Am looking at a picking up a RI Tactical. I'm seeing where some are parkarized (Bud's) and some have a "black matte" finish (back ordered at Centerfire)....is the Black Matte one gunkoted or parked or something else....any general consensus on which one is preferred. I'm also seeing what looks like variant with some different sights, night sights or a hi-viz front sights for $100 more but don't see where the cost difference is justified. Can anyone point me to another wholesalers that normally stock these variants. Also, was considering a double stack A2 RI but no one seems to have them in stock anywhere....anyone know a source?
Rock Island Tactical Questions
- Thread starter spur0701
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wally
Member
To me the RIA pistols are shooters first and if you shoot them a lot any finish will show some wear. So I wouldn't worry about it and get the one with the best price and use the difference for maybe a spare magazine or a bit of ammo.
JTQ
Member
Be aware, if you are new to the 1911 platform, you'll be able to find magazines for the single stack RIA practically everywhere.
Finding double stack magazines will probably be harder than finding the pistol.
wally
Member
I initially missed the part asking about the double stack A2.
The RIA 1911-A2 are Para P14, p16, or P18 clones depending on caliber. Mec-Gar makes mags for them or you can use the real Para mags. I don't get acceptable reliability with the Para pattern double stack .45ACP mags, although the 9mm (P18) and .40S&W (P16) versions have been fine.
Usually its "bolt over base" type feed failures because the .45ACP rounds occasionally bind in the double to single stack transition region -- doesn't take very much dirt or fouling to cause this.
I've Para P14, RIA P14 "clone" and Kimber BP that all use the same Para pattern mags (Kimber moved the mag catch location slightly to make P14 mags incompatible) and all have the same issues once the mags get a little bit dirty.
The RIA 1911-A2 are Para P14, p16, or P18 clones depending on caliber. Mec-Gar makes mags for them or you can use the real Para mags. I don't get acceptable reliability with the Para pattern double stack .45ACP mags, although the 9mm (P18) and .40S&W (P16) versions have been fine.
Usually its "bolt over base" type feed failures because the .45ACP rounds occasionally bind in the double to single stack transition region -- doesn't take very much dirt or fouling to cause this.
I've Para P14, RIA P14 "clone" and Kimber BP that all use the same Para pattern mags (Kimber moved the mag catch location slightly to make P14 mags incompatible) and all have the same issues once the mags get a little bit dirty.
bigfatdave
Member
As far as I know, RIA/Armscor has parkerizing as a black finish and that's it. There have been brushed/polished finishes as well, but if it's black and says "armscor", it is good old parkerizing.
My 5 (how did I get up to 5?!?!?) RIA 1911s have perfectly good Park finishes, I wouldn't worry about it.
My 5 (how did I get up to 5?!?!?) RIA 1911s have perfectly good Park finishes, I wouldn't worry about it.
Fishslayer
Member
Well, I only have one, a 2010 Tactical and it's Park'd finish is still good. It's a "range queen" though. It lives in a padded case and that's how it travels to & from.
I've never really had any urge to drag it behind my truck to give it "character."
Furncliff
Member
Here's a source for RIA...
http://centerfiresystems.com/firearms_handguns.aspx
Here's an RIA 1911-45 that is 5 years old, but lives in a pistol rug most of the time.
I think the wear is minimal.
http://centerfiresystems.com/firearms_handguns.aspx
Here's an RIA 1911-45 that is 5 years old, but lives in a pistol rug most of the time.
I think the wear is minimal.
hardluk1
member
Price for a FS tactical around here is $468 bucks for the tac and 409 for the government model . The front sight works well for me with the edge painted white with a florescent organge dot at the top edge. More accurate than some higher dollar pistol. I have no issues with the act-mag that comes with it and picked up some CMC mags at our general store and they work fine with a dimple added where the follower sets when empty so the slide locks back. Mags tend to be a sticking point with many 1911's so you learn to tune them !! Mine also feeds everthing tried includeing 200gr swc. Added some cold blueing to the bill board.
SteelManCM
Member
RIA offers a black dura coat finish. That is probably what you are seeing listed as "black matte".
bigfatdave
Member
Fishslayer said:
Mine aren't safe queens or range toys (well, the TCM and XT22, sort of are)
The ones I carry show some minor high-point wear, the noe I carry most is looking a bit like what Furncliff shows.
On which models? Everything (black) I've seen from Armscor is parkerized, with the exception of a few high-polish blued guns that went through the Chiappa rollmark.SteelManCM said:
palmetto99
Member
My RIA Tactical is off being Ceracoated at this moment. The factory finish is fine for a shooter, but I was looking to change it up a bit. BTW, mine has the new RIA logo on the frame and I'm looking to tone that down a bit too.
bigfatdave
Member
I like the new logo, I just don't like the amount of contrast they use for it. If they used the new logo and the old method of applying it to the slide ... ... oh, who am I kidding, I'll keep buying Armscor guns no matter what they do to the logo
bigfatdave
Member
I know I can - but I'm lazy
drummingpariah
Member
I know I'm late to the party, but I've put around a few thousand rounds through mine over the past month and haven't seen any appreciable difference in the finish. I've been carrying it in a Blackhawk Serpa Commander holster (without the light), and I've heard that they're a little rough on the finish.
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