Auto Ordnance vs Rock Island 1911s

[HisSoldier]

Rock Island slides are extruded

Really? I like to learn new things, but would have assumed they were machined from rolled preheat treated rectangular barstock. I'd need to see the material to believe they were extruded, there is a huge difference between rolled and extruded as extrusion is normally done with the more plastic materials like aluminum alloys. I know the RIA slides are 4140 assuming the ads are true.

 

[gc70]

Really? I like to learn new things, but would have assumed they were machined from rolled preheat treated rectangular barstock. I'd need to see the material to believe they were extruded, there is a huge difference between rolled and extruded as extrusion is normally done with the more plastic materials like aluminum alloys. I know the RIA slides are 4140 assuming the ads are true.

Discussions of Armscor/RIA slides being made from extruded steel are numerous and go back more than a decade. Generally reliable sources repeat the claim. And steel extrusions are common.

 

[KyJim]

Re RIA using extruded steel. From their FAQ page: “Our 1911 Frames are Cast 4140 Carbon Steel and our Slides are Forged 4140 Steel.”

I recall contacting STI years ago about their Spartan model that Armscor used to make for them. STI told me Armscor used to have extruded steel but switched to forged slides

 

[AgedWarrior]

I own a RIA 1911 in 10mm. It has proven to be reliable and quite accurate. It handles every type of bullet I have fed it without issue, from the little Nosler 135 grain hollow points to 200 grain cast lead flat nose. A good friend owns an AO in .45 ACP that I got to shoot a few times. It shot accurately, and functioned well with ball ammo. Hollow points could cause feeding issues off and on. He said it seemed to handle lead just fine, but all he ever tried was round nose 230 grain. The AO has a little more eye appeal in general, but very little. Over all, between the two guns the only edge the AO has is a very slight edge in appearance. In all other aspects the RIA is superior in function and reliability. The trigger on the RIA is also better, crisp.