RIA first shot session...(Report inside)

[ozarker]

OK, here goes...

Took the RIA to Pop's "range" in the sticks- a mound of sand as a backstop and two metal rods with wire between them to suspend my target.

Put up a 25 yd. target (I'm not a pro shooter) with a 5 in. black center.

Stood at 7 yds. and squeezed off 8 rounds of each kind of ammo- Winchester White, Federal Am. Eagle, and Magtech.

Am. Eagle had the best group- 3 in., with 3 touching and the others within 1/2 in.- I was impressed considering how hard the GI sites are to see...

BUT...as I was picking up the brass I noticed something odd...they were all oval shaped!

Otherwise, the gun functioned flawlessly- no hammer bite (I wasn't rapid firing) and no jams, etc...from ANY of the ammo- of course I only shot 36 rounds before I went on to shoot my 223 Thompson Center Contender (but that is another story...)

I figured oval shaped brass was not normal and took the pistol back to the gun store/pawn shop I bought it at- he said that it is a "plinking gun" but if I wanted my $ back that would be OK, too...he said I should just buy a "name brand" like Charles Daly- and he would sell me a decked out model for $425...

SO, I got my $, and am back in the game looking for another .45- I think I may check into a Springfield, though I kinda liked that Armscor the other day...

Ozarker

[ozarker]

This is the final copy...

Oz

[shakakan]

Sounds like your dealer doesn't know much, Charles Daly, Armscor, and RIA are all made in the same factory by the same folks. Sounds to me like something was seriously wrong with the chamber of that gun. When you say oval, do you mean the entire case had been obdurated from round to oval? If so the chamber was way "over throated" or the chamber is mishapen from a plugged barrel or overcharged round, in either case it would be very unsafe. I think you made a good move taking it back. What dealer did you buy it from?

[Labuyo]

I figured oval shaped brass was not normal and took the pistol back to the gun store/pawn shop I bought it at- he said that it is a "plinking gun" but if I wanted my $ back that would be OK, too...he said I should just buy a "name brand" like Charles Daly- and he would sell me a decked out model for $425...

SO, I got my $, and am back in the game looking for another .45- I think I may check into a Springfield, though I kinda liked that Armscor the other day...

Ozarker

The oval shaped brass (I'm assuming just the case mouth) is due to the brass hitting the ejection port. It could have been fixed by lowering the ejection port (a Dremel tool or even just a file is all you need), or replacing the ejector with an extended one ($ 20). Sometimes just changing to an 18# recoil spring cures it too (slows slide opening?).
If you buy a Springer milspec , make sure you get the one with a "lowered" ejection port or you might encounter the same thing again.
Between a CD and Armscor, though they all come from the same parent, I hear less problem with Armscor/RIA. Good luck with your hunt!