debating two directions on RIA 1911s.

[Dave DeLaurant]

There is definitely a difference between frames when comparing standard barrels and ramped barrels. The 45 was purchased in 2007 while the 9/38 was purchased in 2020

The ramped vs. non frame difference can also affect the compatibility of aftermarket .22 rimfire slides. I can speak specifically with regard to the Ciener conversion -- it will fit the RIA .45 frame (purchased 2011) just fine, but it will not fit onto the ramped frame of the RIA .38 Super (purchased 2021.)

I can't comment on conversion compatibility with products from other companies, but it's something to verify before investing in a conversion unit.

 

[12Bravo20]

Pretty much most, if not all, 22LR conversion kits are designed for a standard non ramped frame.

 

[AlexanderA]

So yes the 9mm/38 frame for NON ramped barrels will be the same as the 45 frames without a ramped barrel.

This is the frame that started life as a 9 mm. Now part of a .45. I'm not sure that ramped barrels were even available at the time I bought it, at least not on the GI version.

 

[CapnMac]

Saw an RIA 38super today at the FW gun show--only US$545, which was very tempting (there was one other at the show, for $650; and a legit Colt from the early 80s for $2300)

 

[12Bravo20]

This is the frame that started life as a 9 mm. Now part of a .45. I'm not sure that ramped barrels were even available at the time I bought it, at least not on the GI version.

I don't know when RIA switched over to ramped barrels on their 9mm/38 Super. The frame I posted earlier is a GI frame with ramped barrel. I know every one I have looked at in the last 4 years have all had ramped barrels.

 

[PistoleroWadcutterGANG]

At the risk of getting hit with rocks, 38 super is better than 9 mm.

 

[thunderbyrd]

I've got two RIAs, a .45 1911A1 (bottom) and the equivalent model in .38 Super.

View attachment 1168447

Both run fine out of the box, accuracy being about on par with the pricepoint. IMO, 38 Super is a handloaders cartridge. The only problem it has presented me is segregating it from the lighter .38 ACP handloads I use in my Spanish 9x23 Largo pistolas -- I use the same brass for both. I've got a couple thousand cases, plenty of Unique and an ample stockpile of .356" Berry's plated bullets that have worked fine for me in both loadings.

BTW, I later installed this set of Aztec Piedra del Sol motif grips on the RIA .38 in honor of our southern neighbors, the real devotees of this cartridge.

View attachment 1168448

When you say disassembly, do you mean field strip? 'Cause the 1911 isn't difficult to strip once you've done it a few times. Find a YouTube video and be brave. You shouldn't need to mess with the scary trigger/hammer/sear bits to debug feeding problems.

Sarco carries a lot of RIA components and parts.

https://www.sarcoinc.com/search-res...d&page=1&rb_categories=Rock Island Slides[/UR

no, i don't mean field strip. i've learned how to field strip very well over the past two years. what i'm talking about is to completely disassemble the gun and put it back together again. i don't know if this is unrealistic or not and was hoping for some opinions and/or advice on doing that. "don't do it, this is too many cans of worms for the average person" would be acceptable advice, if it's true.[/url]

 

[12Bravo20]

Working on a 1911 isn't all that hard. There are a few nuances that you have to pay attention to. I suggest reading up and/or get some books on how to work on and tune a 1911. 1911's do require hand fitting of parts.

 

[thunderbyrd]

i'm quite sure that with a crowbar, a chisel, and the right cusswords i can get it apart. but putting it back together will be a challenge.

 

[kje54]

i've got a pair of notions in my head pertaining to a couple of RIA 1911s. someone will speak sanity to me if this is crazy.

i traded a ria off for a much better SA gun. the ria would shoot right one session and screw up all over the place the next. the last time i shot it, i got 7 malfunctions out of 50 rds. and i was using a better magazine than what came with it. i have the idea to go get the ria 1911 back from the dealer (he's not asking much for it) and completely disassemble it. and see if i can figure out what's wrong with it and fix it. a project gun, basically. a learner project for an amateur would-be gunschimdt.

the other thing is that i have always wanted a Super 38. i have found one in stock for a price i can afford. problem is, it's an RIA exactly like the one i got rid of, except the caliber. no, i don't want to buy it and disassemble it. i just want to shoot it.

i could buy both. but that could be problematic in various ways...

basically, how dumb would it be to buy the 38 super? am i likely to get bad service from a second ria? and is it beyond ordinary skills to reassemble a 1911, using one of the books out there on it?

Book? Book? I seem to remember hearing that word somewhere........... Is it anything like YouTube how to videos?

 

[tarosean]

i'm quite sure that with a crowbar, a chisel, and the right cusswords i can get it apart. but putting it back together will be a challenge.

A 1911 requires zero tools to disassemble fully. Its actually an extremely simple design.

*caveat being grip screws if not slotted.

 

[Russ57]

Complete disassembly is easy to do. The only thing that is a little difficult is the thumb safety (and it’s plunger tends to go flying away).

Pick up a pin and spring kit from EGW.

 

[halfmoonclip]

The basic fieldstrip is easy enough; avoid the dreaded moonshot of the recoil plunger. Even the detail strip isn't too bad for Series 70; the Series 80 linkage is fiddly.
There's no need for a detail strip, except maybe every 5-10 years of lots of shooting. A buddy asked me to clean his guide rod, tuned 1911. That thing had dirt that even John Browning couldn't find.
Moon
ETA- Not a fan of .22 conversions; have always had trouble. Finally got a Kimber conversion to run on a Colt; the Kimber magazines were just a schosh too long, and impeding the slide. Everyone, and their brother, have made 1911s, and you get tolerance stacking even with good parts.
M

 

[WVRJ]

I have a RIA 1911 in 10mm and when I first got it,it wasn't at all reliable.I found out that the ammo I was using didn't go well with the pistol.I was shooting 165 grain Sig/Sierra V-Crown bullets seated to the length the manual called for.The big hollow points dragged on the feed ramp and the top of the chamber.I switched over to Hornady HAP's for target shooting and XTP's for hunting deer and it's not missed a beat with those bullets.I seat them to 1.240,which is .010 shorter than spec,but they feed like melted butter.One thing I like to do is get the feel of different ammo/bullet types and feed them out of the magazine.It's easy to tell which will cycle through the gun the smoothest.A rounded profile with not such a big hollow point is best for me.

 

[3Crows]

I bought mine new to learn 1911s. It was $375 and the store gave me a $50 gift card too. It was a plain old GI model. This is what it looks now, Wilson Combat parts:



Shot good out of the box, shoots just as good now, maybe better. The provided magazine not so good I suppose. First round jammed and since it has run perfectly.

 

[whatnickname]

Like quite a few others I went through what I like to call my RIA phase. My experience with RIA guns has been very mixed. I had a couple that functioned very well and several others that clearly made better paperweights than handguns. Regardless of what I tried or what my gunsmith tried, these guns just found a way not to run. I’ve got one left and it is very reliable. Mostly it just does what you see in the picture. It looks good. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for and the 1911 is a case in point that emphasizes that statement. My 1911s are Springfield, Smith & Wesson, Kimber, Ruger and Colt. The Ruger is about as far as I would go down the retail chain price point to purchase what I refer to as an “economy” 1911. All of these run with whatever fodder I care to put in them. The one proviso is this: Wilson Combat magazines. I tossed the others in a box. Although I will say that the Smith & Wesson factory magazines worked very well as did those made by Mec-Gar.

If there is anyone I haven‘t insulted with this post, please be patient. I will get around to you!