Added to my carry rotation today

[flphotog]

Rock Island Armory M1911-A1 MS Tactical II 9mm. Adds to my Colt Lightweight Government .45 and Para Expert Commander .45.

http://i.imgur.com/XDUt6hTl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/NaeN1Y0l.jpg

Brought it home today so These are just my first impressions, I'll add a range report later if there is any interest.

Really covered in oil, they could have cut the price by $50 if they hadn't used so much oil, ok that's if for the bad.:wave:

Trigger pull is a beautiful crisp 4.5 lbs with no creep and no grittyness at all. This was actually a pleasant surprise, I won't need to work on the trigger at all.
Fit and finish is excellent, no problems there at all.
OK one one thing I'm not crazy about is the Bull barrel, but I expected to not like that to much. Thisis my first bull in a 1911. Does anyone have a better way to field strip this damn thing?
The VZ grips are a bit rougher than I like but I also expected that as I've never liked VZ grips but this won't be a range gun that gets shot a lot I'll leave them for now, they do look good on the gun.

All in all very happy with the purchase, hopefully will get to the range Monday morning.

[Lonestar grips.]

good looking pistol, do a range report, we like dirty pics :D

my rock was soaked in oil too lol.

[sdmc530]

good looking pistol, do a range report, we like dirty pics :D

my rock was soaked in oil too lol.

All of the above. Love dirty pics. Yes my last (about 3 weeks ago) too was covered in oil. I think because they ship from the Philippians they have to so they are protected. Easy to clean though.

congrats!!

[milkmanjoe]

Gary....YouTube the breakdown of the bull barrel 1911. I'm not a fan either, don't own any, but I do know videos exist showing easier breakdown.

[flphotog]

Gary....YouTube the breakdown of the bull barrel 1911. I'm not a fan either, don't own any, but I do know videos exist showing easier breakdown.

Thanks, I'll take a look.

[flphotog]

Thanks, I'll take a look.

Well I've looked, haven't found nothing new. Oh well not a major thing and I had a feeling I wasn't going to like it so that's the way it goes

[MajO]

Nice looking pistol.

[Xbonz]

Nice...

Look at the youtube video of the DW ECO.. it's a bull barrel

[flphotog]

Nice...

Look at the youtube video of the DW ECO.. it's a bull barrel

Thanks Xbonz, the problem is the location of the hole in the guide rod on the RI. Well like I said not a deal breaker, it will work at least till I start to loose strength in my hands.

[Xbonz]

I have the same problem with my ECO. Bend the tip of a paperclip just enough to catch the hole then fold it as flat and straight as possible.

[flphotog]

I have the same problem with my ECO. Bend the tip of a paperclip just enough to catch the hole then fold it as flat and straight as possible.

Thanks, that's what I tried and it works, I'm just always looking for a better way. It works, but I guess I'll just never love it. This is going in my carry rotation and I will shoot it but not every week so it won't be to bad.

[Riverpigusmc]

nice pistol

[Arley]

Rough grip ? I'm sure you know this but hit it ever so softly with some fine sand paper .

Nice pistol and I like the grips too. Lucky dog you are .

[Xbonz]

Check this out:

http://1911ultratool.com/Tools/Springfield-Armory/EMP-and-Micro-Compact-Models

Supposedly works on other brand 3" bull barrels. Might be worth contacting them and see if they make one for the RIA

[flphotog]

Rough grip ? I'm sure you know this but hit it ever so softly with some fine sand paper .

Nice pistol and I like the grips too. Lucky dog you are .

That's a good idea Arley, I may give it a try. In the mean time I had these grips from Altamonte Company sitting in a drawer so I thought I'd give them a try.

http://i.imgur.com/q1c0lACl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sUzF7SCl.jpg

[flphotog]

Check this out:

http://1911ultratool.com/Tools/Springfield-Armory/EMP-and-Micro-Compact-Models

Supposedly works on other brand 3" bull barrels. Might be worth contacting them and see if they make one for the RIA

Thanks Xbonz I sent them a message to check. Looks pretty good if it will work.

[flphotog]

Rough grip ? I'm sure you know this but hit it ever so softly with some fine sand paper .

Nice pistol and I like the grips too. Lucky dog you are .

Thanks Arley, tried the sand paper and it did the trick. Put the original grips back on. I do like the look of them.

[milkmanjoe]

Rvrctyrngr knows. While I was sleeping last night I was thinking about this and remembered talking with him about it at one of Brownie's classes. He is not on here much but pig can find him over at that alleged forum.

[flphotog]

Rvrctyrngr knows. While I was sleeping last night I was thinking about this and remembered talking with him about it at one of Brownie's classes. He is not on here much but pig can find him over at that alleged forum.

I hope Rvrctyrngr pops up with an answer, I'd love to find a better way for the long haul.

[milkmanjoe]

Gary...have you seen this?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfbLR1Y6VXA

[Jdl2]

Very nice. I like it!
Congrats,
Jim

[Caleb]

How is the weight compared to your lightweight?

[flphotog]

Gary...have you seen this?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfbLR1Y6VXA

Thanks, a couple of good tips in there. Like using the table top, I'll try that today.

[flphotog]

How is the weight compared to your lightweight?

Colt Lightweight Government ,45 (loaded) 34.75 oz
Para Expert Commander .45 (loaded) 32.55 oz
RIA Commander 9mm (empty mag) 41.51 oz
RIA Commander 9mm (loaded) 45.85 oz

I knew that going in from the specs. Haven't tried to carry it yet so will see how that goes.

[Caleb]

Colt Lightweight Government ,45 (loaded) 34.75 oz
Para Expert Commander .45 (loaded) 32.55 oz
RIA Commander 9mm (empty mag) 41.51 oz
RIA Commander 9mm (loaded) 45.85 oz

I knew that going in from the specs. Haven't tried to carry it yet so will see how that goes.

Ouch, .... and, I'm crying about < 20 oz loaded for my Escort!!

Let us know how it carries.

[milkmanjoe]

Ouch, .... and, I'm crying about < 20 oz loaded for my Escort!!

Let us know how it carries.

Why do you think we say if we run outta bullets we'll use the gun to beat 'em to death?

[flphotog]

It's definitely my heaviest but I don't think it will be a problem.

Made a quick trip to the range this morning. Pistol performed flawlessly, no issues whatsoever. I forgot to talk any HP ammo today so will have to do that next time I go. FMJ ran perfectly. Didn’t try any long shots but between 7 and about 12 yards it’s a great shooter.

This target is 3 10 round mags shot between 7 and 12 yards.

http://i.imgur.com/HSeWr76l.jpg?1

[flphotog]

Ouch, .... and, I'm crying about < 20 oz loaded for my Escort!!

Let us know how it carries.

Actually won't be much worse than my CZ 75BD that I carry quite often. The CZ is 44.3 oz loaded.

[milkmanjoe]

It's definitely my heaviest but I don't think it will be a problem.

Made a quick trip to the range this morning. Pistol performed flawlessly, no issues whatsoever. I forgot to talk any HP ammo today so will have to do that next time I go. FMJ ran perfectly. Didn’t try any long shots but between 7 and about 12 yards it’s a great shooter.

This target is 3 10 round mags shot between 7 and 12 yards.

http://i.imgur.com/HSeWr76l.jpg?1


Good combat range shooting....that's all I ask for in a pistol, though still interested in your results when you shoot it further.

[flphotog]

Good combat range shooting....that's all I ask for in a pistol, though still interested in your results when you shoot it further.

Wasn't really planning on it with this gun but I'll give it a shot so to speak. I usually save that for my full size 1911's that I've tuned and my buckmark. Hadn't really intended this to be a bullseye gun.

[Caleb]

Nice shooting!

Sighted or point?

[flphotog]

Nice shooting!

Sighted or point?

sighted

[flphotog]

I forgot to take any HP ammo to the range but when I got home I tried to manually cycle some and that turned out to be a real problem. Almost all of them nose dived on the feed ramp. I was going to to to the range later in the week and try some but today decide not to wait and waste a trip to the range.

The feed ramp had a bunch of horizontal tool marks so I polished it today and tried to manually cycle some HP's again and they worked fine.
Still going to make a range trip to verify but at least now I'm more confident that all will be well.

I wish I'd thought to take a pic of the tool marks but just didn't think of it in time.

[DrHenley]

Yup, had to polish the feed ramp on my Rock too.

http://www.cotep.org/forum/picture.php?albumid=22&pictureid=888