rock island 1911
- Thread starter pipboy
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I bought one about a year ago, and have put over 2000 rounds through it. It feeds anything from 230 grain roundnose to 185 grain wadcutters. It started shooting well at round one and hasn't caused me any problems since. A lot of after market 1911 parts fit it if you want to tinker, but mine is still box stock. A tremendous bargain for the money, I see them for about $360 to 380 at the shows around here.
Bought two, gifted one to my dad. They've worked very well, no failures of any type yet, ~2000 rds through the one I shoot. An excellent platform for trying you hand at doing your own mods (as I've done with mine). Only significant problem is occassional hammerbites which I've fixed with a new hammer. Did have to grind down the grip safety a little to allow the hammer to fully cock but it's an inexpensive gun so had no qualms doing it myself.
Pawdog
Member
IMO you cannot go wrong with the RIA Milspec.....I purchased mine almost 2 years ago for around $335.00, and have fired no less than 1000 rounds thru it with no issues, other than a used magazine I purchased for it.......
wally
Member
I got my first RIA about a year and a half ago, put a J-point red dot sight on it to shoot steel plates. About 9000 rounds thru it now Link broke about 3500 rounds, but a $5 Wilson standard replacement link later and its been trouble free since. I shoot it hard and long attacking the plate rack with typically 200-500 rounds pre-loaded into magazines -- I've got it so hot burned my hand on the slide. Lately I've picked up one of the new RIA tacticals and put a fiber optic front sight on it, its even better than the original and all the creature comforts of the SA "loaded" models for only $50-75 more than the RIA standard. Now I alternate guns about every 50 rounds so I don't burn myself again
At about $330 for the standard, its the best buy out there in 1911s these days if you ask me.
--wally.
At about $330 for the standard, its the best buy out there in 1911s these days if you ask me.
--wally.
soutex50
Member
Have one in 38 super.......great deal for the money.
nwilliams
Member
I've never owned one but every time I go to a store that has one and the facts that its dirt cheap makes me want to buy one. Everything I hear about them is good and that for the money there's no better 1911 out there. I have a feeling on some boring rainy day I'm gonna go pick myself up one, just for kicks and giggles.
I posted more details of my experience on the 1911 forum site, but my experience has been anything but satisfactory.
Bought the generic RIA 1911, took it to the indoor range, withi I believe 5 different brands of ammo. Magtech, WWB, Fiocchi, American Eagle, and CCI Blazer.
A constant stream of FTRTB's, with the slide about 1/4" from returning to where it should. Interestingly enough, the CCI Blazer aluminum stuff worked fine for 2 full magazines.
Most FTRTB's were when transitioning from the 6th to the 7th cartridge in the mag. I didn't whack the slide hard to get it to close, just pulled it back a bit, and let the spring push it home, and that seemed to work.
No FTE's, in fact, one of the brass flew about 12 feet into the air and broke out the flourescent light overhead. Brass was strewn in a huge circle 12-15 feet left and 3-4 feet behind me.
After the first 200 rounds, I went home ticked, posted on the 1911 forums, and was advised by the factory guy that I needed to worry abotu it when I had 500 rounds through it. Like somehow that money for the first 500 rounds is apparently just grown on trees.
Anyway, another 150 rounds later after polishing off almost all the ammo I own, I'm down to 1 FTRTB every couple of mags (only have the 1), and the onlyo thing working perfectly is CCI Blazer.
I did not try any high-end ammo, as I fail to see why I should throw good money after bad.
So in upshot, by the time I get my 500 rounds in, plus the cost of the pistol, I could've bought a better quality pistol out of the trenches and saved myself much aggravation.
And of course, it's still not working perfectly yet, so the jury is still out on whether it hits the for-sale section here pretty soon... Darn POS.
Ask me again in another couple boxes, I'm counting down to 500, and if it ain't working pretty darn good at 501, I'm gonna raise some cain at RIA, and see if that factory support is as good as I hear.
Would I do it again? No. I should've just bought the PT1911, it was sitting there, right next to it, or the used DW they had... Oh well, live, and learn what to avoid.
Bought the generic RIA 1911, took it to the indoor range, withi I believe 5 different brands of ammo. Magtech, WWB, Fiocchi, American Eagle, and CCI Blazer.
A constant stream of FTRTB's, with the slide about 1/4" from returning to where it should. Interestingly enough, the CCI Blazer aluminum stuff worked fine for 2 full magazines.
Most FTRTB's were when transitioning from the 6th to the 7th cartridge in the mag. I didn't whack the slide hard to get it to close, just pulled it back a bit, and let the spring push it home, and that seemed to work.
No FTE's, in fact, one of the brass flew about 12 feet into the air and broke out the flourescent light overhead. Brass was strewn in a huge circle 12-15 feet left and 3-4 feet behind me.
After the first 200 rounds, I went home ticked, posted on the 1911 forums, and was advised by the factory guy that I needed to worry abotu it when I had 500 rounds through it. Like somehow that money for the first 500 rounds is apparently just grown on trees.
Anyway, another 150 rounds later after polishing off almost all the ammo I own, I'm down to 1 FTRTB every couple of mags (only have the 1), and the onlyo thing working perfectly is CCI Blazer.
I did not try any high-end ammo, as I fail to see why I should throw good money after bad.
So in upshot, by the time I get my 500 rounds in, plus the cost of the pistol, I could've bought a better quality pistol out of the trenches and saved myself much aggravation.
And of course, it's still not working perfectly yet, so the jury is still out on whether it hits the for-sale section here pretty soon... Darn POS.
Ask me again in another couple boxes, I'm counting down to 500, and if it ain't working pretty darn good at 501, I'm gonna raise some cain at RIA, and see if that factory support is as good as I hear.
Would I do it again? No. I should've just bought the PT1911, it was sitting there, right next to it, or the used DW they had... Oh well, live, and learn what to avoid.
tank mechanic
Member
Here is what i said about my experience with my Rock Island on a previous thread http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=40643
Beagle-zebub
Member
mcpru, two things jumped out at me from your post: you've been using the same magazine, and been having FTRTBs when at the end of any given mag-full. If I had to guess, I would say that the spring in the mag that you are using is underpowered, or that the mag itself is just crapola; if you buy an after-market, fancy-schmancy Wilson or Ed Brown or whoever mag, there is a very good chance that your problems will resolve--you certainly wouldn't be the first, particularly not with an RIA. These mags are only $15-20, typically, so it isn't that much more money that you would be throwing down the drain.
From all the reading I have done on the "Boards" about RIA's it seems like 1 out of every 20 or so posts are negative . Not to bad for a gun that after being well received on the market and is STILL selling at less than half of what a Colt will cost you and still under the also imported Springfield's GI's by about $100 .
FTRTB issues are usually easy and cheap to fix and hardly warrant a gun being labeled a POS .
Buy some 600 grit wet/dry and wrap it around a wooden dowel or your finger and work it in and out of the barrel and up and down the frame ramp for about 3-5 minutes , replace the factory recoil spring with a new one made by Wolf of 16 or 18# and check the extractor tension . Removing the extractor and cleaning the tunnel well wont hurt either .
Armscor/RIA says their recoil springs are rated at 16# but I found that the new Wolf 16# spring put a considerable increase in tension on the slide of my Armscor made Charles Daly EFS . FTRB issues are all but nonexistent now with the only exception being my reloads with 200 gr semiwadcutters and I think I have that solved by adjusting the seating depth of the bullets .
A new Wolf spring will set you back perhaps $10 from a local smith or on line retailer .
FTRTB issues are usually easy and cheap to fix and hardly warrant a gun being labeled a POS .
Buy some 600 grit wet/dry and wrap it around a wooden dowel or your finger and work it in and out of the barrel and up and down the frame ramp for about 3-5 minutes , replace the factory recoil spring with a new one made by Wolf of 16 or 18# and check the extractor tension . Removing the extractor and cleaning the tunnel well wont hurt either .
Armscor/RIA says their recoil springs are rated at 16# but I found that the new Wolf 16# spring put a considerable increase in tension on the slide of my Armscor made Charles Daly EFS . FTRB issues are all but nonexistent now with the only exception being my reloads with 200 gr semiwadcutters and I think I have that solved by adjusting the seating depth of the bullets .
A new Wolf spring will set you back perhaps $10 from a local smith or on line retailer .
Well, the mag holds 8 rounds, and I put 8 in it, so it's jamming
while there's still 2 rounds left in the mag.
The 6th round ejects, the 7th gets pushed in, but not all the way, the 8th is still in the mag. If I eject the 7th round, the 8th round feeds each time no problem.
The springy/slidey thing int he mag feels smooth in the travel, it isn't binding up anywhere that I can feel.
The round is always in the barrel, it's never like an FTF that has it cockeyed, or not slid up properly in the barrel, the slide just hasn't slammed 'er home...
while there's still 2 rounds left in the mag.
The 6th round ejects, the 7th gets pushed in, but not all the way, the 8th is still in the mag. If I eject the 7th round, the 8th round feeds each time no problem.
The springy/slidey thing int he mag feels smooth in the travel, it isn't binding up anywhere that I can feel.
The round is always in the barrel, it's never like an FTF that has it cockeyed, or not slid up properly in the barrel, the slide just hasn't slammed 'er home...
wally
Member
If your brass is flying 12+ feet away I think you got a bad recoil spring. Don't mess with it, contact Armscor (API Parhump, NV) and return the gun to them, they stand behind their product and will make it right. Would you feel better or worse if your new SA had problems:
http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150195
http://www.1911forum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=28346&d=1154415142
Use the search, no shortage of problem guns with Kimber or SA that cost 2-3X as much. Everyone makes a bad gun from time to time -- even the highend custom makers, use the search at 1911forum.com and you'll find problems with Les Bear and Wilson guns too.
I like to see people report problems to get an idea of how good the makers QA/QC might be, but until they've benn given a chance to make it right calling the whole brand a POS is unfair at best. Follow-up reports on warranty repairs are even more important -- Kimber has had a bunch of multiple returns on their external extractor guns to the point they are now replacing slides with new ones using the traditional internal extractor. The Kimber forum at 1911forum.com has lots of details.
--wally.
http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150195
http://www.1911forum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=28346&d=1154415142
Use the search, no shortage of problem guns with Kimber or SA that cost 2-3X as much. Everyone makes a bad gun from time to time -- even the highend custom makers, use the search at 1911forum.com and you'll find problems with Les Bear and Wilson guns too.
I like to see people report problems to get an idea of how good the makers QA/QC might be, but until they've benn given a chance to make it right calling the whole brand a POS is unfair at best. Follow-up reports on warranty repairs are even more important -- Kimber has had a bunch of multiple returns on their external extractor guns to the point they are now replacing slides with new ones using the traditional internal extractor. The Kimber forum at 1911forum.com has lots of details.
--wally.
InnerVision
Member
Would anyone agree that the RIA has a better finish and "feel" than the springfield GI? I compared both side by side and came to this conclusion, but I haven't shot either one.
motorheadjohn
Member
I rented one at my local range. It was my first 1911 shooting experience. This being a rental range gun, I didn't expect a whole lot, but it gave me zero failure and was very accurate. For the price range, I don't think you could beat the Rock Island.
sgb
Member
I've not been inpressed with any of the philipine guns, but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
wally
Member
They are not impressive to look at, just a very business-like GI type parkerized finish. The beauty is how well they shoot and how good they are for the price.
--wally.
--wally.
busdriver72
Member
FTRB, I would suspect:
1. Weak recoil spring.
2. The top area of the chamber mouth is a bit too rough or not sized correctly.
3. Extractor needs adjusting or replaced.
It may be one or a combination of these things.
Any decent 1911 should be able to feed 230gr ball ammo out of the box.
You may want to try a 'fluff and buff' around the inside of the mouth of the chamber with Flitz and drop in a little bit stouter recoil spring in....maybe a 17 lb or an 18.5 lb.
To send the gun in for warranty, do you have to pay the shipping?
1. Weak recoil spring.
2. The top area of the chamber mouth is a bit too rough or not sized correctly.
3. Extractor needs adjusting or replaced.
It may be one or a combination of these things.
Any decent 1911 should be able to feed 230gr ball ammo out of the box.
You may want to try a 'fluff and buff' around the inside of the mouth of the chamber with Flitz and drop in a little bit stouter recoil spring in....maybe a 17 lb or an 18.5 lb.
To send the gun in for warranty, do you have to pay the shipping?
I don't know. I'm going to drop it off at Ed's tomorrow, and have him look at it, and see what he thinks. I could send it to the factory, wait 8 weeks for it to arrive in the Phillipines via slow boat, 3 months on a shelf, 12 international phone calls and 3 letters, a 2 minute checkout with the RIA smith saying it looks fine and works fine with Armscor ammo, and that's all he has to test with, and then 8 more weeks waiting to get it back...
If he thinks it's something simple, I"ll probably just eat the cost of having the smith do it. If it looks more complicated, I'll send it back to RIA, buy something else, and dump it on some other unsuspecting sap when it returns. "New RIA fresh from factory refurb..."
We shall see. I bought another 200 rounds of 230 grain ammo UMC, WWB, and CCI Brass today, and plan on getting my 500 in before the weekend. We shall see...
The only other thought I had was seeing if somebody would swap me mags, to see if it really is a magazine problem. I hesitate to buy another new mag, not knowing that the new one works any better...
If he thinks it's something simple, I"ll probably just eat the cost of having the smith do it. If it looks more complicated, I'll send it back to RIA, buy something else, and dump it on some other unsuspecting sap when it returns. "New RIA fresh from factory refurb..."
We shall see. I bought another 200 rounds of 230 grain ammo UMC, WWB, and CCI Brass today, and plan on getting my 500 in before the weekend. We shall see...
The only other thought I had was seeing if somebody would swap me mags, to see if it really is a magazine problem. I hesitate to buy another new mag, not knowing that the new one works any better...
The gun will go back to NV, and they return them pretty quick. The Novak mags are not very good. I changed to a Wilson and a KimPro. and I cant stop this gun. I ran 500 rounds of Wolf ammo (dirty), then I field stripped it. I had 6 stoppages in those 500. I have a Kimber Grand Raptor and a SA Mil-Spec. I would rather have the money in my pocket than these 2 pistols, I love my $330 RIA, and would trust my life with it. Unbelievable weapon for the money.Maybe I got a good one. Just my opinion.
cmidkiff
Member
I picked one up for the usual reasons... wanted a 1911, didn't want to spend big bucks. With some decent grips, I think it's a pretty nice looking handgun.
I put several hundred problem-free rounds through it. Found that I liked it very well, but never could get used to the micro-sized sights on the thing.
I replaced the sights (after the above photo was taken) with some inexpensive 3dot sights. The front post (narrow tenon) was machined crooked from the factory, and the new front sight would never sit straight. I guess the original sight was crooked as well, but it was so small, you couldn't tell.
I traded it back to my dealer for a Springfield Armory 'loaded' model. After shooting the RIA, I found that I liked the 1911 platform enough to invest a few more dollars in a better quality example.
My dealer had the slide machined with a front sight dovetail, put some decent sights on it, and put in a nicer trigger. It's currently for sale again... it'll make someone a decent entry level 1911.
I put several hundred problem-free rounds through it. Found that I liked it very well, but never could get used to the micro-sized sights on the thing.
I replaced the sights (after the above photo was taken) with some inexpensive 3dot sights. The front post (narrow tenon) was machined crooked from the factory, and the new front sight would never sit straight. I guess the original sight was crooked as well, but it was so small, you couldn't tell.
I traded it back to my dealer for a Springfield Armory 'loaded' model. After shooting the RIA, I found that I liked the 1911 platform enough to invest a few more dollars in a better quality example.
My dealer had the slide machined with a front sight dovetail, put some decent sights on it, and put in a nicer trigger. It's currently for sale again... it'll make someone a decent entry level 1911.
busdriver72
Member
Join the 1911 forums at http://forums.1911forum.com.
The member named Blackdragon (Ivan) is a representative for Rock Island and he can provide you with some personalized guidance.
It's a great board for 1911 shooters.
The member named Blackdragon (Ivan) is a representative for Rock Island and he can provide you with some personalized guidance.
It's a great board for 1911 shooters.
wally
Member
You don't send it out of country -- that would require an export license. You ship it to API, Pahrump NV. I got one of the earliest 9mm Armscor P18 clones and it had to go back because mine ended up being a sample that did not use the final extractor design so when the extractor broke they couldn't send me a replacement extractor (actually they did but it was the wrong one for my gun) so I had to return the gun to get a new slide with the final production extractor. They turned it around in exactly 15 days and the gun has been perfect for almost 10000 rounds now.
--wally.
--wally.
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