Best value in an entry level 1911 gun

[newfalguy101]

A buddy of mine is wanting a 1911 and has asked me for advice.

He mentioned the RIA gun which seems to have a decent reputation from what I have read.

Is there a better value in an entry level 1911 than the RIA??

$500 out the door is the absolute top dollar he is willing to pay, preferably less.

 

[Strahley]

Shop around and you should be able to find a RIA for around $400. IMO they are the best bang for the buck or entry level 1911 on the market

 

[modifiedbrowning]

Check out the American Classic line. The ACs have a blued finish vs the parkerized finish on the RIA. I payed $450 for my AC II.
www.americanclassic1911.com

 

[Furncliff]

RIA... it's not perfect. I've had mine three years. The problems I did have with it surfaced in the first 3 months (broken slide stop, mag issues). Since then no problems. The tactical is worth every dime of whatever extra it cost. Mine has a fantastic trigger. One thing I notice that people don't talk about is accuracy. I can say that with WWB ammo at 10 yards from a rest, the target has one ragged hole. Certainly not on a par with a Baer, but hey. I'm looking forward to feeding it some hand loads.

 

[Hondo 60]

+1 on the American Classic II.
I've been researching this same issue because I want one too.

Here's a GREAT thumbs up for the ACII
http://www.gunblast.com/Firestorm-1911Deluxe.htm

Many moons ago there was a junk gun named Firestorm.
For some reason Metro Arms originally also named theirs Firestorm as well, but eventually renamed it American Classic.

The reviews I've seen say go with the upgraded ACII vs the original AC.
The original AC is a standard government mil-spec model, where as the ACII has a bunch of improvements and only costs about $50 more.