UPDATE...BOUGHT THE RO.


original thread
this was my first thread and the responses changed me from Para or Taurus      to      SA RO or RIA.  Glad I asked you guys first.

I am looking for my fist 1911.  This will be a competition and range gun only.   Looking for a no rail full frame / size 1911 45, but 9mm is a consideration, but I would have to figure out what to do with all my 45ACP cases, bullets, primers, and reloading dies as I am selling my nice Glock 21 to fund this.

My 4 choices above are all accurate enough, affordable, and reliable enough for me from what I have read.  But its $300 difference from the bottom of my list to the top.  That covers a lot of accessories and some ammo.  My criteria are

1 Fiber Optic front sight.  I can change this out on the RIA TAC and the SA Range Officer  so that just means a little added expense
2 Sweet competition only trigger. However, I would leave the trigger as is on all guns listed. No tinkering or gunsmithing.

It sounds like all these have a good trigger, but he RIA Match may have a better one without sending out to a gunsmith.  If anyone has the RIA Match I would love to hear about its trigger.

How does the RIA Tac trigger compare to the Springfield Armory Range Officer?  RIA Match trigger vs SA RO?


$430 + $18 S&H - $50 MIR = $398 ......RIA 51431 TAC 1911 FS - Simple low budget.  I just add a Dawson front sight.  Already has a nice fixed rear sight.



$530 + $18 S&H - $50 MIR = $498 ......RIA 51486 TAC 1911 II FS - I WOULD NOT CHANGE ANYTHING.  This is the look I want with no work.  Nice adjustable rear Novak, fiber optic front, magwell, checkered front strap, and nice grips.



$657 - $50 MIR = $607 ......RIA 51434 PRO MATCH 1911.....HAND FITTED PARTS and a supposedly better trigger.  Fiber optic front sight.  This would be fine as is.   This should feel and shoot like a high quality pistol.



$710 ......SPRINGFIELD ARMORY RANGE OFFICER.....This is the gun everyone is talking about.  It would be the most durable and all it needs is a dawson front sight.  PLUS, I get 3 free magazines with rebate to offset the extra cost some. This gun would be worth sending to a gunsmith down the road if I ever decided to.


I am not gonna lie....I lean toward the Rock Island Armory Match with the cheaper TAC coming in second.

If you get the RO first, you can spend all the money you'll save not buying the others on ammo.

Buy once, cry once.

My first (and only) 1911 is a Taurus. It shoots good but if I had it to do over again, I'd spend the money on a Colt or other higher end pistol.

ETA I voted Range officer.

RIA makes a good pistol for the price but if there are 1000's of rounds in the future the RO is the way to go.

Springfield Range Officer.

I own one, and this.

 

Voted RO.  I'm a sucker for Springers though.

As the owner of both a Springer Mil-Spec and Range Officer, I voted for the Range Officer.  I absolutely love mine.  Smooth, eats everything, never jams, and accurate.  Whats not to like?
ETA:  When buying Springfield 1911s, make sure you get a 'NM' prefix on the s/n as those are assembled in the USA.










 
 

I'd take a RIA TBH. I've had two and they've performed flawlessly. Either the full size tac or the match.

Another vote for the RO.   All I've done to mine is swap out the grips.  That's all I ever plan on doing to it.  Maybe an arched mainspring housing.  

Gun is scary accurate and completely reliable.

I have the RIA Match, and the fit/finish is excellent, certainly as good at the SA RO.

The trigger is nice, clean, and about 5 lbs.  I like them lighter than that for range guns, so I did some work on mine.  But, for out of the box, it's really better than most.

What makes you unhappy with your Taurus that you wouldn't buy it again?

The RO will shoot as well as most high dollar 1911's.

Range Officer then get a Harrison rear sight for it.

I like the match.
but went with the sti spartan soley due to cost.
I got it cheaper than I could get the ria match for.

I changed out the grips and put in an arched msh, oh and put in a gi guide rod and plug.

I would not spend the extra for the RO.
you aren't getting more gun for the money.
both springfield and ria have excellent customer service.

Just ordered the RO.  Hardest advice I've taken in a while cause of the $$$, but I've learned to listen....sometimes.
$745 + tax locally  , here in 2 days.

Now what fiber optic front sight do I get? Dawson?



RIA TAC would probably work for me, but if I get something that likes my reloads again who knows.  I might run this 45 hard.

and call the news.  Opening Poster took AR.15.coms advice