Saw a Rock Island M1911 style .22 Mag today in the LGS. Anybody have any thoughts on these verses a Kel Tec PMR 30. I have a PMR 30 and it does the job that is designed for. Just like the looks of the Rock Island. Pro's & Con's on both please.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Rock Island makes a solid mass production 1911 in all of its calibers and configurations. I have one in 9 mm and it has done all that I could expect. I think you get more bang for the buck from Rock Island than any other 1911. I have other 1911s as well. I have never owned a Kel Tec as I have not been impressed with any that I held or shot. I was very tempted by the Kel Tec Sub 2000, but it felt too much like a "secret agent" folding toy rifle that I had as a kid. I know they have their fans and, as always, I only speak for myself.

Same here.

I bought an RIA Baby Rock because it was inexpensive and mostly just to test it. I found it was both accurate for the type and extremely reliable with the added plus that the 3.9” barrel maximizes the potential of the marginal .380 ACP cartridge.




I also bought an RIA 1911 in .45 ACP from a shop that took it back in trade after the original owner discovered .45 ACP was more recoil than he bargained for. It’s also combat accurate and very reliable.

If you like it for it's looks than our opinion shouldn't matter.

It weighs twice as much as the PMR30 with half the capacity. They both cost about the same. One is made in America and the other isn't.

The Rock Island is modeled after the 1911. It's said that it would make a good training firearm if you already have a 1911 or are looking to move up to one. I hope that was self-explanatory.

If I didn't already own a PMR30 I think I would still choose it over the Rock Island and not even consider buying an imitation".

Now if we were talking about a different caliber....

Anything Rock Island builds is good stuff. They aren't as well-executed inside as other brands - the vertical impact surface always tells the tale as they say, but RIA guns work reliably and are durable.
The RIA I would recommend if you don't live in Kamalaphornia is the .22 TCM 14 shot. Why CRAWL at 1,350 fps (optimistic) with a .22 Mag when you can SLAM 40 grain slugs down range at over 2,100 fps from a RIA .22 TCM!?
Don't say ammo costs, because in non-slave States Armscor brand .22 TCM ammo is pretty reasonable.

Have and enjoy the PMR. Have handled the RIA several times, and I cannot see adding it to the KT in the same chambering. I ran into a gent who really loves that TCM the above poster wrote about.

I am partial to M1911 style pistol, long history with them. Just saw it in the showcase at the LGS. Was thinking about it, until I realized that the rear sight was fixed. That is my main complaint about the PMR 30. Kel Tec is 45 miles from here and can go by there if there is a problem with the pistol.

Have shot the TCM that a friend has, had a chance to buy it. But feel that the ammo is a bit on the pricey side for just punching paper. .22 Mag is just about as bad nowadays. However, I have 1K on hand for it.

Mainly I am probably just bored and looking for a new toy........

Not interested in anything else by Rock Island. All my 1911 platforms are original Series 70's or earlier or Caspian.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.