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I dropped my RIA 45 and....

15K views 73 replies 48 participants last post by  bluesteel 
#1 ·







If you don't believe a 1911 45 can fire from being dropped,It happened to me about 15 minutes ago,I was in the bathroom and as I pulled my shirt up to set my gun on the sink the shirt had got caught between the gun and my crossbreed holster as the shirt came up so did the gun and I watched it drop barrel first on my tiled concrete floor then I heard bang and thought OH DANG but with an S.My ears weren't ringing but there was a shunk of tile missing and a chip out of the edge of the bathtub,If you look at the picture you can see powder burns from the muzzle around the hole in the tile.I did get a small cut from shrapnel on my ankle and I had to put a band aid on it.I know the safety was engaged in the holster but i believe when the weapon was pulled from the holster and started to drop it was disengaged.Thank god nothing worse happened but the bullet was smashed flat and the copper jacket was in the tub and the lead was in the toilet.I gotta tighten up the retention on my holster and make sure i never get my shirt wedged between the gun and holster in the future.
 
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#39 ·
I find it's better to fess up and admit it than try to glue a shoe to the floor and act like I don't know why the shoe is stuck to the floor
 
#46 ·
Actually this is one of the guns that had to pass the drop test to be sold in california.I've been dropping the gun on carpet to see if the hammer might of dropped but it's staying cocked with the safety in fire position,I think it's a case where the gun hit perfectly to cause a ND,might of been an extremely soft primer.Anytime a gun goes bang when I don't pull the trigger makes me want to make sure it won't repeat it in the future
 
#47 ·
Very, VERY lucky nothing worse happened, as CHL owners we have to live in Yellow, and we must always be careful with our weapon ... Duh!
 
#50 ·
WOW that sounds like one hell of a scare! Im glad to see that you came out of it all without too much damage. I have the same setup (1911 in a Crossbreed ST) so I will be paying ULTRA close attention when holstering after hearing your story.

Stay safe...

Matt
 
#51 ·
I pulled the firing pin and spring out of my SA1911-A1 and my RIA 1911,the SA firing pin felt like it was stronger than the RIA spring,not only that but the SA spring is 3/4 inch longer than the RIA spring,I'm sure the SA 1911 could pass a 10 foot drop test on the barrel but I bet with a 3/4 inch shorter and weaker spring the RIA couldn't,It failed a 3ft drop accident,I intend to notify armscor corp on monday if anybody has the number for customer service I would appreciate it
 
#55 ·
that's why i said 3 pages back to post it at m1911.org. there are 2 customer service representatives over there that see every post in the Armscor forum. the president of the U.S. part of Armscor even responded to one of my posts once to tell me that i had a rare pistol. they would already be all over this if you would have posted over there.
 
#61 ·
I found the flattened copper jacket in the bathtub and 2 lead fragments on the floor the piece In the toilet was a hunk of linoleum,it was a concrete slab floor the bullet impact area measures 1" in circumferense with some linoleum pyshed away from the impact area.I've owned the gun about a year and have probably shot about 1000 rounds through it,
 
#62 ·
Gosh dang this has me freaked out. :crazy: :popout: Glad you are OK.

I thought this wasn't supposed to happen unless the safety was off, grip safety depressed, and then trigger pulled.

Is this what that 1911 pencil test is for? How about a primer for the thread?
 
#63 ·
No, the pencil test is to make sure that your firing pin safety is working, the RIA mentioned does not have a firing pin safety, nor does it have a heavier spring/lighter firing pin combo that is used to negate a "drop fire"

Even without the firing pin safety or changed components, you need to drop the 1911 just right to get it to fire with the safeties active. Dukalmighty hit the lottery on this one.:gah:
 
#65 ·
Okay, the safety was off. Somehow, somewhere, someway. Otherwise, your slide would not have retracted at all, if the safety was properly fitted, and engaged the slide notch when "on." That is one of its functions- to prevent the slide cycling in the event of UD. That wouldnt appear to have anything to do with a slam-fire, but is something to consider.

I would probably send the gun to RIA. Check your barrel for a stress fracture. If it fell square-on, then fired, cracking the barrel and/or bushing via backpressure isn't inconceivble.
 
#68 ·
Right now the gun is completely tore down and being inspected for safety,Until I replace FP spring and range test it I will not carry it,I am carrying my SA 5"1911 -A1 and it conceals just as well in the crossbreed holster.I posted this thread as a warning to people no matter how many safetys you have on a gun,all it takes is a freak accident and a gun can fire,I love my RIA 1911 and the pistol design is very safe,but the way it hit was a 1 in a million shot,that's the only pistol I have ever dropped,I've had guns fall over and hit the ground but they were always unloaded with the actions open.I never realised that there were different strength FP sprinngs and am going to install a wolff x strong one when I reassemble the gun.I'm really careful with guns loaded or otherwise.I'm still kinda shook up a different ricochet or scenario somebody might be seriously injured or killed,I'm just saying be careful and never get complacent when handling a firearm
 
#69 ·
amen
go get a lotto ticket and fill in #'s 1911 and 45. If you're gonna be "lucky" might as well make it pay for the floor.

Good thing you don't live in a upstairs apartment!

-mac
 
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