Rock Island Guns?

[1jeep]

Anybody own any? this si going to be my first hand gun and have been looking at the rock island 1911, the price is considerably less than the others. SO lets hear the good and bad.

 

[Horseman508]

Never owned one, but shot one before. Seemed to function pretty soundly, it's definitely not a Sig or Smith but it's also just a fraction of the cost.

Hopefully some guys on here can give you some feedback as to it's durability, breakdown and accuracy. I'm in the market for a new 1911 myself, but looking to buy one that I'll never want to upgrade. So I try to always remember, you get what you pay for. Something to think about. Good luck!

 

[1jeep]

yeah I hear you that's why I hesitate, it isn't that much cheaper and I still think the finish on the S&W looks nicer.

 

[NickyBangBang]

I have the RIA M1911 Tactical II. Got it at Northeast Arms 680 out the door; Skeleton trigger, VZ grips, Novak sights and rocksold; no sloppy GI wiggle. Minimal adjustment for great accuracy and overall a pleasure to shoot. I have put 500 rounds through it without any issues. The finish is not an issue. I highly recommend that if you purchase a RIA 1911 use the Chip McCormick mags, the factory one sux.

 

[Jttgspring]

Had an RIA M1911 A-1 CS commander loved it flawless, regrettably traded because .45 was too expensive to shoot, went all 9mm and .22. Don't be afraid of what the brand snobs say. Worst case you need to spit shine the ramp, and mess with mag lips.

 

[noxin]

From what I've seen, they're solid. If I was looking for a non-pretty 1911, a rock island would fit the bill.

 

[pupchow]

Sidetrack question. WRT 1911 platform, can additional fitting of stock parts be performed to enhance precision, or is that generally a one-time deal during assembly?

 

[1jeep]

thanks, im able to get one for under $500 from a local dealer, yes it is plain black and not chrome with the fancy wood grips. Being this is my first hand gun, I didn't want to go into the $1000 price range without having more experience.

 

[UncleDuke]

RIA is a good gun. In the past Armscor had some QA issues, although they seem to have overcome their past. I'd recommend the Rock Ultra FS in .45 ACP (around $700).

 

[1jeep]

thanks I will check it out

 

[noddaduma]

I'm familiar with the 2011 tactical. Action is very nice (tight tolerances but not too tight), good finish. One of the best bangs for your buck brands out there IMO. Made on CNC machines in the Philippines (not a bad thing at all).

 

[AHM]

An evaluation process (not very hands-on)

Hey, don't neglect to search the Intarwebs for 'RIA 1911 quality', because you will find some discussions on 1911-only and nationwide sites.

I'd wanted a 1911 and when I realized that a specific model had rolled out 2-3 years ago from a manufacturer I respect, I mostly read product review reprints and watched YoutUbe tryouts. Hickok45 doing mag dumps against his steel plate collection, photo galleries of detail strippings, etc. (You can tell many reviewers crib from the manufacturer's literature, and most commercial writers never $aw a gun they didn't like - so get that grain of salt ready).

In particular, I abstracted this video onto a bullet list on my phone, to quickly check the actual gun I was buying. The checklist is mainly for used guns - a new gun off the assembly line isn't supposed to rattle like a meth addict's teefums. But if you have faith in the video's criteria, it doesn't hurt to check.

But with that I hoped I had a modest understanding of what went into the pistol without filling my head with doubts from bake-offs and flame wars. That's more head-in-the-sand than the best practices recommended on this forum - note the complete absence of my borrowing or renting a test item before making a purchase. But blessedly I've no regrets. (When I encountered systematic mention of particular downsides, I did make pointed searches for the topic, so that I was sure that the issues were low risk or long-since fixed on the production line).

And I ain't saying here what I did get, because I didn't consider/reject RIA, and I sure don't know enough to compare with them.

 

[jayhitek]

I just bought a RIA 1911 in 9mm and love it for the price.

 

[mousegunguy]

Hickok likes 'em......

 

[massBRS]

I'm picking up my Auto Ordnance 1911 this Saturday. Off topic, but a low-dough 1911 made in MA you might want to consider.

 

[MAGG]

I have two of them ( mix up and ended up buying two of the same from two different places) One is still in the box and one I shoot occasionally. Paid $400 for each..I like them...goes bang every time and I like the flat black finish.

 

[bren42970]

I just bought one, under 500$ no issuies first trip to the range. Can't beat price for my first 1911 imho.

 

[mikelawtown]

Had the Tactical and was rough, shot ok but hated Alum case 9mm. Traded it in for a Range Officer

 

[highlander]

Have a RIA 9mm Tactical purchased from another NES member. Solid pistol shoots well both factory and handloads. Feeds my 140 gr semi wad cutters no problem. My only complaint the pistol was dripping with oil. Used several brand of mags and no ftf. Granted this is no Colt,Wilson or Baer but it's a very good pistol for the money

 

[rocket500]

I had one of the compacts and it was a dumpster fire. 3 trips back to the factory because you couldn't get a mag through it. Every failure known to man.

4th time they sent me a new gun. Sold the new one before I shot it.

 

[1jeep]

thanks everyone, I do understand there is the chance of getting a bad one with any brand, but I see nearly everyone has had good luck with them. I also realize at half the price it isn't going to be as good as some of the brand names, but this is my first hand gun and im still learning.

I would really like to be able to throw down $1200 on a nice Sig or S&W 1911, but at this moment it isn't feasible.

 

[Pinion]

I have the Full Size RIA M1911 Tactical II as well. I love it. Dont see any reason to buy one thats more expensive. Too many other costly hobbies.

I will however spend more $ on getting one in Commander size. Full size is ok to carry in winter, but too big for the other seasons.

For what its worth, if you have larger hands like I do, I suggest getting a Smith&Alexander arched backstrap and magwell guide combo. I'm still in the process of fitting mine, but it really makes the gun. Easier than bobtailing the damn thing, too.

 

[1jeep]

hand size while im not a giant I do find the size of the 1911 to be more comfy.

 

[Mark from ?]

thanks everyone, I do understand there is the chance of getting a bad one with any brand, but I see nearly everyone has had good luck with them. I also realize at half the price it isn't going to be as good as some of the brand names, but this is my first hand gun and im still learning.

I would really like to be able to throw down $1200 on a nice Sig or S&W 1911, but at this moment it isn't feasible.

I've had several. The only one I had issues with was the short barrel model. Carries nice but doesn't feed. Full size models have been flawless.

 

[1jeep]

thanks again, I did stop at a local shop last night and they had both the rock island and a Ruger 1911. After holding both and checking them over I might wait another week and get the ruger, it was $680 compared to the RIA being $500, but I liked the ruger a little more. the owner had nothing negative to say about the RIA, but when the 2 were sitting beside each other it became clear which one I wanted.

 

[45collector]

<----- My nickel RI 1911 is on the left. It has been flawless and as accurate as you could ask for in a bare bones 1911.

 

[Aussie01]

I have SIG, SW Pro series and RIA MS Tactical 1911s that I would never part with. For the price you can't beat the RIA. It's not an STI Edge but not $1600 either. Mine has fo front sights, adj Novak style rear and VZ G10 grips and very accurate. Just had a few hiccups with feeding Wilson combat mags. I use the mecgar and it functions fine. The bull barrel with full length guide rod is a bit of a pain to disassemble. I like the bushing barrel better.

 

[Bt74]

I have a RIA 9mm compact Tactical and love it. Great trigger, have NEVER had ANY sort of malfunction, and is unbelievably accurate, mostly because of the trigger. Only negatives: grip safety rattles a bit, and it has the RIA billboard on the slide. I carry it all the time, so it is getting a nice "holster wear" patina.

 

[Hoon]

I have one in 9mm with thousands of rounds through it. I used to compete with it before I discovered I was faster and more accurate with a Glock.

It does not feed hollow points reliably (about a 2% FTF rate) so I would not recommend it for defensive use, but as a range gun it's been 100% reliable.

The sights were way off and required replacement.

You might not have the hollow pt issue on the .45s...the 9mms are much more prone to it.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

I own a few full size in .45 and carry one frequently, using Golden Saber HP ammo or straight ball ammo. Never had any feeding problems, thousands of rounds down range, trust it implicitly.