Rock Island Firearms

[mpardun]

it is Filipino made if memory serves...not sure of the quality of the forgings/assembly - be ware, may need to be smithed to get reliable. You'd end up spending well over $500 more to get it carry reliable if it is not so out of the box.

My $.02:
For about the same money I might stick to a larger name with Lifetime warranty/US based support and a solid track record:ie. a Spingfield GI, or used COLT or Kimber.

[razors]

I had one I recieved in trade at a small pawn shop I used to deal with about 3-4 years ago...sold it within 4 months to a boss i had at the time. It really was not a bad pistol for the money....put about 1200 rounds of BALL through it. The slide to frame fit was VERY loose...had some FTF problems so I cleaned up the ramp and it pretty much solved that issue. I would also suggest a springfield (better built pistol imo).

[citizensoldier16]

mpardun is right, they're made in the Phillipines...but to my understanding, COLT sold the tooling and machining rights to RIA, so they're basically a 1940's Colt made by a different factory.

I have one, and love it. It eats everything I put in it, including HP's. I've never had a jam or a misfire. I've replaced a few parts on it, but shot it in it's original configuration for about a year. I love mine.

My $0.02: get rid of the smooth factory grips and install checkered wood or Hogue grips.

[exitinyourhead]

on the springfield gi note, I have one. Would feed nothing consistently out of the box... tuned the extractor and it worked a LITTLE better. replaced it with a wilson combat bullet proof and it improved SOME. Replaced the mags with Wilson Elite tacticals and now the gun has improved to unreliable.

I'm going to do a complete custom job with this pistol as a base. If you are looking for a very reliable gun out of the box. I would recommend you keep shopping. I was shocked at how unreliable this pistol was when test firing out of the box. These were failures to eject and failures to feed and failures to lock back the slide on last round.

[Charles Daly]

mpardun is right, they're made in the Phillipines...but to my understanding, COLT sold the tooling and machining rights to RIA, so they're basically a 1940's Colt made by a different factory....

There is no truth to this story, at all. Colt sold nothing to the factory in the Philippines that makes the RIA pistol. Where this rumor got started, one can only guess, but I can tell you with 100% certainty, it is false. the only truth in the above statement is that they are Made in the Philippines.

[koniz]

I beleve the same people that own Springfield Armory used to own Rock Island Armory

[citizensoldier16]

Thanks Charles Daly for setting the record straight. I have heard that rumor from multiple websites, but not with any official statements. I must say I have to take your word over that of the Misinformation Super Highway.

Still, mine shoots great. It's no defense gun, but its great fun at the range and it's accurate as heck. A good starter .45 nonetheless IMO.

[Mule]

I hate that my first post here is in the midst of controversy, but I want to clarify a few things about the Rock Island Armory 1911's. This is not the same company that was started by D. Reese who's family operates Springfield Inc.
Also, Colt has no ties to RIA and has never sold them any tooling or parts.
And finally, regardless of what has been published about Rock Island Armory 1911's and the Phillipine factory, the parts are made in China and only assembled in the Phillipines to get around current import restrictions placed on Chinese firearms.

[Phazuka]

I'm thinking hard about getting one of their Tanfoglio clones:

[Charles Daly]

I hate that my first post here is in the midst of controversy, but I want to clarify a few things about the Rock Island Armory 1911's. This is not the same company that was started by D. Reese who's family operates Springfield Inc.
Also, Colt has no ties to RIA and has never sold them any tooling or parts.
And finally, regardless of what has been published about Rock Island Armory 1911's and the Phillipine factory, the parts are made in China and only assembled in the Phillipines to get around current import restrictions placed on Chinese firearms.

Mule,

What makes you think the Philippine made RIA has Chinese parts in it?
Sincerely,