Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Model 1911......American Made!

You saying RIA and others sue 1018?

Well you may have point on quality of materials used. I assume all name brand 1911's use quality materials but that may be a false assumption.

And by "name brand," to what are you referring? For me it would be mass-produced brands like Kimber, Colt, and Springfield INC.

Clark Custom used to list which brands they would work on and which they wouldn't. Now they list which brands they'd prefer to work on and won't offer any sort of warranty or guarantee on others. Like RIA.

Wilson uses 416R, rifle barrel grade steel with 40-42 RC FWTW.

I know that 1911 manufactures play a balancing game between hardness and wear and tare and being able to fit slide to frame.

The brands you listed plus Wilson, Baer, S&W, Sig Sauer and I would assume Rock Island and Khar (Auto-Ordnance), etc. You seem to fell otherwise RI and Khar. Oh and now Ruger.

That is the game played everywhere there are two mated parts.

BTW, thanks fro your post with real hardness numbers. Gives me a ballpark place to start. I have to go back to Oregon for the funeral next weekend. I will try to get into my old shop and use their Rockwell tester on my RIA. If I can get in I will test slide and frame and will report on the findings.

This may be where we differ. You and I are not comparing apples to apples.

I want a carry 1911. I want to to be with me 24/7. I want it to work every time. I want to to feed, fire, and eject then do it all over again. I want it accurate enough at 15 yards to put two into the heart. I could give a rat's behind if it will shoot ten rounds through 46 caliber hole at fifty yards. I am not going to run a thousand rounds through it a week. It will never see a custom shop. If I want to change something I will do it myself. The coyote ugly grips come to mind.

I don't care if it has a beaver tail everything or fancy cutout hammer or trigger. I would ruin a mirror finished blue job or ten thousand dollar engraving with diamond and emerald jewels. All of that means squat to me. My 1911 is a work tool just like my double bit axe, my wedges and my sledge hammer. It will live it's life in a rain forest in a holster tucked inside my waist band.

I will use it enough to maintain proficiency and have a little fun. I believe it will serve me the rest of my life. When I am dead I could care less if it lasts another day. Since I am 62 I doubt that means another forty years.

Edited to add: If my RIA is customized it will be Clarke that does the work. Clarke will do it willingly without and charges to me except for parts.


Clarke is my middle name. For real.

Some years ago, before hollow point pistol ammo was prohibited in Belgium, the merits of .45 vs. 9 Para made for a very common discussion topic. Nowadays, with only hardball available, nobody in his right mind would bring up the matter and challlenge what makes the bigger hole...

Whether justified or not, we tend to favour HP's fully made (machined) and assembled in Belgium as compared to the "Portuguese". Also the MKIII is considered less desirable and nobody I know would even look at FEG's (they're cheap though and I think some people must buy them as drawer guns, never to be shot).
My own pistol in a "Sporting" model (adj. sights) made in 1978 and I took out the magazine safety before firing its 1st shot.

Then we are "comparing apples to apples." You want it to lock up correctly, right? You want it to be reliable, right? I seem to recall those are the points of importance to you, are they not? Therefore you want one that is manufactured from quality materials, do you not?

You can keep right on trying to devolve this "discussion" into whatever little class warfare scenario you want. At the end of the day, the Rock Island-branded 1911 is just junk that no respected 1911 gunsmith will guarantee for any length of time.

When there are better alternatives for roughly the same cost, any argument in favor of an Armscor pistol just got flushed down the crapper.

Your welcome on the hardness numbers.

Here's some books you might want:

The M1911 Complete Owner's Guide by Walt Kuleck and The M1911 Complete Assembly Guide by Walt Kuleck with Drake Oldham.

The second book covers all the things you can do to improve the M1911. Seeing as how you can do machine shop work there's probably nothing you can't do.

Here's where to get them:

http://www.scott-duff.com/

OK you convinced me. The forge is heating and the ria will be melted down.

Now what do I do for a carry? I have in my pocket $21.04.

I'll get started on a balsa wood 1911.

OK then what do you recommend I do. I have offered to melt mine down so no one will risk owning a substandard firearm. Not joking, I will send pictures if you want. What do you suggest I buy and just how do I go about getting it.

The forge is hot. Gas costs dollars. I am waiting for a real answer.

The common courtesy of a reply please.

I think you're investing too much emotional capital in this issue.

Nope. You said I was wrong and then said my 1911 would not lock up. I am willing to melt it down if it is really dangerous.

Now you are holding out on an answer on what you think it is best I do.

Gas costs money I do not have. I turned off the forge but it was plenty hot to render my 1911 safe.

What should I buy and what should I do without to do so? What is a good 1911?

I am no expert and you say you are. Are you holding out for money? Do I have to pay you for an answer?

I'll have to get with my professional organization and figure out what the going rate for a suitable answer would be.

Until then I think I will carry my RIA that has worked flawlessly for the first 1200 or so rounds. If I need it and it fails then I guess that is OK. There will just be one less disabled guy to waste valuable O2. The world will be better off with my passing.

I WOULD MISS YOU AND REGRET YOUR PASSING!