Rock Island 1911A1

00ChevyScott

Basic Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2010
Messages
2,678
Looking at getting one of these with my tax refund. Any input on them? I've heard they're great for a budget 1911.
51431.jpg
 
I have a friend who has the stock GI version and loves it but I've never shot it, the one I have shot belonged to another friend who built up a custom around one and that one was great.

Not much to go on there!
 
I have always been of a fan of the classic Colt or Kimber. However If your looking for low price and that platform look into Ruger SR1911 or the Taurus 1911. I have heard good things about the Ruger.
 
save your money they are junk . you really do get what you pay for. Due some home work on the 1911 forum.
 
Last edited:
I've shot several of them and they are solid. IIRC all were purchased back in 2006-2007. Not sure about the recent runs.
 
They're good starter 1911s, I'd take them over a Taurus 1911 any day. A step up you could look at a STI Spartan, also STI is located in Texas
 
save your money they are junk . you really do get what you pay for. Due some home work on the 1911 forum.

Funny...comments on the forum you mentioned are for the most part favorable.
 
Funny...comments on the forum you mentioned are for the most part favorable.
Yea the guys that buy them defend them to the death. save a little more and buy a American made pistol . Ask a pistolsmith most that do top shelf work won't touch them. Accuracy wise they suck.
 
You should look at Colt ,Smith& Wesson Dan Wesson, STI, Springfield, KImber. You can buy a used one of the list here for a little more and be much happier in the end.
 
I'm not a fan, out of the ones I see they are junk.

The son of a guy I work with picked up one, it was jammomatic and the trigger was horrible. He took it to a 1911 gunsmith both of us know, he gutted it, gave it a new trigger, hammer, sear, sear spring, etc. and it still was horrible. He had to send it back to RIA to get it to work.

Yes, they have great warrantys, but I beleive warranty should not be used when the pistol is brand new, but after 10,000 rounds and you shot the piss out of it.

For a budget 1911, Springfield GIs are better (once again, my opinion), yes they are both made in the Philippines but the quality is better. I'm not a huge fan of Taurus, but I've yet to see a problem out of their 1911. Ruger (IF you can find one are nice), and the Remingons aren't bad either (triggers suck on the GI model though).

I've heard some people say that their RIA will outshoot a Kimber or a TRP Springfield, but I've also heard people say that their High Points are great and malfunction free.
 
I've heard a very mixed bag of review on these and will personally be going with a springfield when the time comes. Now the RIA revolvers are more tempting! :D
 
For a budget 1911, Springfield GIs are better (once again, my opinion), yes they are both made in the Philippines but the quality is better. I'm not a huge fan of Taurus, but I've yet to see a problem out of their 1911. Ruger (IF you can find one are nice), and the Remingons aren't bad either (triggers suck on the GI model though).

Actually Springfield Armory M1911s are made in Brazil by IMBEL.

Springfields are forged while RIA is cast. I prefer Springfields for this reason, but I buy them for the frame & slide for use in custom builds.

If you just want a shooter pistol, not something to tinker with or try to upgrade, then RIAs are fine pistols.
 
I've heard a very mixed bag of review on these and will personally be going with a springfield when the time comes. Now the RIA revolvers are more tempting! :D
Revolvers ??? I did not know that anyone other than Smith &Wesson and colt made them.
 
Actually Springfield Armory M1911s are made in Brazil by IMBEL.

Springfields are forged while RIA is cast. I prefer Springfields for this reason, but I buy them for the frame & slide for use in custom builds.

If you just want a shooter pistol, not something to tinker with or try to upgrade, then RIAs are fine pistols.
Some of the Springfield are made in America.
 
Some of the Springfield are made in America.

Which ones?

Springfield Armory uses frames and slides made in Brazil by IMBEL. The lower-end ones are completely built there and have "Made in Brazil" stamped on them. Higher-end models are assembled in the USA but still use IMBEL slides and frames, these have "Geneseo IL USA" stamped on them.
 
Which ones?

Springfield Armory uses frames and slides made in Brazil by IMBEL. The lower-end ones are completely built there and have "Made in Brazil" stamped on them. Higher-end models are assembled in the USA but still use IMBEL slides and frames, these have "Geneseo IL USA" stamped on them.
Although I do not own a Springfield I think the TRP ,pro, and the one they made for the FBI .
 
Nope. All Springfield Armory M1911 pistol frames and slides are forged by IMBEL in Brazil. This isn't a bad thing as they are exceptionally well-made. I use these sets to have full house custom pistols built. My customs can run anywhere between $4-$6k in parts and labor and I have no fear to use IMBEL made parts as the base.
 
CWL is correct. All Springfields use forged frames and slides from Imbel. The higher end ones are built in the USA. Some of the lower end ones too. Anything that has Geneseo, IL stamped on it was built mostly in the USA.

The Pro and the FBI gun is one and the same.

If you just want a 1911 to shoot occasionally the RIA is as good as any. If you want it for serious purposes or to put a lot of lead through, then save a little more and get a better gun. The most expensive part of owning a 1911 is feeding it; $500 is less than 2000 rounds. It makes sense to buy the best gun you can afford.
 
Back
Top