Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Rock Island Arsenal 1911's.

Eventually, I have to weigh in only because it's against my nature to sit on the sidelines for very long.

"Softer" metal is not necessarily a bad thing on certain guns. With semi-autos, the hardness of the two mating surfaces must differ for consistent operation. But that's beside the point.

I once owned a 1903 Winchester 1886. The metal of that rifle was so soft, I couldn't imagine it taking the stress of high end .45-70 loads, yet, it was determined around the time I was being born in the 50s, that these guns would not wear out from stress due to the genius of their design.

My 1909 Argentine Mauser in .35 Whelen is a keeper. Yet, some custom gunsmiths believe their metal is too soft for high end loadings. Still, it's considered one of the most desirable actions from which to build medium calibers in custom Mausers. The .45acp is not a high end cartridge and soft is, as soft does.

There was a time when the Colt's Gold Cup was determined by "experts" not to have the longevity of other models because it had a "lite" slide. Of course, there was a time when this was gospel, long after that had been corrected...yet "experts" continued to write and re-write this every chance they had to sell print.

There are frauds here. Men of the school that "he who speaks the loudest, has to be right." Mostly, they are hen-pecked minor functionaries who have nowhere else to go to feel important. Often, they are people unsatisfied with their station in life have to find a platform from which to browbeat others. The internet is a place where pencil-necked geeks can assume "Captain America" proportions.

I've got this old Gold Cup - slightly modified. It took me through half a dozen years of competition and uncounted rounds fired. No peening. Heck, the frame rails still have some original bluing on them! Yet there are still experts who decry them for custom work because of the "lite" slide.

One old gentleman who waxed quite a few butts in Texas, used a bone stock 1911A1 with a cracked frame well after it should have been retired.

Some people talk a good game. Some people speak from experience. On the internet it's tough to tell. But one thing for sure, I am a lot more likely to believe something written by someone who posts their name and photo, than someone who does not. If you stand behind your name, you have a lot to lose if you lie.

Dan

Only one post from him today---------his Google Fu must be weak.

Bricktop decided to run his mouth about something he evidently knew nothing about. If he had any evidence that what he was saying was right, he'd have posted it. Personally, I think a person could argue til the cows come home about why certain "upscale" pistolsmiths won't warrant work on RI's, but if they are of soft steel, there should be some evidence of it. Since Bricktop brought it up and won't let it go, he should be the one to bring the evidence, or be outed as a common Anusjester.

I certainly have more to offer, like I said; I�ve known the original importer of Rock Island Armory guns for years�I have much more to offer.

Why won�t big name gunsmith�s work on RIA�s?

First, many will, but some wont.

I currently still sell 1911 parts at local gunshows and on EBAY to help support my gun and ammo habit.

I worked for the first importer of these guns. I was the guy who did all the inspection, testing and spec checking on these guns. When speaking of this gun I feel I can speak with some authority here. The comments that Bricktop has stated are in my opinion completely without fact.

After the shooting we took the gun apart and inspected. The recoil spring guide was toast. It took one hell of a beating but was still functional. The slide and frame showed no penning or cracks. The barrel lugs were still sharp and not dinged up, same with the locking grooves in the slide.

I�ve had these run ins with a few people who just push harder and louder. I call them on their BS and they just raise a racket.

I ALWAYS back up what I say.

Some interesting opinions and perspective on RIAs on this thread. To the guys who posted about their personal experiences with Rock Islands, thank you for that. Always good to see someone provide credible information on a topic.

Bricktop - can you offer any support for your opinion that that Rock Islands suck because (1) they are soft and (2) well known 1911 custom makers won't work on them. For example, showing us a detailed comparison of the Rock Island with other manufacturers, say, like the Springfields. Or, verifiable statements from some well known and respected custom makers that they refuse to do custom work on the Rock Islands.

As you love to tell other posters, if you said it on the internet, it must be true. We all look forward to you coming forward with some credible data or sources to back up your assertions.

I wonder, does Chip McCormick work on RIA guns?

Bricktop, we've gone through this exercise before. I'm asking you to present some credible evidence in support of your assertions that Rock Islands suck. Since you say they suck, surely you have some concrete evidence in support of that opinion.

I have not proferred any opinions regarding Rock Islands because I don't have any experience with them, nor have I reviewed any credible data or testing comparing Rock Islands to other 1911 manufacturers, like, for example, Springfields. For this reason, I won't be making any unsubstantiated claims about their quality or reliability on the internet.

You, on the other hand, have made some pretty strong statements that Rock Islands suck. Back it up with credible data, testing, or some other verifiable evidence. I'm sure you've got plenty of support for your opinions regarding Rock Islands, otherwise you would have never made these statements, right?

Looking forward to seeing your evidence, may help me make the choice between a Rock Island and a Springfield next time I buy a 1911.