RIA vs SA 1911

[Jefpainthorse]

Im glad I missed this one...did anyone mention kimber...nevermind ...I dont want to know

There is a Kimber in the house here...my wife has an Aegis. Kimber does such a nice job running CNC machines they get a little close to the bone. I am looking forward to see how it holds up... we expect this one to get some run time.

The great thing about the good old all steel 1911? You could weld on it, file on it, beat it with a hammer and get a million miles on it... I dont see that potential out of anodized aluminum, cast frames or bar stock slides.

If your gun gets 500 rounds the first year... and a box or two every year after then ends up in a sock drawer it really dont matter.

 

[Jwryan84]

I wish this thread had been around a few years ago before I spent so much on mine. I could have bought a RIA Tactical and had almost the same thing!

You suck, that is awesome. I took I different, lower paying job or I would have one of those AI beauties as well. Guess I'm just stuck with my TRP

 

[JD8]

A friend of mine just bought an STI. The frame is made in the Phillipines by Armscor..... THE SAME COMPANY THAT MAKES RIA. Cheers.

To clarify the STI spartan is the only 1911 they sell that is made by Armscor. For awhile, Armscor was doing extrusions for their slides..... which is junk.

Well..... heheheh.... that's where you've got me by the ding-ding. I don't have the SA here. My Dad has it.


YEAH..... I know what that sounds like....... Kinda like your dorky buddy who SAYS he got laid by a girl in Niagra Falls over Summer break...... I can have my brother send pics of you really need me to prove it.

BUT.... Anyway. I know what I mean. That's all that matters to me. The OP asked for an opinion and I gave it to him.

I don't need pics of the gun for proof of ownership but yeah it sounds a lot like you described. I just wanted you to highlight the differences in quality..... if you could..... so the OP could reference.

 

[grwd]

i hate these threads, because I shouldnt have said anything; sorry guys.

 

[Glocktogo]

that being said... see what a formerly "cheap" Norinco brings these days. You cannot make up for poor steel. Norinco are regarded well enough that many custom shops sought them out for carcasses to build high dollar guns on.

If a alloy cannot be hardened correctly.... a 1911 (especially) won't hold up over the long term.... that action is not gingerly, in fact it's about as subtle as a sledge hammer the way it loads and locks up.

if you like a $500 gun ... and dont run it hard... like it all you want. Just dont expect a Yugo to run like a Peterbuilt.

Those Norinco's have worn out more than a few gunsmith's tools.

 

[surjimmy]

It's all your fault "olyeller", everyone knows you and the Doc know nothing about 1911's.LOL If anyone needed to say something, it was you.

 

[beast1989]

haha didn't expect this kind of response, but honestly ive read through every post and thought about things. as far as my expected usage, i will probably put near 2k rounds through the gun. my other guns will take the brunt of my range time. ive had nothing but a good experience with my springfield xd and im sure if i get an ria, from what ive read it would probably be a nice time as well. but beast hit it right on the head which helped me make a decision. anything valuable ive purchased thats not name brand ive always sold and purchased the name brand product. so id rather not beat around the bush and will be purchasing a springfield range officer or higher model. all depending on how much of a bonus i get from work in a few weeks thanks for your input guys.

haha the nature of the hobby is driven by getting stuff you want i mean need. If I wasnt a student I would have bought something more substantial than an RIA but i cant afford that many rounds to destroy it anyway. Its serves its purpose very very well and i am content with it.

Enjoy the RO!

 

[amadera]

Boy, you cocked and locked guys sure do get emotional

 

[twoguns?]

Boy, you cocked and locked guys sure do get emotional

Its just that you cant compare a Kimber to a baer,sti,wilson,highend springer,low end springer,taurus, low/high end ria,springer xdm,xd,mp,(add or change the names as you like).....depends what your gonna do with it, how much you can/want to spend..the comparison is an opinion,experience, or what you have heard.
Now I do try to get the best I can ,Or try to trade into it,,,my guns are to shoot, they are not babyed.
Therefore Im probably not gonna get a 3k gun anytime soon...(dont have the need)....but they sure are nice!
Springer Lightweight Champion Operater/RIA 1911/2011 Tactical suit me pretty well(lets not throw in the Glocks,M&p's,XD's,XDM's)although theyre fine guns as well..pears and kumquats?

 

[RIP]

Very entertaining, to say the least. At the end of the day, arguments aside, the OP was able to make a very well informed decision!

I know I'm a little late to the thread but I believe it's important to clarify a comment made about the STI Spartan. I myself had considered a similar decision about RIA and another competing brand. I contacted the Armscor stateside gunsmith in Nevada to discuss the RIA Match. It is made in the the Philippines. But the Match pistol is made in their custom shop where everything is hand-fitted and the components are "match grade", whatever that means. So it is
a better pistol than the average RIA 1911. I also asked some Q's about an STI pistol being built in the same factory. He recommended I call STI. I did and found out that the Spartan is in fact built at Armsor's factory...but with STI components shipped from Texas. The Spartans are even built by a separate & smaller group of workers who were trained by STI personnel from Texas. So according to this gentleman, Spartans are built with STI parts, the "STI" way. I've handled the Spartan and I've found it's frame to slide fit superior to many pistols twice it's price. Not to mention its trigger which broke very cleanly. Definitely a bargain at its price point and superior to the RIA Match. IMHO.