You may also want to try [url]http://www.jldenter.com/[/url] They have some nice Colt 1927 1911 there for under $300 the metal is better quailty. You can get it cryogenic treated for $20.00 + S&H an you will have a pistol frame and slide that is better quality and just as hard as the ones today. Need more info just write me

ammo1015 here
 i had one.its not made very well. I just bought a ballester Mollina from century arms out of their gunsmith specials . it came with no blueing or grips. but for $99.00 it shoots better than the RRA pistol. i put some rubber grips  and some paste blueing on it,so i,ve got $112.00  in a .45. i just ordered 2 more. i love my curio & relic license. i rate the RRA about like a lama pistol

My range officer's family bought two, and had no problems at all. They have fed HP's well, and they are a solid gun for the money. I'm looking at the mid-sized myself.

It's worth noting that these weapons are made by the same outfit (Armscor, I think) that makes the Charles Daly 1911s.  There's alot of information on the Dalys out on the web, and should be a good starting point for you.

Check out [url]http://www.1911forum.com[/url]

I have only read good things about them there.  One guy liked them so much, he bought like 10 of them!  I'm thinking of getting one of thier lowers for a Mech Tech CCU.

I would stay away from them.
The FFL I go too got one, and it was a Big POS.  I dont know much about .45's, but the smith said to stay away from them.  They took it apart, and one of the pieces broke on them! Brand new gun, and they shipped it back.
C-rock

A friend and each bought one. Shoots good but both had trouble feeding steel cased ammo. I also have a Sistema Colt Modelo 1927 from "http://www.cruffler.com/JLD.html". They shoot the same but the Sistema feeds everything.

For Ammo1015:

You refere to the Rock Island Armory as RRA, This is a sign of your confusion. RRA stands for ROCK RIVER ARMS, in no way to be confused with ROCK ISLAND ARMORY (RIA)

ROCK ISLAND ARMORY makes the 1911 clones that cost $315, that are the subject of this post.

ROCK RIVER ARMS Makes 1911 clones that start at $1300 and good low priced AR15 clones and parts.

these two are not the same company!!!

Rock Islands are Charles Daley's with all the edges rounded over and parkerized and are a total POS. for $ 100 more you can buy a 45 that will hold up, like a Springfield Inc. Mil 1911 or a good used Colt 1991 etc... . I would also recommend getting a surplus Argentine Systema 27 ( 1911A1 ) $399 or a Ballister Molina $ 240 if your on a budget.

Do you have experience with this type?

And where on earth are you finding a Springfield Inc. Millspec 1911 for much less than $500. They go for about 499 around here.

Ummmmm...I THINK you are meaning "Rock Island" pistol, not Rock River Arms...right?  Was this a typo/confused mistake?  I would be SHOCKED that someone would rate an RRA pistol on the same level as a Llama.

I have a Llama and I'd recommend the RIA over the Firestorm/Llama.  Heck, if you get one and don't like it you can always (gasp!) sell it to someone else later.
Most folks who own one seem to have favorable opinions of them.

How well do any of these guns take hollow point ammunition? You see which would you rather loose if the cops impound your gun after a shooting. A 300 dollar Sistima or a 600 dollar Kimber? You could keep two of Argentines and have one waiting for you when you get home. Assuming that the old guns could be made reliable that is.

Yes I have shot Daly's and they are junk and the Rock Island is no better same gun different finish. Springfield Inc mil-spec 1911's are $ 450 around here.

I had a Daly a couple of years ago--one of the newer models.  The slide was soft--I noticed severe pitting on the face where the slide meets the back of the cartridge after only a couple hundred rounds.  Bad!  It also had ejection and feeding problems and the grip safety was wobbly, not fitted well at all.

But I never tried to fix it and traded it. Saw the dealer still had it after 8 or 9 months.

I have a hard time believing that the Rock Island guns are the same as the KBI/CD because I thought the RI ones were advertised as being GI spec while the CDs are not.  No?  

Dealer Warehouse sells the bare frames for like $90, I was thinking I might build a decent 1911 off of one using a Sarco parts kit if I can find a slide.  Then again there are the aluminum 80% frames...

I learned my lesson with cheap 1911 copies.  Save your money.

Can you say "llama"?
Heh.  The big question is if it's GI spec or not.  I'm learning about 1911's myself, and I know that the fit, finish, and materials the frame are made out of are all variables involved in whether its GI/non-GI specification.
I don't know anything about that firearm manufacturer, so I suggest doing some more research on how up-to-par their quality control is.  $315 sounds low, and very often something too good to be true often is, with the exception of the HS2000 ([size=1]the greatest handgun in the world[/size=1]), of course.  Happy Hunting!