RIA 1911 ... I picked 9mm so I can actually afford to shoot it ... One day I’ll have a Colt Gov’t in .45 Auto ... what say y’all concerning the RIA GI
OP already decided on 9mm and question was quality of RIA 1911.
Let's not turn this thread into 9mm vs 45ACP caliber war.
Advice on a RIA 1911 in 9x19 Luger ... Everything I’ve read on em says they make a decent 1911 for the price.
They sure do make decent 1911s for the price. I started out shooting USPSA with 1911 and got to shoot various 1911s, including higher end/race 1911s. When the LGS I shot at got several 45ACP RIA Tacticals, I got to shoot them right out of the box. I was skeptical of the low priced RIA at first but after shooting them, I was impressed.
Slide to frame fit and smoothness of cycling was on par if not better than many brand 1911s. When a friend was looking for an entry level 1911, I suggested the RIA Tactical and he asked me to change the front sight to fiber optic so I got to spend a lot of time detail stripping for close examination of the pistol and shooting the pistol. The internal finishes were not as finished as my Sig 1911 but you won't see them anyways. I found chamber mouth was flared and fed even sloppy SWC reloads that I now consider RIA "Glock" of 1911s.
Accuracy wise, RIA kept same groupings as my Sig 1911 (Which produces 2" groups at 25 yards) to 15 yards but opened up to slightly larger groups at 25 yards compared to my Sig, which is still pretty good. Many complained about the factory magazines but friend's factory magazines fed SWC reloads reliably and subsequently with Chip McCormick Power Mags which I recommended. I have 10,000+ rounds on my Sig and friend has 7,000+ rounds on his RIA Tactical and neither has experienced any parts breakage other than normal replacement of recoil springs. For an entry level 1911, I would not hesitate to recommend the RIA Tactical and considered buying one myself.
For same reasons as you, to save on reloading/shooting cost, I considered buying a 1911 9mm but since I live in CA, my choices were limited. I considered buying a RIA 1911 9mm kit to finish on 80% frame and even considered buying a RIA 1911 in 38 Super and doing the conversion to 9mm.
Had Brownells not offered Fusion Firearms complete 1911 slide in 9mm for $344 to convert my Sig 1911, I probably would have gone the RIA 1911 in 38 Super to 9mm conversion route.