Range Report: RIA Tactical 9mm

[DaFadda]

Hi All, I finally got to the range today to test fire my new 9mm 1911 from Rock Island Armory. So... where to start....

1. Fit and finish. I took the pistol down prior to taking it the range. Cleaned off all the shipping "gook" and gave the pistol a thorough cleaning and oiling. Per past discussions with Dave Waits and others, I chose to oil rather than grease, and ran the firearm very wet today. The finish is parked, and is all that Parkerization is.... which as many will say... is "sufficient" but less desirable than some other finishes. The slide to frame fit is very tight, almost no perceptible movement.

2. Magazine. (yes, singular). Single stack 9 round 9mm mag from Checkmate. Had a difficult time getting #8 and #9 to fit, but by the end of the session, the spring tension was in a "better place"... it might have been the little squirt of oil that I placed on the follower that helped also. In any case.... the mechanics of the Checkmate magazine was flawless.

3. Sights: The gun came with "Novak Style" sights... which means clones. Further, there are no white dots on these sights, so a bit of Automotive white on the front blade was used to give these old eyes a point of reference. I will be replacing these sights almost immediately with some type of hi visibility sighting system. Maybe a tube on the front only, and keep the rears the way they are. We'll see.

4. Grips: Adequate. Smooth, wood. but nothing special.

5. Internals. There ARE machine marks on the inside of the slide, the barrel, and the frame. They do not make any difference in the way the gun shoots. If I wanted to refinish, then I would strip and sand myself before sending out for a new finish. Its just not necessary. I'll take a couple machine marks rather than spend another $1000-2000 for a gun that's pretty on the inside.

5. Shooting the puppy. I was consistently high and to the left by about 1 inch at 10 yards. No big deal... that's about where I shoot with my other pistols too. Groupings were consistently about 3", using a variety of factory FMJ ball ammo. One Hundred rounds fired. Absolutely NO FTF, FTE. Barrel would rise about a 1/2 inch, then drop right back into firing position for follow up shots. Even in rapid fire, the gun just dropped back to point of aim. I am very impressed. I'll say it again: I'm very impressed.

Conclusion: Would I like a ceramic or a hard hat, Tennifer et al coating on this gun. Yup. Would I like hand finished internals. Yup. Is the gun accurate YUP! Would I like VZ, Sarge's, Esmeralda or anyone elses grips? Yup! Would I like real Novak night sights? Yup! Would I pay $1500 for it as is? NOPE. This RIA cost me $449 + tax in Connecticut. I am thoroughly pleased with the firearm, and would have no issue recommending it as an economical 1911. Keep it clean, keep it oiled, and so far... with factory ammo... it will do you proud. RIA did well with this fiream. We'll see how it handles aftermarket magazines in the coming weeks.


Da