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RIA 1911 for my first handgun. Need some input from actual owners.

9K views 53 replies 33 participants last post by  DWowner 
#1 ·
Good afternoon everyone! I am thinking of purchasing a RIA 1911 GI for my first handgun. Let me start of by saying that I currently own a Mossberg 500 as my primary firearm, but I am looking to purchase a handgun as a secondary portable firearm. I spend a lot of time in the range shooting a variety of handguns which included Glock, Beretta, S&W and of course the 1911. All of the guns felt and fired good, but I admit I love the feel, firepower, and looks of the 1911. It just felt heavier, solid and had a recoil that indicated you are shooting something with firepower. It just felt like a true shooter. What attracted me to the RIA 1911 is that out of all four handguns, it had the lowest price point. I had my heart set on the RIA 1911, but the guys at the gun dealership were slightly discouraging me in purchasing it for my first gun. They mostly claimed that it was not as reliable as the rest and that maintenance of a 1911 is more expensive. They told me I would have to rebuild and change the parts more often as I spend a good amount of time in the range. The guys did quote my $600 out the door price and I told them I wanted to do research before I made my decision. I will leave it as this for now because I don't want to turn my thread into an essay. Thank you in advanced and I hope to learn more about this gun and meet new people who have real life experience with it.
 
#2 ·
That price is way high for a Rock Island Armory GI- I just found one online for $332. I think a lot of shops discourage the old 1911 style pistols because we're a dying breed- most people prefer tacticool high capacity polymer pistols that field strip and reassemble in seconds. I don't know what parts you'll be replacing but I would think you'd have a few thousand trouble free rounds before anything broke. They also seem to have a great warranty and customer service, but I cannot speak from experience.

I have one- it's in .22 TCM and 9mm and I have about 100 rounds through it and it performed flawlessly.

FWIW- You can get the Defender Series Springfield Armory Mil Spec for around $500 in most shops until supply runs out. Those are forged frames and SA gets great reviews for customer service, too. I have one and it also did almost 100 trouble free rounds at the same range trip mentioned before.

Try a website called gun.deals and enter what you're looking for in the search window- Rock Island GI or Springfield Armory Defender (but look at the ones priced in the $450 range and you'll weed out the non-1911 style guns in the Defender series.
 
#3 ·
That is very high for a GI. Go to gunbroker.com budsgunshop.com and you can get an idea of what it should cost. Add a little if you are buying from a local shop. I have several ria pistols with thousands of rds thru them. I have never had a part break. Since they are shipped with some kind of gunk in them to prevent rust, it is best to detail strip, clean , and lube the gun. Any 1911 that I buy I check several adjustments. On almost all of my 1911s the extractor tension was either too tight or too loose. These tasks are easy to do after you have done them a couple of times, but a little scary the first time. If you know someone who can walk you thru taking the gun apart, or pay a gunsmith the first time. There are also plenty of utubes showing how to do almost anything on a 1911.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Years of experience with many people, the Tactical model with beaver tail grip safety, better trigger, better sights, all translates to a gun which will shoot a lot better and provide more enjoyment. Still have the 1911 look. The extra enhancements cost almost nothing, making the RIA Tactical model a stunning value. Almost all who get the bare bones GI model wish they had spent a little more. http://template.mc60sec.net/d875645...655744&Signature=vT+E2h/s62gBlKi2mKec9Jja8QM=
 
#6 ·
Agree with Mountain Walker.

I have the Tactical FS and it is everything I want in a 1911 .45. I purchased a few extra MEC-GAR magazines which worked flawlessly. I have put 200 rounds through it and not one failure.

Maintenance is easy and not expensive at all. Regular cleaning is about it. Probably replace the springs in about 4800 more rounds.
 
#7 ·
The RIA is a good starter 1911 don't let the lower price point fool you. MY LGS has both RIA's in stock the basic GI and the Tactical model, the price on the GI is 380 and 425 on the Tactical. The 45 dollar price difference is worth just having the better sights, the GI sights are for very difficult to see. If you can find a SA Defender 1911 buy it, a very good gun for not much more money than the RIA, it has a forged frame and slide and match barrel.
 
#8 ·
I have had an Ultra FS 9mm for a couple of years now and approaching 10k rounds.

Gun has been flawless and shoots (for me) as well as any of my other 1911's.

It is not as smooth or have as nice of a finish of higher end guns but works very well.

I went for mine as it came equipped with the adjustable rear sight, FO front sight and G10 grips as well as a magwell -- all of which I would have ended up adding if I had bought the base model so it was an easy decision.

Only items changed are normal maintenance items (recoil spring every 5k rounds) and the hammer/mainspring once as preventive maintenance. I have also swapped out the FO rod for green as that is what I run on all of my handguns.

If I were to do it all over again I would have gotten a model with a rail so I could mount a light, but that's about it.

If you get one the most important thing to do before shooting it is to follow their instructions for a thorough cleaning and then lube. You should do this with any gun but my RIA was pretty well drenched in lube for shipping.
 
#9 · (Edited)
first find a different gunshop/ffl holder because those guys are trying to pay their monthly light bill off of your one sale. the $600 is way too high for a basic RIA 1911 GI model. as stated elsewhere, you can find them on Gun Broker for a lot less even after paying the shipping and transfer fees.

next, the RIA is a great gun "for the money". it is not fancy nor a bullseye at 50 yards type gun, but it is quite serviceable and you would be very well armed with one. in the 1911 field they are probably the best deal out there right now and have been so for at least a decade. i'd recommend the version with a beavertail grip safety for shooting comfort and non-GI sights for ease of target acquisition.
 
#10 ·
I think your limiting yourself by only looking at only one brand. It maybe very well within your budget but if it were me I would look within that range to see if just a bit more would or wouldn't be worth the price of admission. I always look at a wider variety before making any specific decision.
 
#11 ·
the problem with that is that people are always suggesting blurring the line and increasing the budget. for example, if $500 is the limit, a $600 gun is not within reason, because if $600 can be met people argue why not go for 7..... next thing you know there are people talking about $900 guns. there is a reason why people draw a line and hold fast to it.
 
#12 ·
I have both GI and the tactical RIAs. Get a tactical model, and if you're going to carry it, get a 4" model. That's what I carry 90% of the time. I've only had to replace one part - those God awful grips. After a little practice you'll be able to hit the 1" filler stickers most targets have anymore. There is a significant downside to the RIAs, however. After about 8 hours on your side, all my 1911s (low or high end) seem to magically be able to double their weight. An all steel frame is heavy.

*Edit - I also replaced the fiber optic to change the color to one I can pick out more easily. Took about 4 minutes and $8.
 
#15 ·
I have two and my Wife has one.
Be prepared to either work on it yourself, send it in for warranty work or take it to a gun smith. Not that you will have to but be prepared.
The first thing you need to do upon purchase is throw away the magazine that comes with the gun. It's garbage. It may not fail in the beginning, it most likely will, but it will fail you.
You will most likely have to do some smoothing of it to make it feel good in your hand. Ours have the sharpest, most uncomfortable ambi. safeties ever! I took mine off and totally reshaped both sides. Much better! The cheap aluminum mainspring housing is like puppies teeth to the palm of the hand. I smoothed off the rear bottom and much better.
Keep an eye on the inner surface of the barrel. I think they get their barrels from those guys in the jungle that make those counterfeit Colts out of nails and old paint cans.
 
#16 ·
Good evening guys. Thank you all for the input. I don't have experience buying a firearm online but I will look into it. The hardest thing about this is that I live in California. Gun and ammo laws here are much tighter compared to different states. I am glad I went to this forum before jumping to purchase the gun. I knew something felt wrong about the gun dealership I went to. I read mix opinions and will continue to do research and take my time before the purchase. One thing I noticed today too was that .45 ACP is pretty pricey. The cheapest I could find was 230 rounds for $60 before taxes lol. Understandable though as it hits harder than the 9mm. I need some honest opinions though. Would you trust your life with the RIA 1911? Is it your main home defense firearm? I read some jamming issues but I understand it can happen to every firearm. I am hoping to fire the .45 this weekend again if my buddy is available. Thanks again!
 
#20 ·
My first 1911 and pistol is my 1911 RIA 2-tone model. That gun easily has around 1500 rounds through it. I even qualified for my CHL with it. Once you get past the 500 round break in period then it’ll run anything you put through it. I got the same discouragement when I went into gun stores and told them that’s the brand I want and after talking to them, I figured out that most of them are snobs and think any gun under the $800-1k mark is trash. Go ahead and give it a try and like the rest of us are saying, just change the grips and you’ll be set
 
#21 ·
I paid less than that for my Cdr Tac II Ultra FS in .45. Love It!!! I enjoy shooting it more than my SA GI or RO 9mm...
Around 4 bills tops for their GI model is what I would go...
The Defender from SA was mentioned above...I've heard good things. It's $500 everywhere and I believe SA still has a special going on where you get mags and gear after purchase.
RIA & SAs customer service are both REAL good IMO.
Don't see where you could go wrong, aside from paying $600 for a RIA GI.
GoG has them right now for $411 in my area.
 
#22 ·
Ria

I am from California so I understand. I have two RIA's; a GI Standard in 38 Super and a Tactical in .45 caliber. I have worked on the Super 38 extensively both for improvement and as a hobby. Never a problem. I do recommend the tactical as the addition expense for the already built-in improvements is very cost effective. No regrets in my purchases.
 
#23 ·
From first hand experience with both, I would buy a $500-550 Springer Defender before spending money on the comparable RIA. Greater resale, high visibilty sights and for those aesthetically inclined, slanted cocking serrations if later upgrades are decided upon. Stock, the Springer is far more friendly to shoot. This is because of the RIA GI’s very flat grip safety tang causes the sharp corners at the rear of tang to dig into the web of the strong side hand. It is simple enough to defang either for the cost of abrasive cloth and touch up blue. Dimensionally the Springer is closer to industry standards.

If the beavertail and upgraded rear sights are desired, then a Tactical Rock or a nice used unmolested Springer RO or Loaded may be found.
 
#24 ·
I've had the 1911 basic pistol for about three years now. Mine is in 9mm and has no bells or whistles. Decent trigger shoots well with the small sights. No problems since the first magazine was shot through it. It was the mag that came with the pistol but not a problem since with it or any of the others I've bought. I like mine, it was a good deal.
 
#25 ·
FWIW, a 1911 in 9mm is a hoot. With smoother shooting and bulk ammo about 60% that of 45 ACP it is a tempting caliber alternative.
 
#26 ·
First I'd like to say Rock Island is a solid gun if not I wouldn't own 3 of them. Next the OP lives in California and unfortunately guns are more expensive here and they have a roster of approved guns so we are limited to what we can buy. :mad: Also we can buy approved guns off the internet but they have to be transferred to your local FFL at a cost and still get taxed thus eliminating any if not all or more money that you would save buying on line. OP you might want the check out a Citadel 1911 they are built buy the same company as Rock Island but have better sights and a Beaver tail grip safety. Last shoot one in 9mm they are easy to handle, fun to shoot and less expensive to shoot that's why I have 11 of them. Good luck.
 
#27 · (Edited)
This ad says "CA Compliant" but I'm not sure about all the ins and outs. Without going back to check, I believe his LGS quoted him $600- do the taxes and FFL fees total $268?

Used...
https://www.guns.com/firearms/handg...AvantLink&utm_campaign=35987&utm_medium=df_NA
New...
https://www.guns.com/firearms/handg...AvantLink&utm_campaign=35987&utm_medium=df_NA

(I realized after looking closer that the first link was for a used one...still a New one was $384- still a good deal and a LONG way from $600).
 
#32 ·
Good evening all! Just wanted to make a quick update. I was planning on purchasing a gun online but as my fellow Californian mention the fees added will pretty much even the dealers price. I am still shopping around and hoping to make my final decision soon. I did not know there were a lot of versions of this gun. There is the GI model and the Rock version I believe that had more rounds. I am also eyeing on the 9mm version as another member suggested. Now, are all these guns made in the Philippines? I saw a couple of Rock Island shotguns made in the Philippines and some in Turkey. I am wondering if the 1911s are the same way.
 
#33 ·
I have a Rock had it since 2006 it was made in the PI. This is just a GI version no bells and whistles, pull the trigger it goes bang each and every time. I won't give it up. To me it does the same thing as a 900 dollar gun and it was only 429. You get what you can afford sure I wanted a Colt carried a Colt in the Navy, but it was cost prohibitive for me at the time hence the RIA. The fellows here have given you much information on what's out there but the choice is yours. Nobody is going to fault you on your choice if it is the RIA. It's your weapon. Cherish it whatever it is. It's your first .
 
#34 ·
Hey 4th,
Don't let the guys at the LGS mislead you. RIA is a fine gun. Not top notch like a Colt or Springfield, but damn good guns for the price. I have 3 and all have been totally reliable. Would I trust my life to one? You bet. My compact MS ultra is dead on, and have never had a problem or failure in probably 2K rounds. Also have the FS and a 10 mm MS. Would trust any of them. I also have the Citadel 45 and it is a good gun also. You won't go wrong with them. Hope this helps.
 
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