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 01-29-2009, 04:27 PM | #1 | Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Marshall, Texas Posts: 47 |  rock island armory 1911
I purchased a Rock Island Armory 1911 last week at a gun show in Tyler, Texas. For $399.00, I thought it was a good buy after I read all of these forums on them. I bought the 4'' Commander style. After 100 rounds, the slide would not cycle anymore. I took the gun home, and broke it down.The instuctions stated this pistol was meant for {230 grain factory fmj } only. If that would have been written on the box on display, I wouldn`t have purchased this gun ! The ejector was bent, only 100 rounds through the gun ! The factory 8 round magazine did not work with 8 rounds in it, it will with 7. I should have bought the Springfield Armory for $75.00 more. My gunsmith laughed at the week metals in this gun, he tried to punch the pin out to get the ejector out. The pin mushroomed in the setting as he tried to punch it out, the metal was too soft. He ordered a strong ejector and pin from ''Brownell`s''. I am now gonna be $85.00 over the price of the gun.I contacted Armscor on their web-site, no response in 1 week. Spend a little more and get the Springfield Armory.I will take the Rock Island back to the range after my gunsmith gets done with it and let you know how it does. 
Last edited by shannon; 01-29-2009 at 04:38 PM.Reason: grammer | 
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| 01-29-2009, 04:58 PM | #2 | Call Me Doug Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: It's because I actually HAVE those skills! Posts: 21,258 |
Shannon - That is truly horrible news, I am sorry to hear that. Please do keep us informed of the goings on as we like to let all of our members know who is, and who is not, a good company to deal with.
Best of luck in your repair effort.
Anyone with a RIA seen this 230 FMJ warning before?
JD
EDIT: Shannon, I added a thumbs down to the title to get some more folks in here to read and respond, hopefully with some information for you. JD __________________ "as for my Sword & Spear we will serve the throne, but NEVER that man who sits upon it" - Achilles - Warrior of Warriors
Quote:
Originally Posted by doctherock
Dillinger didn't have to let me try Cammenga Mags before I bought them; but he is a man of great character & a man who's word to me now is a good as gold. If he recommends it I know its good stuff.
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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ! | |
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| 01-29-2009, 05:25 PM | #3 | Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 2,350 |
Right in the manual it states the the RIA 1911 is only guaranteed to work with 230 grain FMJ ammo.
First rule: Always read the manual before using the firearm regardless of how well educated you think you may be on a certain type of firearm.
With that said, it sounds like you got a lemon RIA 1911 and I'm sorry to hear about it. I hope you get it repaired/replaced really soon. I have had no problem with mine, but mine is a full size government model. The RIA does have softer metal than the Springfields and Kimbers out there. That is one of the reasons the cost is down.
I hope the pistol works good for you after you get the gunsmith work done. If not, then get a Springfield or Kimber right away.
EDIT: What rounds did you use with the RIA? Were they factory 230 grain, or did you run reloads/hot rounds? __________________ "TRAIN WITH WHAT YOU HAVE, NOT WITH WHAT YOU WISH YOU HAVE." | |
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| 01-29-2009, 05:28 PM | #4 | Call Me Doug Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: It's because I actually HAVE those skills! Posts: 21,258 |
Quote:
Originally Posted by SGT-MILLER
Right in the manual it states the the RIA 1911 is only guaranteed to work with 230 grain FMJ ammo.
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That just really baffles my mind that they are able to move products with that in their own manual.
What good is the damn thing if you plan on reloading to save cost, or God forbid, don't have 230gr. FMJ available in your immediate area??
Yeah, you can reload for .230 grain with a FMJ bullet - but you get my point, there are more accurate loads out there.
I would have to give a big thumbs down to RIA based on that information...
JD __________________ "as for my Sword & Spear we will serve the throne, but NEVER that man who sits upon it" - Achilles - Warrior of Warriors
Quote:
Originally Posted by doctherock
Dillinger didn't have to let me try Cammenga Mags before I bought them; but he is a man of great character & a man who's word to me now is a good as gold. If he recommends it I know its good stuff.
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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ! | |
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| 01-29-2009, 05:41 PM | #5 | I'm always 10-8 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: 150 miles NE of Sloppy Joe's Bar, in the "GunShine" State Posts: 19,200 Liked 7 Times on 6 Posts
Likes Given: 6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shannon
I purchased a Rock Island Armory 1911 last week at a gun show in Tyler, Texas. For $399.00, I thought it was a good buy after I read all of these forums on them. I bought the 4'' Commander style. After 100 rounds, the slide would not cycle anymore. I took the gun home, and broke it down.The instuctions stated this pistol was meant for {230 grain factory fmj } only. If that would have been written on the box on display, I wouldn`t have purchased this gun ! The ejector was bent, only 100 rounds through the gun ! The factory 8 round magazine did not work with 8 rounds in it, it will with 7. I should have bought the Springfield Armory for $75.00 more. My gunsmith laughed at the week metals in this gun, he tried to punch the pin out to get the ejector out. The pin mushroomed in the setting as he tried to punch it out, the metal was too soft. He ordered a strong ejector and pin from ''Brownell`s''. I am now gonna be $85.00 over the price of the gun.I contacted Armscor on their web-site, no response in 1 week. Spend a little more and get the Springfield Armory.I will take the Rock Island back to the range after my gunsmith gets done with it and let you know how it does. |
Shannon WELCOME to the forum and let’s hope we can help change this bad experience with some good advice. Is there any way you can photo the RIA warning and post the pic here?
I'm not questioning you; just want the members to see what the mfgs are selling!
We have several RIA owners here and I've never heard of this ridiculous restriction applied to a 1911 design! JM Browning must be rolling over in his grave!
# 1, you should have sent the gun back to RIA or to the dealer you purchased it from at minimum. RIA will just say the gun has been modified now. Sorry, if the work has not been done yet I’d stop and send the gun back as-is!
If not 230 gr FMJ, what were you shooting? The commander should eat most anything short of aggressive hollow points!
Is the receiver (frame) steel or alloy?
My guess is that with a ‘new’ and most likely over-tight extractor in conjunction with an improperly heat-treated (read; cheap) ejector you would wind up with a bent part.
The 8 vs 7 round mag problem doesn’t surprise me. If you keep the gun, do yourself a favor and upgrade to a name-brand (Wilson Combat 47 series) magazine.
“I should have bought the Springfield…” Na, a COLT! 
Forget the web site, other than getting their mailing address! Write a letter demanding they replace the gun with a new working unit. That’s what you expected when you laid down your cash. (Was it cash or CC? If on credit card, stop payment and get them involved!) Tell RIA you do not trust this gun and you fear shooting it. Send it certified mail with a received signature card. Record/copy any and all correspondences (including your web site contact) and bills/estimates. Don’t settle for anything short of reimbursements for repairs.
Keep in touch and let us know how you do.
PS: I am not a firearms attorney and do not play one on TV!  __________________ .
 .. Colt 11101110111..MEMBER: FAAM, NRA, GOA, DAV, USSV, SAE
Colt, everything else is stamp collecting! - cane
"Given ten days for a project, a good engineer spends nine days figuring out how to finish it in one day."
Resistance is not futile.
It's voltage divided by current (R=V/I).
"If you don't know what you're doing, don't do it on a large scale." | |
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| 01-29-2009, 06:11 PM | #6 | Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Marshall, Texas Posts: 47 |
The rounds i used was PMC 230grn fmj factory, and Remington UMC 230 grn FMj
Last edited by shannon; 01-29-2009 at 06:15 PM. | |
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| 01-29-2009, 06:17 PM | #7 | Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Marshall, Texas Posts: 47 |
I have 2 Springfields and 2 Colts, but wanted a 4'' inch ''more affordable'' 1911 to use for carry.. | |
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| 01-29-2009, 06:51 PM | #8 | Administrator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Hill Country, Texas Posts: 3,661 Liked 1 Times on 1 Posts
Likes Given: 1
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Happen to snap any pictures while the gunsmith was working on it? Would be great to post here and send to them. __________________ Not Registered? Register now! - It's free and helps the community grow. | |
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| 01-29-2009, 07:11 PM | #9 | I'm always 10-8 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: 150 miles NE of Sloppy Joe's Bar, in the "GunShine" State Posts: 19,200 Liked 7 Times on 6 Posts
Likes Given: 6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shannon
The rounds i used was PMC 230grn fmj factory, and Remington UMC 230 grn FMj
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You used what they recommended??
I would have shoved the commander, wishing it was a government just for the extra size, up their ass!! __________________ .
.. Colt 11101110111..MEMBER: FAAM, NRA, GOA, DAV, USSV, SAE
Colt, everything else is stamp collecting! - cane
"Given ten days for a project, a good engineer spends nine days figuring out how to finish it in one day."
Resistance is not futile.
It's voltage divided by current (R=V/I).
"If you don't know what you're doing, don't do it on a large scale." | |
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| 01-29-2009, 08:24 PM | #10 | Sic Semper Tyrannis Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: , The Mother Lode Posts: 18,437 |
I had a RIA Tactical model for a short time. It regularly failed to feed and the slide failed to lock open with Les Baer and Kimber mags. Apparently it states in the manual that the pistol is only guaranteed to work with factory supplied mags. They only provide one mag with the pistol. They are Act Mag magazines.
I had absolutely no faith in this pistol and didn't trust it. So I consigned it to the shop. I took a loss, but I was shed of it.
While I understand that every now and then a lemon comes along, I will never buy a RIA product again. I wouldn't trust my life to one. __________________
Ineptocracy (in-ep-toc’-ra-cy) - a system of government where those least capable of leadership are elected by those least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to succeed or provide for themselves are rewarded with goods and services paid for by wealth confiscated from a diminishing number of people who actually work and produce.
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