Rock Island Armory
 

This is for All Your Rock Lovers Out There in Cyber Space:

Clyde

What? Rock pics? INBOUND!

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i...3/IMG_0083.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i...3/IMG_0084.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i...3/IMG_0158.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i...3/IMG_0169.jpg

Jeeze at least can tell us if you did any Mods. to it just don't Throw Up Pics.........................:):):)

Clyde

Sorry Clyde. It started out as a 1911A1-GI and I just couldn't leave well-enough alone.
MGW White-dot front-.195
Novak Competition White-Dot Rear
Wilson Combat Value-Line Hammer(Just to get the MIM-Haters going)
Wilson Combat 429 Beavertail Grip-Safety(Couldn't fit correctly, my RIA suffers from Short-Tang disease)
Cylinder&Slide 'High-Grip' Ambi Thumb-Safety
Cylinder&Slide 'Videki' long Trigger
Wolff Springs
Colt Sear Spring
EGW fitted oversized Firing-Pin Stop with small-radius mod.
Countersunk Slide-Stop Pin(I'm left-handed)
Tuned and modded Extractor/Extended Ejector
Rosewood Dbl-Diamond checkered Grips by a friend of mine
S&A SS hex Grip-screws
Polished Breechface and 'Arnel Special' HP-Tune on ramp,chamber and barrel lip

Would like to see one of the full rail models.:cool:

Like this Oak? This was taken at the Shot Show.
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i...3/DSC00265.jpg

Dave, did you flush that slide stop yourself? It looks like the one I did to my Springfield GI. I did it with a file and re-colored it with a Sharpie :D

Terry

If you look closely you will notice that this is a Longslide!!!

This is a one off for the SHOT Show and will most likely never be produced!!

Now the 5" rail gun will be available soon!!!

Not soon enough Auto Mag. As soon as I see one of those full rail guns it is going on my credit card. :D

Mike, from what Ivan told me Centerfire Systems is taking preorders for all the new RIA 1911's!

Not sure when they will have them though.

The full rail 5" is what I crave. I'm assuming a cast frame or is it forged?

I hate to tell ya Auto Mag but the guys at Centerfire do not know that this new gun is coming. :confused:

I have spoken to two different guys Sven and Todd I think and both had no idea that the gun even existed. I asked if I could be put on a waiting list and they did not even have an idea that there was one. They did put a note in my file.

My Rock's
 

Here is a listing of my Rock's

My Charles Daly which is probably the last CD ever made.

I asked Arnel the Armscor gunsmith to make me a custom Rock tactical at the time he did not have any Rock parts but he did have a CD frame and slide. He proceeded to put the parts together and ship it to me. I have made a few minor changes which include C&S trigger, Colt MSH, 10-8 rear sight, and special Dawson FO for Rock front sight cut.

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...NewSights4.jpg

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...NewSights1.jpg

He is my Rock Mid Size gun that was highly modified by Arnel where every part was replaced, WC beavertail added, and a EB bobtail added. Arnel did the majority of the work and I had a local smith mill the slide for a Trijicon front sight and 10-8 rear sight.

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s.../NewGrips4.jpg

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s.../NewGrips3.jpg

More to come:

Here is a pic of my first Rock pistol it was a compact model but I was having trouble with the gun feeding and three point jams. I had lost total confidence in the gun and sent it in to Armscor for replacement of the slide/barrel. After many months of waiting for a new compact slide I asked Arnel if he simply put a 4" slide on the frame making it a CCO. He said no problem and made the change. I sent the gun off the the local gunsmith to have a gold front bead sight and 10-8 rear sight put on the gun in addition to a S&A MSH/magwell. Unfortunately the gunsmith slipped with the mill and milled the frame where the MSH spring seats in the frame. I now awaiting for the gun smith to make it right, we will see if he does. This pic was taken before the new sights but after the work by Arnel. It looks slimy as I had just parked it and did a nitrite type finish.

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...n/2ndPark6.jpg

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...n/2ndPark2.jpg

Here is my Hi Cap Rock that I modified with a beavertail and Rock tactical slide. I have spoken with Arnel and he will be fitting a new slide to this gun, it will be a match slide. This work will be done in May of this year. I will also have him change the internals and checker the front strap.

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s.../BigMomma1.jpg

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...BigMommaRS.jpg

Still more to come:

Here is a pic of my Rock Hi Cap Longslide. It is a Arnel handmade Rockisland that does not exsit as a standard model. Only two other guys, who both are COTEP members, have this model. It is not finished at this point as I have just sent off the slide to Arnel to have a new firing pin stop replaced as the extractor was rotating in the slide. The front sight also was a bit crooked and Arnel will be replacing it also.

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...RIALSRIGHT.jpg

http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s.../RIALSLEFT.jpg

My Plan is to have the 5 inch Hi Cap to look just like my longslide and both will have the same finished.

I am now having Arnel making me a new single stack longslide match pistol. I have purchased the majority of the parts and he will begin working on it in his spare time. I plan on buying a 5 inch match and having these two guns finished the same just like my Hi Cap's.

I hope you all enjoy the story behind my Rocks.

Mike

Mike, I just spoke to Ivan and Centerfire is definitely getting all of the new models!!

Shane, the owner put in a big order with Ivan at the SHOT Show for the rail model, the TCM 22 and the new 22LR 1911. They definitely will be getting some though!!

Ivan said that some of the sales guys at Centerfire might not be aware of the order.

You and me both! :)
I have a 5" Tactical in 9mm and an Officers size on the way.
This will be my first foray into RIA guns and I have no idea what to expect.

Really neat collection Mike! Thanks for sharing about them all :-). Sorry to hear about the mill-slip though....that's some rotten luck :-(. Some real neat builds you had Arnel do.

@Dumbell: I hope you will find yourself as pleased as the rest of us :-). A year ago, I hadnt even heard of RIA, but I love the GI I picked up. I'm sure a few more Rocks will end up in my stable before all is said and done.

what kind of finish are you going with Mike?

Thanks SFi. I am looking forward to them. I figure if they are good enough for Cotep boys, then they cant be half bad!

I am torn between blue and hard chrome. There is a local guy here in Houston West of me that can blue the guns and if I go hard chrome I will send it to Metaloy.

Mike

I am having a CBOB chromed by Fords, will let you know what I think when it comes back.

Can you Rocksperts :) tell me:
1) how deep the lettering on the slide is (I am thinking of having it ground down); and
2) will the tactical 2011 be available in 9mm as well as 45 (if so I will need 2).


Thank you.

Regards,

Alan

Please do let us know how for Ford's guns turnout.

The Rock stamping is not all that deep and can easily taken down.

Take a look closely at my MS bobtail and you will see that the Rock Island stamp is mostly gone and all that really remains is the "Rock Island"

I think that the new rail gun will come only in 45.

Mike

Fine with me. I'm torn between saving money on the RIA rail gun and ordering a full rail TRP. Either way I want the full rail.

Thanks Mike.
I can't wait to pick my first Rock up tomorrow!

I am with you, but I do not want fcs!

FCS are evil. Too bad I'm stuck with them on my Baer.

None of my Baers have fcs!:)

Back when I ordered mine I was not aware they could be had without. By the time I knew better it was already too late.:(

We live and learn!
Nobody was born knowing everything! :)

Mike, if you go hard Chrome let me know how it comes out. I'm saving to get my frame Hard-Chromed.
Dave

as he said...the rollmark isnt deep at all. It will be alot easier to remove than that dang "1991-A1" I took off my build slide haha. That thing was dug half way to China on just one dang number.

I thinking about hard-chroming my barrel at Metaloy just to break up the look of my build. It has a silver, aluminum trigger and a stainless hammer....all the rest will have the black Atranite treatment. My Colt barrel was still good, so I couldnt see springing for a new barrel just to have it stainless lol.

I have to think on it....all black with just a silver hammer and trigger might look sharp too. Man...decisions! lol

this is kind of like beating a dead horse...but here's the pics AGAIN of my Rock lol.
before:
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...9_881139_n.jpg

After:
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._8260179_n.jpg

I changed the thumb safety, mainspring housing, and threw on some old GI grips.

I also smoothed the VERY-SHARP outer edge of the slide stop so it would quit cutting into holsters and gave it the logman mod while I was at it.

I did drop in a Springer grip safety that had a nicer, more rounded-shaped tail on it (thanks Cap!)....but its not in the pic

The parts are just rattle-canned until after I do some other things to it...then she will get reparked.

What's in the works: I have a Colt widespur hammer I am going to install, and I may put some slightly larger Colt sights to improve visibility but maintain a GI appearance. I will also smooth out a few burrs and such before I park it. Otherwise, this one feeds everything Ive tried in it...so internals will be left alone. May change the barrel bushing, but idk yet. Still on the fence about removing the rollmark also...its growing on me lol.

I really like that classic look Marine. :cool:

Will do Dave.

Hopefully Arnel will be done with my slide next week and I have the hi cap LS back together. If so then I think that I am home in a couple of weeks then I will made the decision on what type of finish and then send it out. I hope. :eek:

Thanks Mike...Im a huge sucker for classic 1911's (but live on a RIA budget lol). Just like my current CCO build...if I cant afford it, I'll just build it myself lol.

You wouldnt believe how hard it is right now to find that dang thumb safety. The one on there is an unused Auto Ordnance part from before their latest quality upgrade....so it took alot of TLC to get it looking nice and to spec. (Colt is using that same style on a ton of their models currently, but have the part backordered for the last 6 months):eek:

alot of TLC...had to work over every single surface of it lol:
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6291164_n.jpg

I believe I have a servicable Auto-ord takeoff in the parts bin Gyrene. Post a pic of the one you're talking about.
Dave

Is this what you want? Untouched by a file.
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i...3/IMG_0174.jpg
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/i...3/IMG_0173.jpg