Citadel 1911, Lazy Range Report

[Air]

I bought this thing 2 or 3 years ago as a beater (so I could keep my Colt 'pretty'),and it sat in the safe until today. That's bad, I know, but I was messing around with other things, and every time I went to the range or doing a class, I just said meh, doing other stuff or have other stuff I want to shoot right now. So it sat.

A few months ago, the wife was out of town so I spent a week in the garage casting boolits. With all the free time and lack of nagging, I went to work. After I got finished with casting an ungodly amount of 45 and 38/357 Boolits, I went to work rolling stuff up. I rolled up a big azz Cigar box of 45's with Tumble Lubed 230gr RN boolits from a Lee Mold.

I just followed a published load out of the Lee book using the Auto Disk and Win231 without overthinking things, just fartin around loads anyway...super light target loads.

I fully expected this pistol to be a gigantic turd, especially with my trashy cast reloads, but to my surprise...

The pistol functioned FLAWLESSLY. These guns seem to have a mixed review across the boards, but I was pleasantly surprised about my 'new' 2 or 3 (or so) year old pistol.


So...moral of the story. I'm pleased with this cheap 1911 shooting my own crappy cast reloads.

Are these still on Roster? If so, I can recommend it.

[Air]

Oh, and btw, the included Italian Magazines functioned just as good as my Chip Shooting Star's, can't complain about that!

[TS77]

Got one earlier this year, have put maybe 100 rounds through it, great feature set and value, haven't had any issues.

[Woodythedog]

My Citidel has been flawless for approx 500 bang bangs. A great shooter and very accurate. A bargain for the price. I put some new grips on it....the wood ones it came with looked cheap to me...what a difference in appearance and use.

[newbie1234]

First I bought $1.5K 1911 .45ACP, then later I bought $1K 1911 9mm. These two shoot very much the same, except a little bit more recoil on .45ACP. And then I bought RIA GI $450 against the rumor that the Citadel is better than RIA GI ? I shoot all of my three 1911's more than 2K rds each, and I found out that for my 'old ages eyes' and 'grumpy fingers' all three shoot about the same to me. But I have a pride to own an expensive guns you know. I bought an expensive gun because I want it not because I need it .
I think the issue of the RIA/Citadel is a POS is a personal reference. BTW, some people think a "tied" 1911 is a good one, for me I don't think so, during the VN war some of us had been issued the WWII 1911 Colt, that gun made sound 'click click' and 'clack clack' when you shake it but it SHOOT man, I am currently own the Walther P-38 that make sound 'click clack' when I shake it shoot accurate and flawlessly.

[Christopher761]

If it is going to sit that long: clean it normally, and then use white grease on any exposed metal. Grease will stay put.

I don't have the citadel, but I do have the RIA GI, and I like it very much.

[855R]

My Citadel is my high end 1911 and it has been a perfect shooter for me too. It once got a scratched while at the range now it has character and my day was not ruined.

[SoldierLife7]

I don't have a Citadel, but I did buy a Rock Island a couple of years ago, and I am really happy with it.

I will say that before I shot it, it spent a few weeks with my favorite 'smith. It is now a match grade 1911... I think I probably have the most expensive Rock Island in SoCal...but it's a great pistol and I'm happy. That's all that really matters...right?

[Fishslayer]

I have an RIA Tactical I bought in 2010. Our Filipino friends make some very servicable 1911s.

My go-to range fodder is a Bear Creek 200gr RNHB over 4.6gr of Green Dot. Very accurate in every .45ACP I've put it through.

[crufflers]

Oh, and btw, the included Italian Magazines functioned just as good as my Chip Shooting Star's, can't complain about that!

ACT mags work fine for me. Sig used to use them too. Old ones used to crack supposedly. Maye the new ones are a lot better.

[ShaneB]

I’ve got a RIA tactical 45 and a GI 38 super converted to 9mm and both have run flawless with about 1500 rds each. They go with me every range trip.

[WWDHD?]

My first 1911 is an RIA Tactical (lefty- got to have the ambi-safety). Pretty nice for the $$. I had to send mine back after 500 rounds because it was jamming just a bit to much. RIA was great. Paid shipping both ways. Don't remember what they did but it's been fine ever since. Wish it had better sights though. That's one of those projects I keep putting off.