The Three
 

Figured I would post a pic of my three 1911 pistols. The new to me Springfield loaded, RIA .38 Super and Para GI Expert. The three day waiting period was up on the Springfield Saturday, it's the last handgun I'll have to do that on. (CC license came in the same day) The RIA I got a month or so back, bought it mainly for the ammo and mags that was included. (I have a .38 Super Colt Commander project that I'm still collecting parts for.) 900 rounds FMJ, 250 Winchester STHP and 8 extra Metalform mags.

I had a shootout with the four .45s today (2 1911s, S&W 4505, and SIG P220)

With both 1911s I shot to the left (not enough trigger finger) The S&W and SIG both shot in the center. Which I think is because I'm used to that style trigger. Shooting Hi-Powers and Berettas. I shot the best with the the S&W. But I have more trigger time with it over the SIG. With my last two remaining mags I was able to shoot the Springfield in the center.

Neither the SIG or S&W had feeding issues either. The Springfield had a problem with one particular Wilson mag that came with it. The Para had a problem with Speer Gold Dot HP with a factory mag and FMJ with a Mec-gar. In Para's defense, the manual says a 500 round break-in, I don't have maybe 300 through it.

After shooting all of those, 6 mags apiece except for the Springfield with 8. The RIA was a dream to shoot. So much softer shooting.

Does RIA stand for Rock Island Armory? If so, I had no clue they made .38 Super

Edit: My bad, I'm watching a movie while typing and didn't realize what I posted because I wan't paying attention

Yes, I was just being lazy. It's made in the Philippines by Armscor. RIA is the import name I guess. They make them in 9mm too. I haven't had any feeding issues with it. But on certain mags it won't lock the slide back on the last round. It's a decent $400 1911, the previous owner changed the GI sights to XS sights. Came with those grips too.

I meant to say .38 Super. I knew they made a 1911, I almost bought one but it was in pretty bad shape, so I got the High Standard

How's that Para working out for you? I never hear anything about them

It's alright. The fit is good. I read a lot of complaints on the ParaKote finish that's on the GI Expert. I've thought about selling it since I now have the Springfield. I was wanting a Mil-Spec when I bought the Para, but none were around.

the 1911 is my favorite handgun, 2 generations of my family, and eventually I, own one. i think it is a downright smexy handgun

Is your Para one of them double stacks? I've been thinking about getting one when I actually buy a 1911 because my hands are so damn big

No it's a single stack. If it was a double stack I wouldn't consider selling it. I don't have large hands, but I handled a Para LDA double stack and the grip was comfortable. Springfield also makes a double stack, as does Rock Island. But Para is more known for them.

High Standard also makes a double stack, but fuck those guys- I don't like my hand being torn open by their crappy beavertails that you would have to contact a custom parts shop to replace

Damn, I didn't realize you had that many 1911s. So you're a .45 guy, eh?

How does the S&W stack up against the P220?

Well I just got the RIA and Springfield. I don't really consider myself a .45 guy. But I do like the round. After shooting hi-cap nines, I realized capacity isn't everything. While I have been buying .45s lately. There are still some 9mm I'd like to get, a P226 and refinish it to match the P220.

Both are good guns and I enjoy them. The 4505 is overall larger than the P220. But it's more slimmer, the P220 is pretty blocky. Neither have really great triggers, but they're decent in single action. The P220 is lighter thanks to the alloy frame, it has more recoil but not all that much more.

The slide to frame fit on my 4505 is pretty loose. You hear a lot of rattle when you shake it. Most S&W autos are probably not like that. The P220 is tight and so is my "rattle trap" Beretta Inox. :) The blued finish on the S&W is beautiful, sort of a blackish-blue. My P220 was refinished when I bought it, they had a pretty weak finish on them back when mine was made.

Ah, you mean one that looks like this:

http://www.imfdb.org/images/7/7a/SigP226TwoTone01.jpg

I want a 226 in this style. Have wanted one ever since I saw "2 Fast 2 Furious" (crappy movie, pretty gun).

Yep. I guess I should have said match my P220. The trigger would have to black though too. http://forum.imfdb.org/showthread.php?t=1131

Have you thought about just refinishing your current P226? But two guns are better than one, even if they are the same gun.

Yeah 2 Fast 2 Furious was crappy I preferred the 3rd one over it.

I wouldn't leave the trigger black. I would get the controls nickeled, too (on both guns).

I thought about re-finishing my P226, but doubt I will. There's a part of me that likes plain black. And even if I did get my 226 re-finished, I'm actually not sure whether I'd want it to look like the factory tutone (nickel slide, black frame) or the reverse tutone from "2 Fast 2 Furious". Decisions, decisions... :confused:

How do you know it was made by Armscor? From what I know, RIA DOES stand for Rock Island Armory. I have pistols marked RIA that are Rock Island Armory (some of which I'm going to photograph soon).

http://www.armscor.net/

which is identical to:

http://www.rockislandarmory.com/

(Unless there's more than one Rock Island Armory.)

Yeah, I realized that LATER ;) DOH!!!! For some reason, my BRAIN crossed wires and was thinking SPRINGFIELD ARMORY for some reason .... Oh, that happens sometimes ... LOL!!!

Rock island makes a 1911 with the top of the slide cut out like a beretta 92. It makes no sense.

It's so you can loose an eye when the slide breaks, but without buying a Beretta

http://www.armscor.net/xt22_pistol.html

its a 22

Oh, okay. I don't see why someone would want an open slide 1911 though

Probably to make the slide lighter, so it will cycle better with .22. Open slide makes it less prone to jams too.

That's what I thought. the cut out reduces the slide's weight (and the overall gun weight). Since .22LR is straight blowback, too heavy a slide will kill the cycling of the gu n.

I'm going to have to contradict myself. Looking at my targets again, with me being right handed I thought I did better with the SIG and S&W since I shot the 1911's to the left. Some the shots with the SIG and S&W were to the right. My overall grouping was best with the Springfield and I shot it first.