My First Rock Island 1911

[dumbell2]

OK, so I just picked up my first RIA. I did not know what to expect, but the fact that fellow COTEP members seemed willing to discuss the brand without breaking out in laughter gave me hope. Also I was encouraged by the fact that my buddy Mike45 seemed to have a genuine respect for the brand, so I thought what the hell!
Here she is!
Needless to say I am very impressed!

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad89/dumbell2/RIA9mm001.jpg

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad89/dumbell2/RIA9mm004.jpg

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad89/dumbell2/RIA9mm017.jpg

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad89/dumbell2/RIA9mm021.jpg

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad89/dumbell2/RIA9mm022.jpg

[dumbell2]

A couple detail shots!

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad89/dumbell2/RIA9mm025.jpg

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad89/dumbell2/RIA9mm026.jpg

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad89/dumbell2/RIA9mm027.jpg

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad89/dumbell2/RIA9mm029.jpg

[dumbell2]

New shoes!
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad89/dumbell2/RIA9mm032.jpg

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad89/dumbell2/RIA9mm043.jpg

[NAMVET72]

DB2, Look In the Mirror and look at your forehead I bet it has SUCKER printed on there.





























:):):):):)








You Asked for it?????



Clyde
BTW You need to get New Grips for it ASAP.........





I am now at 3 Myself.............

[AutoMag]

Congrats on your new RIA Tactical dumbell2!!:):)

[dumbell2]

DB2, Look In the Mirror and look at your forehead I bet it has SUCKER printed on there.

........

Thanks man, I felt like I was kicked in the stomach! ;)

Did you see my pic with the VZs?

Congrats on your new RIA Tactical dumbell2!!:):)

Thank you AutoMag! First of many, I am sure!
I have an Officers Model being delivered Monday!

[BadOscar]

Nice, that slide to frame fit looks pretty tight. Much better than some I have seen.

[kgh]

So what are your initial impressions?

[dumbell2]

So what are your initial impressions?

Initial impressions:
Wow! Much nicer gun than I was expecting-kind of like a COTEP moment.
I was hoping that the fit and finish would be at least as good as on the Springfield GI I have-it is quite a bit better.
The barrel is nicely fitted with no perceivable movement.
Slide to frame fit is very good-only a little movement at the rear, with about double that at the front-still very acceptable,
The rear of the slide is very nicely blended.
Very few sharp corners or edges on this gun-only place the slide is sharp is on the back edged of the hammer channel.
The lines of the gun are pretty straight and have a nicely softened look to them.
The trigger is quite nicely fitted with a little side to side movement and a bit more up and down movement. Trigger break is about 6lbs (by feel) and pretty clean. I took the gun apart to clean and oil and it felt like a poor mans version of a Les Baer-the tooling marks did not bother me at all, but made the gun look like the parts were fitted together.

All in all I am very happy with my purchase.

There are a few things I am not that fond of:
1) The Rock Island bilboard-but it might grow on me-otherwise I can have it removed.
2) the made in the Philipines markings on the bottom of the dust cover.
3) The ambi saftey-it also feels a little mushy, but that could be because it is contacting my grips on the one side; and
4)The design of the trigger-although it is in the same color as the rest of the gun.

While I was picking the gun up I had a chance to look at an American Classic Commander and the fit and blending at the rear of the slide was even superior to my ROC. The ejector filled the relief space in the slide perfectly and the stf fit was the equal of my gun.

All in all very impressed-if this thing shoots as good as it looks it will be a winner. I am sure I will be buying and messing with a few more of these.

I would compare it more thoroughly to some more expensive, well known brands, but I do not want to make any enemies. :)

[Mike45]

Welcome to the club DB2 :rock: (we need a rock icon!).

I think that Rock are a great value and a very good entrance gun for new 1911 owners.

What I have found is that the gun is not perfect but it does not take much to make them so. For the money you spend to make them into what, you could have a Colt or top end springer, which you would end up putting money into make those guns the gun you want. So in the long run the Rock is a good value.

I do like the fact that Rock Island does a very good job of fitting the slide and hand blending the back of the slide. They do this on every gun. Which makes every gun just a bit different. That is a very nice touch.

If it was me I would get rid of the ambi and grips.

If you are going to change the sights don't try it yourself just send it to Arnel and have him do it, he will do a great job.

Rock's like to be keep wet put lots of oil on the finish and I like to grease the rails. I have seen so many pic's of Rocks that look like the the poor things need a drink of oil. The finish really looks top notch if you keep it oiled.

Well I guess I will get of my high horse and enjoy your pic's. :D

[dumbell2]

Thanks Mike.
The ambi has to go, but what do you think about the VZs?

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad89/dumbell2/RIA9mm043.jpg

[kgh]

Thanks DB2 and Mike. All good information. I've thought about picking up a Rock but I have so many other things on my list that I'm not sure which to start with.:confused:

[CalWhit33]

I was very pleased with my gi beater. Bought it with the expectations to shoot it a lot. Had some issues with my reloads through it but other than that it was very impressive. Have fun with it and good luck. If I had more disposable income I'd pick up a nickel one.

[RockIsland1911A]

As you all can prolly tell i like RIA's. I love my rock's, only had one minor problem out of the three i currently have, and it was my newest one the tact compact, with the help of COTEP members(Cappi and one other person?), tuned the ejector the way they explanned, and running like a top.. had it for less than 2 months with 600 rnds thru her already not one hiccup after the tune.
So i guess you could say im sold on them,
but hey that just my opinion.
John

[Mike45]

Thanks Mike.
The ambi has to go, but what do you think about the VZs?

http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/ad89/dumbell2/RIA9mm043.jpg

I love the grips DB2, I have the same ones on my CD.

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/ss90/1976_07_26/CD/CDNewSights1.jpg

[SemperFi1977m]

congrats DB2!...I love my GI and can only imagine the tac is even better. I love whatever tool it is you use to wipe out the serial# in your pics....in the first pic, I thought I saw Arabic stampings haha.

For as rediculously cheap my GI was....I have always been impressed with its fit and quality. Cant wait to hear how she shoots!

BTW...it looks like the tacs have stainless barrels? Very nice

[dumbell2]

congrats DB2!...I love my GI and can only imagine the tac is even better. I love whatever tool it is you use to wipe out the serial# in your pics....in the first pic, I thought I saw Arabic stampings haha.

For as rediculously cheap my GI was....I have always been impressed with its fit and quality. Cant wait to hear how she shoots!

BTW...it looks like the tacs have stainless barrels? Very nice

Thank you Sfi! I just use the swirl edit funtion that is free with Photobucket.

[Dave Waits]

Nice choice DB, I got modded-up GI. accurate and 100% operation.

[Wade-19]

Congrats. My GI was flawless. My 9mm Tactical not so much, even after a trip back to Nevada.

[dumbell2]

Thanks Wade.

[dumbell2]

Nice choice DB, I got modded-up GI. accurate and 100% operation.

Thank you.

What mods did you do on the GI Dave?

[Thedragonslayer]

DB, thats a nice shooter you got there, and tell ole Clyde to look at himself in the mirror, it may humble him a little!!!:eek::D

He can take it!!!;):p

[Dave Waits]

Thank you.

What mods did you do on the GI Dave?
Wilson Combat Value-Line Hammer
Wilson Combat #429 Beavertail Grip-safety
Cylinder&Slide High-Grip Ambi Thumb-Safety
Cylinder&Slide Videki Speed-Trigger
Novak Competition Rear sight,three-dot
MGW White-dot Front, .195 hgt.
Tuned,Extended Ejector
tuned Extractor
EGW oversized Firing-Pin Stop with small-radius cut
Wolff 18 pound Recoil spring
Countersunk Slide-Stop Pin( Not shown on first pic)
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii180/retmsgt123/IMG_0084.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii180/retmsgt123/IMG_0169.jpg

[SemperFi1977m]

she looks great Dave...very nicely done!

[dumbell2]

she looks great Dave...very nicely done!

Very nice indeed!

[Cap]

I've owned 3 Rocks
all GI models...cause I prefer to put the parts on 'em that I prefer

they've filled the niche for me in the inexpensive 1911 category .
and what I've discovered after owning a bunch of 1911s in the last 5 years
(last count is 20 or so from 5 or more different manufactures)
Most costing 2 to three times as much...
what I've discovered is...Rocks are a pretty decent 1911 in their own right..regardless of price

and the two 45 cal Rocks were much more accurate than one would expect.
Shooting 1.5" groups from the bench at 20 yards with my most accurate reloads....fo-reel !!


here's the three I pimped

all started out just like this.
plain Jane GI



http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i84/larycap/Picture157.jpg



here's my first one and what started my introduction into Backyard Wannabe Armorer sKool
Bobbed and semi-melt, with molded in sights
Pimped, painted and polished


http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i84/larycap/Picture648.jpg




my 38 super.
and the only Rock i had to make run right .
had extractor probs that two stock RIA ext'rs wouldn't completely fix.
An Ed Brown Hardcore finally got it squared away

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i84/larycap/011-4.jpg





my latest Rock
and one of the most accurate 1911s I've owned or shot


here's a 20 yrd group .
Pistol was right of the box .
The only thing i did to it was paint the sights and tune the stock trigger parts.
There's 4 or 5 bullets in that 1" hole

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i84/larycap/021-5.jpg



here's what she looks like now


http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i84/larycap/033.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i84/larycap/029-2.jpg


I don't knock any man's choice of 1911.
a lot of what you hear about this manufacture or that by "most" guys are just parroting what they hear from others.
2/3rds of them are regurgitating someone elses bias view

Most of 'em have little to NO personal experience and are just talking out their ...hat


I like Springfields, Colts ....and sure enough, Rocks too!


..l.T.A.

[NAMVET72]

Well Cappi, I will have my 3 Rock's out to you on Monday so you can make mine look like yours:):):):)


Clyde:)

[dumbell2]

Very nice cap!

How did you achieve the two tone look?

[Cap]

How did you achieve the two tone look?

sand paper , buffing wheel with compounds ...and lots of hours


..L.T.A.

[dumbell2]

sand paper , buffing wheel with compounds ...and lots of hours


..L.T.A.

Is it bare steel?

[Cap]

Is it bare steel?

one was for over a year.
just gun oil is all cause no clear gun coat would stick to it.
Then I sprayed a lacquer on it

the others weren't as mirror polished and clear coat wold stick

..L.T.A.

[dumbell2]

Thanks Cap. They look good!