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Recommendations for inexpensive, reliable 1911

5K views 16 replies 16 participants last post by  spartacus1239 
#1 ·
Looking to learn about .45 1911's . Looking for a reliable, functional, model, I don't need tons of bells and whistles.
 
#2 ·
i recently bought a bnib Springfield milspec. I pretty much prefer retro style 1911's. I swapped out the arched mainspring housing for a flat one and changed the trigger to a long trigger. I adjusted sear spring a bit to get my preferred 4 lb break and that's it. No beavertail safety,extended thumb safety etc. They come with a easy to see 3 dot sight setup. This gun has run my 200 gr swc reloads flawlessly, right out of the box. $650 or so will buy one. If on a budget don't overlook the RIA guns. The new one i bought had a little feeding glitch...the extractor tension was quite a bit tighter than i normally adjust mine so i adjusted that a little and it has run pretty much 100% since. I also have heard very good reports of RIA's customer service. You can probably get a new RIA for about $400 if you shop around. If you have the money it's never a bad idea to buy a 1911 with a pony on the slide. Good luck
 
#4 ·
I would make sure it had a wide "beaver tail", the original small sized would allow the web of your hand to be pinched by the hammer, most of the time drawing blood, had it happen to me and it's no fun, I've heard lots of good about the latest RIA's, they've come along pretty good
 
#5 ·
I know nothing, but have also heard lots of good about RIA.

Springfield sounds nostalgic, but...I'd be most tempted to buy an old Colt. Just because.
 
#6 ·
I have the Colt Commander and love it, I also own a RIA 1911 9mm and it has been great. RIA has a lifetime warranty and is based out of Las Vegas. I have put a 1000 rounds through the 9mm and the slide is still tight with no movement side to side.
 
#8 ·
Second (or third) for Rock Island Armory. I have had three, and they were all solid, reliable pistols. I would recommend that you look at the Tactical models. They have better sights and a Commander style hammer.
 
#10 ·
Despite having eight Colts and two Kimbers I caught a sale at Sarco last year and got an RIA 1911 45 acp (standard GI type) for $267. Looks like they are $385 right now. This thing has been utterly reliable even with hollow points which surprised me. Would I buy another one, I probably will, would I recommend it for someone looking for a basic entry level 45, a definite YES. You can get one in 3.3 inch, 4.25 inch and 5 inch.

Steve........
 
#12 · (Edited)
Rock Islands are generally decent, reliable 1911's. I did have a brand new one with a short reamed chamber but I mailed them the barrel and they handled it PDQ.

I've seen two Springfield Milspecs, seven years apart,each with a bum barrel. I fixed one and Springfield fixed the other, though not as promptly or easily as Rock Island.

I had a new Auto Ordnance that was loaded with sorry MIM parts that needed replaced. To their credit, they shipped me anything I asked for in replacement parts.

I had a used Metroarms American Classic II that was an excellent pistol and a pleasant surprise- it ran well, shot well and needed nothing.

My best 1911s have always been Colts.
 
#13 ·
Although I haven't checked in recent years, but the RIA is produced from the old Colt manufacturing plant in the Philippines. That was my understanding. So, basically it is a Colt product with a reasonable pricetag under a different name. Is that a fair assumption ?
 
#14 ·
Tooling and process might be exactly the same. That leaves the material and its treatment. It also leaves tolerances open to operator interpretation. How often are the cutting heads replaced?

Remington had a heck of a time making Marlin rifles, with Marlins own gear. Remington is no stranger to gun making.

You get the point. They could be better than Colt too.


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#16 · (Edited)
I have two RIA pistols. One is a compact in 9mm. I had two problems right out of the box. Neither was complicated and after trying to contact the company for over a month with no luck I fixed them myself. It's reliable now. I shoot mostly cast lead reloads and they need to be close to maximum for the pistol to function. Drop down a little on the powder charge and it fails to eject frequently. Factory ammo has given no problems after polishing the feed ramp.

The other is a very new purchase, a Baby Rock 380, and I've only shot it with 95 gr. RNL reloads. I started with the suggested starting load and went up to maximum .1 gr. at a time. It shot everything with no problem.

Both have delivered poor accuracy with .355 cast bullets and the 9mm won't ever win any accuracy contest with jacketed ammo. Slugging the barrels showed both to have over sized barrels.

They aren't 45 ACP which is what most think of when they see 1911 but the thread said "reliable, inexpensive 1911" with no mention of caliber so I though I would pass along my RIA experience.
 
#17 ·
I just bought a RIA 1911 9MM target and it is one heck of a gun. Especially for the price. Will be buying another on.
 
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