Ciener Conversions Closes

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Just looked at their website, calling it quits after 40 years. I have gotten a lot of use out of their kits for the Browning HP and M1911, fired my HP probably 30X more with it than centerfire. They never made for S&Ws, alas.

 

[s&wchad]

I'm surprised they lasted this long. Jonathan Arthur Ciener was arrested about 12 years ago and charged with felony fraud. I don't know what the outcome was.

 

[BAM-BAM]

My interaction with him; he was a 'grumpy" old man!
My Browning conversion works.... but the Beretta and CZ units were a lot less hassle!

 

[AJ]

Heard some good about his uppers and some bad. Same about him, some good and some bad. Have a Colt Conversion Unit and never felt the need for a Ciener. Too bad to see a gun company close down. Maybe someone else will buy the company.

 

[ColbyBruce]

My interaction with him; he was a 'grumpy" old man!
My Browning conversion works.... but the Beretta and CZ units were a lot less hassle!

Grumpy old man? I concur, having had a few conversations with him as well.

 

[Bill Lear]

I bought a Platinum Cup 1911 .22 conversion about 20 years ago. Had to send the obligatory money order and printed order form.
What showed up was a beautifully machined aluminum slide with adjustable sights, satin finish, crisp edges, and zero tool marks. With it was a satin finished steel barrel and RSA - also impeccably machined, plus a magazine carved from a billet of aluminum that functioned(s) flawlessly. Having done my share of machine work I know what quality looks like. All this was packed in a nifty, blue plastic case with molded recesses for each part.
I mounted it on an aluminum frame I machined myself and ended up with a beautiful, lightweight, fully reliable .22LR 1911.

Was a time Ciener was the only game in town. Whatever might have been his shortcomings, selling anything less than top-quality conversions was not among them.

 

[smoothshooter]

I bought a Platinum Cup 1911 .22 conversion about 20 years ago. Had to send the obligatory money order and printed order form.
What showed up was a beautifully machined aluminum slide with adjustable sights, satin finish, crisp edges, and zero tool marks. With it was a satin finished steel barrel and RSA - also impeccably machined, plus a magazine carved from a billet of aluminum that functioned(s) flawlessly. Having done my share of machine work I know what quality looks like. All this was packed in a nifty, blue plastic case with molded recesses for each part.
I mounted it on an aluminum frame I machined myself and ended up with a beautiful, lightweight, fully reliable .22LR 1911.

Was a time Ciener was the only game in town. Whatever might have been his shortcomings, selling anything less than top-quality conversions was not among them.

A lot of old machinists are grumpy old men.
I can think of several reasons why.

 

[Baxter6551]

Too bad to hear they closed. I have one purchased used but it is marked “Kimber” before Kimber started making their own. I ordered spare mag and all springs etc to have in hand. Glad I did.

 

[BB57]

Ceiner is a gifted engineer. What he has never been is a good business man, or production manager.

He’d periodically get himself in over his head with projects and development and production cost and start having to take money on new orders to be able to produce and deliver previous orders. Weeks or months from order to delivery was the norm, and in the case of new products a couple years wasn’t unheard of.

Absent hiring someone to manage his business for him, he’d have done better if he had been more aggressive in managing expectations. Tell people up front it will be 12 months before the order will be delivered and then over deliver on the promise by delivering it in 6-8 months and customers are happy rather than mad.

 

[acpjim]

I also read some bad things about his customer service, but years ago I had to send an AR15 .22 conversion kit back to him for repair. It was returned to me fixed within 5 days. ( I actually received it back 5 days after I sent it). I couldn’t believe the fast turn around time. I don’t even know how it was possible for it to be returned so quickly. I had no complaints in my limited dealings with him and wish him well.

 

[bananaman]

I had a .22 1911 conversion. It functioned great. Their customer service was staffed by a rude person that told me magazines are not available if you don't see them on the website. {had to try}Tried another brand that was supposed to work. It didn't. Sold it! Bob

 

[lrrifleman]

Too bad to hear they closed. I have one purchased used but it is marked “Kimber” before Kimber started making their own. I ordered spare mag and all springs etc to have in hand. Glad I did.

How can you identify a Ceiner manufactured "Kimber" conversion unit?

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

I bought my 2 at gun shows, fit and finish was top notch. Work fine.

 

[AJ]

Too bad to hear they closed. I have one purchased used but it is marked “Kimber” before Kimber started making their own. I ordered spare mag and all springs etc to have in hand. Glad I did.

Had a "Kimber" upper for a while. It shot well. Then I picked up a Colt Conversion Unit and the "Kimber" was not needed.

 

[Greyman50]

Sad, he had some Very “ interesting” pieces back in the 70’s.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Knew a Los Alamos Machinist - Tool and Die Maker.
He refused to do any Gun Smithing and didn’t even like to be asked about it.
‘You have to talk to the customer for the same or more amount of time that it takes to do the actual work on the gun.’

 

[ColbyBruce]

We need photos

This was my third Ceiner conversion kit, it worked well but did not shoot this Remington ammo well. It preferred CCI and Federal. My first kit worked great, the second one was trash. I sold this kit because I could not find an affordable 1911 frame to build as a dedicated pistol.

I now have two Advantage Arms Glock conversions and am pleased. Glock frames are affordable and available.

 

[Baxter6551]

Irrifleman - I bought it used in a gun shop near Atlanta while traveling for work. Just the upper and one mag (metal - produced during the 90s ban milled to only accept 10 rounds. No box or paperwork. When I got home I bought a Kimber mag (plastic). It wouldn’t function. I called Kimber. They told me Ciner made them for Kimber before they started producing units in house. Mags not interchangeable. I use it on my Kimber Custom II lower and it functions great. Only hassle is taking apart for cleaning even with the owners manual I bought. I should have bought a case for it. Have since obtained a couple more mags.

* Edit *In reading the prior and below posts I think the Kimber unit was a Standard model with added adjustable rear sight (Millet? Not marked) and added front slide serrations. It does not have the features of the “Platinum” model such as the flat top of slide or the satin finished barrel and RSA - mine are parkerized.

 

[Grayfox]

15, maybe 20 years ago I caught a Platinum Cup unit on closeout at Midway cheap. I ended up liking it so much that I built up a bare frame to mount it on permanently.

 

[BAM-BAM]

I also read some bad things about his customer service, but years ago I had to send an AR15 .22 conversion kit back to him for repair. It was returned to me fixed within 5 days. ( I actually received it back 5 days after I sent it). I couldn’t believe the fast turn around time. I don’t even know how it was possible for it to be returned so quickly. I had no complaints in my limited dealings with him and wish him well.

My Browning conversion had to go back almost as soon as I got it, cracked/or bad weld [?] IIRC, he got it back to me pretty quickly <10 days.