Inland 1911a1 replica

[Jack Package]

So I have always wanted to get a 1911a1 and since I hate the modern looking 1911's and have heard bad things about Rock Isle and Auto Ordnance 1911s I currently have my heart set on the what seems to me and my research a faithful reproduction of the 1911a1. Anyway all I want to know is, has anyone here have or seen or shot one. All the reviews I have read online seem to say they are the best replica 1911a1 out there. Thanks for any responses.

 

[MedWheeler]

I've never heard of them. If few others have, you won't read much negative about them. FWIW, I hear far better about the RIA and AO models than you apparently did.

I also hear almost nothing but praise on the Turkish-made Tisas 1911, enough to get one as my first 1911. I'm very pleased with it so far, and it seems to be a very faithful replica.

I'll look into the Inland.. now, you've got me curious..

 

[AeroDillo]

The Turkish 1911s are far better guns than one would expect. For a while they were also the closest to a GI model that could be had off-the-shelf. Good fit and no toolmarks. I owned one for a couple of months before an associate made too good an offer. Markings aside, the present Auto Ordnance offerings are leaps and bounds ahead of where they used to be. Wish they'd have done it years ago and saved me a couple hundred dollars' worth of corrections on mine.

For what it's worth, I'm waiting for someone to realize the lucrative market that exists for properly-checkered mainspring housings. One of the most apparent features of a GI gun and among the few components not presently reproduced.

 

[highlander 5]

I have a RIA in 9 mm and other than a trigger spring that broke it has been very reliable. Granted the RIA are not the fanciest 1911 around but for the money and their customer service they are a hard pistol to beat. Are you looking for a GI model or a 1911 in general you if you don't mind stainless steel you might want to give the Ruger SR1911S a look. The Auto Ordinance 1911 under the Kahr name is a much better pistol than the ones from the previous owners,in my neck of the woods there running in the $500 range

 

[Old Dog]

I have seen, and handled, one of the Inland 1911A1s. Have not shot one. Having been issued, carried and shot many 1911s courtesy of Uncle Sam from 1979 through the mid-90s when we replaced them with the M9, I'd say Inland's version is the best, by far, replica of a military-issued 1911A1 -- other than Springfield Armory's first 1911s through the "G.I." series.

 

[bannockburn]

Jack Package

Haven't seen the Inland M1911A1 but from the price listing on their website at $779 it appears to be one of the more expensive of the military type M1911s out there. ATI, RIA, Iver Johnson, and Auto Ordnance all make very close copies of the M1911A1, with most of them priced at around $450 or less.

 

[TN Outlaw]

Ive seen an Inland m1911a1 but hadnt handled or fired one. I actually hadnt heard anything about them, pro or con. Probably would be a decent 1911.

I agree with Old Dog, the earlier SA GI models were a really close replica. My buddy had one and got in a tight and sold it.

I know you didnt ask for my opinion on RIA, but im kind enough to give it free of charge , i own 2. One in 45acp and another in 9mm. Both have been great guns and done what ive asked of them with no fuss. The 9x19 happens to be my most accurate centerfire pistol. While i dont have near as many as some here, i have several and most cost a good deal more than the RIA but still cant hold a light.

 

[bannockburn]

TN Outlaw

I have one of the early Springfield Armory M1911A1s and except for the slanted slide serrations it's a very close copy of the real thing.

 

[TN Outlaw]

Beautiful weapon, bannockburn.

Shooting my buddies GI when he had it is what made me have to have one, i mean two, i mean...

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I have an older Springfield 1911-A1 like the one bannockburn has but not as nice. I'm very happy I bought. I got it used for a good price about 10 years ago.

 

[stchman]

Tisas makes a GI spec 1911, they make an A1 and an A2 version. I owned both the Tisas and RIA GI 1911 and the Tisas was a FAR better gun IMO.

 

[ttarp]

I couldn't be happier with my AO 1911, maybe the fit and finish on the new Inlands is significantly better, but not having handled one I don't see how they're different enough to justify the price.

 

[Tommygunn]

Ooops . Mistaken post erased.....sorry.

 

[Blkhrt13]

I can't say about the inland. But the trigger of the RIA I shot was very nice. I owned a Thompson 1911 deluxe it was very usable. Only problem I had was weight. Heavy in a shoulder rig.

 

[Rick McC.]

I couldn't be happier with my AO 1911, maybe the fit and finish on the new Inlands is significantly better, but not having handled one I don't see how they're different enough to justify the price.

The "new" AO's seem to be a food gun for the price.

I did a bit of work upgrading one for a friend a year ago, and it was accurate, shot and functioned flawlessly.

He still raves about it.

 

[lsudave]

Count me as another of the satisfied Turkish Tisas owners.
Yes, it's a little worn in, the safety isn't spec, and it has awful stampings on the frame (the warning).

I got it used for $299, and it runs great.

 

[CapnMac]

Well, the grail is correct hammer, arched, checker4ed, mainspring housing with lanyard loop, and a deep, dark, parkerized finish.

RIA really never made enough of those. The Norincos were kind of all over the map. AO does most of that, and in a decent black oxide finish. I've not seen an Inland, other than on their web catalog pages. I have looked at the Turks, and Armscorp, and debated just getting a legit mainspring housing. The mis-matched finishes would probably annoy.

I, quite stupidly, walked away from a vendor with some really discounted AOs at the Ft Worth gun show a couple of w/e ago. (As in about a c-note less than Bud's stupid).

 

[rondog]

I took my RIA GI model and added WWII Colt hammer, trigger, grip safety, thumb safety, stocks, and a Smith & Alexander arched msh. The result.....

Works for me. Shoots fine and only a trained eye can tell the difference from 6 feet away. When it's in my 1943 M2 shoulder holster you can't tell at all it's not real.

 

[MAKster]

This new Inland brand pistol is not related to the Inland division of GM that made M1 carbines in WWII. They just bought the rights to the name after Delphi went bankrupt. The Inland website is full of all kinds of info about the history of the original Inland which gives the false impression that they are the same company. I have read that these pistols are nearly identical to the Auto-Ordnance models made by Kahr. Same similaries to Kahr with the new Inland carbines.

 

[AlexanderA]

In my experience, the Auto Ordnance (Kahr) 1911 is the closest to the WWII gun currently on the market. The biggest drawback of the Auto Ordnance, in this regard, is the firing pin safety, but that can be replaced with GI parts plus a filler piece for the frame cutout.

The Rock Island (Philippines) gun is also in the running for a WWII clone, but you have to think of that in terms of the frame only. The slide, barrel, etc., are no good for this purpose. I've built up a couple of WWII clones using RIA frames and GI replacement slides and barrels that I had in my stash. If you had to buy all these parts now, the project would be prohibitive.

 

[CapnMac]

Ok, had to go look at the Inland online catalog.



The plain GI spec has an MSRP of $780; compare AO plain jane at MSRP of $680 (about $540 at Bud's)

 

[RPRNY]

The RIA GI is ugly. The allegedly "parkerized" finish looks like rattle can Rustoleum. The edges on trigger and safety are sharp. I don't like it. Compared to my 1942 GI, issued to my father in the Pacific, with that curiously gray/green parkerized finish, it's just not in the same league.

Having said that, I have an RIA Commander Lipsey's special in FDE Cerakote and the trigger and safety are nicely round edged, it is phenomenally accurate, and it will digest virtually anything fed to it (unlike my GI), so RIA know how to make a 1911.

I would be hard pressed to pay a premium for a GI spec 1911. I don't know what the Inland models are like, but a repro 1911a1 shouldn't cost more than $500 in my opinion.

 

[Hillbillyz]

One more vote for the Turkish gun. Mine has run flawlessly.

 

[ulflyer]

Here's a Norinco with decent sights and parkerized. I've owned quite a few over the years and never had problems with any.

 

[kituwa]

For that kind of money, i would look fora used Colt MK IV. It will have the right cocking serations on the slide. Has an arched main spring housing but will probably be plastic so would need that. I dont think it would be hard to find a hammer and old thumb safety but the one on the Colt could very easily be modded to look like the original.You would need to do the 80 ser delete if that matters to you. The sights of coarse will be a bit bigger than an old GI gun but that can be fixed real easy also. There is the COLT MK IV roll mark of coarse but it is not un-godly and for sure better than what any other GI clone would have on it. And ,,of coarse to complete it will need to be parkerized. I picked mine up used for $450. If you had to pic up a few old GI parts and pay to have parkerized it still should not be much if any more money than the off brands and you will have a REAL Colt.