Rock Island Armory 1911...any good??
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S_O_Laban
Member
Try it with another magazine. 
confed sailor
Member
not only yes, but hell yes buy it!
the RIA my roomate bought, and shot, and shot, and shot, etc. It was a pig, that pistol would eat any round we threw at it, (much to the chagrin of several kimber owners.) No tuning, no muss, no fuss.
My only problem is i cant find one for 300$ NIB like he did, what can i say im spoiled.
the RIA my roomate bought, and shot, and shot, and shot, etc. It was a pig, that pistol would eat any round we threw at it, (much to the chagrin of several kimber owners.) No tuning, no muss, no fuss.
My only problem is i cant find one for 300$ NIB like he did, what can i say im spoiled.
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
RIA
garymc...Describe the stoppages in detail. Does the round enter the chamber and stop...or does it hang up on the feed ramp?
I've started to see more RIAs as their popularity grows. A good many have had return to battery issues because of excessive extractor tension, and are corrected with just a few minutes of adjustment, or...in some cases....light modification of the extractor. Your problems may be just that simple.
garymc...Describe the stoppages in detail. Does the round enter the chamber and stop...or does it hang up on the feed ramp?
I've started to see more RIAs as their popularity grows. A good many have had return to battery issues because of excessive extractor tension, and are corrected with just a few minutes of adjustment, or...in some cases....light modification of the extractor. Your problems may be just that simple.
soutex50
Member
Love my new Rock 38 Super!!!
10-Ring
Member
The RIA (of newer production at least) seem to be nice guns. But, I have developed an opinion that I would build a 'dream gun' w/ it. I'm sure it would make a nice range/HD/SD/ play gun but for something you plan on passing down to kin-folk, I'd look for a frame & slide higher up in the food chain.
bfox
Member
Hugo
Do a Google search Twin pines + rock island
If you just do Twin pines it gives you a doll site .
Bill
Do a Google search Twin pines + rock island
If you just do Twin pines it gives you a doll site .
Bill
Frog48
Member
I dont own one, but plan to buy one in the future. I bought my first 1911 a few months ago, I got a Springfield GI 1911... the only reason I went with the Springfield instead of Rock Island is because I wanted a stainless finish. I've seen Rock Islands in person at gun shows, and I really liked them.
Now that I have that, I've been bitten by the 1911 bug. I want a black (parkerized or blued) 1911 too! So a Rock Island is on my list.
Now that I have that, I've been bitten by the 1911 bug. I want a black (parkerized or blued) 1911 too! So a Rock Island is on my list.
horge
Member
Twin Pines Inc. Website (they own the RIA brand):
http://www.twinpines.com.ph/
Armscor Website (they build the pistols for Twin Pines and market them in the U.S.):
http://www.armscor.com.ph/
http://www.armscor.net/
hth
daysleeprx
Member
So you want them to not update their website for years?
Joey_the_Wolf
Member
I just got one last month
My mom got me one as a gift. My first handgun (I have a thing for GI style 1911's. fell in love with them since I fired my first one a couple years ago.)
I had a couple of Jams at the range, but after the first box of ammo (100rd value pack), the problems mostly went away, and the thing is a tack driver. I was honestly not expecting it to be so accurate, but it is. Great deal overall, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a budget 1911. Sure, it may not look as pretty as a $1000 race gun, but honestly, I like it a whole lot. My only complaint are the tiny sights, but those could probably be swapped out. Personally, I'm keeping those sights for now until I figure out what I want on there, so I just took some white out and painted white dots on the sights. Crude? yes, but it worked for me
Good buy, well worth a look.
Here it is BTW:
oh, and btw, here's the group I got with it. Shot from 40 feet, 9 rounds. Good enough for me.
My mom got me one as a gift. My first handgun (I have a thing for GI style 1911's. fell in love with them since I fired my first one a couple years ago.)
I had a couple of Jams at the range, but after the first box of ammo (100rd value pack), the problems mostly went away, and the thing is a tack driver. I was honestly not expecting it to be so accurate, but it is. Great deal overall, I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a budget 1911. Sure, it may not look as pretty as a $1000 race gun, but honestly, I like it a whole lot. My only complaint are the tiny sights, but those could probably be swapped out. Personally, I'm keeping those sights for now until I figure out what I want on there, so I just took some white out and painted white dots on the sights. Crude? yes, but it worked for me
Good buy, well worth a look.
Here it is BTW:
oh, and btw, here's the group I got with it. Shot from 40 feet, 9 rounds. Good enough for me.
Last edited:
Aguila Blanca
Member
M1911.org is a great forum for the 1911, but the Rock Islands are NOT discussed in their "Other 1911s" forum. The Rocks are in the RIA/Armscor/Charles Daly/SAM forum. Armscor makes both the Rock Island Armory and Charles daly 1911s. They are solid pistols and possibly the best value on the 1911 market.VinnyT said:
Aguila Blanca
Member
Minor correction, Mr. Tuner, Sir -- RIA slides were investment castings, but early in 2006 they switched over to ... something. There's a rather lengthy debate over on the M1911.org RIA forum as to just what they switched to, but it ain't investment cast. The RIA rep described it as "extruded," but slides aren't really the kind of part that lend themselves to using extruding to produce, so I'm going along with the folks who suggested the new slides are machined from hot-rolled billets. Still waiting for the definitive word from the factory ...1911Tuner said:
daysleeprx
Member
Vinny was talking about 1911forum.com, not m1911.org.
ria 45
i think the ria is a good gun for the price and shoot exceptionally well i have made upgrades to mine since i have bought it but it was deadly straight out of the box with no malfunctions. i added millet adjustable sights, hogue grips, wolf spring and guide, match trigger from wilson, and a colt commander hammer along with a new dovetail. i am looking to see what all everyone is doing with theses guns
i think the ria is a good gun for the price and shoot exceptionally well i have made upgrades to mine since i have bought it but it was deadly straight out of the box with no malfunctions. i added millet adjustable sights, hogue grips, wolf spring and guide, match trigger from wilson, and a colt commander hammer along with a new dovetail. i am looking to see what all everyone is doing with theses guns
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wally
Member
Since this thread has been brought back from the dead thought I'd update. Got over 10,000 rounds (most Wolf FMJ, about 20% hard cast lead reloads) thru my original RIA. No further parts failures or problems since the link breakage at about 3500 rounds.
I've since picked up a pair of their new "tactical" models, kept one stock, the other I added a fiber optic front sight from Dawson Precision (I ordered the Kimber model, front only. Very minor fitting required). Both were 100% reliable out of the box.
The Tactical comes with better sights (Novak's), beavertail grip safety, ambi safety and a better trigger that compares favorably to my Kimber TLE. The only non-improvement is the full lenght guide rod.
--wally.
I've since picked up a pair of their new "tactical" models, kept one stock, the other I added a fiber optic front sight from Dawson Precision (I ordered the Kimber model, front only. Very minor fitting required). Both were 100% reliable out of the box.
The Tactical comes with better sights (Novak's), beavertail grip safety, ambi safety and a better trigger that compares favorably to my Kimber TLE. The only non-improvement is the full lenght guide rod.
--wally.
lesjones
Member
Where are they made?
Are the RIAs and Armscors U.S. or non-U.S. manufacture?
Are the RIAs and Armscors U.S. or non-U.S. manufacture?
wally
Member
Made in the Philippines.
--wally.
--wally.
wolvdog316
Member
I like RIA personally, I held one at a Local Gun Shop. At the end of the day though I went ahead and got a Taurus 1911. VERY nice gun, to me its a tack driver. No problems yet, and a big problem I had with a lower end 1911, Daly, the feed ramp is polished. Overall I was happy spending the 100 bucks or more on it. Has served me well
ab4ka
Member
I've got the standard Rock Island "GI" pistol and I love it. I've had it for a little over a year with no problems at all. It eats everything I've put thru it. I'd love to have a Taurus 1911, I'd also like to have the RIA Tactical. If I had both of them in front of me with money to only buy one, I'd have a serious problem. Good thing I stay broke!
bill larry
Member
I got rid of mine in less than a week....
You guys that have functioning RIA .45's are really lucky! I recently (like last Monday) got one lightly used (see my other thread about it) and could not get it to function at all, with three different type of FMJ, and three different magazines. Lots of 3 point jams.
I understand that some pistols may require a break in period, but---
1-I aint gonna spend way over a c note on ammo to try and get a gun to work
2-This was going to be my carry piece....after its dismal performance, there really was no way I coud ever trust it.
3-I once had a Llama in .38 super that was a much cheaper gun, and it functioned flawlessly....same with my dad's Taurus 1911, right out of the box. What gives with the RIA?? The guy at their service department told me to start buying new springs and polish this and that....why should I need to do that on a basically new gun?
The gun was beautiful and I wanted to love it (I love the way the GI 1911 looks, and I really like the size of the hole it makes) and when it worked, it was also pretty accurate.
However, life is too short, so I traded my problems away on Saturday at the Dallas gun show for a Smith and Wesson Model 64 snub...something that WILL work eveytime I pull the trigger.
I won't be getting another.
You guys that have functioning RIA .45's are really lucky! I recently (like last Monday) got one lightly used (see my other thread about it) and could not get it to function at all, with three different type of FMJ, and three different magazines. Lots of 3 point jams.
I understand that some pistols may require a break in period, but---
1-I aint gonna spend way over a c note on ammo to try and get a gun to work
2-This was going to be my carry piece....after its dismal performance, there really was no way I coud ever trust it.
3-I once had a Llama in .38 super that was a much cheaper gun, and it functioned flawlessly....same with my dad's Taurus 1911, right out of the box. What gives with the RIA?? The guy at their service department told me to start buying new springs and polish this and that....why should I need to do that on a basically new gun?
The gun was beautiful and I wanted to love it (I love the way the GI 1911 looks, and I really like the size of the hole it makes) and when it worked, it was also pretty accurate.
However, life is too short, so I traded my problems away on Saturday at the Dallas gun show for a Smith and Wesson Model 64 snub...something that WILL work eveytime I pull the trigger.
I won't be getting another.
horge
Member
The billets are NOT rolled (section being formed between opposing rollers), but instead, red hot metal is forced through a static forming die, a bit like like toothpaste through a tube. The final section is enough to include all of the cross-section of a RIA slide, and then Armscor CNC-mills the dickens out of it to obtain a slide.
savetheclaypigeons
Member
I enjoy mine
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