Rock Island upgrades

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The point of modifying guns is to make the gun suit your needs better. So without knowing what about the gun could be improved to improve your shooting, anything suggested could just be wasting your money.
 
Tactical or GI model? If it's a Tactical, I would just buy some better quality magazines and replace the smooth wood grips. If it's the GI model, you could spend a ton of money on better sights, extended beavertail safety, extended thumb safety, so it's better to just start with the Tactical.
 
tripp cobra mags
if its not accurate enough, get someone to fit a Kart NM barrel and bushing.
 
My friend bought a RIA Tactical and he's had difficulty seeing the front sight and I installed a fiber optic front sight for him. It made shooting at black/dark colored targets and low light shooting easier. He initially thought about going with 3-dot sights but he's happy with just the front sight change.

Although it's been reliable for 6000+ rounds, after 5000 rounds I suggested replacement of recoil spring. He tried my 16, 16.5, 17 and 18.5 pound Wilson Combat and Wolff Variable Power recoil springs and noticed significant reduction in muzzle flip and felt recoil. He ended up going with 18.5 lb Wilson Combat spring for factory/defensive loads and 16.5 lb Wolff Variable Power spring for lighter target reloads.

The grips were also changed to Hogue wraparound rubber finger groove grips and he really likes the way pistol points the same shot after shot.

While the factory magazine worked well, I recommended Chip McCormick 8 round Power Mags and we haven't seen any feeding/chambering issues during the 6000+ rounds.
 
It's a GI model. I thought I got a good deal on it. I've only fired a few rounds through it and I can tell I'm going to need different sights. Got a little hammer bite too. This is my first step into the 1911's. I've had Glocks up to now.
 
Not to sound mean, but if you like the Rock Island, you would probably be money ahead to trade it to a tactical model or sell it and buy a tactical.
 
You could get new sights and a beavertail safety installed, but the longer your list of desired upgrades gets... The better off you are just buying a 1911 with the upgrades you want.
 
If you want a beaver tail and better sights, you would spend nearly the same money retro-fitting your gun as you would buying an RIA Tactical model. Better to have both, or sell one and get the other.
 
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