Rock Island Armory 1911's

Not a fan of the looks of their GI base models. Their allegedly Parkerized finish looks cheap and most of the edges can be a bit sharp. Next trim level up addresses those issues and represents a good value for money. I have a compact “Lipsey’s Special” in FDE Cerakote with adjustable night sights and have found it accurate, reliable, and willing to eat anything it’s fed.

A buddy of mine bought one that I believe was a basic GI model in 9mm last year. I got to put 3 or 4 mags through it and found it to be very accurate and it hit right to point of aim. Trigger was good enough for my tastes. I wouldn't have any problems buying one if I was in the market for a budget 1911.

I have 11 1911's. 8 of them are RIA'S. Only one is a GI model. It's a 38 super. Im very happy with my Rocks.

You might want to consider a stripped RIA frame if you are building a pre-Series 80 gun, such as a WW2 clone. (Sarco, for one, had the stripped frames.) The only caveat is that the RIA has a beveled mag well, but that isn't very noticeable.

(The slides depart from authenticity more than the frames do, mainly because of the beveled ejection port. That is noticeable.)

(Note that these changes are considered pluses if you're not looking for historical authenticity. As a collector, my viewpoint is very different from that of a shooter.)

My RIA 1911 in 10mm if perfect.

They run.

I absolutely love mine. This is the first 50 rounds through it.

I have one in .45 ACP and I'm happy with it. Mine is a step up from their basic GI model with an adjustable rear sight and better grips. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

I have had several over the years and they shoot right up there with Colts or any other brand that I have had... I like the ones with adjustable sights as they work best with my old eyes.. They are good pistols in my book..

Not pretty but mine has been flawless with both the 22TCM and 9MM barrels.

Good value, quality, function and performance. Ran the black Rock Island 1911 in IDPA part of one year, about 1500 rounds flawless, shown with a couple Kimbers.

jdh said:

Not pretty but mine has been flawless with both the 22TCM and 9MM barrels.

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As has mine. Commander size.

I owned one that my son wanted more than I did. It has been a good gun for both of us.

Hickok45 has a video comparing a RIA 1911 at $500 to a $3000 1911. Obviously the high dollar gun is more refined, but the RIA performed well in both accuracy and functioning. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

I've been very pleased with my 2 RIAs.

A buddy of mine had one in .45 ACP. It was nickel plated and the finish was very evenly applied through out the whole gun. The gun was nicely assembled with a great slide to frame and barrel to slide fit. My friend wanted some mods done to it so I added a beavertail grip safety (it was stainless steel and highly polished to match the nickel plating), a round hammer, and an extended slide release lever. All the parts went in with little if any extra filing needed to get them in. Overall I would say the gun was well worth the money he paid for it.

I have owned one and it was an OK gun but nothing special. Of course why would it be special considering what they sell for. A solid gun at a good price.

I have three: 9mm. 40, and 45acp.

They all shoot fine and function reliably.

It's well worth it to pay a little bit extra for the larger sights.

I owned a base GI budget pistol in the past, and my eyes are too old for those little teeny sights.

This one I bought NiB a couple of years ago or so. It was an absurd deal, $400 OTD or something ridiculous.

My 1st 1911 was the RIA 45 two tone. I changed the grips on it.

I have the basic GI model. Nothing much to look at but it has been reliable and accurate. I regard them as a really good value.

Jeff

All of the Rock Island 1911's I own have been good to go. And they are all quite accurate and will hold their own against more expensive 1911's (depending on the shooter).

hated mine, total lemon. Horrid customer service, lying salesman on the phone (Arnell) at the service center.
Had good luck with my Auto Ordinance, better luck with Springfield Armory. Much better off with a springfield, for the forged parts alone, and only about 100$ more in my area. AO, Tisas, and Metro run the same range as RIA in cost, and I would look at them first.

My experience with this company differs from most, so I'm sure they mostly make decent stuff. But when the do sell a real piece of junk, they don't stand behind it.

Owned 2, my ffl buddy wanted one of them back because he sold his to neighbor.....now i have 1 again.
Ive handled and shot 3 or 4 others and so far ive yet to have/see any issue with any of them.

mjsdwash said:

hated mine, total lemon. Horrid customer service, lying salesman on the phone (Arnell) at the service center.
Had good luck with my Auto Ordinance, better luck with Springfield Armory. Much better off with a springfield....

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I don't think there's any RIA that can compete with a Range Officer, that's an opinion and not necessarily fact.
But Springfield's customer service is second to none.
Example...recently, I had a local gunsmith replace a broken ejector in my Springfield Mil Spec. However, he carelessly over-bored a hole by the disconnector and completely ruined the frame. Springfield replaced the frame, properly fit the slide / barrel and basically re-built the gun that someone else destroyed. Total cost.....ZERO
Got the gun back in 2 week and it shoots better than ever.