New Rock Island 1911A1 .45 ACP

[VMC]

I have to get to some range time soon I have a lot going on this week. I will post how it shoots when I do. I think RIA, made by Armscor, may have used the same style frame on my gun, without the scallops, as Armscor did when they made the Wild Bunch model 1911 for Cimarron. I saw this Cimarron picture from an article on the Wild Bunch gun. It also has the M1911A1 stamped on the frame. Every other Rock Island I see has the scallops.

 

[Zahn]

Zahn --- Ejection port not scalloped, but lowered.
Have yet to see a faithful reproduction. VMC --- Let's hear how it shoots, if it shoots like mine you will be happy.

I am learning a lot in this thread.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

That's a Mayan Calendar, just in case you were interested. That's clearly half the embodied face of Mexica (meh-she-ka).

Fun fact: "Mexico", and similar words, is mispronounced by pretty much any language that is not Nahuatl ( Nahuatl is an umbrella term for every native Mexican language). It is not supposed to be pronounced meh-ksi-co , but rather meh-she-co.

Spaniards came around and pronounced similar words with a "J" sound - hence meh-hee-co.
That "J" sound is similar to that one in Jalisco (hal-ee-sco).

Interesting -- I'd been calling it Aztec. It looks like a reproduction of the Piedra del Sol calendar from the Museo Nacional de Antropología. Either way, it's still Mesoamerican and that's what I wanted.

I agree with nofendertom that a glossy nickel finish would have made a more stylish and culturally appropriate choice, but Parkerized was what they had on sale on the day.

Big aside here: The connection between .38 Super and Mexico first came to my attention in the late 1970s after my dad finished serving on the jury of a local murder trial. A body had been found in an agricultural field with a bunch of FMJ slugs in his back and .38 Super cases scattered around. The convicted shooter evidently straddled the victim's body (his foot prints were found on either side -- he left lots of evidence) and emptied the rest of clip into him after his victim was felled with the first shot. The perp was an undocumented Mexican national, and he pled halfway through the trial in a deal to avoid deportation. Dad had never heard of the .38 Super, so I asked around the LGSs and was told it was a big deal south of the Rio Grande.

 

[gobsauce]

Interesting -- I'd been calling it Aztec. It looks like a reproduction of the Piedra del Sol calendar from the Museo Nacional de Antropología. Either way, it's still Mesoamerican and that's what I wanted.

I agree with nofendertom that a glossy nickel finish would have made a more stylish and culturally appropriate choice, but Parkerized was what they had on sale on the day.

Big aside here: The connection between .38 Super and Mexico first came to my attention in the late 1970s after my dad finished serving on the jury of a local murder trial. A body had been found in an agricultural field with a bunch of FMJ slugs in his back and .38 Super cases scattered around. The convicted shooter evidently straddled the victim's body (his foot prints were found on either side -- he left lots of evidence) and emptied the rest of clip into him after his victim was felled with the first shot. The perp was an undocumented Mexican national, and he pled halfway through the trial in a deal to avoid deportation. Dad had never heard of the .38 Super, so I asked around the LGSs and was told it was a big deal south of the Rio Grande.

Ahhh, the museum. Gorgeous. First time I went, couldn't get in because Peña Nieto and his family were there. Thus, closed access to the public.

Mayan and Aztec calendars are very similar, and have subtle differences to the , for lack of better words, untrained eye. What gave your grip away was the shape of the face at the center : that round bulge.

Sorry, I'm from Mexico myself. I chime in when i read something regarding.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Sorry, I'm from Mexico myself. I chime in when i read something regarding.

No worries. I took three Pre-Columbian art history courses at Uni (mostly because Dr. Raphel X. Reichert was teaching then), but that was more than 40 years ago and I've doubtless forgotten quite at bit since.

I've shown the grips to several of my 2nd and 3rd generation Mexican-American friends, but so far none have claimed any particular affinity for the .38 Super -- two of them are dedicated .45 fans.

 

[drband]

If I remember correctly from some ancient knowledge, many governments prevent ownership of guns chambered in “military” cartridges. Hence the ban on civilian ownership of guns in 9mm and possibly .45acp and .40sw caliber. That takes out most centerfire
semi-automatic pistols EXCEPT .38super.

 

[gobsauce]

@drband you sir, are absolutely correct. However, it's a nightmare to own a firearm in Mexico. Quite frankly, not worth it.

I could go on and on about Mexican firearms politics and vernacular, like the difference between the right to keep ( Poseer ) and the right to bear (Portar) and how Article 10 gives citizens the right to keep, but not bear firearms.

@Dave DeLaurant , I grew up in una colonia brava. I can tell you about the culture behind .38 Super.

But I think these conversations should be private, for the sake of not hijacking the thread.

 

[VMC]

I decided I did not like the sunburst style grips and plan to make some nice wood ones later. In the meantime, I saw these Padauk Wood grips at LS Grips online at a good price and ordered a pair. The fit is great, finished well and they have 3 styles from which to choose. They come in several hardwoods or many other fancy materials. I ordered on Monday and received them on Thursday. Wood just feels and looks better to me. I lightly buffed them with 0000 steel wool to better match the flat finish on the gun.

 

[MAKster]

RIA probably had some left over frames from the version they made for Taylors so they just added the sunburst grips and called it an "exclusive"

 

[AlexanderA]

In the meantime, I saw these Padauk Wood grips at LS Grips online at a good price and ordered a pair. The fit is great, finished well and they have 3 styles from which to choose.

You need to make the small cutout at the lower rear corner to expose the mainspring housing pin. Otherwise, the grips just don't look "right."

 

[VMC]

You need to make the small cutout at the lower rear corner to expose the mainspring housing pin. Otherwise, the grips just don't look "right."

I guess some grip makers just do not make that cut in this style. The sunburst original ones did not have the cut either. They do feel great though. The other three styles this maker shows do have the cut.

 

[drband]

I think most grips w/o the cut are done so they look better with a magwell.

 

[AlexanderA]

It's strange how this one little detail changes the appearance of the gun. It somehow makes it look more "modern." But the M1911 is not about being "modern."

 

[VMC]

Got this gun started breaking in yesterday. Shot 100 rounds and it operated flawlessly with no hammer bite at all on the web of my hand. I was impressed how it shot to point of aim so naturally on bowling pin targets I set up at about 10 & 15 yards. I did not try any groups yet with the GI sights, but I mostly shoot reactive targets. I have great eyesight for my age, so I had no trouble using them and they are great for holster use. These are some do it yourself walnut grips I finished but I still think the Magwell type feel better to my hand. The price where I got the gun went back up after the sale to $465 so I'm glad I got the last one at the $348 sale. My best friend bought a Tisas GI for $319 there at the same time so I look forward to comparing the two when we can get together at the range. Going to get some wood double diamond grips soon.

 

[bannockburn]

This is my Colt Government that I bought in 2011 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1911. At the time this was what I could afford (I really loved the "100 Years of Service" inscription on the front of the slide), in the way of looking somewhat like one; with the flat MSH, double diamond wood grips, and the long trigger. Also the finish on it sort of reminded me of the" Black Army" version Colt made in WWI.