Stupid Question - Ruger Mark III vs RIA 1911

As much as I like the 1911, and Rock Islands as well, I would go with the Mark III .22.

Ammo costs seem to keep going up & up with no ceiling in sight. You'll be grateful to have a "cheap" .22 for plinking, targets & small game fetching. You can shoot all afternoon for the price of 50 rounds of target .45ACP.

$13.00 = 550 Federal Bulk Pak of .22s
$15.00 = 50 rounds of CCI Blazer (brass)

Q

1911s are nice but you already have two good guns for defense or whatever. A .22 will allow you to get a lot of practice on the cheap - there's no arguing with paying $25 or less for a pack of 500 rounds.

Also, a Mk.II or III is just fun as hell. Accurate, reliable, almost no recoil at all.

Mark III = three of a kind for you, whereas the .45 means you have committed to a straight. The 1911 for less than $500 out the door is too good to pass up IMO.

A 22/45.

ruger 22/45 +1 i have one and love... plus there are alotta options

Sorry, I would definitely take a good quality .22 over a questionable .45 any day.

.22 please. At the end of the day shooting for accuracy and groups and whatnot have their place but every once in a while it is fun to magdump a couple of mags quickly into a fist sized group. By every once in a while I mean every range trip. The other bonus is that a lot of new shooters seem to always show up with larger caliber handguns or snub nosed revolvers. I offer them a mag through my .22 then hand them another and tell them to pull the trigger as fast as they can. Everyone smiles.

Even though I'm a M1911 fan, I agree with everyone above -get yourself a .22lr over the RIA.

Cheaper, fun, more fun. Since you are thinking about a basest model RIA, I have to assume that costs are important to you, just based on this the .22lr is the most reasonable choice to buy, shoot, have a great time and then shoot some more. -all for cheap.

I like my MkIII Target, which has a bull barrel, they don't look as cool from the side but they make the target look better. (Smaller groups)

Do yourself a favor and buy an "Ultimate Clip Loader" (The manufacturers name, not mine!) It loads magazines so fast and easy it just amazing! That loader with a Ruger MkIII is a blast waiting to happen. Using mine has turned me into an unpaid advertiser for these.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc225/partsproduction/rugert5.jpg

You would probably get more shooting in with a .22. It does not replicate the recoil of a .45 for rapid fire, but if you shoot extensively with the .22 you will be a much better shot than if you only shoot occasionally with the .45.

If you get a 22/45, this model somewhat replicates the 1911's grip angle and control locations.

Here's a solution:

I'm a huge Ruger fan. Just want to say that up front!

My $.02? Get both! Sell the Ruger 9mm to get cash for the RIA 1911A1. I've got one, and it's a blast!

The Ruger 9mm autos...frankly...don't impress me. Having said that, I own...uh...more than two! Ruger .22s, in MkI, MkII, MkIII, and 22/45 categories. I shoot these more than any other pistol, and they are an outright blast. Gotta get one, man! If you don't get one of those, pick up a Buckmark. .22 Auto pistols (good ones, mind you!) are one of the best kept secrets in the shooting world!

(I own a RIA .45, and I love it. I'm not afraid to shoot it, like I am some other, much more expensive slabsides collecting dust in my safe)

Someone who believes the Democrats will find a way to outlaw gun sales would suggest that a cheap but good 1911 like the RIA (Opinion based only on forum reputation, not personal experience) would be a better purchase. Reasoning? A dependable self defense weapon that is cheap will be more worthy of barter than a .22 handgun. An expensive 1911 will have no more or very little more barter value in such a scenario, since people aren't going to be willing to show off their high dollar guns unless a social situation develops, and in that case the only real value is reliability. A good reliable 9MM may have an edge as barter because of ammo availability. My non barter weapons are all high quality production guns, I bought my first pure barter gun a few weeks ago. Sorry to bore anyone with my doomsday scenarios.

Buy the RIA 1911A1 then buy a .22 conversion kit for it. Not as expensive as 2 handguns, but you'll have money left over for equipment and ammunition.

Separate handgun, get the 22/45. Everyone who shoots mine wants one, and a couple of my shooting buddies now own their own. I put 100 rounds through it to warm up, and another 100 rds to plink with at the end.

I just bought a Rock Island 1911 today so do like I did and buy one.I got the ria with plans of getting the 22lr conversion kit for it.

BTW the RIA 1911 is the working mans gun.We are not afraid of using it since it is a cheap gun but it is far from being questionable.

1911 hands down/Why do you not have a 22lr rifle? THat is the real question