The Browning 1911-22 has been with us for a few years now, 2011 intro I believe, and it has certainly found a following. If you haven’t had the opportunity to shoot one, you’re missing out. Scaled proportionally to 85% of a full size 1911, the 1911-22 feels familiar in the shooting hand of people with full size 1911 experience. The 1911-22 has good balance, good accuracy and it is light to carry. For full details check out our original product coverage.
With a different frame color option, tan, below is a side by side comparison between a wood gripped, single stack 1911 Commander and a Browning 1911-22 A1.
In comparison to the 1911-22 A1 Desert Tan 051808490 The Black Label has fixed low profile front and rear A1 sights, an extended beavertail grip safety with a memory bump, a commander type hammer, a lightweight trigger, and a flat mainspring housing. Additionally, the Black label has an extended slide stop, ambidextrous thumb safety and an accessory frame rail.
The Browning Black Label Laminate 1911-22 051816490 shares some features with other members of the 1911-22 family. All have a 17.5º grip angle to emulate the full size 1911. Like most of the recent releases of 1911-22s the Black Label Laminate has a modern poly frame. The slide is made of 7075 aluminum with a matte black anodized finish. A steel slide block provides a breech face and holds the pistol’s firing pin and extractor. The 1911-22 is made in Salt Lake City, Utah, the same location as Browning Buck Mark pistols.
Take down and appearance of parts is very much 1911. The glaring differences are found in two places. The first, the barrel is comprised of a button rifled alloy steel barrel and a pinned stainless steel barrel block with integral feed ramp. The second is in the pistol’s blow back design rather than a linked, tilting locked breech design. The Browning has an accuracy spec of 2.5″ at 25 yards and the pistol is designed to handle every type of ammo from subsonic target to high velocity hollow points.
Shooting performance…
I did not shoot my way through an extensive array of ammunition, so it is quite possible that there are brands and types that would better exercise the 1911-22’s potential. The pistol was new and the new still hand not been shot out of it as one group shot during the day with Remington Target measured only 3/4″, but I think these are general representations below.
| Ammunition | Bullet Weight Grains |
MV FPS Rated |
MV FPS Actual |
25 Yard 3 Shot Group” |
| Remington Golden Bullet | 40 | 1255 | 1004 | 3.2 |
| Remington Target | 40 | 1150 | 900 | 2.2 |
| Remington Cyclone | 36 | 1280 | 1058 | 1.8 |
So what do we have here?
| Model | Browning 1911-22 A1 |
| Point Of Origin | U.S.A. |
| Model | 051816490 |
| Caliber | .22 LR |
| Capacity | 10 |
| Barrel Length | 4.25“ |
| Twist | 1:16″ RH |
| Rear Sights | Black A1 |
| Front Sights | Black A1 |
| Slide | Aluminum |
| Frame | Poly |
| Grips | Laminate |
| Trigger Pull | 5 lbs 13 oz |
| Weight | 14.0 oz |
| MSRP | $669.99 |
The Browning 1911-22 A1 is beyond a doubt fun to shoot and accurate. For a small trail gun it would be great even if just for it’s reliable operation, small size and light weight. Target practice, pest control and small game hunting are all within the pistol’s capabilities There were some areas that were or became an inconvenience with accumulated experience.
As a scaled down firearm, the pistol’s grip is small. Gripping the front strap tight pushed the web of my hand off the backstrap and off of the grip safety which of course blocked the trigger. If I grasped the backstrap tightly to assure compression of the grip safety, my fingers wrapped well around the grip and my trigger finger knuckle was pushed forward of the trigger pad. The most comfortable hold was a two hand hold. On the other hand, my petite wife loved the grip size and light weight, her hand naturally compressed the grip safety and she shot the pistol with a higher degree of accuracy.
Browning defines the trigger feel as consistent with a good 1911 trigger. In fact, they duplicated the sear engagement angles of the 1911. I found the trigger to be much better than the Buck Mark trigger, and most 22 rimfire pistols from other manufacturers, but not on par with a good 1911. the Browning 1911-22 had a small amount of creep and its pull resistance was relatively heavy. Could it be cleaned up? Sure and, because the design is so similar to a 1911, I suspect the result would be excellent.
It would be nice to see a version of the 1911-22 with a set of good windage and elevation adjustable sights and fiber optic fixed sights would we welcome. The pistol can be shot accurately so a good set of adjustable sights would enhance the pistol’s performance and extract more of its potential.
Price? Browning is a quality firearm company with an excellent reputation, but I think the 1911-22 is priced a bit high even in comparison to its own Buck Mark products. There are a number of all steel guns out there that are accurate, reliable and well made with a smaller price tag. However, the uniqueness of the pistol as an 85% scale 1911 must be factored in to determine the pistol’s full value. In any event, I am sure they will sell a ton of them to people who will be very happy to own them.
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