RIA 9mm 1911 - GI vs Tactical (Sarco, Inc.)

[CZ-Guy]

I had sold my Rock Island 1911 GI .45 last summer when I was working on getting out of debt. Now that I'm debt-free and have some spare coins, one of my first re-buys was going to be the RIA. But now I see that they have them in 9mm. My only gripe with my .45 RIA was that my wife refused to shoot it. She'd handle a 9mm, .380, etc..., but just couldn't handle the recoil and percussion of a .45.

Anyway, I see that Sarco has the 9mm GI for $359, and the Tactical for $415. My question comes in two parts:

1. What do I gain from the Tactical and is it worth the extra $55 bucks?
2. Anyone ever used Sarco before? Good/bad?

Reference:

GI 9mm: http://e-sarcoinc.com/rockislandfullsize1911a19mmpistol.aspx
Tactical 9mm: http://e-sarcoinc.com/rockislandtacticalm911a19mmpistol.aspx

Thank you

**** UPDATE ****
I should note that this will be primarily used as a range gun and not for CCW.

 

[rbernie]

The upgraded sights of the Tactical are well worth the extra cost, and many folk consider the beavertail grip safety to be a worthwhile upgrade as well.

I have not used Sarco in the past.

 

[rellascout]

Novak sight cuts, beavertail, ambi safety, skeleton trigger etc...

The 2 things that make the tactical a better deal IMHO are the sights and the beavertail. The sights and their cut will allow you to swap out the sights for nights if you choose and the beavertail is also allows you to get a little higher on your grip.

The only real advantages of the GI is if you want that stock GI look.

Sarco has a decent rep.

 

[CZ57]

The sights on the Tactical look like Novak's. May be a copy but if they're not that's worth the extra $55 right there. Most features for the money equals the better buy IMO. I'd say get the TAC.

 

[rellascout]

They are not Novaks but they are IIRC Novak cuts so they can be replaced with Novaks or other sights using that cut. The GI will have to be milled to get a more modern sight design onto the side.

 

[MAKster]

I would get the Tactical model. For a small price increase you'll get an extended beavertail grip which will prevent hammer bite, much better sights, and ambidextrous safety. If you bought a GI and added those features later, it would probably cost you triple the price difference between the GI and Tactical. I would only buy the GI if having a WWII style gun was your main interest.

 

[CZ-Guy]

I like the look of the 1911 a whole lot, but I'm not a purist. My RIA 1911 .45 was a hoot to plink with. I'm looking for the same thing in the 9mm. Does anyone know if the barrel is any different in the GI vs the TAC?

 

[nearmiss]

Barrel is the same on GI & Tac.

 

[viking499]

Think the barrel is the same. Basically the same gun other than the upgrades listed above. The TAC option is worth the extra money.

Dealt with Sarco before. Always had good luck.

 

[franco45]

I got the 45 RIA tactical because of the ambi safety. (I am left handed) I do appreciate the sights though. I am looking at the 9mm tactical due to the cheaper ammo but I will not get rid of the 45.