New to Me RIA 45acp and 9mm

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Tallball

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I traded away my Tisas GI 1911 in 45acp as part of a multi-gun offering for a S&W 629. The Tisas was nice. I bought it brand-new from Bud's some years ago, and it had nary a malfunction. However, as I've gotten older, the tiny GI sights have gotten harder for me to use.

Looking at sold items on Gunbroker, it seemed like the least expensive used 1911 with decent sights and maybe a few other extras was going to run me about $400. In only about a week I ran across a two-tone (nickel and blue) RIA model with larger than GI sights, but no other extras. It also happened to be NIB. The bidding went over $400, but I figured, "What the heck, it's new." I got it for $421 and change. I think it would have gone for more, but the seller didn't take credit cards.

I haven't been feeling well lately, but I did shoot most of a box through it at the range the other day. The sights are quite adequate. Both the front and rear appear to be drift adjustable, though it shoots to POA just fine. The trigger is a nice 1911 trigger. It functioned perfectly with the factory mag, and with a Wilson mag, and a generic mag. I have no complaints. I can shoot it well above average for a service pistol (semiautomatic).


The 45acp is my third RIA 1911. The first was an odball doublestack 40 caliber that I had trouble with, but they eventually made it right.

I don't think I ever posted about my second RIA 1911. I saw a nice revolver at my LGS... IIRC it was a Llama with a very nice trigger in excellent condition. I saw it one day, came back with my trade materials the next day, and it was gone. My friend there felt kind of bad, so he showed me a few pistols he said he could make me an extra good deal on. One was a used Citadel 1911 in 9mm. I knew that it was a rebranded RIA. The sights and trigger were nice. He offered me the same deal that he'd offered me on the revolver, so I took him up on it.

It's a nice pistol. The sights are nice. The trigger is nice. It's in very good condition. The finish is the usual not-so-great RIA finish, but everything is well-fitted and smooth. It has an extended beavertail, plus fancy hammer and trigger. I've shot maybe a couple of hundred rounds through it with no malfunctions. It's accurate for a service pistol. Again, I have no complaints. For a pistol that I gave the equivalent of not much more than $300 for, it was a good deal and will probably last longer than I will.

 
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Thanks! I like the looks too. And I am quite honestly not a good enough shooter to shoot a 1911 that costs twice as much any better than this one.

IMHO the blued finish on the RIA 1911's I've seen and handled is not that great. Other than that, they seem to make a solid pistol for a low price.

This is the 40 caliber. It was "limited edition" and I am not sure they even made it themselves. It's a bit picky on ammo, but it is absurdly accurate for me, probably due to its large sights and fitting my XXL hands so well.

 
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Tallball writes:

I am quite honestly not a good enough shooter to shoot a 1911 that cost twice as much any better than this one.

I hear you there. Me, too.

I also have the TISAS A2. I can do okay with it, and have no plans yet to trade or sell it. Maybe after I finally get around to trying out my stainless Remington Enhanced Commander, I'll see less use for the Turk. ;)
 
I have three 1911's and three "almost 1911's" (such as my Star BM). They are all solid shooters. If I were a much better shot and involved in shooting sports, doubtless I would need a better one. But for a mediocre shooter like me, for range work or plinking or SD, I have no complaints about my inexpensive 1911's and variants. They are not as convenient to carry and don't hold as much ammo as my polymer service pistols, but I generally shoot them better.

Here is the aforementioned BM. My good friend got one for $149 plus shipping and FFL recently. That is a steal!
 
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