Of course the Rock Islands are great do anything you want guns.. BUT, if you want one with all the bells and whistles for just a couple of dollars more, look at the American Classics. Also made in the Philippines like Rock Island, they are beautifully fit and finished more like a Gold Cup. Both of mine shoot tiny little groups and 100% reliable.
Best Cheap 1911
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I've got a couple of RIA's, one in 9mm the other 10mm. They have both been solid pistols. That said, if I was going to buy a new cheap 1911, I'd pick up a Tisas. The only complaint I have with the Rocks is that the trigger guard has a different radius than spec, and though it is slight, it does bug me. My 10mm isn't as big a deal because it has a rail, but the 9mm... it just doesn't quite look "right". The Tisas do not have this very minor, visual discrepancy.
The Preacher
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I went the Tisas route a few weeks ago and bought a Tisas 1911 45 acp Tank Commander for $409 with parkerized finish. Could not be happier. As said above, in tearing it down for a first cleaning and lube I was impressed with the fit, finish and machining. Maiden voyage at the range it ran like a champ with hardball and lead round nose. Only hiccup was with some Speer gold dot hollow points as it failed to feed the first round out of the magazine. All the rest in the mag ran without issue. Only have about fifty rounds through it as of yet but I am impressed. I'll continue the break in and then try some Hpts again, but I plan on just running hardball in her as that's the way Mr. Browning built the 1911. Don't think you can go wrong with a Tisas, and once the world wakes up to them I'm sure the price will begin to go up. Get'um while you can at these bargain prices.
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CMYSIX
Member
S&W SEREIES E best bang for the buck! you will not find a gun with all the features people pay to have done to the gun! I bought my Series E Stainless for $800 used, shoots like a laser beam.
PSA has the TISAS for $299.
If you're buying a Tisas or a Rock try finding a model set up just like you want it as to sights and the safety. I've heard that drop in parts sometimes don't drop in wo some fitting. That is from my gunsmith not an internet expert. Other than that, I think they are great basic 1911s. They are bargains not cheap guns as some here have implied. They aren't going to have great bluing but who does these days? I bought an ATI branded Commander made in the Philippines so its probably a Rock and I'm very happy with it.
Try Palmetto or CDNN. Really haven't been shopping but seem to recall seeing some good prices in their email ads. I think they had good deals on both 9mm and 45ACP 1911s. I just bought a Girsan HiPower clone from CDNN and it shipped fast with no issues.
Try Palmetto or CDNN. Really haven't been shopping but seem to recall seeing some good prices in their email ads. I think they had good deals on both 9mm and 45ACP 1911s. I just bought a Girsan HiPower clone from CDNN and it shipped fast with no issues.
Mainsail
Member
I hear a lot of good things about the Tisas.
Had a Rock Island that ejected the empties into my right eye, Two trips to a very competent gunsmith and three trips back to the factory still couldn't fix it completely; every so often a shell casing would bounce off my shooting or sunglasses. I acknowledge that this is a fluke with the RIs, mine was an outlier.
Sold it off and a few years later bought this Springfield GI Defender. Trigger was meh, so I installed Thunder Mountain's 5-piece trigger set and now it's one of the best triggers I own.
You have many choices if you're just looking for a functional 1911, but my vote goes to the Springfield - they've been making them good, consistently, for a long time now.
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Had a Rock Island that ejected the empties into my right eye, Two trips to a very competent gunsmith and three trips back to the factory still couldn't fix it completely; every so often a shell casing would bounce off my shooting or sunglasses. I acknowledge that this is a fluke with the RIs, mine was an outlier.
Sold it off and a few years later bought this Springfield GI Defender. Trigger was meh, so I installed Thunder Mountain's 5-piece trigger set and now it's one of the best triggers I own.
You have many choices if you're just looking for a functional 1911, but my vote goes to the Springfield - they've been making them good, consistently, for a long time now.
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Faulkner
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I hear a lot of good things about the Tisas.
Had a Rock Island that ejected the empties into my right eye, Two trips to a very competent gunsmith and three trips back to the factory still couldn't fix it completely; every so often a shell casing would bounce off my shooting or sunglasses. I acknowledge that this is a fluke with the RIs, mine was an outlier.
Sold it off and a few years later bought this Springfield GI Defender. Trigger was meh, so I installed Thunder Mountain's 5-piece trigger set and now it's one of the best triggers I own.
You have many choices if you're just looking for a functional 1911, but my vote goes to the Springfield - they've been making them good, consistently, for a long time now.
1&d=1697310142
Your RIA with the ejection issue could have been a very simple extractor fix, a little tweak can fix such.
Springfield 1911 Mil-spec is my vote. Bought one at Cabalas earlier this year for $650. Only thing I don't like is the plastic trigger pad.
I am not a semi auto aficionado but have always had a hankering for a GI 1911. Last month I finally bought a Tisas GI model at Rural King for $429 OTD (yes I missed the $299 sale earlier this year). My buddy bought one too. We cleaned them out. LOL. We've run a couple hundred rounds through both and the only thing that wouldn't feed were some 200 gr SWCs that I had loaded up for my 1917. Other than that I am tickled pink with my Tisas. And BTW it is very accurate. I don't mind the GI sights.
I have seen a few for sale on the local classifieds for as low as $300.
John
I have seen a few for sale on the local classifieds for as low as $300.
John
Mainsail
Member
I wasn't familiar with the extractor back then as I am now, after working on a Combat Master.
Anyway, the smith that tried to fix it twice was very competent in 1911s, and it went back to Rock Island three times. It was better after all that, but still random shell casings to the eye (protection). I didn't want to carry it under that condition because I don't normally wear eyepro just out and about.
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I never understood Detonics purposely making the short sight radius even shorter. It seems counter productive to me.I wasn't familiar with the extractor back then as I am now, after working on a Combat Master.
Anyway, the smith that tried to fix it twice was very competent in 1911s, and it went back to Rock Island three times. It was better after all that, but still random shell casings to the eye (protection). I didn't want to carry it under that condition because I don't normally wear eyepro just out and about.
sigp220.45
US Veteran
I think it was meant as an aid to thumbcocking the hammer if the gun was carried with a round in the chamber and the hammer down.
squidsix
Member
Glenn R. McMannly
Member
This Tisas has 700 rounds through it and no jams:
Love it. Cost $399 new.
Love it. Cost $399 new.
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