Ria 1911?

[Derrin33]

I found a NIB Rock Island Armory at my gun shop for $479. Anyone have one of these? The store owner has a personal, and told me he loves it. Do they feed hollow points well? I'm looking to throw another carry option in and have a "woods" gun. Thanks in advance!!!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[AZ Husker]

Cheap import, poorly assembled with cast parts. I just had one for a two week evaluation. Rough finish and assembly. Shoots just fine for what you pay for. If you just want a knock-around fun gun, it's fine. If you want a quality self-defense gun, or one to build on, look upward my friend! For a little more, you can buy a Springfield, still an import, but with quality construction. For a couple hundred more, you can get a Colt. I'd recommend not cheaping out on something you might have to depend your life on. It's not just RIA, it's the whole line of cheap Filipino guns that have come and gone. They're all the same thing from the same factory.

[dukalmighty]

I have a RIA compact,you can buy the RIA 1911 for under $400.00 all day long,check gunbroker and some other online dealers

[citizen510]

I carry my RIA every day. It eats ammo I put in it. Very reliable.

[Arisin Wind]

I've had a RIA 1911 for about 3 years now and it's a great gun. Shoots everything fine. It's not the fanciest gun on the range, but it consistently puts bullets on target. Never had a problem with it.

[Gideon]

I don't have one but have almost bought one a dozen times. I had a Springfield Mil-Spec but sold it to buy a Colt New Agent. I can say this, they are at the top end of the very low end. The Springfield mil-spec is a totally different level of quality and value. Then you step up to the Springfield loaded series and they're even better, however, I have read so many positive things that I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a RIA. You'll have to "prove" it before carrying but I think they're a good value.

A lot of us can't afford the gun's we'd like, like a Wilson's 1911

I do agree that if this would be a serious self defense weapon then I'd buy better quality.

[joleary223]

That's about a 100.00 mark up on that Rock. I would keep looking, not because the gun is crap but because the price is too high. Snoop around this place. Guns for Sale Buds has good prices, you just have to get the gun shipped to a FFL.

[Airedale]

The Rock Island is no more a cheap import than the STI Spartan they also make. The factory is ISO 9001 certified.

They run great and shoot straight. I shot my RIA's in USPSA single stack this season. They run without hiccup.

Go for it!
Dave

[raytracer]

Not all Philipino guns come from the same factory - no more so than Colt and S&W do.

Twin Pines, the maker of Armscor/Rock Island Armory guns, is considered one of, if not the best firearm manufacturer in the P.I. While, Twin Pines does manufacture guns for other labels, their are many other manufacturers in the Phillipine Islands and they are not all created equal.

Advanced Tactical in Nevada, RIA's American importer has a very strong commitment to customer service and is highly spoken of. Check out their forum on m1911.org. The Rock Island pistols carry a lifetime warranty.

There are currently three variations on the full size 1911 from RIA. The G.I. model, the Tactical and the Match. The G.I. is plain jane with mil spec grip safety and speedbump sights. The Tactical adds an ambi safey, beavertail GS and Novak style sights. The Match is essentially an STI Spartan without the STI internals. As has been said before $479 is way too high for a G.I., a bit high for a Tactical and a pretty good price for a Match. Check to see which one it is.

My experience with RIA pistols has been very positive. I have an Officer's Size that had a few feeding problems but was made right by the importer. I know several people who shoot the full size models and have had no problems at all with them. Personally, if it's a defensive pistol, I'd spend a little more and look at a Springfield Loaded or Kimber as a minimum. If you're on a tight budget, or are just looking for an introduction to the 1911 platform, the Rock Island pistols present a very good value. As with any 1911 pistol, I'd recommend a proving out period of 500 - 1000 rounds of ball ammo plus 100 of your chosen carry ammo before committing it to daily carry status.

Joe

[forestranger]

I have 4 1911s, 2 of them are RIAs. The Tactical has over 1500 rds without first jam. The Compact Tactical needed the extractor adjusted and since has over problem free 500 rds. Both are tack drivers on accuracy and have as good a trigger as my Colt Gold Cup had and better than my Commander. For me, they've been a very pleasant surprise. If you get a bad one, their Customer Service will make it right.

[Cthulhu]

If I could afford to shoot .45ACP, I would have gotten a RIA Tactical instead of the SR9.

As others have said, you can find better deals on a Rock Island elsewhere, and their customer service appears to be top notch.

I've seen a case where a customer had an Armscor 1911 that was a few years old, that he obtained before the folks in Nevada took over the Armscor/RIA importing and service. I can't recall the problem, but it wasn't something that could be fixed by simply mailing a replacement part. Even though the gun was purchased before Advanced Tactical was handling things, they replaced the gun with a new RIA, pretty much no questions asked.

If I'm ever able to shoot .45ACP without breaking the bank, I'll be looking at RIA again.

-JT

[retsupt99]

You are within $50 of a dependable, quality known as...Glock.

If you prefer a 1911 platform and don't want a Glock, I'd keep looking...Kimbers, Springfields, Colt, and several others...that's just me.

[wareagleky]

Price is high for what I have seen. usually around 359 from what I rember at the last show I went to. Keep looking almost picked one up at the last show as a knock around basic .45 Been looking at their 6in one as well. Saving up however for the Ak.

[QKShooter]

$479. That is not a good deal.
That asking price is too high. I absolutely would pass.

[cphilip]

The Rock Island is no more a cheap import than the STI Spartan they also make. The factory is ISO 9001 certified.

RIA does not make the Spartan. STI does. This is built in USA. And what STI does is buy frames and slides from RIA but then it does a lot more by fitting and finishing and then filling it with much better internal parts. It is a big step above a straight RIA... but it is not done by RIA even though it shares a few parts. The Spartan is a good deal much better gun than the straight RIA 1911 and at only about $500 too. Well worth the difference.