? For R.I.A. owners

KS Gunman

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I'm hoping there's a few of you here. They are (supposedly) the largest mfg of 1911 pistols.

For those of you that have a "Rock" - what ammo has worked and what ammo makes it choke?

I have ran S&B, Federal, Sig V Crown, PPU, Norma, and my own paper puncher load (180gr TC sitting on 6gr Unique).

PPU is impossible to shoot. The first round is chambered by pressing the slide lock, fires, 2nd round fails to feed and the case gets mangled. Norma runs a tad better but still really bad. I average 2 - 3 failures to feed per mag. Sometimes one will be as simple as giving it a little "bump" into battery.

I have no problem avoiding these 2 brands. My loads work fantastic and so do the Sig V crowns I actually carry. I'll also avoid Federal but not because they run bad (they run great) but they have small pistol primers.

My concern is - does it end here? Are there other brands of ammo that I will not be able to run? Have any of y'all had any particular issues with specific ammo ran through an R.I.A.

I'm concerned the Norma had issues because of how hot it was. It makes me nervous that things like BB and UW are off the table. I'd like to hear from R.I.A. owners that have ran hot ammo. Did you have issues? Did you need to change recoil spring weight?

I plan on having my extractor tuned and measuring the thickness of the rim to rule that out BUT would still like to hear if anyone else is noticing any ammo that their Rock pukes up.
 

Babboonbobo

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I have two Rock Islands and have had no issues with any kind of ammo feeding problems. I do not reload at this time (I am acquiring the necessary equipment to start though) so I only shoot factory ammo, federal and Remington run great and since I don't reload I don't care about primer size. Not a fan of WWB though because it seems to be dirtier than the rest. Also have ran plenty of brass, steel and aluminum cased ammo with no issues. I don't want a firearm that won't run whatever I may be able to find in desperate times.

One is a double stack 22TCM (Armscor is only brand for this) which did have an extraction issue but was sent back and resolved quickly and has since run flawlessly.
 

switchback

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Not going to be much help
Only 1 RIA and its a gov't sized super38. Surprisingly it arrived with a well fit, fully ramped barrel. Good for RIA. I use metalorm and old CmC mags mostly.

Good luck with yours. Continue feeding yours with what works and if it doesn't break-in, return to Nevada. I've heard good things about their CS
 

KS Gunman

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Yea, I like everything about it (other than trying to find a holster for it). I was raised on Colts and don't find the R.I.A. lacking. It is just weird how I find particular brands of ammo that it will NOT eat. Trying to find out if anyone else has a list going.

So far mine is only PPU and Norma in the "no" column and Federal, S&B, Sig, Reloads in the "yes" column.
 

Bob Lee

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I have two Rock Islands and have had no issues with any kind of ammo feeding problems. I do not reload at this time (I am acquiring the necessary equipment to start though) so I only shoot factory ammo, federal and Remington run great and since I don't reload I don't care about primer size. Not a fan of WWB though because it seems to be dirtier than the rest. Also have ran plenty of brass, steel and aluminum cased ammo with no issues. I don't want a firearm that won't run whatever I may be able to find in desperate times.

One is a double stack 22TCM (Armscor is only brand for this) which did have an extraction issue but was sent back and resolved quickly and has since run flawlessly.
That's good to hear.
 

Big Biscuit

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I've owned 3, all flawless.
I do not reload

My Rocks were all .45acp.
I wish I could provide more specific info but I really wasn't paying attention to ammo. I was buying and shooting what I could find.

For certain it was a whole lot more FMJ range type ammo than JHP defense ammo. But it all worked just fine.
 

ButchA

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My RIA (Rock Standard #51431 -- the next model up from the GI series) has never had any issues, I've shot 1150+ rounds and it ate every flavor of 230gr "ball" ammo. I only ran one mag of Remington Golden Sabers JHP, as a test, and it ate those up as well without any problem.
 

Rusty Guns

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I am on my fourth Rock and think they are a great 1911 pistol.
I started with a GI and made a competition pistol out of it. It ran great with any rounds I put in it. Next was the first RIA Tactical model, and it ran just fine with everything, including an old box of Winchester Silver tips. Next came a newer model a CS model. Very nice and shot everything I threw at it, never a bobble. Now I have another CS model because I let someone talk me out of it.
These have all been First Class Pistols. Modest price, that is dependable right out of the box. You can't beat it. When I was shooting Bowling pins with my first Rock I was upsetting those guys with Kimbers, Colt's, S&Ws 2 STIs, Because of my $400. Rock Island was beating them and the High Priced pistols.
Then I switched to a Glock G-21 and was making more wins, with It.
They never figured it out, that I was winning more because I was just a better shot with the Glock. Me and that G-21 just seemed to be made for each other.
I still say that The Rock Island is the Glock of 1911s.
That might not be the proper thing to say on a 1911 Forum but thats my story and I'm sticking to it.
I did buy a Kimber Stainless II not long ago, and so far so good.
Rocks and Glocks are my favorite pistols.
I bought my first two Rocks for 400 for the GI, and 425 for the Tack.
If that gives you an idea they were both new.
 

KS Gunman

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It's really hard to bugger up the 1911. JMB perfected a pistol, that was as near to perfect as we dare get.

Yea but is his 1911 and the ones we own (or covet) the same thing? I mean - I heard (clue me in if this is BS) that the 1911 was originally held to similar requirements as the NATO CZP01. You had to be able to field strip a pile of them, mis match all the parts, put them all back to together, and they all had to work. Now we award points for the tightest slide to frame fit. Kind of the opposite of the original idea, isn't it? Started out as a G.I. pistol with loose tolerances and morphed into a match grade precision instrument?
 

Mike A1

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Yea but is his 1911 and the ones we own (or covet) the same thing? I mean - I heard (clue me in if this is BS) that the 1911 was originally held to similar requirements as the NATO CZP01. You had to be able to field strip a pile of them, mis match all the parts, put them all back to together, and they all had to work. Now we award points for the tightest slide to frame fit. Kind of the opposite of the original idea, isn't it? Started out as a G.I. pistol with loose tolerances and morphed into a match grade precision instrument?

I once tore down my 1917 & my 2011 Colt Government models & started swapping parts. o_O
Lo and behold the parts from the 1917 & 2011 fit both pistols.

All 9 of my Colt 1911s will hold center mass @ 15 yards.
What more could I ask from a pistol that is 100 percent reliable?

Started out as a G.I. pistol with loose tolerances and morphed into a match grade precision instrument?

If that's what you want in your 1911. I only ask that mine goes bang until the Mag is empty, every single time.
 

KS Gunman

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I once tore down my 1917 & my 2011 Colt Government models & started swapping parts. o_O
Lo and behold the parts from the 1917 & 2011 fit both pistols.

All 9 of my Colt 1911s will hold center mass @ 15 yards.
What more could I ask from a pistol that is 100 percent reliable?



If that's what you want in your 1911. I only ask that mine goes bang until the Mag is empty, every single time.
That's pretty cool. You make me wanna try switching out some parts between my 1911's. But.... eh, they're not the same caliber so not sure how that would go lol

I dunno - I look at D.W's and N.H's and it just seems like it has become something it was not intended to be. Not a bad thing, I actually prefer what it has become. Just saying - seems like it started out as a Glock level gun, not super smooth or insanely accurate but it is definitely gonna work. Back in the 20's, or even 50's, did a "budget" 1911 cost double what a different usable fighting pistol cost? Does that make sense? Or am I off in space somewhere?
 

A**hole#1

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RIA 1911A1 10mm. 180gr. Remington FMJ (200 rnds) is the only commercial ammo I have shot in it. 100% reliability
I handload 155gr. XTP and 155gr. FMJ (600 or so rounds) medium spicy with 100% reliability. The next one will be in .45ACP, and it will be a RIA.
 

Mike A1

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Or am I off in space somewhere?

Dunno is it getting hard to breath LOL?

Happy GIF




Back in the 20's, or even 50's, did a "budget" 1911 cost double what a different usable fighting pistol cost?

I joined my shooting club back in 82 & met old guys who had bought 1911s for $25.00, from the DCM up until 68.
Yo will have to get in the Way back machine to see what 1911s were selling for, like a new civilian 1911 Government model in 45acp
in the 50s. I saw 1911s in the sears catalog for $15.00 in the 20s, :eek: yes when I was in the outhouse LOL
 

joepistol

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I own a couple of RIA's..
1st is a GI model 9mm.. I wanted to try a 1911 in 9mm, & was going to convert a Colt SS Govt model 45 to 9mm..until I priced the needed parts..
Price for a new slide, barrel, bushing, mag, etc.. exceeded the price (then) of a complete GT model RIA in 9mm (at the time).
This must have been shortly after RIA's were being sold here....the only RIA 1911 chambered in 9mm offered @ the time, was their GI model.
If functioned flawlessly. Didn't like the GI sights, so had Heinie straight 8's installed. changed a few things, had it cerecoated a matte silver as I didn't like parkerized finish. Looks like this:RIA 9mm 5 L.JPG
 

joepistol

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other RIA was one of their Officer sized 45's....think RIA calls it the "CS "model.. comes w/ a bull-type, bushingless barrel.
Mine's an older model than the CS model currently shown on their website. My older CS came with the small GI style sights .
I bought it "previously owned".. but it was un fired.. Guy bought it on impulse & never fired it, sold it to me.
I tried all types of ammo in it, as I wanted to see if what I'd read was true.. (that smaller than Cmdr.-sized 1911's weren't reliable.)
I was impressed with the accuracy of this short barreled 1911, even using the small GI sights..I could shoot it better than I thought possible.
I discovered that my 230 gr cast RN hand loads wouldn't feed properly.. They hung up.., needed a push on the rear of the slide to close completely.
Took it to my gunsmith for his opinion. He measured the chamber, then my loads. Seems cast lead bullets are about .001"larger in dia then FMJ 230 gr pills.
He used a chamber reamer & made about 1 turn with it, to open the front of my barrel chamber slightly.
It now feeds perfectly.
Reading the RIA owner's manual, it states to use 230gr FMJ loads only in this pistol....so I can't fault the pistol for my issue.
Both the RIA 1911's I own have not been fussy shooting my handloads ( I shoot my handloads exclusively)
I've loaded 100 gr, 115, 120, 124, 125,135, & 147gr bullets in my 9mm..some are cast, polymer coated, FMJ, & JHPs
in my 45's I've loaded 155, 185 , 200, 230gr cast, coated, FMJ & JHP's.Ria 45 Compact L.JPG
 

Bob Lee

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I own a couple of RIA's..
1st is a GI model 9mm.. I wanted to try a 1911 in 9mm, & was going to convert a Colt SS Govt model 45 to 9mm..until I priced the needed parts..
Price for a new slide, barrel, bushing, mag, etc.. exceeded the price (then) of a complete GT model RIA in 9mm (at the time).
This must have been shortly after RIA's were being sold here....the only RIA 1911 chambered in 9mm offered @ the time, was their GI model.
If functioned flawlessly. Didn't like the GI sights, so had Heinie straight 8's installed. changed a few things, had it cerecoated a matte silver as I didn't like parkerized finish. Looks like this:View attachment 26761
very sharp looking gun!
 

Bob Lee

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Jul 27, 2018
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other RIA was one of their Officer sized 45's....think RIA calls it the "CS "model.. comes w/ a bull-type, bushingless barrel.
Mine's an older model than the CS model currently shown on their website. My older CS came with the small GI style sights .
I bought it "previously owned".. but it was un fired.. Guy bought it on impulse & never fired it, sold it to me.
I tried all types of ammo in it, as I wanted to see if what I'd read was true.. (that smaller than Cmdr.-sized 1911's weren't reliable.)
I was impressed with the accuracy of this short barreled 1911, even using the small GI sights..I could shoot it better than I thought possible.
I discovered that my 230 gr cast RN hand loads wouldn't feed properly.. They hung up.., needed a push on the rear of the slide to close completely.
Took it to my gunsmith for his opinion. He measured the chamber, then my loads. Seems cast lead bullets are about .001"larger in dia then FMJ 230 gr pills.
He used a chamber reamer & made about 1 turn with it, to open the front of my barrel chamber slightly.
It now feeds perfectly.
Reading the RIA owner's manual, it states to use 230gr FMJ loads only in this pistol....so I can't fault the pistol for my issue.
Both the RIA 1911's I own have not been fussy shooting my handloads ( I shoot my handloads exclusively)
I've loaded 100 gr, 115, 120, 124, 125,135, & 147gr bullets in my 9mm..some are cast, polymer coated, FMJ, & JHPs
in my 45's I've loaded 155, 185 , 200, 230gr cast, coated, FMJ & JHP's.View attachment 26763
I've never owned an RIA gun, but when I worked behind the gun counter we sold a boat load of the first iteration, and neither I, nor my buddy ever remember one of them coming back for any problems. Shoulda bought a couple of them then, but I was working there as a second job to help pay the bills.
 

MILSPEC-45

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Aug 16, 2018
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I only use 230 ball in my RIA CS .... may I suggest a 22 lb flat wire recoil Guide Rod kit from Evolution Gun Works ? SKU 10501 ... requires a little fitting but worth it. A weak point in Officer size 45's is the recoil spring. They wear out fairly fast and the flat wire recoil spring lasts much longer.

er7LiqU.jpg
 
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