Welcome to M1911.ORG
The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site


John needs your help
Please read this message.


Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from the companies advertising above, or near the bottom of our pages, please use their banners in our sites. Whatever you buy from them, using those banners, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 36

Thread: RIA project, expected trouble.

THREAD CLOSED
This is an old thread. You can't post a reply in it. It is left here for historical reasons.Why don't you create a new thread instead?
  1. #1
    Join Date
    3rd August 2021
    Posts
    25
    Posts liked by others
    9

    RIA project, expected trouble.

    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.
    RIALeft.jpg100_0265.jpgRIARight.jpg

    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.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Likes (2) :
    BlackOpsSec (18th December 2021), Frgood (31st August 2021)

    Last edited by Bushranger; 4th August 2021 at 10:11. Reason: addendum


  2. #2
    Join Date
    9th June 2004
    Location
    Alabama, US
    Posts
    2,199
    Posts liked by others
    115
    Quality of the foreign imports is uneven. You apparently got a good one, others have nightmares.

    The 1911 pattern flat mainspring housing has been a fad for some time, the A1 arched mainspring housing is less common these days.
    There are other differences from what Colt was doing in 1930 that you can probably identify.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    3rd August 2021
    Posts
    25
    Posts liked by others
    9
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Watson View Post
    Quality of the foreign imports is uneven. You apparently got a good one, others have nightmares.
    I have owned four Colt 1911s over the years (Government Model Series 70 Mark IV, a 1970s .38 Super Combat Commander, an Officer's Model, and a fairly recent XSE .45 ACP Colt Combat Commander). Two of the four demonstrated to have serious workmanship problems, one of which left only the frame as usable. Therefore, from my limited experiences, I can say the same thing... the quality of the American made Colts is uneven. Apparently there is a 50% chance of getting a good one rather than a nightmare.
    Likes (1) :
    MuyModesto (5th August 2021)


  4. #4
    Join Date
    20th July 2008
    Posts
    39
    Posts liked by others
    1
    Since 1968, I have owned approximately 11 Colt made 1911's, Gold Cup, Officers Model, LW Commander, 100 years model of service, SS Government's. I agree that Colt made 1911's are not the preferred maker of the Gods and neither are Ruger 1911's. I currently have 2 each, a Competition 45 and a SS Commander. Apparently Colt didn't have their QA people sample many production line products for inspection. All worked, but 1/2 or more of them had issues or examples of bubba workmanship!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    9th June 2004
    Location
    Alabama, US
    Posts
    2,199
    Posts liked by others
    115
    I have been luckier, my Colts have been fine. Any problems were due to ill advised modifications.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    3rd August 2021
    Posts
    25
    Posts liked by others
    9
    Quote Originally Posted by lashlaruhe View Post
    All worked, but 1/2 or more of them had issues or examples of bubba workmanship!
    You should see the terrible checkering on my XSE Colt Combat Commander... I tell people that Colt should be commended for hiring blind people to do their checkering.
    Likes (1) :
    LarryM (22nd August 2021)


  7. #7
    Join Date
    2nd June 2004
    Location
    Terra
    Posts
    22,286
    Posts liked by others
    906
    Quote Originally Posted by Bushranger View Post
    You should see the terrible checkering on my XSE Colt Combat Commander... I tell people that Colt should be commended for hiring blind people to do their checkering.
    Now that right there is worthy of being quoted.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside
    Likes (1) :
    LarryM (22nd August 2021)


  8. #8
    Join Date
    3rd August 2021
    Posts
    25
    Posts liked by others
    9
    A question comes to mind. I had no idea when I ordered the M1911 A1 in .38 Super that it had a ramped barrel. Given that, does the RIA M1911 A1 in .45 ACP also have a ramped barrel?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    9th June 2004
    Location
    Alabama, US
    Posts
    2,199
    Posts liked by others
    115
    Probably not.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    3rd August 2021
    Posts
    25
    Posts liked by others
    9
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Watson View Post
    I have been luckier, my Colts have been fine. Any problems were due to ill advised modifications.
    What and how many "ill advised modifications did you make before you stopped?

    In my experiences, the problems I had with the Colts were not modifications, they were problems right out of the box.
    Last edited by Bushranger; 5th August 2021 at 18:12.


Page 1 of 4 1234 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  



Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from Brownells, please use their banners above. Whatever you buy from them, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Non-gun-related supporters.
Thank you for visiting our supporters.