I am old and a Asperger's Syndrome person who looks for fix-it projects to keep him stimulated. So, I ordered a RIA M1011 GI in .38 Super (45 ACP is beginning to kick too much for an old person), as a look-see, fix it until it works project. I got the gun home yesterday and was taken aback as to its features, some unexpected.
I noted (some points of concern, but likely not an important issue), the grip screws had narrow slots... not the wide ones that John Browning used to enable the magazine base to work as a screw driver. Flat mainspring housing... not a feature of the 1911 A1. Slide to frame fit was very tight with no apparent flex axially, or longitudinally... way tighter than was my .45 ACP XSE Colt Combat Commander of a few years ago.
The big surprise was when I field stripped the gun and found that it had a ramped and supported barrel! Wow! I was not expecting that.
I tested the extractor with the "shake a loaded round" method to test both my .38 Super and my .38 Super Comp. hand loads. Both were held fast against the breach face.
I shot (notice I did not say "run" or "ran") 50 of my .38 Super Comp handloads through the gun this AM and they all exited without any malfunction, all to my 3:00.
As an Asperger's, I do not understand the comments usually made about RIA 1911's: "A good gun for the money."; "A good starte4r gun"; "A good value for the money."; etc. This gun seems to be better in several aspects to my Colt 1911s that I have owned over the years.
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One thing I did not care for is the 10 round, removeable base-plate magazine than came with the gun inasmuch as it sits a little proud of the gun when loaded... I would have been happier with a standard 9 round, flush fit mag. But that is not a great issue inasmuch as I have about a dozen of so .39 Super mags.
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