Rock Island 1911 Reviews

Rock Island 1911 Review

When I ask people about RIA…words like “affordable” and “best bang-for-the-buck” always come up.

I’ve handled them in stores since it seemed all the local gun shops around me had them. But my first chance shooting them was at SHOT Show 2017.

And boy was it fun…especially with their 6″ competition 1911. Plus…they had one of the nicest crews out there.

Rock Island 1911 Review

I expect a high-priced tool to work well; that’s certainly true for a firearm. But what I really love to see: an inexpensive gun perform well. That’s probably why I’ve bought a couple dozen Mosin Nagants over the years. Anyway, after our visit to STI, TTAG James69 asked when we were going to see a review of the decidedly lower-priced Rock Island Armory 1911. I’ve been itching to try one myself for a while, so I emailed a request to TTAG command for a base model in .45ACP mos riki-tik . . .

Rock Island 1911 Review

Enter the Rock Island Armory 1911A1. The name itself evokes a sense of nostalgia, though the guns are clearly not the product of the Rock Island Arsenal, or any of the other subcontractors that were making 1911’s during the Second World War. The pistol is an import from the Philippines—a fact most prominently reflected in the price. Around $400.