Just bought a Rock Island 1911 A1

[slacker]

Just got home from the gun shop (plainfield shooting supplies again) with a brand new Rock Island Armory 1911 A1. Total price out the door with tax was $450 and change ($429 before tax I think)

For the price it seemed like a great value considering it has more features than some of the higher end 1911's i compared it to.

I can't wait to try it out tomorrow morning down at MC F&G

 

[haldir]

Congrats Slacker. Looks like a nice piece.

 

[Farmritch]

Rock Island 45's are a well kept secret
Made in the Phillipines
The only issue is you usally need to cycle them and get the burrs out sort of speak
Oil them well, operate the action & run a few boxes of ammo through, shoud be fine.
The only issue I have had and know of a few others that have had it also is....
My wifes had issues with Fiocci ammo as they have harder primers
This is the 1911 model.
For Liability reasons I am sure they have put in a pretty stiff spring on the firing pin
( so to keep the gun from firing with a loaded chamber when it's dropped on it's nose on a hard serface )
I replaced this spring with a standard USGI spring with (a lighter one than they installed) and it has digested every thing and has not has a failure to fire since.
Oh the other issue the front sight came unstaked it was funny My wife had the best group but it kept moving on her I found the front sight had got loose & started to walk , re staked it in and happy as a clam
I did a lot of research before I bought my first Rock Island and glad I made the purchase. you will find these are the same as Armscor, and Twin Pines among a few other names.

Farmritch

 

[bwframe]

Good job Slacker!
Awful purdy gun for that $. Is that a satin finish or stainless?
Gonna be shooting single stack next FNS?

 

[slacker]

Its a satin finish, they had duracoat black for $20 more, and nickel for $30 more than the duracoat.

I like the satin silver look

I might try out the single stack at the next FNS. I need to get some mags ordered. I only have the 2 that came with it so far.

The trigger feels nice and light and crisp. I can't wait to go shooting

 

[AllenM]

What time you going shooting tomorrow Slacker?
I was thinking of doing a little myself

 

[slacker]

I will be at the range at 8:00 and i have to get out of there by 8:30am to make it to work on time.

When were you thinking of going down there?

 

[AllenM]

Oh...well, have fun
BTW nice looking pistol

 

[NateIU10]

Oh...well, have fun
BTW nice looking pistol

What, not a morning guy Allen?

Nice gun Slacker, been wanting one for a while

 

[bwframe]

...been wanting one for a while

All you glock guys secretly love 1911's. Kinda like your secret mistress.

 

[esrice]

All you glock guys secretly love 1911's. Kinda like your secret mistress.

lovemywoods and I *might* have had a 1911 conversation tonight. I can neither confirm nor deny.

 

[bwframe]

lovemywoods and I *might* have had a 1911 conversation tonight. I can neither confirm nor deny.

Do we blame that on Christian or Gunsite?

 

[NateIU10]

All you glock guys secretly love 1911's. Kinda like your secret mistress.

The couple 1911's I've held felt pretty good in the hand, maybe a little small though, but an arched mainspring housing felt infinitely better than a flat. Biggest reason I haven't picked one up is adding a caliber, and is part of the reason I got a PT92 instead.

 

[slacker]

1911's come in just about any caliber you would ever want. .45, 9mm, .40, .22 etc. and all different sizes from subcompact to full size (just like glock )

When I took my first NRA pistol course we used a 1911 style gun (well 3 actually, but all looked identical except for barrels) chambered in .22, 9mm and .45 so we could "work our way up."

since that course I have been wanting a 1911 style gun, especially after shooting a few that the nice folks at the range let me borrow.

Now I have one

 

[esrice]

Do we blame that on Christian or Gunsite?

Uh-huh.

 

[RyanV]

Nice blaster! I've been looking for a more economical 1911, looks to me like RI is the way to go. I have heard good things about Taurus PT 1911s too, can anyone vet/disprove that?

 

[Wabatuckian]

Taurus is a crap shoot these days. It's sad; they used to build some very nice pistols.

Josh <><

 

[rhino]

The only issue I have had and know of a few others that have had it also is....
My wifes had issues with Fiocci ammo as they have harder primers
This is the 1911 model.
For Liability reasons I am sure they have put in a pretty stiff spring on the firing pin
( so to keep the gun from firing with a loaded chamber when it's dropped on it's nose on a hard serface )
I replaced this spring with a standard USGI spring with (a lighter one than they installed) and it has digested every thing and has not has a failure to fire since.

I know you didn't ask, but you might want to reconsider your solution to your problem. Extra power firing pin springs aren't just for liability reasons. They're a legitimate (and in my opinion necessary) safety feature to reduce chance of discharges if the gun is dropped and it happens to land on its muzzle.

If you need a harder hit on the primer, you should consider a strong mainspring. That's the spring that stores energy for the hammer itself.

You may also have a dirty or rough firing pin channel.

 

[Dogman]

Very nice, let us know what you think after shooting it.

 

[slacker]

Brought it to the range this morning and put 100 rounds of WWB through it. I had a few problems, but for the most part it was great! The accuracy was quite impressive, i could hit smaller targets with much higher consistency than I do with my glock 19. I think the extra frame weight and barrel length are big contributing factors

1 failure to eject. last round with magazine removed (thought I would try it after reading the "how to stovepipe and xd" thread, and it stove piped my 1911

2 times where the slide did not return all the way forward, with a slight tap it slid the rest of the way forward. could just need a little breaking in.

Still 3 more failures than my glock (and that has about 1000 rounds through it), but I am still impressed so far. Glocks are designed to work, 1911's are designed to tinker with.
Time to buy some more magazines and ammo