Hybrid-size RIA

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I just do mine under tension, retract slide to the cutout, pop the slide latch lever out, and let everything come apart.

Citadel/RIA are both made in the P.I. by Armscor, but RIA has their importer (AT) and Citadel comes in through Legacy Sports. I don't know the level of fluff&buff the importers apply when the guns hit the shore, your experience implies that RIA gets quite a bit of attention on this end, which is interesting.
 
Really looking forward to a range report.

Ivan Walcott personally helped me with purchases,
and made me a deal when I needed it.

I give high marks to Advanced Tactical.




Full length guide rod:
I do the paper clip thing, easier on these old pre-arthritic hands.
Two-piece full length guide rod is so much easier.
But the plain old GI guide rod is the absolute best thing going.
 
Range report!

Finally got out today. Did most of my shooting from 7-10 yards, a mixture of WWB, Federal, Blazer aluminum, and some Remington 230gr JHP to test out the tuning Arnel did. I used three Metalform 7-round mags I got from CDNN. Fired maybe 70 rounds total.

All of the ball ammo fed flawlessly. The JHP hung up the last round in two of the magazines but not the third, which makes me think it's a combination of the mags being new and the gun being new. I don't often shoot JHP so I'm not too concerned yet; I'll try some more after a couple hundred more rounds of FMJ.

This was my first experience with a compact 1911 so I was constantly comparing it to a Govt size. The recoil didn't feel much more potent but the muzzle flip was a bit more pronounced - it was not at all unpleasant. Muzzle flash and noise were both quite a bit more than I'm used to.

At 10 yards I was getting my shots into about a nine-inch circle. I was not going super slow as you pay by the hour at this range :( and I feel I could do better if I took my time. However, I was grouping to the left of POA, which I do NOT do with any of my other pistols. I am undecided as to whether I will try it one more time to see if it's me or just whack the rear sight with a drift and see if I can correct it. Option three would be to have the sights replaced; I was hoping I'd get along better with these GI-type sights than I did, and I think a set of 3-dots may be in order, as my eyes just have a hard time with the small sights.
 
Rittmeister, I've been waffling on getting RIA in gear to make me one, do you have a longer-term report?
Still enjoying your CCO?

Thanks
 
Still liking it, but jonesing for a true 4.25" Commander-length upper with barrel bushing etc. I don't get along with the small GI-type sights, so something will be in the works.

I've only had it out another time or two; having a 1-year-old cuts down quite a lot on my range visits :(
 
Finally had the time to talk to the receiving FFL, and realized that RIA was a timezone back, so I called them up fully intending to make an order for a copy of your fine little machine, Rittmeister
Had card in hand, money to burn, and a list of features desired ... got an answer at RIA and was informed that:
"Mr Arnel is at our facility in the Phillipines, and won't be back in the shop until early/mid January"
...
I was polite until the end of the conversation, and then a slew of non-high-road phrases were uttered, mostly at myself for waiting sop long to get the order in.

So ... since I get the chance to mull over my list a bit ... anyone want to point out something I missed or something RIA can't/won't do on a custom order?

~Off Frame
~4" Barrel and matching slide
~Night Sights if possible (3-dot if no night sights)
~Grips/Magazines not particularly important, I have that covered already
~DO NOT want extended levers
~DO WANT:
--Beavertail grip safety
--Skeletonized trigger
--Combat hammer
--Flat MSH
--Spare recoil spring (wish I had one for my Citadel, it will need one in the long run)
--Set up to feed HP ammo

...
Also, Rittmeister, how long was your wait after ordering?
 
In bold:

~Off Frame
~4" Barrel and matching slide
~Night Sights if possible (3-dot if no night sights) - the MS slide came with GI sights. I assume they could do this but it would cost extra.
~Grips/Magazines not particularly important, I have that covered already
~DO NOT want extended levers - the Officer's frame they sold me came with GI-type levers, as in the pictures I posted.
~DO WANT:
--Beavertail grip safety - included on the frame.
--Skeletonized trigger - might be extra.
--Combat hammer - included on the frame.
--Flat MSH - included on the frame.
--Spare recoil spring (wish I had one for my Citadel, it will need one in the long run)
--Set up to feed HP ammo - Arnel did the reliability job on mine when he assembled it and it runs great with all the ammo I've tried. No, I can't remember it all but it's been a mix of FMJ and JHP.

...
Also, Rittmeister, how long was your wait after ordering? - having trouble remembering but I want to say it was 2-3 weeks until I actually had the gun in my possession.

Hope that helps...
 
Hope that helps...
Click to expand...
it does, thanks!

I'm anticipating a price somewhere in the neighborhood of:
galleryofguns.com/genie/Default.aspx?item=51417
galleryofguns.com/genie/Default.aspx?item=51429
galleryofguns.com/genie/Default.aspx?item=51482-ARM
That's a spread from $520 to $780 - hopefully it will be somewhere in the lower end, but adding night sights might push it up a good bit ... we'll have to see, I doubt they have another spare demo frame knocking around to use, but I can always hope!

Now, the waiting ... ...
 
I own 3 rocks tac, gi , and the 4in when i got the 4in used,
It had 1000 rds in it, i ran another 5k in it, i started having a few fte, sent in tuned up now running like a scalded dog.

Arnel was busy so my man shawn took great care of me!!!!!. Call him he is on his beam. My poa and poi. Belongs to the sights going to change them
 
RIA/Armscor are very high up on my list of companies to buy from. My next purcahse will be a 5" Tactical, but this little guy looks awesome as well.

Here's hoping that after a few folks placing custom orders they decide to release this one as a new model.
 
Dragging this back from the dead again. I decided to replace the small GI-style sights with Novak 3-dot LoMount sights. I haven't had it to the range yet (just got it back today) but I'm quite pleased with the look, and the sight picture is a thousand times better for my eyes.

Before:

IMG_4646.jpg

After:

(washed-out flash pic)
IMG_5476.jpg

no flash:
IMG_5479.jpg
 
Range report - all systems go! Sights are dead on, and at 10 yards shooting offhand (two-handed) it groups ever so slightly larger than my 5" Kimber, which is pretty much what I figured.

All in all, it took a while but I'm now VERY pleased with this pistol. Don't hesitate to contact Ivan or Arnel at AT if you want one - but do yourself a favor, have them give you better sights than the little GI sights!
 
great news!

If enough people get a "CCOish" special made, RIA might even put the gun into production as a normal model - I may even ask about on their FB page (see, FB is good for something other than middle-aged ladies playing farmville)
 
Now that I've got the gun sorted (mostly), I have a question - is it possible to convert a gun like this, with a bull barrel, to a GI-type guide rod and spring plug? A reverse-GI spring plug, I guess?
 
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