I'll say it, I'm not a fan. The few I've held I wasn't impressed, they do seem lighter than most GI 1911s though.
I work with a guy who's grandson picked up a RIA, and it's jammomatic, even using factory mags and Chip McCormick mags. He took it to a gunsmith friend of ours and the guy gutted the factory parts and put hammer forged parts in it, and something about that RIa just refused to work, it still jams.
Said gunsmith in above story specializes on 1911s, and he's had to work on way more RIAs than any other brands for repairs. Bent sear pins are a common issue so then the parts are fitted wrong. He's had to weld existing holes and re drill them to perfect verticle. And some were just so fubared from the factory that they needed a new frame (which RIA did supply).
All brands have their issues, ranging from Kimbers that just don't want to work right (.45s and their factory .22s), Colt magwells being so tight that the magazine had to be beat out with a screw driver and a hammer, and Smith's extractor pins working down and locking up the slide on the frame.
But, it seems like of all the 1911 brands, most issues have been with RIA.
Just because RIAs are made in the Philippines and so are Springfield GIs, doesn't mean they are of the same quality.
Okay, just my
I work with a guy who's grandson picked up a RIA, and it's jammomatic, even using factory mags and Chip McCormick mags. He took it to a gunsmith friend of ours and the guy gutted the factory parts and put hammer forged parts in it, and something about that RIa just refused to work, it still jams.
Said gunsmith in above story specializes on 1911s, and he's had to work on way more RIAs than any other brands for repairs. Bent sear pins are a common issue so then the parts are fitted wrong. He's had to weld existing holes and re drill them to perfect verticle. And some were just so fubared from the factory that they needed a new frame (which RIA did supply).
All brands have their issues, ranging from Kimbers that just don't want to work right (.45s and their factory .22s), Colt magwells being so tight that the magazine had to be beat out with a screw driver and a hammer, and Smith's extractor pins working down and locking up the slide on the frame.
But, it seems like of all the 1911 brands, most issues have been with RIA.
Just because RIAs are made in the Philippines and so are Springfield GIs, doesn't mean they are of the same quality.
Okay, just my
