American Tactical Imports ATI 1911 .22 Rimfire with Fake Silencer- New Gun Review

Authors Pistols
Summer Hunting Anyone?  - Varmint and Predator Hunting All Year Round
Summer Hunting Anyone?  - Varmint and Predator Hunting All Year Round
A genuinely sexy gun doesn’t need much of an introduction, but this gun isn’t what it seems. This is a .22 LR rimfire 1911 with a fake suppressor made by German Sport Guns and imported by American Tactial Imports.

Summer Hunting Anyone?  - Varmint and Predator Hunting All Year Round
No matter how you slice it, a gun like this is meant for fun, so we took Jessica, a first time shooter out with it. A full sized and full weight 1911 with the .22 LR cartridge has almost no recoil, and with the fake suppressor the gun has a secret agent, almost video game look to it, perfect to get a non-shooter excited about shooting.

Summer Hunting Anyone?  - Varmint and Predator Hunting All Year Round
You can’t help but marvel at the clean lines and even edges on this inexpensive gun. The Germans make guns right, no matter what the pricepoint.

Summer Hunting Anyone?  - Varmint and Predator Hunting All Year Round
The 1911 is considered a near perfect firearm because you just shoot it naturally.

Summer Hunting Anyone?  - Varmint and Predator Hunting All Year Round
Again, kudos for the Germans. This gun shot to point of aim perfectly right out of the box, and even a novice shooter could keep them all in the bullseye at 7 yards.

Summer Hunting Anyone?  - Varmint and Predator Hunting All Year Round
The controls on the GSG 1911 are the same as your .45 ACP version, and supposedly the normal replacement parts are interchangeable.

Summer Hunting Anyone?  - Varmint and Predator Hunting All Year Round
It takes down with two pins, including the slide stop lever, and this Allen screw.

Summer Hunting Anyone?  - Varmint and Predator Hunting All Year Round
The trigger group and hammer may be standard 1911, but the guts in the slide are anything but. If you read the directions it is easy to figure out, but you do have to read the directions.

Summer Hunting Anyone?  - Varmint and Predator Hunting All Year Round
The barrel appears to be the correct threads for a real suppressor, but contact the maker of your suppressor and ATI to check and make sure. With a real suppressor, this baby is a real assasin weapon and would be a lot of fun to shoot.

Summer Hunting Anyone?  - Varmint and Predator Hunting All Year Round
With the right weapon and some training, Jessica could be the perfect assassin.


American Tactical Imports GSG 1911 AD-OPS

https://www.americantactical.us/1911

Find one on GunsAmerica: ATI 1911 .22 LR

By William F. Rothschild

Not too many guns have been copied to the extent of the ubiquitous 1911. There is nary a gun nut without at least one in the safe, but these days they are expensive to shoot. A box of .45 ACP on a good day in bulk quantity is still over 30 cents a round, even with throw away steel cases. If you want to shoot a 1911 for just fun plinking, or to train gun handling for competition, you really need to get one of the .22 rimfire versions of the 1911 that have come out in the last few years. The first ones came from Italy and had some problems, but they have worked out the bugs with those, and this new German version is nearly perfect. It is called the GSG 1911, from German Sport Guns, imported by American Tactical Imports (ATI), and the MSRP is $399, with a street price a little less.

The nice thing about the GSG is that it is made by a company that specializes in .22 replicas of modern firearms. German Sport Guns produces several different models, including the new STG 44 we covered for SHOT Show, and that we are anxiously awaiting for testing and evaluation. We have heard nothing but positive about all of these German guns, and we picked this one because there seems to be a decent supply of them right now at the distributors and in gun shops.

As you can see from the pictures, we took a first time shooter, Jessica, out with the GSG 1911, to see how it functioned, and to go plinking. With the fake suppressor mounted on this gun it is a fun plinker that is perfect for a first date gun. It functioned flawlessly, but it does get dirty even with high quality ammo. We also noticed some minor finish flaking from inside the slide rails after several hundred rounds when we went to clean it. Overall, it’s a great little gun.

The fake suppressor on the front is indeed fake, so don’t get your hopes up. It is made specifically to not be able to be converted into a real suppressor easily, and it is nothing short of a toy. You can also take it off, however, and thread on a small sleeve that makes the gun look like a normal 1911, one that will also fit in your carry or competition holster for practice. It is really almost two guns in one. You get a fantasy “spy gun” with a fake suppressor to go plinking with, and you get a serious practice gun that looks, feels, and shoots just like your stock 1911. Everyone at the range who saw the gun loved it and wanted one.

Taking the GSG 1911 apart for cleaning is not the easiest thing. The front has a standard 1911 barrel bushing, but there also three pins along the side that have to be taken out. One is the slide stop, like a regular 1911, and the other two help hold the gun together. Rimfire guns get dirty, so you will want to clean this gun thoroughly every time you shoot it. Fortunately, though it isn’t the easiest gun to take apart and put back together, the directions are pretty clear and I was able to figure it out easily.

According to the ATI website, this gun is compatible with standard 1911 parts, like triggers and hammers and safeties. It also is threaded with standard threads for a real .22 rimfire suppressor, which are legal to own in most states with the proper ATF paperwork and a $200 application tax. It is the standard weight of a stock 1911, 29.6 oz. without the fake suppressor and 38.4 oz. with it. The trigger is a little scratchy, but not bad, and it breaks clean with no overtravel. The standard magazine is 10 rounds and it comes with one. The rail is real on it, so you could technically put a light or laser, so if you want to practice with the one on your carry gun, you have an apples to apples training weapon at pennies a round.

It is difficult to consider this a serious weapon, even though we all know the .22 LR is deadly and accounts for more deaths than any other caliber. It is however a really fun gun, perfect to train new shooters and for practice on the cheap. Stay tuned for more of these interesting .22 replica guns from GSG, imported by American Tactical Imports. They are having trouble keeping up with the demand for them, and I’m sure this gun will sell out again soon.

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  • Soldrboi July 1, 2013, 2:17 am

    I have to say I had a better time reading the comments than I did reading the article. After 20 years in the military I’m looking forward to shooting for fun. Think I’ll try this one out, besides anything has to be better than that damn Berretta M9 I was issued.
    best comment complimentive without being disgusting;
    William May 14, 2012 at 6:22 am
    What gun? Can’t concentrate.
    As for that poor girl… HONEY, You just keep shooting. Nevermind all the perverts.

    • Fabian K August 22, 2013, 11:00 pm

      I will be shipping out 20131005, 31Bravo. I hear a lot of people do not like the M9. Why is that?

  • Richard December 16, 2012, 8:38 am

    the “the perfect assasin” term is an infortunate one after the last school incident…..don´t give the antigun crap the excuse to grab our guns …..the only thing we should kill is a paper target ……

  • Eric September 1, 2012, 9:30 pm

    That ass is a weapon! Nice legs also!! Bye the way, yes nice gun, I have one and it is fun to shoot.

  • Don June 12, 2012, 3:24 pm

    Not hearing a lot of good things about this gun or ATI warranty customer
    service. Hesitant to buy one.

  • Ken June 8, 2012, 11:05 am

    It great to see a pretty girl with a gun my to favorite things . And like the rest of us she will make mistakes and she will learn how to safely handle and shoot a firearm as we all did remember none of us woke up one day and knew everything let’s help the newcomers lets not scare them away remember there’s power in numbers

  • Just_Passing_Through June 2, 2012, 11:31 pm

    Looking at the picture of the new shooter and the comments – make me feel a bit ashamed of our gun community. First off….whether or not her finger was in or out of the trigger guard is not the main problem (though still an issue) – the biggest problem is that a professional gun site posted a picture where it looks like she is and is ok about it…its pictures like this that subtly reinforce the idea (especially in new shooters) that this a toy and safety is not a concern…

    Second issue – C’mon guys – its a woman with a gun…your drool is near ankle deep…You are reinforcing the stereotype that we all live in a basement and play pretend girlfriend with our pillows…sigh….

    …If she continues shooting, I guess she’ll learn the hard way that one should wear shoes and not flip flops to the gun range

    • John Kwaczala August 15, 2012, 5:26 pm

      There are so many parts of this young lady to see and admire, I don’t understand why you perverts would even be looking at her fingers and nails.

      • Fabian K August 22, 2013, 11:04 pm

        Because those fingers could potentially put a bullet in my ass !

  • Dustin May 29, 2012, 7:45 am

    Looks like a nice .22, I don’t own a .22 size gun but have been wanting to purchase one since the ammo is so cheap and would be great practice at the range.

  • MARV May 23, 2012, 4:29 am

    I BOUGHT ONE IT HAS REAL WOOD WALNUT GRIPS BLACK IN COLOR AND ALSO HAS A ADJUSTABLE TRIGGER.
    IT IS BETTER OR EVEN TO THE MARK I AND II RUGER I HAVE. THIS GUN WAS 319.00 SHIPPED TO MY AFF DEALER.
    IT IS A GUN I LOVE TO SHOOT. WANTED A 1911 THAT DIDNT COST ME A ARM AND A LEG TO SHOOT. GET ONE AND WILL LOVE IT AS I DO. I AM 62 AND LOVE SHOOTING.

  • Joemom May 20, 2012, 10:48 am

    I’d say it’s good that people enjoy shooting. Better that there are more people getting involved, but sad that we stoop to propaganda such as this. Seems though our intentions are good, our methods can’t reflect them. Half the comments here were probably just what you expected posting photos like this and having them promote your opinions and such. Why not put some beer and cigarettes in there too? Aside from the fact that anyone who is an enthusiast knows that appearance is VERY important to modern shooters! The media is killing us with that crap. Get it together if you are going to take it upon yourself to represent shooters and gun enthusiasts as a group!

  • Knotman May 17, 2012, 7:41 pm

    I bought one about a year ago. My son is teaching his girlfriend how to shoot his .45 using it. It has a weird firing ‘pin’ that broke. I called and received a free replacement but I didn’t have a punch set to replace it. Got that done by a friendly gun store, but had to take it back in as it would not reliably fire. Turned out they had to file the weird firing ‘pin’ to allow it to reach the primer. Also odd that the spring in SLIGHTLY tapered but if you put it in backwards it no workie. Much cheaper than .45 ammo though.

  • Rooster May 15, 2012, 5:19 pm

    Just a pretty girl enjoying our sport. Show some respect.

  • Willie May 15, 2012, 1:51 pm

    Some of your bloggers need to get out more and be around girls rather than guns.

  • Jon May 15, 2012, 10:13 am

    Way to get woman and youths interested. By critiquing there every move. See you on the battlefield.

  • Jon May 15, 2012, 10:09 am

    Typical arrogant gun “expert”. I can’t believe I’m even stooping this low to reply to the ignorance of the 90%ers. Hey-Zoos Christ.

  • Arion May 15, 2012, 1:14 am

    I think she needs a little more instruction and a heavier caliber to help improve her stance.

  • Gary May 14, 2012, 11:58 pm

    Girls finger is not through trigger guard and her stance is OK. Too bad we are not all gun experts. Why not just appreciate view of pistol and girl. Makes me feel good.

  • Gary May 14, 2012, 11:54 pm

    I have owned pistol 1 1/2 years and have shot over 1,000 rounds. No problems. I have a AAC Element supressor on it plus Crimson Trace Grips. I shoot CCI Subsonic and CCI Standard ammo. Love it. Just like in the movies. Less noise than a pellet gun. Surprised Crimson Trace fit without any alteration because of ambidextrious safety. Pretty accurate. Slide operates without hardly any pressure. Surprised it works and have never had a miss fire. Highly recommend. I will try a Walther, Ruger and new Browning because of finish. Pretty girl showing pistol and I would not change anything.

  • Michael May 14, 2012, 6:47 pm

    Hey! Give the girl a break… After all, she is a newbie at this and I personally think her shooting is very good. I certainly do not want to be in front of her with a gun. As far as her finger on the trigger goes, at least the weapon is pointing upward and away from anyone. Like I said, she’s a newbie and a very cute one too. After a few ”good” lessons and she’d be down right GREAT with her shooting. She can get the job done!

  • jackjr May 14, 2012, 6:23 pm

    I’ve had one for about a year and I really like it. No broken parts but I didn’t get that accessory with mine. But then again my wife might not like her around anyway.

  • Randy de Mars May 14, 2012, 3:18 pm

    I have owned the GSG 1911-22 for about 8 months. It shot great up to about 1800 rounds then the recoil rod snapped and caused some problems. Under warranty and GSG shipped new parts within a week. New recoil rod seemed to be on piece and stronger. New spring as old one was bent up from the prior break of recoil rod.
    Installation was easy and now it shoots very well again. Love the pistol but did not like paying $32.00 plus tax for additional magazines.

  • Nesaray May 14, 2012, 3:00 pm

    Con la corta solo gasto polvora, me hubiera gustado proceder a un ensayo

  • Sniper61 May 14, 2012, 2:22 pm

    HAHAHA! Finger in trigger guard on trigger… FAIL!!!

  • AverageJay May 14, 2012, 1:05 pm

    I wish she could suppress whats going on in my pants right now.

  • Greg May 14, 2012, 12:23 pm

    Sorry, were you talking about a gun????????????

  • Ken May 14, 2012, 11:09 am

    Her grip and stance leaves a lot to be desired as well but both are easily correctable.

  • Thad May 14, 2012, 10:58 am

    @ Don, check out the following website, http://silencersarelegal.com/. It is hosted by a silencer manufacturer (Silencerco), but there is a lot of good information on there and since this was from a recent shoot that they hosted in Dallas, TX, there is also other silencer manufactureres links on there as well. I have the Gemtech G5-22 and it is an absolute blast! My wife went with me to the range the other day and actually enjoyed shooting, possibly for the first time. Silencers are great for new shooters because of the reduced noise, reduced muzzle flip and reduced recoil! The only down side is the length of time you have to wait, mine took 7 months, but in the end it was worth it, I plan to order more! Good luck with it!

  • Daren J May 14, 2012, 10:32 am

    Great article, good looking gun, terrible gun handling skills. Finger on the trigger while taking a photo, tea cup grip. Come on Guns America, I loose a little respect for you every time I see an article like this. It should be called Gun Novice America if you’re going to post stuff like this.

  • Don Julio May 14, 2012, 10:12 am

    I would like to take her to my private shooting range and fire a few rounds on her.

    • Willie T May 14, 2012, 5:21 pm

      OK, that’s enough. Jesus you bunch of old molesters. She has to all of 14. Go take out Rosy before you get thrown in jail for the next 30 years.

      • Administrator May 14, 2012, 5:22 pm

        No shes in her 20s

    • Kevin smith May 15, 2012, 11:55 pm

      I agree Don. A little one on one practice shooting with her would be nice

  • philly trash May 14, 2012, 10:08 am

    Do you have n00dz of that girl to go along with the gun? if not, some simple lingerie will do

  • ruminator May 14, 2012, 9:29 am

    C’mon guys, settle down! Yes she’s a beauty… both the girl and the gun. 🙂 But y’all should be ashamed for taking a first-time shooter out without teaching her “finger off the trigger” and shooting position (at the very least).

    • Armyboy May 14, 2012, 10:07 am

      Ruminator- It doesn’t look like her finger is actually in the trigger. It looks like she’s resting her nail on the trigger guard.

      • Administrator May 14, 2012, 10:30 am

        Was waiting for someone to note that.

      • ruminator May 14, 2012, 12:20 pm

        I’m really not trying to pick nits, but it’s important to present safety in everything we publish. I can see finger in/through the trigger guard — hence my comment. It *looks* like her finger is on the trigger. What would happen on your range?

        Regardless, it’s a good review and the pictures provide plenty of eye-candy. 🙂 Safe-shooting!

    • txgoatdriver May 14, 2012, 5:20 pm

      Ooops! I should have read a little further b4 posting my finger comment above. My bad.

  • BMF May 14, 2012, 8:52 am

    Maybe the hot brass is landing in the wrong places when she stands up between the lane barriers?

  • Rick Kime May 14, 2012, 8:43 am

    That one is to be respected————–and the gun too!

  • Jay A May 14, 2012, 7:29 am

    Why is she standing so far out of the lane?!

    • txgoatdriver May 14, 2012, 5:16 pm

      and with her index inside of the trigger guard. She has to cut with some of the great looks, go back to the first basic rule, “business end downRange, THEN, finger in the trigger ring”, now on with the training with my tongue in my mouth.

  • Raven M. May 14, 2012, 7:11 am

    Daaaammmnnn she’s a beauty…. And the gun looks good too. Lol

  • Don C. Posey May 14, 2012, 6:28 am

    I have one on the way. Can’t wait to shoot it. I would be very interested in a suppressor. If someone can get me information to buy one, I would appreciate it very much

    • Thad May 14, 2012, 10:59 am

      @ Don, check out the following website, http://silencersarelegal.com/. It is hosted by a silencer manufacturer (Silencerco), but there is a lot of good information on there and since this was from a recent shoot that they hosted in Dallas, TX, there is also other silencer manufactureres links on there as well. I have the Gemtech G5-22 and it is an absolute blast! My wife went with me to the range the other day and actually enjoyed shooting, possibly for the first time. Silencers are great for new shooters because of the reduced noise, reduced muzzle flip and reduced recoil! The only down side is the length of time you have to wait, mine took 7 months, but in the end it was worth it, I plan to order more! Good luck with it!

  • William May 14, 2012, 6:22 am

    What gun? Can’t concentrate.

    • Tactical Dan May 14, 2012, 6:01 pm

      I agree with you %110

  • Waistgunner May 14, 2012, 5:58 am

    Is the fake suppressor able to be disassembled ?

  • Tavi May 14, 2012, 4:21 am

    She can kill me anytime she wants to.

    • Terry May 14, 2012, 4:57 pm

      I have owned one for over a year now. Apparently the gun does have a weak spot. I may have shot 200 rds. when the stem broke on the spring guide which is also attached to the recoil buffer. Seems to be made of some kind of pot metal/powdered metal perhaps.. However ATI replaced it at no charge. All it took was a phone call. Otherwise the gun shoots very well. I would hope they would retrofit them with a machine turned spring guide/recoil buffer.

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