Glock 21sf or RIA?

[MalC]

I just chose to get a RIA Tactical instead of the Glock 19 I had been eyeing for a while. So far it's been reliable and accurate, but I only have 250 rounds through it so it may be too early to draw any conclusions.

If your hands are really that small, I would get the Glock. I have small/medium-sized hands, and my 1911 still feels a little large to me (although I haven't put on thin grips yet). If your hands are tiny I imagine it might feel awkward to grip a 1911, I could be wrong though so shoot em both before you buy one.

[DannyInSoCal]

You should be able to get both for around $700 total -

I scored a Gen 3 G21 for $345 and a RIA Tactical for $375 -

Patience grasshopper......

[keder]

@driver I'm in Santa Barbara about thirty min north of ventura.
@ Danny yeah might do that...
Might just wait it out and see if I can find what I want used.

[American Samurai]

What the f is up with the small pistol grips on most Glocks? I had to sell a Sig Sauer because it had a small pistol grip as well.

[DT556]

I'm a huge 1911 fan, but out of those two choices I'd go with the Glock.

[Freq18Hz]

Small hands?

Glock?

.45ACP?

Simple... Glock 36 (slimline).

Do you ever recommend anything besides what you personally own, a Glock 36???

I've seen you recommend this gun at least 10 times, mostly in threads where no one asked about a Glock 36...

Give it a rest already. It's getting old.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/search.php?searchid=24134442

-Freq

[alfred1222]

Let's think, 1911 or plastic gun... You tell me

[Freq18Hz]

OP has a small budget, and wants a big boom. He already has a plastic striker fired gun. I think OP should save up for a nice 1911. In the meantime, if one must scratch the itch, perhaps a Ruger GP100 4 inch .357, or a smith 686. Inherently more accurate than a Glock or 1911, and more powerful.

-Freq

[ChaneRZ]

Rock Island 1911

[Travis590A1]

@driver I'm in Santa Barbara about thirty min north of ventura.
@ Danny yeah might do that...
Might just wait it out and see if I can find what I want used.

Island veiw enterprises in ventura rents them. They also have them for sale at $549
Its where I got mine. If you don't want to rent it buy some ammo and ill let you shoot mine, I live in Oxnard but Im in Santa Barbara often. Glass factory is my domain

[InGrAM]

RIA. I own an RIA, Gen 2 glock and M&P. I would choose the RIA, and M&P over the glock any day. I own pre-bans for the glock, BTW.

You can't fix poor ergonomics....

[Firerescuebatt07]

RIA. I own an RIA, Gen 2 glock and M&P. I would choose the RIA, and M&P over the glock any day. I own pre-bans for the glock, BTW.

You can't fix poor ergonomics....

yep, agreed... My M&P 40 is my favorite

[Oceanbob]

I love the 1911 platform but I'am not a big fan of Rock Island; hold out for a higher (more expensive) 1911.

I am a GLOCK guy; the GLOCK 21SF or GLOCK 21 GEN4 (same grip) are probably the best war, SHTF, get me home thru East LA weapons on the planet. They run 100%, no break in period, right out of the box they run 100%. You can customize a GLOCK or not. They run 13 round magazines as well. You can swim in the mud, bury the weapon for 6 months, drop it from a Helicopter, run it over with a car and the GLOCK will still run.

http://theprepared.com/content/view/90//administrator/

The RIA...not so much.

I love both platforms. Get a higher end 1911 later; get the Glock now.

(look into a GEN4; an incredible weapon)

Good luck.!

[DaveFJ80]

I've owned both, and actually at the same time. They're 2 completely different guns, and feel completely different in your hands if you're shooting them back to back.

IMO, if you're shooting them back to back (switching between the 2 guns... a 1911 and a G21SF), I felt that the 1911 just felt better and more comfortable in my hands and it was easier & faster to get my sights up onto the target. But this was a shooting range with non-moving targets.

I've used my G21SF at a handgun course (never used a 1911 for a handgun course... yet), and it really felt no different than if I used my 9mm G19 in a handgun course. It was very controlable and very comfortable & easy to shoot. Not to mention running 13rd mags was a benefit over 8rd mags from a 1911 during a handgun course.

As for the grip size, yes the G21SF is a much wider feeling grip over the 1911, but then all double-stack grips are like that. If you're going back & forth between the 2 grips, feeling them both out, the 1911 will most likely feel much more comfortable to you at that moment. But if you shoot the G21SF for awhile and don't have any issues with the grip, then you're immediatly used to it and it feels natural in your hands. That being said, my 2011 STI double-stack grip is actually "in the middle" between a 1911 and G21SF grip in terms of size and how it feels in my hand. If I had to guess, it feels closer to a 1911 grip size, but that's besides the point.


Overall, IMO it depends on what your overall use and goal will be for this handgun. If you want a fun range gun that will be enjoyable to shoot, get the RIA 1911 and have fun with it. If you want gun that'll be used for combat or primiarly used for HD, where you may want a weapon-mounted light on it, then get the Glock. These are my own personal opinions on this subject, as others will differ.

This should at least give you something to think about. My opinion is to get a Glock now if that's your budget, and save up later (or save up more now) and get a higher end 1911. I've had quite a few 1911's, and yes the RIA Tactical is a nice gun, but when you start to spend a few bucks more for different features on a 1911, you might then realize that it would've been better to just spend the extra money once and get what you really want.

[RedFord150]

RIA Tactical for $550.00 in my area. This would be my recommendation.
1911 grips are pretty slim. I like them much better than almost any other sem-auto. I am not clear why MalC thinks 1911 is a poor choice for shooters with small hands. The best way too find out if he is correct is to try one out and see how you like it.
Drunktank is the first person I have seen who complained about RIA reliability. Most people that own them love them. in fact, they almost seem too have a 'cult following'. However, many semi-autos are sensitive to magazine and ammo selection. I would look at both of these before condemning any semi-auto.
I would also beware of criticism from people who have never owned or even shot a particular make and model. Internet forums are full of unsupported opinions and many people will repeat them as proven fact.
Good luck.