to have more though some shooters reported more muzzle lift in comparison with the .22 LR MANUFACTURER: Remington Arms Co. muzzle lift than with the .22 LR Model 597. model. Also .22 WMR is much nosier than (Dept AR), 870 Remington Drive, Madison, NC 27025; (800) 243-9700 .22 LR. Most would say that these quibbles CALIBER: .22 Winchester Magnum the standard .22 LR 597, the Magnum’s bolt are a small price to pay for the increased veloc- Rimfire (WMR) rides on dual action rails, but where the .22 ity, range and energy provided by .22 WMR. ACTION TYPE: blow-back operated, LR model has only a single recoil spring on Chambered for the .22 WMR, the most semi-automatic rifle each rail, the Magnum utilizes compound potent smallbore rimfire cartridge current- RECEIVER: Aluminum alloy recoil springs to absorb the greater energy of ly available, the Remington 597 Magnum OVERALL LENGTH: 40" BARREL LENGTH: 20" the .22 WMR round. Though the 597 provides more than enough range and ener- 1 WEIGHT: 5 ⁄2 lbs Magnum’s bolt has a configuration similar gy for small game as well as many preda- RIFLING: six-groove, 1:16" RH twist to that of its .22 L.R. stablemate—with a sin- tors and varmints. As the 597 product line MAGAZINE: eight round, staggered- gle extractor claw on its right side and the continues to expand, Remington stands column detachable, black firing pin striking at the 12 o’clock position. poised to challenge other makers in the .22 plastic magazine To counter the .22 WMR’s stouter recoil, rimfire autoloading rifle marketplace. SIGHTS: Rear notch adjustable for windage and elevation, fixed ramped however, it is machined from a tungsten- post front. Receiver grooved for tip-off based alloy, which weighs more than a com- mounts. Tapped for Weaver-style bases parably sized steel bolt. In addition, the 597 1 TRIGGER: single-stage, 6 ⁄2 lb.-pull Magnum has a longer buffer to match the STOCK: grey synthetic stock with fixed different recoil stroke of the Magnum bolt. sling swivel studs: length of pull, 14"; 3 1 drop at heel, 2 ⁄8"; drop at comb, 1 ⁄4" A block at the chamber end of the 597’s bar- ACCESSORIES: none rel slides into a cutout on the front of the SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $292 receiver, and is retained by a barrel clamp connected to the block by an allen screw.

54 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1999 CIENER BERETTA 92/96 .22 LR

small feed ramp integral with the barrel that lines up with a ramp at the front of the magazine to facilitate reliable feeding. Installation is simply a matter of field stripping the Beretta pistol as for cleaning by removing the slide/barrel/ recoil spring upper assembly. The Ciener conversion unit slides onto the frame and secures in place with the take- The Ciener down latch. .22 Long Rifle conversion We fitted the Ciener con- for the Beretta Model version unit on a Beretta 92/96 consists of a Model 92FS and test fired it replacement 7075 T6 alu- with several brands of target, minum slide, 4140 steel high- and hyper-velocity barrel, recoil spring with ammunition, both solid-point guide rod and buffer, and and hollow-point. As Ciener 10-round-capacity maga- guarantees, there were no failures at all with high- or hyper- velocity ammunition. We also IENER units for converting M1911- experienced no malfunctions type pistols to shoot .22 Long Rifle with standard-velocity or tar- ammunition should be familiar to C get ammunition. American Rifleman readers. Perhaps not as of the Beretta. A single hook extractor is We have always been impressed with well known are Ciener’s conversions for pinned in place, and the rear sight is drift- the accuracy of Ciener’s conversion units other semi-automatic firearms including the adjustable. The dovetail slot in the slide for as they typically shoot better than the gun M16/AR-15 and Ruger Mini 14 rifles, the rear sight is the same size as the stan- does with its factory barrel and chamber- Beretta 92/96 and Taurus PT92/96 pistols. dard M1911A1 slot, so any adjustable rear ing. This unit was no exception, as can be The conversion unit for the Beretta 92/96 sight for the M1911A1 will fit. seen by the results shown in the accompa- we recently received for testing consists of Lock up of the blow-back operated nying table. a slide, barrel, recoil spring, guide rod with Ciener rimfire unit is very different from that Workmanship is excellent, and the unit buffer and a 10-round magazine in a hard, of the recoil-operated, center-fire Beretta. easy to install. Tipping the scales at just less fitted, plastic case. It is designed to fit all The tilting block of the center-fire pistol is than one pound, the Ciener unit does not sig- current production generation full size entirely omitted. In its place is a large, sin- nificantly change the balance or handling of Beretta 92/96 pistols in either 9x19 mm or gle lug welded to the bot- .40 S&W caliber. tom of the barrel locked in Slide material is 7075 T6 aluminum place by the take-down alloy, available in gloss or matte blue or sil- latch. This, in effect, cre- ver finish and differs slightly in design from ates a fixed barrel that the Beretta Model 92FS slide. Comparing many believe contributes the two, we find that the front sights are sim- to greater accuracy. 1 ilar, though the white dot is omitted from The 5 ⁄8" long barrel is the Ciener unit. Also omitted are the manu- made by E.R. Shaw of al, slide-mounted safety levers, though a 4140 steel, and has a long passive firing pin safety block is incorpo- hook ejector extending rated into the conversion unit and does not back from the left side of protrude through the top of the slide like that the barrel. There is also a Lock up of the Ciener unit is different from SHOOTING RESULTS that of the Beretta barrel as the tilting block is omitted. In its place is a large, single lug welded to the bottom of the barrel .22 Long Rifle Vel. @ 15' Energy Recoil Smallest Largest Average locked in place by the take-down latch. Cartridge (f.p.s.) (ft.-lbs) (ft.-lbs) (ins.) (ins.) (ins.) CCI No. 0030 996 Avg. 88.0 0.3 0.63 1.39 1.08 40 gr. SP 11 Sd the Beretta Model 92. Accuracy of our sample was exceptional, and the affordability of Federal No. UM1 968 Avg. 83.0 0.3 0.54 1.23 0.92 40 gr. SP 15 Sd .22 rimfire ammunition is appealing. Owners of Beretta pistols who desire a com- Winchester No. X22LRPP 1023 Avg. 93.0 0.3 0.67 1.71 1.28 40 gr. HP 33 Sd panion gun would do well to take a hard look at the Ciener conversion instead. Average Extreme Spread: 1.09 Available from: Jonathan Arthur Ciener, 1 Measured average velocity for 10 rounds from a 5 ⁄8" barrel. Range temperature: 50° F. Humidity: Inc. (Dept. AR), 8700 Commerce St., Cape 35%. Accuracy for five consecutive five-shot groups at 25 yds. from a Ransom Rest. Canaveral, FL 32920; (407) 868-2200. Abbreviations: HP (hollow-point), Sd (standard deviation), SP (solid-point) Suggested retail price: $219.

AMERICAN RIFLEMAN • May 1999 55