Have any of you had experiences with a Colt ACE 22 pistol? I've never even had the chance to handle let alone shoot one but would love to. Please share your experiences.

Not as accurate as a dedicated .22 pistol in my experience.

Other than that, the floating chamber can get sticky. Some pistols run longer than others between cleaning. It has been a while, but I think copper plated ammo ran longer than plain lead as far as making the floating chamber stick.

Magazines are not inexpensive, but are relatively easily found.

I think I have a bag of Ace firing pins around here somewhere.

A friend, now gone, used to describe over priced and over rated guns as, "For the sucker trade". Funny how all the owners of a Ace want to cash them in due to that little pony. You can buy 2 to 10 Model 41s for the price of a Ace. Any 41 will out shoot the Ace. Heck, a Ruger .22 auto will out shoot it. Most revolvers as well. Ace is a collectable for the sucker trade. You can still find conversion units from Ciener, Marvel and Colt, which are also over priced and rated. Even Kimber made conversions. I consider the Ace a plinker for close shooting at best. Just not impressed. If you like the little auto, they are available. The Woodsman Match Target is the prize in the old Colt line.

Conversions like marvel are superior in every way to the old ace which was designed as a training tool for 45 service pistols not as a dedicated target gun.

If you're referring to the Service Ace or conversion unit with the floating chamber which is used to enhance recoil for training purposes, they are unreliable unless you soak the floating chamber with Break Free. Lubed in this way I had one go 500 rounds without malfunction. The Break Free turned the dirt into a lubricated sludge, filthy but functional. Not a real target gun, but it was interesting to have a .22 that actually recoiled a little bit. The very early Target Ace did not have the floating chamber, and was similar to most 22's. Mine was fun to shoot but by no means a real target gun.

The COLT Service Model Ace is not a target pistol. Accuracy is mediocre and as mentioned the floating chamber will foul long before many shooters tire of popping beer cans. It is however a high quality, all steel pistol which should appeal to 1911 enthusiasts and Colt collectors alike. I own a handful of 22 lr pistols including a Service Model Ace. For me, the Colt is an interesting alternative to my Ruger MK II or even COLT Woodsman for informal plinking at camp. In my experience, folks are curiously drawn to the notion of firing .22's through a full sized Government Model pistol with dedicated Ace owners reluctant to part with their pistols. If I do my part keeping the chamber clean, the pistol is quite reliable within its design limitations. And while the floating chamber was conceived as a training aid to accentuate recoil, I can assure you the Ace is nowhere near as snappy as a .45 auto.

I, generally, agree with everything said already. My Ace was given to me by a friend, and on a 1943 Colt frame. I'm currently working on fitting a new, dedicated Caspian frame to it. I can't say I shot more than a couple hundred rounds through it on the Colt frame, but they weren't at paper, so I can't comment on any accuracy, though it didn't have any hiccups.

A friend was a major Colt Ace collector many years ago, and now his sons have his Ace collection. They were some beautiful guns. I don't know if his sons shoot them anymore, though.

The Marvel kits are far superior, though depending on the vintage and company licensed to produce them, some still have some quirks.

If you want an Ace, buy one, but do so for what it is and I would pass on paying any premium for the name on the side of it.

I have had an early Ace kit and entire Ace pistol. Meh. The floating chamber will get clogged up with lead causing jambs. That was a pain to clean up. They say Break Free lubricant will help prevent the clogging. I have a Kimber conversion made by Cerner now that works great and is very accurate.

I have a real Service Model ACE reissue from the 1970s.
The floating chamber gives it a bit of recoil and it is adequately reliable with
Colt "horsie" trademark magazines
CCI MiniMag or Aquila HV plated bullet .22s.
Plenty of lube including a couple of drops of oil between chamber and barrel before each shooting session if not recently cleaned and oiled.

Replacement magazines from Metalform are spotty. I have one slightly modified GSG magazine that feeds well but does not slide lock.

When I want accuracy I have target pistols and a Nelson conversion. I use the ACE to practice my draw and target acquisition for IDPA and USPSA, so targets are large and relatively close.

I have one, from my father. It was a complete pistol from Colt, not a conversion kit. Has the “floating” chamber. I don’t have the box handy right now with me, but believe built late 70’s, early 80’s. Nice pistol, usual Colt fit and finish, nice blueing. Nice shooter and never any problem shooting. Fairly accurate, really enjoyable shooter. That being said, it’s not a S&W model 41 or High Standard Supermatic Citation which I also have. Different classes.

The ACE is definitely an interesting 22. Thank you for filling me in. The only thing I ever knew about it was that there was an issue with the floating chamber but wasn't aware what it exactly was.