Most guns will always work better after they have had several hundred rounds fired through them.
The reason for this is it knocks off the ruff edge that is left on the parts from the manufacturing process. That is why polishing them will make them work better.
It is good to know that Ruger still makes a good pistol and with a little tinkering it can be made into a tack driver. From some of the posts I have read you guys had me worried.
I do not dry fire my weapons unless I have to. They make a thing called snap caps for that.
I want go into them because I think someone had already posted about them.
The way you clean out your pistol with a Q-tip to knock out the crud sounds just like me. We would get along fine. I also do a total break down and clean for every so many rounds.
I think my pistol groups better when it is a little dirty. I know it is not suppose to work that way but it does.
As for the 45 conversions,
I have a CCW permit and carry my 45s a lot. I don’t want to be carrying a 45 size 22 around.
I have a small mouse gun for that. Just as sure as I had the old slab side rigged up as a 22 I would need to use it. I will take 8 45 cal rounds over 10 22 cal rounds any day. Not to say that I would be out of luck carrying a 22, it’s just bigger is always better.
If you are going into a place where you know there will be trouble them Don’t go there!
But if you do have to go into harms way take a High Powered, High Rate of Fire Rifle with you. At close range a shotgun with the same attributes will do.
A carry pistol is just a C.Y.A. weapon.