Super Sneaky Steve
New member
I've owned a 3" RIA and it always had problems. Springfield is an anti-2A company.
Buy a Colt.
Buy a Colt.
45 question: RIA or Springfield?
- Thread starter L. Boscoe
- Start date
Want to agree.
RIAs have zero collector value unless you're a collector who's prone to scrapping at the bottom-of-the-1911-barrel.
Maybe as low-cost "shooter" 1911, ... if RIA's QC was actually consistent. Colt's definitely the original, everything after it is a clone. Even a hiccupy Colt will sell for more on the pre-owned shelf than an RIA or a Springer.
That said, Springers can be great shooters and I had a few of those.
Collectible? Ah meh, blah. Maybe a first run Operator or such, but an S.A. still doesn't compete with the Pony in that department.
Stinkypete, I have shot in pistol leagues. I call myself "mediocre". My scores were in the 270's for slow,timed,rapid.
Yes,a fine,tuned 1911 is an advantage.I did not say it wasn't. Likely,to be a top shooter,you will need a gun capable of all "x-rings"
I enjoyed shooting with an older Gentleman in his 70's,he had Coke bottle glasses and palsy shook his hands.He came over to compliment my old High Standard semi-auto with a hammer and a fixed sight I made. His name was Kirkpatrick. That guys targets were in the high 290's. Like "297" with a lot of X's.
I'd bet Kirkpatrick could outshoot me with a duty grade RIA,and I would not outshoot Kirkpatrick with a $5000 match 1911.
I'm not talking competitive shooters, but most folks who have a 1911 or a Glock or whatever service/SD pistol they own will have a hard time keeping them all in the black at 25 yds 90%. A pretty fair percentage of the pistols will put them all in the black from a ransom rest.
I've owned two 1911's that were very accurate. One was built by Ben Jones at Guncraft.The other by a Friend/ Armorer.
They did not come with shooting skills installed.
You can't buy shooting skills with equipment. Absolutely,equipment and ammo can "make the target bigger" I agree,to be "top shooter" among top shooters, you have to have a gun that will shoot with their guns. Its a level playing field thing.
Agreed,a gun that is extremely bad is just discouraging.
I've never bought myself a NIB 1911 of any brand. I have built myself a fixture that holds and positions a 1911 barrel on a Yuasa rotary table bolted to a Bridgeport. I can set up and profile the underlug just right with a 5mm carbide end mill.
I do that after I fit the bushing and get a blue transfer fitup between the barrel and the slide. Then I mockup the barrel,slide and frame and use gauge pins through the slide stop hole to measure just how much to cut.
It works really well.
I like Kart barrels. I have a warhorse looking 45 with a parkerized surplus Remington slide and an RIA frame. Had to do just a touch a frame to slide lapping. Bulletproof slide stop. Colt plain thumb safety. A spur hammer Cylinder and Slide duty trigger parts kit. A trijicon staked front night sight, A 10-8 NM U-notch rear sight. Fixed. No beavertail . Just a 1911. It didn't cost much. Shoots good. I built it.
I agree Kimber is not what it used to be. There was a time..maybe 30 years ago? or so,when Colt 1911's might need a little love out of the box. The advice I was given by an experienced 3 gun competitor "Well,you can buy a new Colt,and pay a pistolsmith$1500 to go through it. If you get the wrong smith,it will still suck. Or you can just buy a Kimber Match Target and go shoot"
Yes,a fine,tuned 1911 is an advantage.I did not say it wasn't. Likely,to be a top shooter,you will need a gun capable of all "x-rings"
I enjoyed shooting with an older Gentleman in his 70's,he had Coke bottle glasses and palsy shook his hands.He came over to compliment my old High Standard semi-auto with a hammer and a fixed sight I made. His name was Kirkpatrick. That guys targets were in the high 290's. Like "297" with a lot of X's.
I'd bet Kirkpatrick could outshoot me with a duty grade RIA,and I would not outshoot Kirkpatrick with a $5000 match 1911.
I'm not talking competitive shooters, but most folks who have a 1911 or a Glock or whatever service/SD pistol they own will have a hard time keeping them all in the black at 25 yds 90%. A pretty fair percentage of the pistols will put them all in the black from a ransom rest.
I've owned two 1911's that were very accurate. One was built by Ben Jones at Guncraft.The other by a Friend/ Armorer.
They did not come with shooting skills installed.
You can't buy shooting skills with equipment. Absolutely,equipment and ammo can "make the target bigger" I agree,to be "top shooter" among top shooters, you have to have a gun that will shoot with their guns. Its a level playing field thing.
Agreed,a gun that is extremely bad is just discouraging.
I've never bought myself a NIB 1911 of any brand. I have built myself a fixture that holds and positions a 1911 barrel on a Yuasa rotary table bolted to a Bridgeport. I can set up and profile the underlug just right with a 5mm carbide end mill.
I do that after I fit the bushing and get a blue transfer fitup between the barrel and the slide. Then I mockup the barrel,slide and frame and use gauge pins through the slide stop hole to measure just how much to cut.
It works really well.
I like Kart barrels. I have a warhorse looking 45 with a parkerized surplus Remington slide and an RIA frame. Had to do just a touch a frame to slide lapping. Bulletproof slide stop. Colt plain thumb safety. A spur hammer Cylinder and Slide duty trigger parts kit. A trijicon staked front night sight, A 10-8 NM U-notch rear sight. Fixed. No beavertail . Just a 1911. It didn't cost much. Shoots good. I built it.
I agree Kimber is not what it used to be. There was a time..maybe 30 years ago? or so,when Colt 1911's might need a little love out of the box. The advice I was given by an experienced 3 gun competitor "Well,you can buy a new Colt,and pay a pistolsmith$1500 to go through it. If you get the wrong smith,it will still suck. Or you can just buy a Kimber Match Target and go shoot"
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45 Question: Ria or Springfield
One thing I like about this forum is the wealth of knowledge. We have a shop in my town that makes custom 1911's for the competition guys, $3600 per. I doubt I can live up to what one of those can do. They are nice to hold and dry fire, but I would feel really stupid owning one, kind of like Archie Bunker owning a Ferrari or some such. The owner does gunsmithing on anything I bring him, trigger jobs, slide milling, trouble shooting. He may be my best source for the question I am raising here.
I have got some targets with 1.5 in groups with TEN shots from 15 yards from a rest, from the Tangfolio, so the equipment is up to the task.
Still like to shoot different guns/mgfs - maybe a Ruger or Dan Wesson instead of RIA and Springfield.
One thing I like about this forum is the wealth of knowledge. We have a shop in my town that makes custom 1911's for the competition guys, $3600 per. I doubt I can live up to what one of those can do. They are nice to hold and dry fire, but I would feel really stupid owning one, kind of like Archie Bunker owning a Ferrari or some such. The owner does gunsmithing on anything I bring him, trigger jobs, slide milling, trouble shooting. He may be my best source for the question I am raising here.
I have got some targets with 1.5 in groups with TEN shots from 15 yards from a rest, from the Tangfolio, so the equipment is up to the task.
Still like to shoot different guns/mgfs - maybe a Ruger or Dan Wesson instead of RIA and Springfield.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
You probably can't go wrong with a Dan Wesson.