  We investigate a method to assess the validity of gravitational-wave detector
calibration through the use of gamma-ray bursts as standard sirens. Such
signals, as measured via gravitational-wave observations, provide an estimated
luminosity distance that is subject to uncertainties in the calibration of the
data. If a host galaxy is identified for a given source then its redshift can
be combined with current knowledge of the cosmological parameters yielding the
true luminosity distance. This will then allow a direct comparison with the
estimated value and can validate the accuracy of the original calibration. We
use simulations of individual detectable gravitational-wave signals from binary
neutron star (BNS) or neutron star-black hole systems, which we assume to be
found in coincidence with short gamma-ray bursts, to estimate any discrepancy
in the overall scaling of the calibration for detectors in the Advanced LIGO
and Advanced Virgo network. We find that the amplitude scaling of the
calibration for the LIGO instruments could on average be confirmed to within
$\sim 10\%$ for a BNS source within 100 Mpc. This result is largely independent
of the current detector calibration method and gives an uncertainty that is
competitive with that expected in the current calibration procedure.
Confirmation of the calibration accuracy to within $\sim 20\%$ can be found
with BNS sources out to $\sim 500$ Mpc.
