I'm looking at getting a 1911 .45 when I get my tax refund in a couple of weeks and I was looking for some input. I went looking around yesterday and I found a Rock Island Armory .45 and I really liked it. I was a little leary with the amount of play in the slide when it was cocked compared to the Springfield Armory mil-spec .45 I found, I assume the play in the slide is more to GI specs. The only other .45 I've fired was my grandpa's Colt Combat Commander and I can't remember if it had slop in the slide or not. The RIA felt pretty good in my hand and I've done some research on th RIA .45 and most people like it. It was $369.00 out the door.

My question is, do you or anyone else here have any experience with these guns? I want a good self-defense weapon that I can possibly get my CCW with, but I don't want a turkey when I can get a stainless SA .45 for about $100 more.
I should mention that both the RIA and Springfield are new in the box but the RIA is parkerized and the Springfield is stainless for $499.00.

 

You must have been at Daddyo's... Any 1911 is going to be a good gun, but I'd stick to a Springfield... they're great guns. Kimber probably makes the best 1911, but they are spendy. I'd stop in at Shiptons on the west end. Scheels has a 13+1 Springfield, if you like the fat grip. We're planning going shooting this weekend if you wanna come along... lemme know

 

Yeah, I was at Daddyo's. I also went to Shiptons and Scheels and they want an arm and a leg for a .45. I really like the Springfield, but I like the price of the RIA. Most of the people on the web like the RIA as well........who knows, I will get one of the two.

 

Mil Specs are the same price all over town... I'm in several gun stores every weekend usually buying reloading supplies, I just took up reloading shotshells.

I have a Beretta 8045 Cougar as my CCW, its a bit smaller than a 1911, but its more money too. If you come shooting this weekend, we should have a custom built Dan Wesson, a Charles Daly, and a Mil Spec for 1911s and I'll bring my Cougar. I'll probably also bring my Beretta 96 in 40 S&W. That may be another consideration for you, they are right at $500.

Buying a good quality .45 now, might save you $369 down the road. If you aren't dead set on a .45, and want a good CCW gun to start out with, take a look at the Smith and Wesson SW40XVE, they're right around $370, and for a polymer gun they are really well balanced.

The 1911 I want to buy is a Smith and Wesson 1911SC, the Scandium framed one at Shiptons. That is by far the best balanced 1911 I've ever picked up, its light, but not too light.

The 13+1 Springfield 1911 is $499 at Scheels and there is a new pawn shop on 2nd avenue north and 33rd I think. Its called Beartooth Pawn and Gun, they have one for $450. I would not really consider this gun as CCW, just because the grip is so wide, its a double stack .45.

Gimme a call if you wanna go look at them, 855-2229.

 

I want a .45 because I love the looks of the 1911. I used to fire my grandpa's Colt any time he would let me and the funny thing is, even though people have told me that a 1911 is crap, it's the only handgun I feel comfortable with and can hit anything with. I used to have a Ruger P89 9mm that I couldn't hit anything with.

My friends have Glocks, Beretta's, Sig's and HK's, but a good old fashioned 1911 .45 is perfect for me. Besides, I have an M-1 Garand and a K-98 Mauser and soon my Dad's Mk 4 .303, so I need an old military style weapon.

 

Well, I just went and looked at it again and I'm going to get it. The slide wasn't as bad as I thought. It rattles a bit, but so do all .45's if I remember right.

 

I'll tell you right now the Rock Island is milled from a cast block of steel, and the Springfield is forged steel. Sheer strength and quality goes to the springfield. This isn't to say that all Milled/Cast guns are weak, nearly every S&W firearm ever produced is built this way.

I wouldn't even consider the Rock Island. People are happy with Hi-Points too, but they are hideous, and they'll blow up in your face like a Glock if you even think about using a handload in them.