My New RIA Tactial 1911!

[seagiant]

Hi,
Thought I would take some pics and let you see the latest RIA 1911 Tactical model. This is the one one step above the plain jane GI model for only about $50 more in price! I paid $500 OTD for this which in FL is pretty good (state tax!)

It comes in a nice plastic case with a foam liner cut out for pistol and mag. It has the two shells from the firing test and the gunsmith that put it together signs his name! I thought that was a nice touch as the RIA company has a excellent track record in CS!

Ok, I'll be honest I had a regular GI model RIA about 7 years ago and although it was ok, I was not overly impressed even though the price was the lowest in my LGS. Well, it seems someone got a memo in Manilla because this pistol is a whole new animal at first glance!

Let me see if I can name what extra you get for your $50 extra over the GI model.
1-Beavertail Grip Safety
2-Ambi Thumb Safety
3-Novak Clone Combat sights (Front & Rear)
4- FLGR
5-Rubber checkered Grips (These remind me of the "soft" rubber Uncle Mikes!)

I'll also have to say that the over all fit and finish is very nice the pistol seems tight between slide and frame and the barrel hood to slide fit is very nice. I will try to get a decent pic of that if I can as I take the pistol apart to clean it and get it ready to shoot.

[littlejack]

Thats a nice lookin piece.
I read where RIA has done some good things with their manufacturing.
Let us know how it shoots.
Jack
.

[shoot-n-lead]

One of our 1911's is a tactical. It has been great since it came out of the box.

Hard act to follow, for the price.

[seagiant]

Hi,
Here's some more pics,not the best quality but gives a little more detail than whats on the WEB! I mentioned some things in my first post that I liked,some others are the quality of the parts from just looking at them like the beavertail,the sights,hammer,trigger,ect. Everything seems to be made pretty well and look good. With a pistol of this price,you can't help but wonder about the over all quality of the parts.

I know these are mostly MIM made,but from talking to people that own these tacticals,on the 1911 sites and have put thousands of rounds through the pistol with original hammers and sears they have had zero problems with function and reliability that I have seen. It seems that RIA or who ever does the MIM operation knows what they are doing!

I did boost the hammer a couple of times when I first unwrapped the pistol and was playing with it to see how the trigger pull felt. I should of measured the pull before doing that as it smoothed up the trigger a hair even though it has a very nice trigger out of the box! It now measures with my old school steel Pachmeyer weight set,5# and with a very clean break. It has to be the best "out of the box" trigger I have felt on any 1911!

Ok,some of the things I don't like. The pistol has a flat plastic MSH and having big hands and not really wanting plastic on my 1911 I will change this. It has a FLGR and that will go! I prefer the pistol set up as JMB designed it. I will also "dehorn" the pistol especially the paddles on the ambi safety. Being left handed I will keep the ambi! It also came very well fitted with a authoritive on and off click that is just right.

Ok,the grips! I tell you the truth I'm VERY surprised at these grips and the way they feel. I don't know who makes them but they seem like the old "Uncle Mike's" rubber grips that I saw for the Browning High Power which are bringing a premium today as they are very popular and not made anymore! Admittedly I like Ahern's Ebony DD Checkered but the RIA grip is slim and tacky!

The trigger itsself in the frame has a little more play than I am used to on the pistols I build but I can live with it for now. A new Wilson trigger fitted may be in the future though. The barrel bushing maybe also,but that is getting ahead of things as I have not shot the pistol yet. I will not replace anything I do not have to and as I said the MSH and FLGR are the only things I am certain of now!

Oh yea if you look at the pics above notice there is no big sign posts on the sides of the slide!

[Ia.redneck]

Those are a lot of gun for the money. My son just got one in 10mm and it is VERY accurate

[seagiant]

Hi,
Well...I stripped the pistol down to clean all the preservative off and to look at the parts individually. I chucked the barrel in my lath and recrowned the barrel. Took the bushing, beavertail grip safety and ambi safety to my belt grinder and with a fine belt took all the sharp edges off.

The barrel looked to have a nice throat job and the ramp in the frame was already polished pretty good. I am seeing some hand work on these parts! The extractor although cast had the proper reliefs and seems to be tensioned correctly. I had a steel arched MSH so changed that.

I apolgize for the pics but about all my old SONY will do these days!

[seagiant]

Hi,
I found out why the trigger was so good out of the box. The hammer hooks measured .022 which to me is optimal although I would not want them ANY shorter for a defense gun! The sear even had a small back angle on it and when I put the sear and hammer in my test block it seemed to match pretty well.

Having the proper Power Series 1&2 Jigs I usually cut/polish the sear and hammer hooks but will not do this on this pistol. I'm calling it good and will probably be even better after a little breakin!

[W.R.Buchanan]

What Exactly is a MSH and a FLGR? I am totally in the dark here.

You are home now? Regular Friggin' Globetrotter aren't ya?

Randy

[M-Tecs]

MSH = main spring housing.

FLGR = full length guide rod.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Got it ,,, I have problems with acronyms. Randy

[seagiant]

Hi Randy,
Yea I'm up for that root canal! You know after being in this business 35 years,I've got stuff scattered all over this planet!

[seagiant]

Hi,
Well I finished playing and got everything back together. I went ahead and polished the hard line out on the bottom bevel on the extractor and beveled and polished the bottom where the rim of the cartridge will slide up into the extractor when chambering. That little detail was missing and I prefer to have it.

None of these things I did is a big deal but to me everything adds up. The pistol will now be more comfortable to shoot and I know more about the pistol and what they are doing at RIA! I put on the arched MSH and a pair of DD Ebony grips and cold blued the bright spots. One day when I get happy with it I may Cerekote it. An Ed Brown Bobtail job may also be in the future!

I would call this pistol a no brainer adding up the history of reliability, customer service, quality and at a very good price point, hard to beat! Now I need to go shoot it!

[Vulcan Bob]

I liked my RIA 9mm Tactical so much I bought another one in .45 ACP. Had two minor glitches with it, the slide stop would be bumped on with certain hardball rounds, a little trimming fixed that and the extractor was tensioned way too tight, a bit of adjustment fixed that. Tossed the FLGR and replaced the MSH with a serrated steel one. Reshaped those flying wing thumb safety's a bit as well. The factory grips were replaced with WW I style double diamonds. I agree these guns are a good bang for the buck.

[gefiltephish]

To the OP. Just curious about a couple of things, no intent to be a smart ***. If you build your own, why would you opt for an RIA, or any off the shelf 1911? Other than not being JMB designed, do you have any other objections to an FLGR? Excuse my ignorance, I don't know the whole history of the 1911 in intricate detail, but I suspect that the JMB design also didn't include dovetails, yes? If that's so and using the JMB-designed argument, shouldn't you have purchased a GI version instead?

I have 2 RIA 1911's, one FS Tactical and one CS GI. I hate the GI sights 'cause I can't see 'em any more. Both guns have been great, well mostly. I did have to return the FS to customer service once due to slam fires. It's worked perfectly ever since (they also did a sweet polish job on the ramp N/C!). I wouldn't part with either of them, though I do intend to get better sights installed on the CS. I have about 5,000 through the 5yr old FS and about 2,000 through the 3-4yr old CS. One of my brothers liked shooting my CS so much, he bought one in the tac version.

Enjoy!

[seagiant]

Hi,
Yes you are right! I asked myself the same question. I guess it comes down to money. A good Caspian frame and slide is an easy $400+ after the dust settles, then a match barrel $150 thats just the 3 major parts and your already close to $600! I picked up the RIA Tac for $500 OTD! Thought I would check it out and compare it to what I build and it is not as tight of course, although you hear that it is? The small parts appear to be good MIM and there seems to be more hand work done than usual. There have been complaints of overly tensioned extractors, but mine was good?

I'm just a hobbyist but I have spent money on trying to educate myself on this platform (and others) buying tools to work on them as that is another way I enjoy the pistol besides shooting it! Have I ruined parts learning? Wasted money? Yes! But I learned from it and gained knowledge and confidence in what I know!

As far as JMB we have to remember that this pistol is 100 yrs old and that it works in the GI configiration. Have their been any real improvements? Maybe an external extractor is a better mouse trap, I don't think a FLGR is and that is my opinion. Beavertail Grip Safety, better Sights (with dovetails) these are all good things, but are only enhancements not game changers!

Thanks for the feedback!

[seagiant]

Hi,
I finally took the RIA 45 out to the range today and wanted to report I did not have one FTF or FTE in 100 rds. The brass exited the slide at about 3:00 and ended up in about a 2 foot pile. The extraction all though good was a little sluggish so I'm going to tune the extractor.

The firing pin hits a little low and to the right on the primer of the case,a little off, but not bad,and as I said no failure to fire.

All in all I'm pleased with the purchase and the quality that my $500 bought me!

[QIDPlb]

Thanks for this write up. I have been thinking about a RIA tactical. I just decided to get one.

[seagiant]

Hi Q,
I don't think you will be sorry! I was at my LGS yesterday and any of the decent Colt or Kimbers used or new was an easy $1,000 bucks! I think now you have to look at what your money is buying you!

[lbaize3]

I am a new convert to the RIA 1911s. I sure like my 22 TCM / 9mm. Loads of fun for a great price. Also just got one of the new bolt action 22 TCM rifles last week. I am going to have my scope on it and sight it in later this week.... Lord willing and the creeks don't rise.

[seagiant]

I am a new convert to the RIA 1911s. I sure like my 22 TCM / 9mm. Loads of fun for a great price. Also just got one of the new bolt action 22 TCM rifles last week. I am going to have my scope on it and sight it in later this week.... Lord willing and the creeks don't rise.

Hi,
Give us a report of that rifle! I have no doubt that Armscor (RIA) firearms will go up in value as time goes on! Showing my age but I've seen it before!