4oS&W first hand comparisons

[WRW]

The original price limit was the reason I didn't recommend a .40 SW in a 1911 frame . I don't have an RIA, but I would jump on that deal.

[gunderwood]

Well of all things, my GM at work offered me a Rock Island 1911 officers model for a real nice price. He's a former texas state trooper and has used this part time as a carry weapon. He doesn't like shooting it anymore because he said the sights are too small and father time has done a number on his eyesight. So now I'm in a real dilema. The price he gave me is $350 with extra clips and since he's got more weapons than he could shoot in a month, he said he'd let me have it for that price as friends. I wasn't looking for a 45ACP but at this price, I think he made up my mind for me.

So, how about some Rock Island opinions. He's a trusted firearms resource and since we work together, I know he's not trying to unload a POS on me. Does anyone else here have one??

Thanks for all the input guys! I really appreciate the responses.

RIA is best summed up this way (from a trusted source): Good frame and slide, internals are junk.

For $350, you could do all kinds of upgrading though!

[WRW]

gunderwood, was it the MIM parts that trusted source was refererring to?

[Username]

Well of all things, my GM at work offered me a Rock Island 1911 officers model for a real nice price. He's a former texas state trooper and has used this part time as a carry weapon. He doesn't like shooting it anymore because he said the sights are too small and father time has done a number on his eyesight. So now I'm in a real dilema. The price he gave me is $350 with extra clips and since he's got more weapons than he could shoot in a month, he said he'd let me have it for that price as friends. I wasn't looking for a 45ACP but at this price, I think he made up my mind for me.

So, how about some Rock Island opinions. He's a trusted firearms resource and since we work together, I know he's not trying to unload a POS on me. Does anyone else here have one??

Thanks for all the input guys! I really appreciate the responses.

They're about $450 new, maybe less. I've heard good things, for a cheap 1911 I hear they are very solid guns. But, people always have opinions.

[Diomed]

gunderwood, was it the MIM parts that trusted source was refererring to?

I very much doubt they have MIM capability in the Philippines.

The guns are fine. They shine with some upgrades (personally I think the barrels are the worst part of them).

[gunderwood]

gunderwood, was it the MIM parts that trusted source was refererring to?

I very much doubt they have MIM capability in the Philippines.

The guns are fine. They shine with some upgrades (personally I think the barrels are the worst part of them).

That was from a retired 1911 gunsmith (only does work for friends these days) who has built some RIAs from the ground up. The problem, as I understand it, is fit and finish quality of the internals as well as the quality of the steel. They use cast frames too.

For $350-$500 the guns are a good buy and probably the best you will find until your get to the Taurus PT1911 IMO ($600 out the door from galleryofguns/TR Firearms 7493 Cedar Knolls Dr, Warrenton, VA 20187-9239). Are they as "good" as a Kimber or SIG? No, those are better guns, but their internals are MIM, so they are not as nice as a Les Baer or Wilson Combat. There almost always is something better than X. They are fine guns and would serve you fine if that is what you want, I just call them like I see them. E.g. the latest SIG internals (P series) are junk compared to the older ones. They outsourced them and quality went downhill. That doesn't makes SIGs a bad gun, they are what they are and they aren't as nice as they use to be. Same with the newer S&Ws, etc.

Manufacturers are constantly doing this to keep the prices of their guns down or at least not rising too fast. Inflation causes these problems and I don't mean the rigged CPI index either (every time the CPI gets too high they change how it is calculated so the numbers come out lower). Calculated the same way as we did in the 1990s, the CPI would have been 8-13% annually for the last couple of years (momentary housing blip excluded). http://www.shadowstats.com/alternate_da ... ion-charts

That is the inherent flaw in the CPI. It assumes that no progress is made in efficiency, no quality is lost (this is not the case with guns as people are beginning to notice), etc. Check out the handful of manufacturers who have not reduced their quality and you will notice their prices have skyrocketed due to the devaluation of our money.

[gunderwood]

http://www.sightm1911.com/lib/review/RIA.htm

[WRW]

Diomed, They have that capability. As to whether parts for the RIA pistols are made there or are shipped from Taiwan, I can't say.

Knowing what the RIA is, I still would own one.

[DWinter]

First off, thanks again for all the input. It's greatly appreciated.
Ok, so I'm not a 1911 guy yet so bear with me. If I wanted to upgrade the internals or the barrel in the future, are the parts easy to find and are the parts interchangeable. And is it really woth doing?

[WRW]

Personally, I'd shoot it to see what I liked and did not like...then sell it to finance something more to my liking.

[pvfd304]

I've had my Glock 23 since the first year they came out. Still a great pistol.

[gunderwood]

First off, thanks again for all the input. It's greatly appreciated.
Ok, so I'm not a 1911 guy yet so bear with me. If I wanted to upgrade the internals or the barrel in the future, are the parts easy to find and are the parts interchangeable. And is it really woth doing?

Generally not worth it, but it is highly dependent on what you want to do with it. The junk internals comment needs more qualification. In the world of 1911s custom guns start around $2,000 and are not uncommon at $5,000, but really the sky is the limit. If you are building those kind of guns, even Kimbers MIM parts are junk. The internals are appropriate for a factory gun costing $400-500. As the review I linked to pointed out, the gun is a good value for the money. The best analogy I can come up with is that RIA 1911s is like an economy car. Good for the money, but they have cut some corners to keep the cost down. You could buy a better car, but do you really need a better one? Not usually.

[Diomed]

Personally, I'd shoot it to see what I liked and did not like...then sell it to finance something more to my liking.

This, though not so much the second part.

Shoot it, play with it a while. If there's something about it you don't like, it can either be changed, or you can start looking for a new ride if you decide it's really not your cup of tea.

[NickW]

The RIA Officer 1911 runs about $425 new, you can get one new at Buds online Gun Shop for about $412 then add $40 dollars for FFL transfer fees so.... ask him if it comes with a holster and if its in great condition buy it IF, its what you want.

[WRW]

Personally, I'd shoot it to see what I liked and did not like...then sell it to finance something more to my liking.

This, though not so much the second part.

Shoot it, play with it a while. If there's something about it you don't like, it can either be changed, or you can start looking for a new ride if you decide it's really not your cup of tea.

The way you said it is the way I meant it. Abbreviated sentences, many times, don't get the message across.

[DWinter]

Thanks Guys, It looks like I'm gonna dive into the 1911 world. I'm probably getting myself into something here since after some research i've learned a lot about this famous style pistol and I like what I've read. I'm a history buff but I've been more into the old long guns. Anyway, I may even be able to trade for it since he kinda wants a tool box I have. That makes it even easier. Plus he's gonna throw in some extras so we'll see.

Once again, thanks for all the input from the board.

Duane

[DWinter]

Okay, here's a final update. I just traded a Trolling motor for a LNIB Glock 30. It's had 5 rounds fired thru it and put in his safe. Not a mark on it. Not even a mark on the feed ramp. Santa came a little early this year, and whats better, the trolling motor was given to me so I basically got a new Glock handed to me. It's been a great day.