Rock Island Armory

Hey everyone, I'm completely new to 1911's and was wondering if a Rock Island Armory would be a good 1911 to start with as I would carry it on our farm. Will it stand up to extreme weather and dirt and grime with good cleaning. I'v heard that they are a cheaper 1911.

If you have a better recomendation let me know.

Im looking for a full sized that would be good to carry in a shoulder holster. It would be carried in C3 (on the farm) unless I'm in a suit then it would be in C1 (in town's) let me know what you think.

I own a RIA / took it on trade ad a gun show, and dang glad I did .. I think for the money, you cannot go wrong, I also own a Kimber, and 2 Colts, i slid a set of pachmayers on it that I had around from one of the full size colts, and have shot the gun quite often, for me anyhow, Around 350 rounds, rough guess, not a glitch one. Very accurate, and seems to be very dependable. all my opinion.....

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

Ok thats what I was thinking. It'll probably be my next handgun that I purchase.

I'm thinking of getting one too. My dealer raved about them, and I was shocked at how good the fit and finish was for such an inexpensive gun.

I have an RIA full-size Tactical in 9mm. The thing is astonishingly accurate. The only 1911 I have that shoots better is my Colt Gold Cup, and it cost 2.5X as much. At first the RIA did not like some hollowpoint ammo, but as it is breaking in that has improved. I ran 25 rounds or Remington self-defense ammo thru it last week and it worked flawlessly.

I have a Rock Island Tactical (full size) in 45 ACP. When I got it, I discovered the barrel had a defect, but their customer service sent me a replacement and it has not missed a beat since. Very accurate and reliable. The guns have a life time warranty. They are hard to beat for the money.

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Originally Posted by CharlieW

I have an RIA full-size Tactical in 9mm. The thing is astonishingly accurate. The only 1911 I have that shoots better is my Colt Gold Cup, and it cost 2.5X as much. At first the RIA did not like some hollowpoint ammo, but as it is breaking in that has improved. I ran 25 rounds or Remington self-defense ammo thru it last week and it worked flawlessly.

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Ditto.

I got mine a year ago and have put 500 or more rounds through it without a single issue. It's pretty accurate and the price is nice. I got 2 Mec-Gar mags for it which perform just as well or better than the stock Checkmate mag that came with it.

For a full size, non polymer gun, it has more recoil than I would expect. Personally, I shoot better with my Glock 19 -- I get better accuracy and I feel the recoil is the same or less. But, I have shot the Glock twice as much as the RIA so maybe the Glock just feels more comfortable. The Parkerized finish on the RIA is quite thin as well - not very durable if that's important to you. The parts certain seem durable and the fit is good.

I currently have a full size ROCK ISLAND 1911 in 9mm and love it. I also got their 9mm Hi Capacity and never even fired it. Got it new and the trigger pull was rougher than the gravel road in front of your house. It took me a long time to clean that up. However, after finding all the scratches and other cosmetic flaws on the gun, the straw which broke the camel's back was that the grip safety stuck at the IN/OFF position ! Yes, I could have cleaned that up, too and made the gun safe but I wasn't in any mood to mess with it any more. I sold it at a gun show and bought a new Springfield EMP 9mm. I like it a whole lot better, and it fits my hand much better.
All in all, I would buy another ROCK, tho.

Well after reading this I guess my worries are unfounded. Mine keeps nosing the rounds into the center of the frame ramp and jamming but it appears that they will fix it. Sad part it is only two weeks old and has less than a box of shells thru it...

TCB,first 2 rounds in the mag nose?It's a mag issue most of the time.

I've heard good reviews on these in general so you can't go wrong for the money.

If you're set on a shoulder holster,buy a good one,which means money.The muzzle is pointing at whoever is behind you,and the holster must be made to properly fit the safety.Safeties get knocked off,multi fit holsters aren't a great idea,and there are quite a few holsters molded with the safety off.Most mold guns are made this way,and can knock the safety off.

Don't get me wrong,the 1911 is is my main gun and it's a very safe platform,but on the same hand it can be an AD waiting to happen in novice hands.Practice the correct operation of the pistol so it's instinct and you'll have one of the safest pistols to carry.