Armscor/Rock Island XT-22 review

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Table of Contents

Oh, look, a 1911.

Yes, but not just any 1911. This particular version has two different calibers. The standard .45 ACP and .22 LR for practicing or plinking. I suppose you could hunt small game with it, as well. It’s certainly accurate enough.

In my purely subjective view, all gun people should have a 1911. I also think we should have a .357 revolver and a lever action rifle, so take my views for what they’re worth, but there’s a reason people keep saying, over and over, that their favorite gun is, “better than a 1911.”

The basics.

The XT-22 is an autoloader in .45 ACP and .22 LR, although versions are also available in 9mm, .38 Super, and .22 WMR that I know of. There may be others. For now, I’ll talk about the .45 since I consider the .22 LR to be an add on. It does come with a .45 ACP magazine loader that I’ve never used; I have another mag loader I have used for a couple years now so I just keep it. Besides, .45 is easier on my thumbs than 9mm so it’s optional.

It’s a 1911, basically the gun that’s been produced for 110 years. There have been some changes to the action over the years but it’s pretty much the same.

There are many upgrades available for a 1911 and they all work on almost all models. If there’s something you don’t like, you can get a new one for a pretty reasonable price.

One of the more popular is the extended slide release, which lets you drop the slide without having to shift your hand position. It’s a simple, take out the old and put in the new, replacement.

It has both a grip safety and a manual safety switch. The grip safety means it won’t fire unless you have a good grip on it. The manual safety must be disengaged for the gun to fire. With its light, short trigger I’d say the manual safety is a really good idea. It’s got a very positive detent so it’s easy to tell when it’s on and off. The safety can only be applied when the hammer is fully cocked. The safety also blocks the action of the slide.

The XT-22 is the full size, Government model. It has eight rounds per magazine and a 5” barrel. It’s made of steel. All of it, except the grips. It’s not exactly a lightweight piece. See the specs at the end of the article for details.

But “experts” say 1911’s suck.

There are those who will tell you that the 1911 design is simply no longer valid. You shouldn’t use one. You shouldn’t carry one. The gun is no longer useful or viable.

Those people are morons. Or at least have a big blind spot. Look, the .45 ACP is an effective round and the 1911 is a reliable weapon, despite what you may hear.

I don’t necessarily mean that you should carry a 1911, or use it for home defense, or for any particular reason. I just think everyone should have one. Call it nostalgia, a sense of history, or whatever. It’s a great gun with a tremendous amount of history. For me, a 1911 feels better in my hand and points better than anything else I’ve ever fired. And, if nothing else, it will help you appreciate the ease of disassembly of more modern designs.

One of the invalid complaints that I often hear about these guns is that they’re not reliable. Many of these complaints seem to come from instructors who are running all day handgun classes where over 300 rounds are required. I don’t think they’re wrong, exactly, it’s just that their complaint is overly specific. Question: name the situation where you expect to use your handgun for 300+ rounds without having a chance to maintain it. Can’t think of anything? Neither can I. I have a grand total of 33 rounds between the magazines and chamber when I’m fully loaded up. I’ve gone to the range many times and fired 100 – 200 rounds with no failures. After that I maintain the gun. I’m OK with that.

When I have carried the gun, I’ve had one or two spare magazines. That’s 17 or 25 rounds. I’m aware there are 9mm’s available that cover that first number with a single magazine, and I really don’t care. I am not a member of the Cult of Capacity. If I get killed because I don’t have that 26th round, well, I’ll know I was wrong, then.

My other “favorite” myth is how 1911’s used to be essentially hand-built by craftsmen and that’s the only way to make it reliable. Where do they get this stuff? In WW II there were 1.9 million produced. Does anyone really believe they had time to train up the craftsmen to produce almost two million guns in four years? I’ve seen a WW II gun. The tolerances were loose. It rattled a bit. It would probably handle dirty conditions far better than anything mass-produced today. Accuracy? Well, it was good enough for what it was designed for.

As a carry gun.

As I said, I have carried it at times. I have to say I don’t think it’s the world’s great carry gun any longer. I will agree that there may now be better options for some people. I will also say that it’s very individual; different people work better with different things. There’s also availability: maybe you have a 1911 and can’t afford to buy the latest gun. There are a number of heirloom 1911’s running around out there. If you have one, test it, practice with it, and carry good ammo. You’ll be fine.

Although if you are going to carry one and have the option, perhaps the Commander version is better. The 5” barrel length can be an issue while sitting or driving and the Commander is lighter. I normally carry it OWB in an inexpensive universal holster while wearing an overshirt. It’s a good idea to make sure the overshirt is also over sized, at least in length. Those of you in jacket or coat country will do better than I could.

It’s more than reliable enough for concealed carry purposes. As I said above, I’ve done 200 on a regular basis and had no failures. After the break-in period. It does have a 500 round break-in period and you really should do that before counting on it.

It’s also more than reliable enough for home defense. The size and weight mean less. The reduced penetration of a .45 ACP is an advantage here; in your home you likely want barriers to stop your bullets.

It only comes with a single magazine. Fortunately, 1911 magazines are easy to find at reasonable prices. I bought three of these, but you can find them anywhere guns or accessories are sold. Commander and Government models use the same magazines.

Ergonomics.

I’ve never held a gun that feels as good. As you can see in the picture, it comes with two mainspring housings. A flat one and a curved one. I prefer the flat one but some like the curved. Try both; they’re easy to change. Just make sure you get the spring back in correctly. It’s important. Don’t ask me how I know that.

The one thing that both its fans and detractors agree on is that the 1911 has an excellent trigger. It is literally the standard by which all others are judged.

With the flat mainspring housing I find that it points more or less exactly where I want it. That’s especially important in this version with its mil-spec sights. They’re not great. If I ever decide to carry it more I’ll probably upgrade those. Or at least paint them.

Disassembly. This is the procedure that most shows the design’s age. It’s kind of a chore, at least compared to newer designs. It’s not terrible, but it has more steps than newer guns. Oh, and when you get your first 1911, get a barrel bushing wrench. You’ll thank me later. It’s not necessary, as such, but the wrench does make disassembly easier.

How does it shoot?

It is accurate and reliable. The reliability of the .22 kit is somewhat less than the .45 ACP but that’s down to rimfire ammunition being less reliable than center fire ammo. I’ve had no ejection or feed issues with either caliber since the initial break-in period. I use inexpensive Aguila .22 LR and whatever happens to be cheapest .45 FMJ to practice with. With the .22 I get the occasional failure to fire. I just eject that round and move on. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not really excited about .22 LR for defensive purposes so I’ll accept some failures there I wouldn’t in other calibers.

Let’s talk a minute about the two calibers. I specifically wanted this model because of the switch-hit option. Obviously, the point is that you can use the same trigger, grip, etc. to practice with cheap ammo. As it came, the sight picture is also identical so if I ever change the .45 slide sights I really should do both. Since all that changes is the slide and magazine, the rest of the shooting experience is identical between the two calibers.

Changing them is a very simple procedure.

Remove .45 magazine.
Remove .45 slide.
Install .22 slide.
Insert .22 magazine.
Shoot .22
Reverse to go back to .45.

When shooting .22 LR out of this steel gun the recoil is a technicality. I have two grand kids, and with the .22 kit, this is the first pistol they ever shot. They were 10 and 12 at the time. They did pretty well, I must say. The point is that anyone can handle it if they can hold it up.

.45 ACP is somewhat different. There is quite a bit of recoil, and it’s one of the reasons I really don’t mind the weight of the gun. For defensive purposes, I currently use Federal 230 Gr JHP’s; I’ve considered going to the lighter 185 gr JHP’s but the recoil is manageable as is so I’ll probably just stick with what I have.

Conclusion.

I’m so glad I bought this gun. It does everything I ask of it without issue. Even at the height of the pandemic ammogeddon when you could find virtually nothing I could still take this out and practice the basics of marksmanship with the .22 kit in it.

After the break-in period it’s been supremely reliable in both calibers. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a 1911. Either to use or just because everyone should have a 1911. And all gun people really should have a 1911.

As we all know, availability of things is still a bit flaky but here are some good places to start.

Guns.com

Grabagun.com

Palmetto State Armory.