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California handguns Discuss your favorite California handgun technical and related questions here. |
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#1
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1911 under $1000 RIA vs Armscor vs Citadel vs american classic vs ati vs springfield
Wondering if anyone has any of these low cost 1911's.... i know most of them are made overseas and imported by different companies.... any suggestions or thoughts on low end 1911s, the quality/reliability? i'm looking for a 3"-4" 1911
RIA Citadel Armscor ATI American Classic Springfield |
#2
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springfield
all the others are garbage. better yet buy a better model slightly used springfield or colt off the marketplace here on calguns if one comes up in your area. they come up all the time. |
#5
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I'm not a Kimber fan but I'd add a Kimber Compact to the list. I just prefer the reliability and ballistics of a 4" 45acp over a 3". That doesn't mean that 3" 1911s suck because they don't, I just prefer a 4".
If you don't mind a Commander sized 1911 then a S&W SW1911PD (108283) is a great choice if you can find one.
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"Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else." --FREDERIC BASTIAT-- Proud Life Member: National Rifle Association, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the California Rifle & Pistol Association |
#6
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Correct me if I'm wrong but I am pretty dang sure that the Armscor, RIA and Citadel are all made by the same company with different rollmarks on the slides.
Bobby Hated needs to get out an shoot some of these "garbage" guns, since I see more people posting about problems with "higher end" 1911s than with the more budget minded ones like the RIA. Personally if you are looking into the 3-4" size I would suggest the officer model that RIA makes. I have one and it has been extremely reliable and is extremely accurate, and if you hunt for them and have an FFL that doesn't charge an arm and a leg for transfers you can get one for ~$500 out the door.
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Any man who afflicts the human race with ideas must be prepared to see them misunderstood. - H.L Mencken Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid. - Han Solo "Moms Demand Action" sounds less like a gun control group and more like the title of a porn flick from the mid-90s. |
#8
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Taiwan born, Chinese descent, red white and freaking blue America citizen. Gun Control - A theory espoused by some monumentally stupid people; who claim to believe, against all logic and common sense, that a violent predator who ignores the laws prohibiting them from robbing, raping, kidnapping, torturing and killing their fellow human beings will obey a law telling them that they cannot own a gun. |
#9
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yes, Armscor manufactures RIA, Citadel,Charles Daly, High Standard, STI, etc. and there are more reported issues with the higher end 1911s....... Thanks i've found a Citadel Compact & Springfield champion w/ a $200 differences so we'll see how they feel in person, the molded frames vs. steel frames
Last edited by tazloccsta39; 06-24-2012 at 2:44 PM.. |
#10
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Huh? Are you referring to forged vs. casting?
If there is only a $200 difference between a Springfield and a Citadel, get the Springfield. |
#11
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if you can find one, go springfield. if you want to spend a little less, get a RIA. i have the RIA match and it is a tack driver. its eaten everything i have fed it from mil surplus to high-end defensive ammo. plus for the money, you wont mind if it get a little dinged up at the range. RIA is a shooters gun. Im not sure what bobby hated is talking about.
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"One of the ordinary modes, by which tyrants accomplish their purposes without resistance, is, by disarming the people, and making it an offense to keep arms." -- Constitutional scholar and Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story, 1840 "The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subjected people to carry arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subjected peoples to carry arms have prepared their own fall." — Adolf Hitler, Edict of 18 March 1939 |
#13
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Have an RIA with the match trigger (marketing ploy) ambi safety, novak sights and I can't complain...probably one of my favorite handguns that I own.
The grips suck, but easy to swap out and get what feels right on you. As far as them being garbage, do some research and see for yourself. You don't find many for sale or many bad reviews. |
#14
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I do like Bobby's advice about finding a good used 1911 in the marketplace.
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#15
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I bought a RIA Tac in December, shoot about 1300 round through it so far. I've been very happy about the gun. I was going to purchase a $1000 1911 but that's on hold because my RIA filled that void with it's dependability out of the box. The money I've saved was spent on my components for reloading a few thousand 45acp .
BTW: Some internet experts will always hate the cheaper priced guns, because that's just how the internet is!
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http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF...reative=390957 |
#16
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low pressure is correct, I did the same and am very happy. my Ria is not a safe queen it's for shooting. I will buy a safe queen down the line i'm sure nut for now I am very happy and the lifetime warrenty and support from RIA is great. I can literally email the owner, or Arnel (main gunsmith) with general questions, i haven't had a problem yet. and they will return my email within 24 hours always. nice guys and company.
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#18
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From what I heard, the RIA 1911s are made with Colt tooling so you are buying made by american tooling in the Philipines,
but then i found this link saying they arent but RIA 1911s still shoot awesome. http://www.go2gbo.com/forums/index.p...,223136.0.html its a good gun, i own a tactical model and it shoots awesome. Ive shot a friends springfield and it was on par with my RIA nothing special or different about it to me. So spend 450$ on a RIA and 500$ on ammo.
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2 HANDGUNS STOLEN! 1 RECOVERED READ HERE Chickens Want to get into Ham Radio? Click here http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=202581 |
#21
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With a budget of $1000, you could get a used or new RIA for just a little over half your budget. You could use the other $400-500 and pick up a reloading setup and components and afford to shoot your new 45. Trust me, shooting a 45 gets expensive really quick lol. When I bought my first 1911 I was barely able to shoot it because it was about $3 a magazine. After getting my reloading setup I don't even blink at shooting 100-200 rounds per session since its only .12 cents a round now since I reload.
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#22
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I personally wouldn't be touching any Kimber Series II after reading over the years about various problems (yes I know Series I is in another league). And to boot, Kimber has a 2 year warranty? RIA and Springfield are lifetime. As much as I love to support buying American, I support buying wisely first.
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“The rifle itself has no moral stature, since it has no will of its own. Naturally, it may be used by evil men for evil purposes, but there are more good men than evil, and while the latter cannot be persuaded to the path of righteousness by propaganda, they can certainly be corrected by good men with rifles.” - Jeff Cooper, Art of the Rifle |
#24
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You WILL get flamed. People will always fiercly defend reasons for being cheap. If this was a car forum, we'd hear arguments about how users Geo Metro's are just as good if not better than Farrari's
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Buy my EO Tech XPS3-0!!! For those nutjobs who like to use the word "gouge" Note: I did not write the above article. Any carpenters in Socal want a side project? |
#25
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Either way, it really depends what you are looking for in a 1911. I am a relatively new shooter compared to some of you guys, and was pointed in the direction of an RIA when I was selecting my first handgun when I decided I preferred that platform. Advantages I found: -I have shot more expensive ones, and I can tell you I personally do not shoot better (or worse) between the different handguns. -While it's not pretty, it also means mistakes in assembling/disassembling, scratches, and dings, don't make me cringe too much. -This won't be the last handgun I buy so that money saved can go to other things Summary: I think the RIA is a great starting place, I have no illusion that it's the end all be all of 1911, but its certainly not trash |
#26
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Springfield has a forged frame and slide, and lifetime warranty with reported excellent customer service.
RIA has a cast slide with more bells and whistles and reported excellent customer service. I'd go for the Springfield. |
#27
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Yeah, and I wish I were wealthy enough that I could consider the hair-under $1000 I spent on my SA Loaded "Low-Cost".
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Too many hobbies, Too little time. Mind you, I'm 5'7", 180, with a visible Ab... |
#29
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RIA's have cast frames, not slides. And the bells and whistles can be more or less than SA depending upon which models you compare.
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"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." "What we get away with isn't usually the same as what's good for us" "An extended slide stop is the second most useless part you can put on a 1911" "While Ruger DA revolvers may be built like a tank, they have the aesthetics of one also, although I suppose there are a few tanks which I owe an apology to for that remark" |
#30
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There is nothing wrong with buying an inexpensive firearm for range use (or for any use if it is all you can afford). However, as in all things, you should buy the best you can afford for the purpose. For example, if you need a defense gun and only have $500, buy a Glock for heaven's sake. I recently bought a Smith & Wesson 910S for the range since I don't want to shoot the heck out of my S&W 5906 or my vintage Browning HP. Yes, the Smith is not as well made as the 5906 or my BHP but it works and is fun to shoot. I would never, however, say it is "as good as" the more expensive pistols because it is not and I will not carry it for defense as I have better options. I have had 2 Colt 1911's and 1 Springfield and they were well made and quality guns. I have shot several RIA's at the range and they are clearly not in the same class (less quality metals, processes, finishes, etc.). However, I'm thinking of buying one because they seem to be range-reliable and I can use it the same way I use the S&W 910S, for practice and to save the other 1911's for carry and "occasional" range time. The less expensive guns are not "garbage" but neither are they "just as good" as the better guns. There is no need to defend them but let's not try to compare apples to oranges either.
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#32
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Here's another option. I bought a sig sauer xo 1911 last month for $760 plus tax and fees. It has stainless forged frame and slide with a nitron finish. It has true novak sight cuts if the time comes where you want to change the sights. The slide to frame fit is very tight, no rattles when you shake it. It also comes with front strap checkering. The gun is very accurate and shoots to point of aim.
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#33
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I have one of those garbage RIAs in compact. Over 1k rounds without any issues what so ever. There will always be those that say if you dont have what I have then you have gabage, meh.
RIA compact (officers size) only needed new grips and I would recomend upgrading the sights.
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"Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not on there, I go to work." |
#35
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Ria is one of the best buys out of any handgun right now... Accurate, reliable and priced very well... It also makes a great project gun to get you into the world of "home smithin." I think the finish on them is garbage... But considering most my guns get duracoated or cerakoated, I don't mind... Been contemplating a 9mm ria now for a few months... Just too many guns on my list and not enough time or money these days...
In comparison, I have a kimber tactical entry ii and it has been one of the most unreliable guns I have owned. Out of the box it ran terribly, I ended up sending it to a 1911 guru and put another 8 or 9 hundred in it together a few mags, sights and smith work... It now runs great, but I would say I have close to 2k in it. With My buddy's ria tactical I shoot the same groups more or less, target acquisition is a faster on the kimber because of the sights. But they are both tack drivers and one was 700 vs 2k... That's a lot of ammo and supplies. |
#36
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FYI guys, not knocking anyones pistols but you seriously cant call a handgun "reliable" after just running a couple thousand rounds through it ESPECIALLY in a clean and sterile range. Figure five hundred is a good training weekend. A thousand rounds is just two weekends of shooting, two thousand is four. People who run a few boxes of ammo and claim how "reliable" their gun is to the same as a person who buys a brand new truck, drives it a couple hundred miles and talks about its the most reliable truck ever owned
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Buy my EO Tech XPS3-0!!! For those nutjobs who like to use the word "gouge" Note: I did not write the above article. Any carpenters in Socal want a side project? |
#37
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whats funnier, are the people who says something is garbage when they havent put enough round with it down range
im very opinionated when it comes to reliablity and function and form, but thats because i actually use my stuff...no range queens, and im upfront if something i bought is having issues, so the next person can get a heads up at the same time everyones experienceay differ, i think my old hummer h2 was the worst POS i ever drove, someone might think its the best SUV they have ever owned :/
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-Coi- N R A member since 2008 .177-.22lr-.410-9mm-38spr-.45acp-45lc-7.62x39-7.62x54r-12ga ~your friendly neighborhood ZOMBIE hunter~ |
#38
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Here's my cheap Norinco 1911. Was SO CHEAP I had enuff money left over to do some upgrades.
Last edited by akjunkie; 12-21-2012 at 3:15 PM.. |
#40
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Anyway, nothing to do with the quality of their guns, just don't want people to keep believing / spreading the RIA = COLT machines yarn. It's not true so why mention it?
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Last edited by keenkeen; 06-26-2012 at 6:25 AM.. |
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