This thing has never been super reliable, but I wanted to try doing a little work on it, to see if I could improve its functioning.

I haven't used it in a long time - like many years, so I took it to the range today to test it out and see what exactly I needed to work out with it. It's now a single-shot pistol.

In addition to not extracting a single empty, it was doing something that was gouging the next round in the mag. I'm guessing that either the extractor itself or the extractor spring needs to be replaced. However, I figured someone here might have more advice on how to get this to run better in general.

Pic for attention:
Attached File

I wish I could help but the only AA upper I tried that worked was a G20 one. All the G17, G19 uppers could never get through a single mag without a malfunction.

The first thing I would do is polish the chamber.   I use Flitz polishing compound on a barrel mop attached to a short cleaning rod.  I put the cleaning rod in a hand drill and spin the mop in the chamber.


Advantage Arms kits work best with factory spec triggers and connectors.   I recommend using CCI Mini Mags 40 grain plated or 36 grain plated HP high velocity.  I shoot mostly Aguila Super Extra plated 40 grain RN or 38 grain HP high velocity.

Make sure you put lube on the sliding ejector and lube the end and sides of the barrel.  I put a drop on each slide rail and one drop on each of the frame rails.    

The magazine could be riding too high in the frame causing the failure to extract but I’d suspect the recoil spring is still too heavy for the ammo.   Once you polish the chamber clean and lube the pistol.  Try loading two rounds in the mag.  Chamber and fire the first round.  If the pistol functions try loading three rounds.  The upward pressure on the bottom of the slide from the mag can zap slide velocity.   Once the pistol wears in it should function with ten round mags.

The higher fifteen and 25 round mags tend to be less reliable in a new AA kit.

Some AA owners polish all contact points but shooting the kits seems to wear them in.  You can try locking the slide back to try and weaken the recoil spring assembly.   If the kit won’t function with Mini Mags try a different magazine.

Advantage Arms has a life time warranty if all else fails try contacting them.  If you don’t have any metal polish you can use a brass brush with oil and buzz the chamber with a hand drill.


I have several AA kits with dedicated frames and once they wear in they run good with CCI Mini Mags or Aguila Super Extra.

Here is a picture of an Advantage Arms Gen 1-3 LE 19/23 slide, barrel and ejector.  



In this picture you can see the sliding ejector still resting inside the side of the slide.  I make sure the sliding ejector is clean and I rub a drop of CLP on the ejector.  I also put a drop of CLP on the side of the barrel where the ejector fits into the side of the barrel.

I then rub a drop of CLP on the exterior of the barrel.  I basically run my kit a little wet when new.   As the kit wears in you can try using less lube.  I’ve never tried dry lube on my AA kits.  

I usually clean my kit’s barrel with a bore snake.  Twenty Two rimfire is filthy and I clean my AA kits around 250-300 rounds or when they start malfunctioning.   You can find out real quick if you got a bad box of ammo using an AA kit.

I have a shooting range at my house with several steel plates.  I’m retired and shoot a lot of 22’s.   I shoot my AA kits and Glock 44 the most.  I have several AR-15’s dedicated to 22 LR which I shoot frequently.


Lanbo’s Armory has a good supply of Advantage Arms mag with good prices.   I have bought several items from Lanbo’s and they are gtg.

https://lanbosarmory.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=Advantage+Arms

Exact same experience for me.

I've also kinda given up on training with 22s I'm of the opinion now that it instills bad habits.

I still shoot a lot of 22 but I'm very specific about what I'm trying to get out of it.

Thanks, everyone.

Yesterday, I was using 40gr Mini Mags, and I tried a couple others just to experiment. Next, I'm going to do a really thorough clean and lube while checking those areas - and probably do the chamber polishing.


I totally agree. That was the idea when I bought this long ago, but now, I just consider it a plinker.

I'm also thinking of getting one of those cheap Dagger frames to put this on, and just making it a dedicated .22 pistol for fun and maybe teaching new shooters.

Get a Glock 44. I have two of them and they are the most reliable 22 pistols I own. I had a 26 Gen 3 conversion kit long ago and they aren't as good.

The G44 has a fluted chamber, and I think that has a lot to do with reliability. It feels a little plasticy, but it's more reliable. Accuracy isn't great when compared to a Buckmark or MkIV, but neither is it for the AA kits.

I’ll agree the Glock 44 is probably a better pistol for shooting a greater variety of ammo if you want a Glock 19 size pistol.   Since the OP already owns the AA 19/23 LE kit it does make a very good 22 LR pistol if you can find Aguila SE or CCI ammo.   I have run other ammo in my AA kits but get the best reliability out of CCI and Aguila ammo.

Before Federal and Winchester rimfire quality control got terrible I used to shoot a lot of 36 grain plated HP 550 round bulk packs from Walmart or the 525 Federal Champion bulk.   Decades ago my go to ammo was Remington Golden bullets whether Round Nose or Hollow points.

With the availability of cheaper Glock compatible frames  I have purchased three Combat Armory frames and one Dagger frame.   I personally like the Combat Armory frames better as they fit my hand better and fit in my holsters.  I’m addicted to 22 rimfire handguns and really like Glock pistols.

Here is a picture of my Advantage Arms Gen 1-3 19/23 MOD optics ready kit on the Dagger frame.  




Here is a picture of two of my AA kits on Combat Armory frames.  The bottom pistol is an Advantage Arms Gen 4 19/23 LE kit with Glock factory night sights.   The top pistol is my Gen 1-3 AA 19/23 LE kit with Glock factory night sights.  In the middle is my AA Gen 1-3 MOD kit.   I had a RDS on this MOD kit and decided I didn’t like the RDS.



Here is a picture of my AA 17/23 Target kit on a Glock 17 gen 3 frame and my AA 26/27 LE kit on a Glock 26 frame.



Here is a picture of my Glock 44 top, Gen 4 19/23 kit on Glock 23 frame middle.  On the bottom is my AA Gen 3 19/23 on a Glock 23.3 frame.

Just a little report on shooting my AA kits with Aguila Super Extra High velocity plated ammo.   I’m posting this to give an indication of typical reliability or lack thereof with Aguila ammo in my AA kits.

On Friday (yesterday) I shot my Advantage Arms Gen 1-3 LE 19/23 kit with Glock NS on a dedicated Combat Armory frame.  I was shooting Aguila Super Extra 40 grain plated RN high velocity.  I shot three ten round mags with no malfunctions.

I then used the same Aguila ammo and shot three ten round mags through my AA 19/23 MOD gen 1-3 kit with the factory polymer sights.   I had no malfunctions during that thirty rounds.

I then went out and shot three ten round mags of the same Aguila ammo in my AA Gen 4 19/23 LE kit with factory Glock night sights.   The first shot had a low report and failed to feed the top cartridge in the mag.  I cleared the malfunction and fired five more rounds and had a click instead of bang.   I checked the chamber and there was an unfired cartridge that appeared to have a light primer strike. I attempted to fire this cartridge again and it fired on the second hit.  I finished the mag with no other malfunctions.   I shot the next ten round mag and about mid way through had another click on an empty chamber.  I loaded the next round and finished the mag.  The last ten round mag emptied the 250 round box of Aguila 40 grain plated round nose high velocity.   I loaded and fired six rounds.  On the seventh round I had a click and again had an empty chamber.  I fed another round and finished the mag with no other malfunctions.   Of my five AA kits the Gen 4 19/23 kit is the least reliable.   My newest kit is the AA 19/23 Gen 3 MOD kit.  It has been very reliable even when I had a Vortex Venom RDS mounted to the slide.

Today, Saturday, since the weather has bee great I went out again to shoot some steel plates.  I loaded up three ten round mags for my Advantage Arms Gen 3 AA 26/27 LE kit with Meprolight night sights.  I was shooting Aguila Super Extra 38 grain plated HP.  I loaded the AA short ten round mag and fired all ten rounds no malfunctions.   On the second mag after about four rounds I got a round that had a low report and then a click on an empty chamber.  I loaded the next round and finished the mag.  I shot the third ten round mag with no malfunctions.

I then shot my AA Gen 4 19/23 kit with Glock factory night sights on a Glock 23.4 frame.   I was shooting the same Aguila 38 grain PHP HV ammo.  On the third round I had a click on an empty chamber.  I loaded the next round and fired the remaining ammo in the mag.  I loaded the second mag and had a click one time with an empty chamber.  I chambered the next round and finished the mag.  The third magazine on round seven I had a click on an empty chamber.  I loaded the next round and finished the mag.

I then shot my Advantage Arms 17/22 Target kit on my Glock 17.3 frame.  It fired all three ten round mags with no malfunctions.

For me this is typical performance with my Advantage Arms kits with Aguila high velocity Super Extra ammo.   All five of these AA kits have been shot extensively with thousands of rounds of various 22 LR ammo.  I purchased my AA 26/27 LE kit in 2005 and my AA 17/22 Target kit in 2006.   These two kits have been shot a lot over the years and I’ve used my AA kits to teach many people to shoot a handgun.  I haven’t replaced any parts on my Advantage Arms 22 LR conversion kits.  I did wear out two magazines I used with my AA Gen 1-3 19/23 kit.   I have no idea how many thousands of rounds that kit has digested since it was purchased in 2009.

I could probably get better reliability if I only shot CCI Mini Mags but my cost is $.11 per round but I buy Aguila for $.07 or less before sales tax.   I have other 22 LR handguns and I probably shoot 500-1000 22 rimfire shells a month.