New RIA Commander

[MisterNoisy]

Very nice, and it looks like it agrees with you!

[btleslie]

Congrats enjoy your new friend!

[Elwood717]

Congratulations on your new firearm.

[MOONDAWG]

Nice looking 1911...enjoy.

[LAZY EYED SNIPER]

SNIPER: Those ARE nice grips!! Any other work in addition to a new pair of mitt handles? Also, I rarely hang out with 1911 purists. At the range I frequent, most handgun shooters are shooting the latest compact this or revolver that . . . .

Thank you Sir.

I had a few plans for "upgrades" that ended as soon as I took it out for the first range trip. It shot so well that I don't want to change a thing now...

[Montkun]

Very nice sir, i'm sure you're gonna love that RIA. I absolutely love my full size A1, and the gun is way more accurate than i am with those standard GI "sights". I like to think of them more as "general reference points" since i've grown so used to the 3-dots on my PT945.



Mine was only slightly greasy internally, but i still stripped it all down, cleaned it with Hoppe's #9, lubed it with RemOil and then to my surprise as well, the oil was almost non-existent after racking the slide a few times. So i disassembled and applied a light coat of synthetic wheel bearing grease to all the moving parts. I normally just use it on the slide rails, but since it seems like the finish just absorbed the RemOil or something, i've since switched to using Break Free CLP on all my guns.

I wouldn't worry too much about the first round chambering, i had some trouble with it as well. Figured out if i let the slide and spring do their job, a good hard slingshot back sends that first round in with no problems. Maybe try running some JHP's through it to help break in that feed ramp, and you should have a fine operating pistol on your side. I've got about 250 rounds through mine now, here's my target from saturday at 7 yards away. I need to put up a range report but i didn't get a chance to yesterday. No key-holing with 230 gr Federal Champions from Walmart, so i was pretty happy with the results that day. And yes, the two "eyes" on the target were on purpose, just wish i had better sights to put a nose and mouth on there as well. Lol

[wiredgeorge]

I carry the same RIA 1911 in commander size. I would like to get more info on the tune up and get the trigger eased a bit. I also have an Armscor Charles Daly 1911 EFS Target in stainless and the trigger is about 2 lbs less pull and much smoother. The RIA is very accurate but some different sights would probably enhance accuracy even more.

RIA.jpg

[daytonaredeye]

OK, I mentioned in my range report that the skinny lipped grip safety was somewhat irritating (making me appreciate the wide lipped beavertail grip safety a bit more); well a couple of days after the range trip I was putting the gun away as I was heading out of town. When I picked it up and gripped it, I felt an OUCH where the tip of the grip safety makes contact with the webbing between the thumb and trigger finger and noticed a blistering I hadn't noted before. It hadn't even felt painful since the range trip and I guess I just had to have the tip of the grip hit the spot it had rubbed for me to notice it. Well, here it is . . . .



As I said, no hammer bite, per se, but a nice blisterin'

Yeah, I know this likely would only happen with repetitive shooting (like a range visit) but I will probably look to replace the grip safety with a beavertail version or wear a glove or something. Still very satisfied with the shooter - just a little hitch in its giddy-up . . .

[dbeardslee]

Looks like a nice pistola, but I do have a question. Did you put the idiot scratch on it, or did it come that way? (not calling you an idiot - it's just what that scratch under the slide stop is called) When you put the slide stop back in never push it all the way in 'till it touches the frame and then slide it up to take it home. You have to get the plunger back a little with the tip, and then push it straight in - or the scratch will get worse. JAT

[daytonaredeye]

Looks like a nice pistola, but I do have a question. Did you put the idiot scratch on it, or did it come that way? (not calling you an idiot - it's just what that scratch under the slide stop is called) When you put the slide stop back in never push it all the way in 'till it touches the frame and then slide it up to take it home. You have to get the plunger back a little with the tip, and then push it straight in - or the scratch will get worse. JAT

Sorry, took me a minute to figure out what you were referring to. Looked at my OP pic and saw the small blemish extending down from rear end of slide stop and initially thought it was flash glare but just looked at the pistol and you are right, there is a small marking there. I may have done it the first time I took it apart since I was new to it. I've taken it down three times now - twice in the pre-range cleaning and once post range. The slide stop really does come out quite easily - much more easily than that in my PT1911. It almost falls out with gravity at the "slide stop removal" part of the take down. After the first time, when I really wasn't sure if there would be tension in that maneuver, I usually just drop it back in with gravity. I read that parkerized finishes may be prone to easy scratching and may at some future point have the finish re-done. I have no idea if another prospective customer did any take downs while it was still on display, though. As per my comments, though, as well, my first goal will be changing out the grip safety to something which won't scratch/blister my hands.