what do ya'll think?  I need a homecoming present for my brother  (30CalTBLkid)  who is in Afghanistan with the 82nd, but should be home around the beginning of April.  I want something decent, but dont have much to spend.  so im thinking a pair of these, and making a double drop holster belt for them....what do ya'll think?     are they decent, reliable, half ass accurate?   I dont expect hte accuracy of a kimber ofr sprigfield,  they're to be carried on the ranch just for screwing around.........give me you opinions.     thanks in advance.      AK

Quoted: My RIA's sear CRUMBLED after 20rds. I then replaced some of the controls, and installed a bulletproof sear, and then nothing but malf after malf. Moral: AVOID RIAs!!!!!

Hmmm.   Interesting.   Were you aware there is a lifetime warranty on RIA's?    

I have a Rock Island, a Springfield GI, and a Kimber Stainless II.

They are all reliable.  I carry the Rock Island at the farm a lot since I don't care if it gets beat to hell.

use ball ammo and get some good magazines and they are not really that bad
same gun as the charles days made in the phillipines
Some parts will not interchange with colt pattern stuf so do not buy one with the idea of getting a base gunfor a project

I just bought one that I have not had the chance to shoot yet. Seems people like them as long as you keep in perspective its not a high dollar gun. Go to 1911forums.com and look in the other 1911's forum.
http://forums.1911forum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=32
Seems that they run well. Im looking fwd to playing with mine when the weather gets a tad warmer.
I did trash the cheap looking 7 rounder and used one of my Wilson 8 rounders. All set now.

I own one and love mine but If I was going to drop the money for a pair, I'd put that money together and buy a nicer one.

Check out the Springfield Mil-Spec 1911's.

My RIA's sear CRUMBLED after 20rds. I then replaced some of the controls, and installed a bulletproof sear, and then nothing but malf after malf.

Moral: AVOID RIAs!!!!!

Buy one better quality gun.

Making a holster for him is a great idea.  That's something that will last the rest of his life.

I really like mine.   Although there is very little stock about it anymore.   I can tell you from experience, mine does not like Winchester  White Box Bulk .45acp.  Anything else it eats without a hiccup.   As for parts, most Wilson and ChipMcCormick stuff fits fine although a filing to fit helps in certain places.    Do a google search on it, as there are a few boards out there with a wealth of info on them.  

Check out the SAM 1911 .45. My local dealer is selling the hell out of them. He sold me mine for 300 bucks new in the box. All parts interchange with the 1911 Colt. Forged slide and matt finish. I run reloaded hollow point loads thru mine with no jams yet. For the money I think they are a buy.

I've had a G.I. model R.I.A. 1911 for over a year.  Put over 1500 rounds through it without a failure of any kind.  I even use it in IDPA matches.  Get one - they're a bargain at the price.

Quoted: I have a Rock Island, a Springfield GI, and a Kimber Stainless II. They are all reliable.  I carry the Rock Island at the farm a lot since I don't care if it gets beat to hell.

bingo....thats what im thinking

Quoted: I just bought one that I have not had the chance to shoot yet. Seems people like them as long as you keep in perspective its not a high dollar gun. Go to 1911forums.com and look in the other 1911's forum. http://forums.1911forum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=32 Seems that they run well. Im looking fwd to playing with mine when the weather gets a tad warmer. I did trash the cheap looking 7 rounder and used one of my Wilson 8 rounders. All set now.

+1 on the Wilson mags.

Wilson mags in the .45 are the best upgrade you can make. I have 2 for each of my slabsides.

I'd go with a WWII pattern Springer.  I got one for my cousin for his college graduation, put correct WWII issue grips on it, and put 200 rounds through it so it was broken in and I knew it worked right before I got on the plane to come back over here.

If the budget allows two of those why not consider one, of  better quality? Something he'll have the rest of his life, and could even do a custom build on if he decides?

FYI, they are a bargain at the price, but that is not nec. the same thing as good value.

There've been two other recent threads here on these, and many folks whose opinions I personnally hold in high regards pretty much downed them. Have a look through the threads (last two weeks shoud do it) and see what you think.

The RIA is a decent entry level .45! Mine is accurate and malf-free to this point.

Quoted: My RIA's sear CRUMBLED after 20rds. I then replaced some of the controls, and installed a bulletproof sear, and then nothing but malf after malf. Moral: AVOID RIAs!!!!!

After re-reading this...

Your sear crumbled after 20 rounds - RIA have a lifetime warranty.  You stated that you replaced some of the controls AND THEN nothing but malf after malf?   I don't know you, but the way you stated this, perhaps a smith would have been better off doing the upgrades?    RIA  does in fact have a lifetime warranty, and a crumbled sear would fall into that catagory.  However, if you replace parts on their firearms and have a failure, you are SOL.    

My point of failure was the extractor on mine.   I replaced it with a Wilson and had to file about 1/16" off the back end of the extractor (to make it flush) and then I hava had NO malfs whatsoever.    

Firearms are a lot like cars and computers.   buy a ford, buy a chevy, buy a mercedes, buy a dell, build your own, buy an apple,  buy a kimber, buy a glock, buy a sig...everyone has an opinion.   Just like cars and computers these items are man made, and made of metal,  there will be failures from time to time ; some minor, some major, some non-exiostant, some only in peoples minds...

That being said, I own one, had to tweak it a lil, and really like shooting mine.   Perhaps the originator of this post  can locate a board member near him in his  HTF that owns one and wouldn't mind letting him  get a little trigger time on it to see for himself.    People will always be glad to flap their gums and tell you that all RIA's are crap, all glocks KB, when actually the percentage of those occurances are probably fairly low in number, but because it happened to you, or someone you know who knows a guy who had it happen to his cousin....we have to hop up on a soap box and scream what crap they are.   The proof is in the pudding, try one and see how it is for you.  

Yup...I drive a ford truck, shoot both my glock and my ria, and my ar lower is made by Oly...wow I must have a death  wish or something....



ETA - the rest of my AR  is built from parts from M&A parts and a few parts from YHM.    How could I have survived this long without personal injury....maybe I should melt it down run out and buy a bushmaster or a colt......NAH.....

Quoted: Many find in life that the bitterness of low quality far ourlasts the sweetness of low price. I've never owned a RIA/SAM/CHARLES DALEY et all; although I have repaired several. I would not waste my hard earned money on one when for a small amount more I can find much better quality. YMMV

Not meaning to be a pain, but can you share how many and what you have had to repair on a RIA?    Were these repairs from use, failure due to materials, or failures from attempted upgrades?    Like I stated RIA's have a lifetime warranty if it is stock and breaks.....  

I paird about 330 for mine including taxes and fees.  Please share with me which 1911 is to be had in northern IL for under 500?    In this area even the bare bones springfields are more than that.

Quoted: Quoted: Not meaning to be a pain, but can you share how many and what you have had to repair on a RIA?   The 1st one I had to replace the sear, the original part had rounded in under 100 rounds. The 2nd broke the barrel link on the second round fired. Overall I found the internals to be of (IMO) poor quality. Were these repairs from use, failure due to materials, or failures from attempted upgrades?    Like I stated RIA's have a lifetime warranty if it is stock and breaks.....   You yourself admit to replacing a defective extractor rather than have warranty work done. Have you or anyone you know had any experience with RIA warranty service? Do they cover the cost of shipping? I pairedabout 330 for mine including taxes and fees.  Please share with me which 1911 is to be had in northern IL for under 500?    In this area even the bare bones springfields are more than that. While I can't speak for IL I picked up a LNIB Springfield Mil spec in a local pawn shop not to long ago for $350. Springfield also has a limited lifetime warranty that extends to any owner of the product and has an excellant reputation for warranty service to include picking up the tab for shipping. New Springfield GIs which are comperable to the RIA in features can be had for $430 if you shop. Only $100 more than your RIA, and while not by any means perfect it is in my opinion of much better quality. You like RIA and that's fine but I'd take a hard used Glock before I'd take a RIA

The extractor was replaced with something I knew would be overkill.  Extractors are a common point of failure and I wanted to be ahead of the ball.   As I have stated earlier, I have also swapped out a lot of parts in mine.  If you look above, you might notice the FLGR, not exactly stock in RIA's.    The other parts being replaced was not due to my lack of faith in the originals or the firearm, but rather preference, had I bought a Springfield I would have made these changes to it as well.    As for you last statement regarding glocks over rias, i agree, but to the point that I prefer them over any of the 1911's (yes I have fired Colt, Kimbers, and Springfields).  That is just my preference.  

You yourself admit to replacing a defective extractor rather than have warranty work done. Have you or anyone you know had any experience with RIA warranty service? Do they cover the cost of shipping?

Not many manufactures cover shipping to them. I have dealt with Ruger and Remington and I was going to have to pay it.

While I can't speak for IL I picked up a LNIB Springfield Mil spec in a local pawn shop not to long ago for $350. Springfield also has a limited lifetime warranty that extends to any owner of the product and has an excellant reputation for warranty service to include picking up the tab for shipping.

Is this saying you know of ones that have been shipped back to springfield? If so, then they have their problems also.

I just ordered an RIA. I looked at the springfield. I got the chance to shoot the RIA and everything felt and looked good. The RIA was $335 out the door. The Springfield was $454 plus tax. I bought a few Wilson parts to put in it and am still in it less than the Springfield for a gun made of the same material. There are just as many people that hate a certain maker as there is that like them no matter who it is. I see kimber likers bad mouth springfield. Does that mean I shouldnt buy the springfield? A lot of people bad mouth the NEF single shot. I have a couple of them that are great. One shoots as good as my remington.

Quoted:

You'll go blind doing that

SGB is that the new logo for "THE GUN SNOBS"? I like it. Charles.  

just added a Wilson Mag well to mine.. might as well hijack the thread for some gun pron....

I still get better groups with my Kimber, but for a knock around gun to shoot matches with, where i really don't care about dropping, having the slide hit hard cover during recoil, slamming dirty sandy mags in it, and basically abusing the hell out of it to see how well it holds up. It's done fine.