RIA 1911 .45 ACP Tactical

[stinger 327]

I'm getting one of these and it only comes with one 8 rd. magazine.
Paid $599 for it and it seems to be that the prices have gone up and this is the going rate here.
Is $599 a good price for California? Another place was asking $650.

Any suggestions as to which brand to get for magazines?
Do the 10 rd. magazines have any other disadvantage over 8 rd. magazines other than sticking down a little lower than pistol?
Or is it better to stick with 8 rd. magazine?

It is strange that Citidel 1911 .45 ACP is the exact same gun as the Rock Island (cosmetics difference) made by same people but it comes with two magazines and the cost is the same as the RIA 1911 that only comes with one magazine.

 

[JTQ]

The single stack 1911 in .45ACP is not a 10 round pistol. If you want that capacity, you should pick another gun.

I often recommend this article from the late Mr. Stephen Camp's blog to those new to 1911's.

http://hipowers-handguns.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-is-best-7-or-8-shot-1911-45-acp.html

 

[stinger 327]

The single stack 1911 in .45ACP is not a 10 round pistol. If you want that capacity, you should pick another gun.

I often recommend this article from the late Mr. Stephen Camp's blog to those new to 1911's.

http://hipowers-handguns.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-is-best-7-or-8-shot-1911-45-acp.html

Thanks...Just adding another one to the collection. This would be my first 1911.

 

[wally]

Or is it better to stick with 8 rd. magazine?

A lot of folks would say its best to stick with the original 7-round GI design.

I find a properly setup 1911 is not very magazine sensitive as long as the mag spring is strong enough to make the "controlled feed" design work -- this is often the problem with the 10-round mags. I've had good results with the CMC 10-round "Powermags" but I don't use them much because I don't like the way they hang down below the grip.

IMHO the RIA "Tactical" 1911 is about the best bang/buck on the market.

 

[stinger 327]

A lot of folks would say its best to stick with the original 7-round GI design.

I find a properly setup 1911 is not very magazine sensitive as long as the mag spring is strong enough to make the "controlled feed" design work -- this is often the problem with the 10-round mags. I've had good results with the CMC 10-round "Powermags" but I don't use them much because I don't like the way they hang down below the grip.

IMHO the RIA "Tactical" 1911 is about the best bang/buck on the market.

Actually the magazine that comes with the gun is a 8 rd. Armscor magazine.
Then which brand? Wilson? Kimber?

 

[rondog]

I have a sackful of CMC (Chip McCormick) Shooting Star 8-rd. mags, and they work fine in all my 1911's - RIA's and Colts. Flat-base, fits flush with the bottom of the grip, like they should. I can't stand mags that hang lower, but I don't shoot competition and need fast reloads either.

 

[stinger 327]

I have a sackful of CMC (Chip McCormick) Shooting Star 8-rd. mags, and they work fine in all my 1911's - RIA's and Colts. Flat-base, fits flush with the bottom of the grip, like they should. I can't stand mags that hang lower, but I don't shoot competition and need fast reloads either.

Chip McCormick I think I have also heard of that brand.
I was told it is best to stick with the factory mags but with 1911's that maybe different. Unless you deal with Pro-Mag brand or some other lower end brand?

 

[wally]

Actually the magazine that comes with the gun is a 8 rd. Armscor magazine.

If it has a base pad that hangs a bit below the bottom of the grip, its probably the 8-round Mec-Gar/ACT/Novak.

For flush fit I like the CMC (Shooting Star) or Metalform mags.

As I said, as long as the mag spring is strong enough (11 lbs) I've never seen a need for "premium" 1911 mags.

I had to replace the springs in the mags that came with my Kimbers so I'd certainly not recommend buying them.

 

[rondog]

Any good brand should work fine, but I'd stay away from lower-end bargain brands. And be careful of "USGI" mags at gun shows, there's some crappy ones out there marketed as USGI surplus. The mags that came with all my RIA's and that Arsmcor sells are Mec-Gar's, I believe, made in Italy. I don't have any handy to look at. They're good mags too, but they have that bumper thing on the bottom that I don't like.

Yeah, what Wally said!

 

[stinger 327]

Any good brand should work fine, but I'd stay away from lower-end bargain brands. And be careful of "USGI" mags at gun shows, there's some crappy ones out there marketed as USGI surplus. The mags that came with all my RIA's and that Arsmcor sells are Mec-Gar's, I believe, made in Italy. I don't have any handy to look at. They're good mags too, but they have that bumper thing on the bottom that I don't like.

Yeah, what Wally said!

Are Armsor magazines easily found for sale?
Also with other brands you can get the 10 rd. magazine. Is the 8 rd. magazine still better?

 

[JTQ]

Are Armsor magazines easily found for sale?

Armscor doesn't make mags, actually very few gun makers make mags. They buy them from somebody else. I'm not sure who makes the mags that come with your pistol. I would have guessed Mec-Gar/ACT/Novak/Wolff as suggested by wally and rondog, but I don't know for sure.

Also with other brands you can get the 10 rd. magazine. Is the 8 rd. magazine still better?

You can buy a 10 round magazine for your Rock Island. The pecking order typically for reliable mags, all things being equal, are 7 round mags (the mag the 1911 was designed for) are the most reliable, then 8 round mags, followed by 10 round mags, and you can find 15 rounders somewhere, but they are really just a novelty (or paperweight) item.

 

[JTQ]

One lesson I learned is to not buy a bunch of any mag, even if they are very highly rated by what seems like everybody on the forums. Buy one of the more well regarded mags and see if your gun likes them. If it does, then buy more.

The most recommended mags for 1911's on just about all the forums, in alphabetical order are CheckMate, Chip McCormick, Tripp Research, and Wilson Combat. Everybody has a opinion as to what is the best. Some will use nothing but Brand X. Others will say Brand X is the worst mag they've ever used. You'll need to experiment to see what works best for your gun.

Some places where I've bought mags in the past

Top Gun Supply http://www.topgunsupply.com/1911-magazines/

Brownell's http://www.brownells.com/magazines/handgun-magazines/magazines/index.htm?avs|Make_3=1911

there is also factory direct

Chip McCormick http://www.cmcmags.com

Tripp Research http://www.trippresearch.com/store/store_1911.html

Wilson Combat (they have a Labor Day Sale right now) http://shopwilsoncombat.com/Full-Size-1911/departments/2/

 

[Fonzie2k]

My RIA came with Act-Mags. They're pretty cheap and seem to work extremely well... I bought ten of them. Just get some quality 8 round mags and call it a day.

 

[Furncliff]

If you're wanting 10 round magazine check out these CMC on Midway.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/652828/chip-mccormick-power-mag-magazine-with-base-pad-1911-government-commander-45-acp-10-round-stainless-steel


They get good reviews and many who shoot IPSC use them.

I use the 8 round CMC mags in my RIA and for the last five years they have worked well.

 

[stinger 327]

Those 1911 magazines appear to be reasonably priced from Midway. Looking at the Wilson magazines they all look to be $35.00 and up. This was the same situation at the gun shop $35-$45 per magazine.

 

[stinger 327]

One lesson I learned is to not buy a bunch of any mag, even if they are very highly rated by what seems like everybody on the forums. Buy one of the more well regarded mags and see if your gun likes them. If it does, then buy more.

The most recommended mags for 1911's on just about all the forums, in alphabetical order are CheckMate, Chip McCormick, Tripp Research, and Wilson Combat. Everybody has a opinion as to what is the best. Some will use nothing but Brand X. Others will say Brand X is the worst mag they've ever used. You'll need to experiment to see what works best for your gun.

Some places where I've bought mags in the past

Top Gun Supply http://www.topgunsupply.com/1911-magazines/

Brownell's http://www.brownells.com/magazines/handgun-magazines/magazines/index.htm?avs|Make_3=1911

there is also factory direct

Chip McCormick http://www.cmcmags.com

Tripp Research http://www.trippresearch.com/store/store_1911.html

Wilson Combat (they have a Labor Day Sale right now) http://shopwilsoncombat.com/Full-Size-1911/departments/2/

Thank you for that wealth of information.

I guess there is alot here that I don't know about the 1911 other than it has a very large following and preference among handgunners along with a history of being used in our military until they switched to the Beretta 9mm.

The Checkmate 1911 mags appear to be out of stock at Top gun supply.
The CMC magazines have alot of different types of 1911 .45 ACP clips or perhaps there is something I don't understand here as there are combat clips then then magazine clips. I have never seen so much variety as I see here on the CMC website.

On the Tripp website there appears to be a difference in base plates. I guess they make these magazine clips in a variety of materials.

It doesn't seem as easy to buy a 1911 magazine like for a P-220 Sig you get the Sig Magazine, Ruger you get the Ruger magazine, etc. all the same brand.

Isn't Colt the original maker of the 1911 .45 ACP and if so which brand of magainze did they use?

This RIA 1911 Tactical 5 inch is the full size model so I guess it would be considered the Government Issue model unlike the compact models etc.

Why is 7 round magazine considered to be better than a 8 round or even 10 round magazine? I don't understand this as the RIA 1911 comes with an 8 round magazine.

 

[JTQ]

Isn't Colt the original maker of the 1911 .45 ACP and if so which brand of magainze did they use?

Colt currently ships with CheckMate mags. I have an older Colt that came with Metalform mags. At some point, I believe they shipped with McCormick Shooting Star mags.

Why is 7 round magazine considered to be better than a 8 round

Because the magazine tube that fits in the 1911 size grip was designed to fit 7 rounds. To get 8 rounds in that tube length, they had to modify the follower and/or spring to squeeze that extra round in the tube. Those modifications typically gave you a less than optimal spring or follower compared to the 7 round version. Put the "10 lbs. of XXXX in a 5 lb. bag" visual in your head.

One problem you'll often see with guys with new 8 round mags, is they have a difficult time seating them in the pistol with the slide closed. The top round hits the bottom of the slide. With a 7 round mag there is more room to compress the spring and allow the mag to seat. With the 8 round mag, especially a flush fit 8 rounder, it is very difficult to compress the spring, which makes seating those new, flush fit 8 rounders very difficult. Newer design 8 rounders have a longer tube, such as Wilson ETM and Tripp Mags. They increased the length of the tube to get the extra round in. There is less compromise and they are usually easier to seat than a flush fit 8 rounder.

 

[JTQ]

Earlier, I gave you a link to the late Stephen A. Camp's blog post where he recommends 7 round mags.

Here is an article from Hilton Yam where he prefers 8 round mags.

http://www.10-8performance.com/pages/1911-Magazines.html

There are lots of opinions out there. You can avoid most mistakes by avoiding $10 mags, mags sold on ebay or at gun shows where it is unclear who the maker is. Heck, I won't buy mags from either source, it's just too easy to buy a mag on line from a quality maker or a well respected distributor as I linked in one of my previous posts.

 

[Fiv3r]

I've had good luck with Kimber mags in my RIA Compact. Fit nice and flush to the bottom and feed and drop well.

 

[1madss]

I picked up a 8 round ProMag from Academy before I had seen the posts that some had problems, but runs flawlessly in my RIA TAC.

 

[stinger 327]

I picked up a 8 round ProMag from Academy before I had seen the posts that some had problems, but runs flawlessly in my RIA TAC.

I have heard that Pro-Mag is the company that doesn't make good magazines.

 

[stinger 327]

Colt currently ships with CheckMate mags. I have an older Colt that came with Metalform mags. At some point, I believe they shipped with McCormick Shooting Star mags.


Because the magazine tube that fits in the 1911 size grip was designed to fit 7 rounds. To get 8 rounds in that tube length, they had to modify the follower and/or spring to squeeze that extra round in the tube. Those modifications typically gave you a less than optimal spring or follower compared to the 7 round version. Put the "10 lbs. of XXXX in a 5 lb. bag" visual in your head.

One problem you'll often see with guys with new 8 round mags, is they have a difficult time seating them in the pistol with the slide closed. The top round hits the bottom of the slide. With a 7 round mag there is more room to compress the spring and allow the mag to seat. With the 8 round mag, especially a flush fit 8 rounder, it is very difficult to compress the spring, which makes seating those new, flush fit 8 rounders very difficult. Newer design 8 rounders have a longer tube, such as Wilson ETM and Tripp Mags. They increased the length of the tube to get the extra round in. There is less compromise and they are usually easier to seat than a flush fit 8 rounder.

Then I wonder why RIA is supplying their 1911 with 8 rd. clips?

 

[LiveLife]

stinger 327, I have shot USPSA matches with 1911 shooters and the magazines often get abused with a lot of rounds shot through them.

A friend shoots RIA Tactical and the barrel has wider tapered chamber mouth that helps with feeding/chambering, but if you want reliability with less hassles, I would stay away from cheaper magazines with the exception of MecGar magazines which are high quality and they make OEM magazines for many gun manufacturers (believe me, you replace the cheaper ones once or twice and there goes your money savings - not to mention the frustration).

Whenever someone has magazine related problems with their 1911, I always suggest Chip McCormick 8 round Power Mags (either in stainless steel or blackened stainless steel which are slightly cheaper) and no more mag related problems. Mag springs lose strength and the "extra power springs" in them ensure reliable feeding/chambering after the springs lose their initial factory tension. They are around $25 each and as long as you don't damage/bend the lips, they will provide you years of service.

If you browse around the forums, you'll see many threads about 1911 magazine problems, even with "higher-dollar" brand mags but you'll rarely see problem threads about Chip McCormick 8rd Power Mags.

As to 7 rd vs 8 rd, I prefer the extra round in the magazine and the slightly longer magazine base helps ensure the magazine is positively locked in.

 

[stinger 327]

Earlier, I gave you a link to the late Stephen A. Camp's blog post where he recommends 7 round mags.

Here is an article from Hilton Yam where he prefers 8 round mags.

http://www.10-8performance.com/pages/1911-Magazines.html

There are lots of opinions out there. You can avoid most mistakes by avoiding $10 mags, mags sold on ebay or at gun shows where it is unclear who the maker is. Heck, I won't buy mags from either source, it's just too easy to buy a mag on line from a quality maker or a well respected distributor as I linked in one of my previous posts.

Is this a specific problem with 1911 guns only or is it across the board for all semi-auto pistols? I have neve heard any problems with the Glock mags.

 

[stinger 327]

stinger 327, I have shot USPSA matches with 1911 shooters and the magazines often get abused with a lot of rounds shot through them.

A friend shoots RIA Tactical and the barrel has wider tapered chamber mouth that helps with feeding/chambering, but if you want reliability with less hassles, I would stay away from cheaper magazines with the exception of MecGar magazines which are high quality and they make OEM magazines for many gun manufacturers (believe me, you replace the cheaper ones once or twice and there goes your money savings - not to mention the frustration).

Whenever someone has magazine related problems with their 1911, I always suggest Chip McCormick 8 round Power Mags (either in stainless steel or blackened stainless steel which are slightly cheaper) and no more mag related problems. Mag springs lose strength and the "extra power springs" in them ensure reliable feeding/chambering after the springs lose their initial factory tension. They are around $25 each and as long as you don't damage/bend the lips, they will provide you years of service.

If you browse around the forums, you'll see many threads about 1911 magazine problems, even with "higher-dollar" brand mags but you'll rarely see problem threads about Chip McCormick 8rd Power Mags.

As to 7 rd vs 8 rd, I prefer the extra round in the magazine and the slightly longer magazine base helps ensure the magazine is positively locked in.

Ok I see then it is or can be a problem specific to the 1911.
Is that why most guys use the 230 grain FMJ bullet vs. a hollow point to ensure no feeding problems?
Do the magazines have to be rotated every month to release spring tension? On Glock clips I understand you can leave bullets in there forever.
In general is the 1911 model a high maintenance pistol?