MagnumDweeb
Member
I've wanted a Rock Island 1911 .45 ACP for a couple of years now but too many good deals fell in my lap in the last couple of years i.e. Ruger GP100 6" half lug for $300, Sig 228 in trade for a S&W M 19-4 6", etc. etc. etc. for me to justify buying one.
Well I finally had four months between gun acquisitions(my own rule because I already have a bunch of guns I don't shoot as it is) and had gotten what I had paid for some of the old used guns I bought back when and I wanted a 1911.
So I wanted a workhorse 1911 I could mistreat(regular shoulder holster carry), shoot 100rds through once every two weeks or once a month, and just enjoy. So I thought of the Rock Island. Well it's gone up by at least $50 in the last year on Buds Gun Shop.
So at around $420 OTD I had to look at the competitors out there. Don't get me wrong, most people who own Rock Islands have great things to say about them. But so do folks who own Springfield GI 1911s and you can get them NIB OTD for around $560. Yes it is a $140 difference.
But the Springfield GI 1911 is said to be okay to use with .460 Rowland(I don't want to but it's nice knowing I could), and Springfield is known for excellent customer service as well regarding its products when it comes to minor repairs and parts replacement.
Springfield GI 1911s are forge cut, Rock Islands are cast. Then you have the Remington 1911 which can be had just shy of $600 in the right circumstances. It has better sights than the Springfield but it only has a warranty repair time of one year. Granted any true 1911 is never truly broken, it just needs new parts.
So with that said, originally Rock Islands held a great deal of appeal because they were quality guns well under $400. But now as their prices have creeped up, has that appeal started to wane against new model 1911s and old guard 1911s that are only a couple hundred dollars more expensive.
I'm looking more and more to the Springfield GI 1911, it's plain and simple, a fighting gun, excellent record of customer service behind it and only $140 more than a Rock Island, for the price difference should I just make the higher jump or try and hunt for a used Rock Island at $350 OTD.
Well I finally had four months between gun acquisitions(my own rule because I already have a bunch of guns I don't shoot as it is) and had gotten what I had paid for some of the old used guns I bought back when and I wanted a 1911.
So I wanted a workhorse 1911 I could mistreat(regular shoulder holster carry), shoot 100rds through once every two weeks or once a month, and just enjoy. So I thought of the Rock Island. Well it's gone up by at least $50 in the last year on Buds Gun Shop.
So at around $420 OTD I had to look at the competitors out there. Don't get me wrong, most people who own Rock Islands have great things to say about them. But so do folks who own Springfield GI 1911s and you can get them NIB OTD for around $560. Yes it is a $140 difference.
But the Springfield GI 1911 is said to be okay to use with .460 Rowland(I don't want to but it's nice knowing I could), and Springfield is known for excellent customer service as well regarding its products when it comes to minor repairs and parts replacement.
Springfield GI 1911s are forge cut, Rock Islands are cast. Then you have the Remington 1911 which can be had just shy of $600 in the right circumstances. It has better sights than the Springfield but it only has a warranty repair time of one year. Granted any true 1911 is never truly broken, it just needs new parts.
So with that said, originally Rock Islands held a great deal of appeal because they were quality guns well under $400. But now as their prices have creeped up, has that appeal started to wane against new model 1911s and old guard 1911s that are only a couple hundred dollars more expensive.
I'm looking more and more to the Springfield GI 1911, it's plain and simple, a fighting gun, excellent record of customer service behind it and only $140 more than a Rock Island, for the price difference should I just make the higher jump or try and hunt for a used Rock Island at $350 OTD.