Need advice on which 1911 to buy, please...

Status
Not open for further replies.
F

Fittipaldi1of1

Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2010
Messages
2
I am looking to buy either the RIA tactical compact 1911 for $470ish plus tax

or​

on a local forum a guy listed this for sale and I have a few questions about it, this is his post

Perfect CCW Package Colt Officer .45 ACP
Colt Officer Model .45 ACP Matte Black, Wilson Combat Trigger, Titanium Firing Pin, Polished throat and barrel, 3 colt factory mags, original Colt brown walnut grips w/ gold medallion, Colt black wood grips with silver medallion, black Hogue combat grips. Galco black leather (S.O.B.) small of the back holster. original manual included $775.00 obo
1.jpg
2-1.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg
5.jpg


I offered him $600 and still waiting for the response...

Does anyone know what size barrel this is? or what year it was made? I'm having trouble finding information on it, as Im not sure what model it is...


Which of the two would you guys recommend and is the colt a good deal?

Thanks in advance,
Nick
 
That brass to the face problem is an easy fix. Next time you disassemble, take a look at the ejector. Carefully file both sides to a point at the center and your brass should fly to 3:00.

http://www.coltsmfg.com/Catalog/tabid/61/ProdID/196/Default.aspx

Buy the Colt, even at near asking price you'll still love it. 4 1/4" barrel. Make a note of asking who did the ramp job, if it was botched, the frame is worthless (without a lot of work). Good luck.
 
The RIA is a great gun for the money. I've seen a lot of negative posts about them on the net, but you'll find about twice as many that sing their praises. And, I've yet to find a gun or shooting guru on the net that talked bad about them. One two had negative attitudes when they started, but the RIA made a believer out of them.

I've got 2 - 3 hundred rounds through mine and have never had a single fail to feed, never had a single fail to fire, never had a single fail to eject. It isn't a real tight gun out the box, slide has a little slack in it, but if you want tight, that's an easy fix from what I've read. Personally, mine's usually under the seat of my pickup, and therefore I don't want a real tight fit. Exacting tolerances and dirt do not always play well together.

Not gonna argue with Skylerbone on the Colt either. You'll love either of them! The 45 ACP is one of the most loved guns in the world, just ask anyone who owns one.
 
4 1/4" barrel. Make a note of asking who did the ramp job, if it was botched, the frame is worthless (without a lot of work). Good luck.
Click to expand...

This is the Colt Officer's ACP

The barrel is only 3.5" long...the Commanders had the longer 4.25" barrels...you can tell by the mags and the tang of the grip safety.

The ad doesn't say anything about the ramp being polished, only the barrel being throated and polished

OP - I wouldn't go with the OACP as a first 1911, the shorter slide and barrel just has less margin for malfunction

I don't have any personal experience with the RIA, but folks I respect have been saying that they have been better than expected. They liken them to the Springfield Armory 1911s when they first came out at the bottom of the 1911 market.

A lot of folks are just leary because the RIA is produced in the P.I....they aren't known for their gun culture
 
I prefer a commander slide length, but how many rounds have been through tis pistol? It souunds like you can do better if you want to wait a bit.
 
I would get it, but ask for a picture of the the ramp to make sure some fool with a Dremel tool didn't get enthusiastic there.
 
This is the Colt Officer's ACP

The barrel is only 3.5" long...the Commanders had the longer 4.25" barrels...you can tell by the mags and the tang of the grip safety.

The ad doesn't say anything about the ramp being polished, only the barrel being throated and polished

OP - I wouldn't go with the OACP as a first 1911, the shorter slide and barrel just has less margin for malfunction
Click to expand...

+1

The number one thing to check on any 1911 is has it been bubba'ed. If custom work has been done you want to verify who did they work? The shorter a 1911 get the less margin for error there it. I personally think the commander length is the best in terms of reliability, concealability and shootability.
 
Lots of goodies with the Colt but a lot of questions too. How many rounds through it? Who did the work on it ? I have a RIA Tactical that has been flawless through about 700 rounds. I too was looking at Para and got talked out of buying one.
 
I was considering the RIA Compact Tactical, too. Then I found the American Classic Commander yesterday, and bought that - for $491, including shipping and FFL transfer. I chose it primarily because it has the longer commander bbl, (4 1/4") compared to the Compact's shorter 3 1/2" bbl. They are both made by Armscor in the Phillipines, so obv. the quality is the same either way...
 
The officer frame isn't a gun that you typically see a ton of rounds shot through. They're not typically range toys or fun guns, so if it were me, I wouldn't worry about the gun being worn out. And as a general rule, if a person has enough sense to buy a Colt, they're probably not going to let some shadetree gunsmith start working it over. It's usually done by a competent smith. If you can pick that gun and all the goodies up for $650 or less, I'd say you came out alright.

As for whether to go with a Colt or a Rock Island, I mean c'mon! :eek: Has Rock Island's reputation got so inflated that people are even spending time considering which one is better? Armscor makes a solid 1911, but it's not the quality of a Colt.

If you want a gun that will be reliable and not have to worry about how it's treated, then get the RIA. If you want a higher quality gun that will be just as reliable, but with a better quality finish, better internal parts, and will hold it's value a lot better, go with the Colt. Both guns have their places, so it really depends on what you want to use the gun for.

Then I found the American Classic Commander yesterday, and bought that - for $491, including shipping and FFL transfer.
Click to expand...

Be curious to know where you found one of these. That price for everything for a commander frame would be a good starting point for a custom build. Show us some pics!
 
Last edited:
I bought the Para....Saw it on sale at a shop for $449. Did some research and found most owners were very happy with them, which seems reflected in the reviews on the Buds link above.
I have not had a chance to shoot it yet, but slide/frame/barrel fit are tight...the barrel in particular looks to be high quality and a tight fit to the bushing. Seems to hand cycle very smoothly and feeds JHP and FMJ.
I was ready to order a RIA Tactical when I found this Para...I really didnt want the ambi safety or FLGR...the Para gives me the things I want in my 1911, and nothing I dont...
....But, the proof will be at the range.
 
i own both the colt80 and 2 rias i fs and 1 4in the fs ria has over5k in it and no probs, the 4in has 4k it got a little sick with the firing pin but other than that a runner. the fs rock i got used for 399.00 the 4in for 375.00. The colt i got used for 600.00 all 3 work in my edc. the colt has 3k in it and no probs in that one either
 
The Colt will hold it's value better than a RIA or Para. I would rather own a used Colt than many new 1911s. However for around the price of the "used" you could get an STI Spartan. STIs are made to shoot, look good, shoot good, work perfectly. STI has a reputation for pistols that work right out of the box, my experience has not been any different.
 
Sounds like the OP is local to the Colt. If I could put 3 mags through it without issue, I'd take that at up to $650. Any more or any feeding issues, I'd leave it.
/Bryan
 
I have a Para P12 and a Colt Officer upper on an RIA full-size frame. No problem with reliability or accuracy. The Colt upper was was installed by a 'smith. I carry the P12 because it is an alloy frame, and is much lighter. I trust both.:)
 
I have a SA px9142LP, Loaded Champion. It's well equiped and has been perfect so far, about 150 rds. I'd give it a thumbs up
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

1KPerDay
  • Locked
Okay: so in 2011 I'm going to buy a good 1911. Which one?
2 3 4
Replies
82
Views
5K
chrt396
C
D
  • Locked
Colt 1911
Replies
3
Views
431
10X
1
J
  • Locked
Looking for info on Colt Commander Series 80
Replies
11
Views
1K
TXHORNS
T
T
  • Locked
1947 colt 1911 price check
Replies
6
Views
1K
tipoc
tipoc
K
  • Locked
Colt Officer's ACP
Replies
6
Views
551
ken grant
K
Back
Top