Rock Island Armory 2011?

Jcon268 · Sep 8, 2019

SynapticSilence said:
I've had two Rock Island 1911s. The first one came from the factory so badly cast that there were literally bubbles visible in the frame. They said it never should have left assembly in that condition (duh). So I sent it back in and they replaced it with a new pistol. This one didn't get 300 rounds through it before the slide stop notch in the barrel began peening so badly that it was clear that the slide stop eventually would not be able to lock the slide back. They replaced the slide, stating that it probably hadn't been hardened appropriately. I sold that one with full disclosure and haven't looked back. The odds of getting two really unacceptable pistols in a row is astronomical. I'm convinced they really aren't something that is acceptable, low price or not. I've had several Sig 1911s that were beautiful pistols that operated flawlessly. But I decided I'm just not a 1911 guy. For the same price as or less than an entry 1911, you can get a host of proven polymer or even steel .45 ACP double stack pistols. My personal favorite is my Springfield XdM 3.8 inch compact. It comes with a standard 9 round magazine and 13-round extended grip magazine. The weight, ergonomics, build quality, accuracy, and other qualities are exceptional. I've got at least 1500 rounds of all sorts of ammo through it without a single failure I can remember. If you do get a 1911, I'd advise saving up a bit more and getting a Dan Wesson. They're hands down the closest thing you can get to a custom 1911 at maybe half the price of the others in that bracket. My two cents, anyway.

I appreciate your input. Can you tell me any idea of which models of RIA you had bought and about when you bought them? I just have heard that they've made improvements over the years but yeah that sort of experience would make me never want to buy from them again. I've owned all sorts of polymer handguns and I just prefer the way my steel or alloy frame pistols shot by a significant degree. Not to say I haven't shot some great polymer guns...but for the purpose I'm looking to use this one, I'd rather have a metal framed gun.

SynapticSilence · Sep 8, 2019

I had mine about 8-10 years ago and they both were the bare bones Officers version. Just looking at the guns now when I encounter them in gun stores, they seem to be better finished overall then they were when I got mine. It's hard to tell without being able to field strip them and look at the internals. One other thing you might consider in a Philippines-made 1911 is a Citadel or one from Metro Arms. The Citadels are also made by Armscorp but imported by Legacy Sports International. Despite having the same heritage, the Citadels always seemed better, especially the triggers and overall finish. It could be that the current Rock Island guns have merely improved in fit and finish to that of the Citadels I handled and shot. My brother in law has had his Citadel Commander for ten years and still carries it as his primary carry piece. The Metro Arms American Classic II pistols are actually made in the Philippines in their own facility and imported by Eagle Imports. They come with a variety of finishes including hard chrome and in my mind are a step above the RIA guns, based on the one time I shot one and comments from other owners. All of these have gone up in price since I had any of them, so I'd hate for you to take my word or my experiences as a given in terms of today's versions. Whatever you choose, you probably can't go too wrong since they all have lifetime warranties. RIA, even though I gave up on them, was very responsive to the point you could often speak directly with their main gunsmith at their Pahrump NV headquarters. Good luck with your search.

SynapticSilence · Sep 8, 2019

Jcon268 said:
I appreciate your input. Can you tell me any idea of which models of RIA you had bought and about when you bought them? I just have heard that they've made improvements over the years but yeah that sort of experience would make me never want to buy from them again. I've owned all sorts of polymer handguns and I just prefer the way my steel or alloy frame pistols shot by a significant degree. Not to say I haven't shot some great polymer guns...but for the purpose I'm looking to use this one, I'd rather have a metal framed gun.

BTW, if you aren't set on a 1911, IWI in Israel produces an excellent double stack steel frame .45 ACP in various sizes (full/compact/semi--compact) in it's Jericho line. These have been around forever and the one I owned just after I went back to shooting after a 15-year hiatus was a great, solid, accurate, reliable, and well-machined piece of steel. It's a heavy thing, but it soaks up recoil to the point it's worth it. Gunbroker lists all of the all steel .45 ACP models as being right around $500, so it's worth a look. They're hard to find in stores, though, although Sportsmans Warehouse has them at times and I'm sure Keith's probably has some you could look at. Just another thing to consider.

Jcon268 · Sep 8, 2019

SynapticSilence said:
BTW, if you aren't set on a 1911, IWI in Israel produces an excellent double stack steel frame .45 ACP in various sizes (full/compact/semi--compact) in it's Jericho line. These have been around forever and the one I owned just after I went back to shooting after a 15-year hiatus was a great, solid, accurate, reliable, and well-machined piece of steel. It's a heavy thing, but it soaks up recoil to the point it's worth it. Gunbroker lists all of the all steel .45 ACP models as being right around $500, so it's worth a look. They're hard to find in stores, though, although Sportsmans Warehouse has them at times and I'm sure Keith's probably has some you could look at. Just another thing to consider.

I'm pretty set on 9mm for mine and while I know many 1911 enthusiasts consider it heresy to shoot a 1911 in anything beside .45 ACP, I've so heavily invested in 9mm as a caliber that I feel it would be working against me. Nothing against .45 ACP.

Why a 1911/2011? Frankly, they're just sexy. Something about them says "I'm what a gun is supposed to look like."

I did look at the MAC 3011 9mm railed version and it looked like exactly what I would want but everywhere says out of stock. Seems it has been discontinued. Maybe there were issues?

Doc_Chao · Sep 25, 2019

I got the TCM/9mm FS HC - It's not a 2011 so we should establish that first and foremost. 300 Rounds through it without issues so far. Definitely worth the $650 I paid on Gunbroker. Have definitely spent more money on crappier stuff.

Pros:
Stable platform, cause heavy
Ate steel case ammo
Price
Double stack
Fit on slide and barrel lock was really good - very little play (although there)

Cons:
Heavy
Trigger is kind of loose and gritty against frame - buffing it helped
Came with one mag
Came with god awful packing oil or whatever it was? Spent some time cleaning it off.
The grips are kind of lackluster imo. I coated it with some rubber sealant spray and its useable. Vertical "grip" texture on the front are worthless and I have no idea why they were designed and cut that way. I put some put some rubber DKL skateboard tape on it. Pearce makes rubber grips for the Para P14 that fits this - but good luck finding it anywhere in stock. Hogue makes a version but it adds a lot of diameter to the already big dimensions.

Bottom line:
Great range and maybe duty gun for the price. Definitely not a match STI 2011, but no one should be comparing the two as the price points and philosophy of use are completely different. The magazine it came with also holds 19 rounds instead of 17

. Have not tried any TCM though. I've read on some forums that the fit and finish varied, subpar QA? YMMV, but the few reviews on Youtube all say the same thing - great gun at a great price (can't say the same for any other RIA 1911 models). My first handgun ages ago was a SW 1911PD that I sold and I've recently switched over to glock but always had an empty hole in my heart for a 1911 because of the accuracy and trigger, but always hated the mag capacity. This gun fills that void perfectly and doesn't break the bank.