We may actually agree more than disagree the more we talk. I don't have the money pay smith for things i can do myself or really to inspect a gun that has been 100% for many hundreds of rounds.
After all you like 1911's so you cant be all that bad right? lol
I hate to say it but from all the bad things ive read on the net i wouldn't touch a 3" Kimber with a $1k price tag and from what the net says is a realistic 50/50% of issues right out of the box.
But i have no issues with 5" Kimbers personally as i know i could make it run.
Im no gunsmith, And most likley it sounds like you even may know more about what specs make a reliable gun more than i do. But from a person who understands how they work and can diagnose them pretty well im confident in making sure my guns are able to protect my life with good reliability.
If you ever get the chance tho check out an RIA CS 3.5" Officers as i think you would be impressed besides all the internal fluffing and buffing that is really needed internally.
tjoe20- Id say yes your right, The SA G.I. is just a plain version and money is saved by using less expensive to make parts, But still of high quality tho. And they do less machining and put a cheaper finish on it. All the parts will be undersized also so they don't have to pay a smith to sit there and hand fit each part by hand. It doesn't make it weaker or bad, It just will have slightly looser tolerances in part fitment.
Ive not been inside one and seen how much work is done internally by hand and i doubt not much, But that dont make it any less reliable than a $1k SA 3"
My RIA CS 3.5" was about as basic as it possibly could have been internally. But for $425 i expected that. EVERYTHING in the firing group was parkerized and no mating surfaces had parkerization removed and polished. But id say after 1k rounds it should wear in itself and smooth out on its own as long as it was lubed correctly.
It still ran the risk of uneven wear so thats why i spend many hours inside mine polishing and making the sear and hammer better.
One thing ive found on these type guns is they all use the worst triggers they can find i think. Just the trigger as a part is what im referring too. They are always too short creating way too much pretravel and also most have no over travel stop to adjust.
Any decent $25 trigger will generally make a big improvement in these guns.
My only regret with the RIA CS is i didn't buy it sooner as i was hoping to eventually have enough cash to buy a New Agent.
I agree with all of this.
There are three brands I recommend to people without hesitation in the 1911 arena. Colt, Springfield, and RIA if looking specifically in the sub $500 range. All three of these have one thing in common, and that's excellent customer service. Also, I'd probably throw S&W in there too, although I have no experience with their 1911s (just revolvers, which I really like). They just tend to be pricey when compared to similar models from Colt and Springfield, although again their customer service is top notch.
I'm having a great experience with Colt's customer service at the moment. I've had a Commander for a couple of years now, and it's accuracy has been, how shall we say, erratic. It would shoot great groups for two magazines, then just start looking like a buckshot pattern. However, it was dead nuts reliable so I never got motivated to send it back. Finally, I contacted Colt about the erratic accuracy and they said send it in. The made (yes, made) a new barrel, fit a tighter bushing, and refinished the gun at no cost to me. I'll have no problem buying Colts from now on.
Two main things I look for when buying a 1911. First, does the company have a solid reputation of knowing how to properly build a 1911, and second, will they stand behind their product no questions asked. Since sometimes getting a solid, correctly built 1911 is a crapshoot, that second one becomes most important.
I have a New Agent. I bought it in almost new condition from Bud's Gun Shop. It has run like a top since the day I got it. I got it not for the size, but for the weight reduction over a full size, all steel pistol. To me, that's the only reason to get a 3" 1911, for the weight reduction, and the only significant weight reduction you'll get is with an aluminum frame. In my opinion, you don't gain much going to a smaller 1911, all steel, but you do lose a lot in terms of reliability and shootability. Also, the smaller guns seem to be less stable when carried because you don't have the extra barrel length against your butt stabilizing the grip. I am getting ready to switch over my main carry from the New Agent to a 5" Springfield lightweight that John Harrison worked over for me. The 5" seems to carry better for me, and the difference between the steel and aluminum frames is very noticeable in terms of all day comfort.
I'd still like to get a plane jane GI Rock Island. Never shot one, but I've had one in my hand several times and they always seemed pretty smooth, and a couple of them had really nice triggers. And again, RIA CS is top notch from everything I've heard and read.
This underrated (8 + 1) 45 ACP goes for about $400 - $450 and is a good value compared to most other smaller framed 45's that are finicky on ammo.
