1911 help

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rookie1911

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Hi THR,

I am new to the gang and I am happy to belong. I recently purchased my first 1911, I am not rich so I purchased a Rock Island 1911. I heard they have potential to be good guns.

My goals are to have a soft recoil and I want a 2-3 lb trigger.

My reasons for these goals is that a buddy of mine was with Force Recon and his 1911 was setup like that. I want to shoot just like they do.

If someone knows what Delta Force does to their 1911's, I would like to know. I have seen them shoot and they are some pretty good shooters.

I would also like to find a good pair of USMC grips, if you know of a good place let me know.

Thanks
J...
 
My goals are to have a soft recoil and I want a 2-3 lb trigger.

My reasons for these goals is that a buddy of mine was with Force Recon and his 1911 was setup like that. I want to shoot just like they do.

If someone knows what Delta Force does to their 1911's, I would like to know. I have seen them shoot and they are some pretty good shooters.
Click to expand...

Gun doesn't make a shooter any more than a pen makes a poet.
 
Welcome to THR rookie1911!

If I may suggest, you don't really want a 2-3lb trigger. Triggers this light are specialized and require light competition hammers, trigger sets and springs. This is for 'fun' and not reliable for combat or self-defense or safe carry.

Fighting M1911s usually have 4-5 lb triggers so this should be your goal.

But before you go modifying your new gun, I suggest that you spend your money on ammo & practice time. Nobody becomes a warrior without practice and more practice. I suggest that you put 5-6000 rounds of ammo thru your RIA in order to really know your pistol inside & out. After that, you should have a pretty good idea on what -if any- things you may want to add to your gun.
 
Now, are you assuming that dressing your 1911 up as your military friend does will make you or the gun a better shooter? The best advice I can give is to find which accessories match your shooting style, and which work best for you.

Even better, if you want to shoot as good as they do, forget the accessories and spend that money on pistol shooting lessons, and range time. New panels will not turn you into an operator.
 
The straight answer is: You eliminated the opportunity to have a firearm that performs on the same level as a Delta gun when you bought an RI.

Guns starts with the frame. Yours would not meet their specs.

Can't be done with the format you are working with.

If you want a great shooting 1911 there is no reason you can't have it with your platform.

Start with how you shoot the gun and how it performs.

Address your and its weaknesses one at a time.

The first change I usually make is the grips. Find some that when you grab the gun point naturally to your point of aim.

A heavy trigger is not a big deal. Get used to it and you won't notice the difference anymore.

Second change I make is sights. I choose something that works easily and quickly for me. They may not work for the next guy, but they work for me.

Now you are down to slide release, safety and mag release - and your RIA pistol has $700 invested in it.

Assuming you have appropriate leather and spare mags accumulated by now you are ready to get down to the innards, unless you still haven't got your grip straightened out.

If you still have grip problems you have to look at frame modifications.

A good trigger job will cost you about $400. That is, of course, going the cheap way. If you buy top-of-the-line parts you'll spend that on parts. Then you have to pay someone to do the work.

You are now at about $1,500 in a $500 pistol.

And it is still a RIA pistol.

Take what you have. Shoot it and enjoy it. Change what you don't like, but do it because it makes you happy - and remember every dollar is a 5 cent on 7-cent loss.

My favorite .45 auto is a $500 gun. I've put about $1,500 into it and with a little luck I could get $600 or maybe $700 out of it.

I don't care. It makes me happy.

My view, if you want a $1,500 gun buy a $1,500 gun. If you want something that makes you happy, buy what makes you happy.

But, don't try making a silk purse out of a sow's ear. It will only leave you with unpleasant memories.

OTOH, my sow's ear has never lost a match.

And no, it ain't for sale.
 
rookie1911,

Welcome to THR.

I would suggest you go out with your RIA and shoot it a lot. You'll find that the stock trigger is actually pretty nice. Dry-fire it as much as possible, this will help to break the trigger in nicely.

You can have a good gunsmith do a few mods to the pistol that will not break the bank. For instance I had mine upgraded with STI trigger, sear, hammer, and beavertail, and a SA slide release and match bushing for around $100 + parts. Next on the list is a set of good sights.

My sows ear shoots really well too.
 
Easy guys. New member asking a valid question. He deserves a straight answer.

While the gun doesn't make the shooter, confidence in the gun tends to make one aspire to shoot so that he/she may one day be able to shoot up to the gun.
 
loop,

"A good trigger job will cost you about $400. That is, of course, going the cheap way. If you buy top-of-the-line parts you'll spend that on parts. Then you have to pay someone to do the work."

Could you please give us a breakdown of prices on this?
It sounds ridiculously high to me.
:confused:
 
Yea, even for the best/priciest work.

Enjoy your gun. Any decent gunsmith can improve on the trigger for you. I agree with earlier posts that a crisp 4 Lb trigger pull is all you need unless it is a competition gun.
 
Best advice I've seen so far.

I would suggest you go out with your RIA and shoot it a lot.
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Go have some fun with your new firearm. Don't change ANYTHING until you're sure it will be an improvement for you. After shooting it for a while, you may find that "right out of the box" condition suits tou best.
 
Force recon isn't some specialy congress created group of high speed killers and your "buddy" is full of it trying to pass himself off as one .

The operative word here is recon or reconnaissance the definition which is this " an exploratory military survey of enemy territory" , my brother inlaw was Force Recon in Nam and let me tell you they get the stock weapons any standard combat troups would .

By they way thier job is to gather intell NOT to engage the enemy .

This means unless he is in his late 40's it wouldn't even have been a 1911 it would have been a 9mm M9 and he would had to have been a Seargent or an E6 to even get that .

My nephew was a member of a Marine HRT "hostage rescure team" a decade ago and he was issued a standard M9 until they went to Sigs also in 9mm along with HK MP5's and the M4 , something like a HRT is a speicalized team not a Recon and even they don't get some high dollar customized 1911's .

A 2-3lb trigger is for target work NOT combat .

A fighting 1911 with a nice crisp 4-5 lb trigger is all that is needed and it's what the real experts use , now the wannabe's well , those clowns and their bogus advice will get you killed .
 
Gun doesn't make a shooter any more than a pen makes a poet.
Click to expand...

Yeah but a fountain tipped, Blue ink drippin, Waterman Expert II looks and feels so much cooler than a Bic at the poet range! ;)

I would suggest you go out with your RIA and shoot it a lot. You'll find that the stock trigger is actually pretty nice. Dry-fire it as much as possible, this will help to break the trigger in nicely.

You can have a good gunsmith do a few mods to the pistol that will not break the bank. For instance I had mine upgraded with STI trigger, sear, hammer, and beavertail, and a SA slide release and match bushing for around $100 + parts. Next on the list is a set of good sights.

My sows ear shoots really well too.
Click to expand...

^ Good stuff! I have also heard good trigger improvement from dropping in the Wilson Combat trigger.

I would also like to find a good pair of USMC grips, if you know of a good place let me know.
Click to expand...

I found these through some google searches:
http://www.diamondbacktactical.com/Caspian-Arms-1911-Grip-Panels-Army-USMC-P1254C121.aspx
http://www.ajaxgrips.com/ajax/ajax?set=25

I like these the best: http://www.kimberamerica.com/shop/product.php?xProd=336&xSec=18 But I usually like the darned most expensive things. :)

I don't know if they are your cup of tea, but they're a start.

Welcome to THR,

RFB
 
Hi again rookie1911, don't let us turn you off, we're not mean, just a bit grumpy sometimes -but the good intentions are there. There are probably centuries of experience from everybody that posted so far.

Listen to RogersPrecision, and look at his website if you want to see real custom 'fighting guns', people wait for a long long time for his gunsmith work -unfortunately, they are not made from RIA frames.
Also, 1911Tuner will steer you in the right direction.

While your RIA is a decent gun, it is more a pickup truck, not a sports car, you can't add big tires and expect to race it. But if you use it as it is intended to be used, you should get a lot of good milage out of it.
 
Agree with above posters.

Take your pistol out and shoot it often. Put at least a thousand rounds through it and decide what mods YOU want, not what someone else says you ought to have. These usually include sights that work for you and a trigger you can manage cleanly and safely. As an example, I prefer a plain rear sight and highly visible front. Others like a three-dot set-up. As to triggers, anything from four to six pounds is usually good, I prefer about four for a carry gun, something much lighter can easily get tempermental. Suiitable for games, but nothing in the real world.

A trigger job is about a hundred dollar proposition, give or take a little, not four. Just for the record, I lugged around a lot of military issue hardware and was never issued anything with a two to three pound trigger pull. Remember that everything has to be deemed "soldier proof", or in my case, "sailor proof".
 
Thanks

Thanks alot for all the positive responses. The best advice I received so far, that I got from all the responses is:

shoot my gun before I decide what I want to do with it!!!

I will definitely do that.

Thanks
J..
 
how to put pics?

Hi

I would like to know how can I add pictures, I would like to add pics of my guns.

Thanks
J..
 
rookie1911,

First, welcome to THR. Good bunch of people here who share information and have a good time doing it. One of the best and well regulated gun websites available today.

Sounds like you have your answer to your 1911 question. Take your time with it and don't sink a bunch of money into it right away just because someone else tells you to, or because "my buddy's gun is that way." It can be a costly venture if you're not careful, and sometimes too much is exactly that - too much.

By the way, looks like you've got some nice hardware to start with. Good choices! Now get out there and practice, practice, practice!
 
:scrutiny:
DARN!!!!
I was hoping the poster 'loop' would come back to this thread and explain further about $400 trigger jobs.
:(
I think maybe I have been undercharging.
;)
 
By the looks of the AR, I think you are no stranger to letting go of bread!!! In regards to 1911's, welcome to the disease:neener: I hope you are not married(for her sake), and because you will probably hear a lot of:cuss:.

Do whatever you want to your 1911. Modding is half the fun for me. I have 2 kimbers. 1 in 9mm and 1 in 45. I love to add things, but mostly for comfort and practicallity. OK, maybe some sex appeal.
Oh yeah, I also have a Charles Daly frame with a Ciener 22 conversion kit on it.
 
Nothing wrong with a Rock Island - they're workhorses. I have the tactical model:

1000103-48x9bavnn.jpg
 
BigO01, your military experience is what? Some Marine units carried 1911's after 1985 and still do today. I carried one 88-92 and was only an E4. I also used an M14 as a DM. Stick to the 1911's and leave the Corps to those of us who lived it.
 
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