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RIA Tactical in matte nickel versus SR1911, seeking some opinions.

I have an SR1911, and I owned (briefly) an RIA 1911...not because I didn't like it, but because right after I bought it, my LGS got in a near-mint S&W 66-3 with a 3" barrel and I had to have it. My gun funds were empty, so I traded the RIA for the 66-3, figuring I could always get another RIA but those 66-3s with a 3" barrel just don't come along very often.

Personally, between the two, I would choose the SR1911. RIAs are good guns, and have a lifetime warranty with good customer service...but the SR1911 is in every way a step up (IMO, of course.) The problem is, the SR1911 is still hard to find in most places. If you can't find one, and you are anxious to get a 1911, the RIA is a great one to start with.

In the same price bracket, don't overlook Taurus.

You get a lot of bang for your buck, they are lifetime warranty as well, and while there are a lot of horror stories about them many more that you don't hear about are flawless and it seems Taurus is improving it's QC and CS day by day.

Mine has seen about 3500 without hiccups, the stock magazines wore out but it's going strong with some aftermarket mags.


But I really want one of those SR1911s as well

They're sweet! I'll have one soon enough. Besides, any 1911 owner quickly finds out that 1911s get lonely and have the pure strength of will to overpower their owners.
Eventually, everyone who owns a 1911 will own more 1911s...

Before I got my SR, I had thought about the Taurus and the RIA. When I really thought about it and realized that for a little more money, I could have a Ruger, that kind of made up my mind. I set my price limit, sat back and waited. I have no regrets getting the Ruger, I probably would have with the others. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with them, there is just something that feels better with the Ruger. I have a Mk II that is a tack driver that will shoot anything put through it so I am partial to Rugers anyway, however their quality speaks for itself in my opinion.

If you can, pick up each gun, close your eyes and see how it feels. If one feels better, then that tells you something. I have used this method for many things, if an object feels foreign you won't like it, if it fits like a glove then it was made for you.

So tell me ... with your eyes closed .... exactly what are the differences that you felt between the Ruger and any other 1911 ?? If the Ruger 'fits like a glove', and a different gun doesn't ... then the other gun wasn't a 1911.

REV

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So you're saying every 1911 trigger, every 1911 trigger pull, every set of 1911 grips, every 1911 slide, every 1911 grip safety all feel the same? The original poster asked a question and I gave my answer.

The other gun was a RIA 1911 by the way.

REV you seem to be the "anti-Ruger" guy when it comes to this section!

Not at all ... It seems I'm just the only realistic guy in the section. Not sure how stating the obvious is anti-Ruger. You can only drink so much kool-aid ... especially when it comes to what is by definition such a generic platform.

It would be fun to put some tape over the names on the guns (or cover a person's eyes) and let some of these 1911 experts identify all the different 1911's by 'touch' and 'feel' and 'fit' ... LOL.

Maybe that should be REVHIGH's challenge II ... I'd get just as many takers as I did in the first REVHIGH challenge.


REV

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Of course they're not, but the things you mention above aren't the things that make a 1911 a 1911. You can tell the difference by feel between a Colt Python, a S&W 357, and Ruger GP100 by feel. They're totally different designs, models, frames, sizes, placement of controls, etc, etc. The things you mention above aren't any of those ... particularly the trigger issues.

I guess you're saying that because the RIA has smooth grips and the Ruger has checkered grips that every gun you hold (with your eyes closed) that had checkered grips was a Ruger, and every gun with smooth grips was an RIA. Same with the trigger ... If I gave you two 1911's ... are you actually trying to tell me that you could pick the Ruger by the feel of the trigger ? That is simply not possible, whether you're talking about 1911's ... GP100's ... or P95's.

You may be able to tell the difference between two 1911's that you've already examined with your eyes OPEN ... then you close your eyes and identify one or the other, but to take two generic production 1911's that don't have obvious (and KNOWN) cosmetic differences, and claim that you can tell which is the Ruger if you've never seen either one before is just plain not possible for 99.999% of 1911 owners.


REV

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To answer the OP's original question, if you can actually get an SR1911, and have the extra $300-400 or so to spend, I'd get the Ruger. It has better sights than the generic low-end RIA, and in general is slightly more 'refined' than the RIA's. I would think it's probably a little more mechanically accurate than the RIA's as well.

Centerfire systems has the RIA brushed nickel 45 for sale right now for $369 I think, with the polished nickel 45 at $459. Personally ... I've never liked nickel guns ... I LOVE stainless guns, but not so much nickel, especially polished nickel.

The current RIA's have absolutely excellent triggers out of the box in general, although I always like to actually 'try' a 1911 trigger before buying it. Their finish is a little rough as well, but from a funtional and reliability POV, they are excellent. If you can't actually GET a Ruger at a price that's acceptable to you ... rather than wait ... I'd get the RIA and get into the 1911 platform, and then get the Ruger when you can at the price you want to pay ... whatever that is.

If you could get the Ruger for around $600 ... no question I'd get the Ruger ... if the Ruger was $800 ... I'd get the RIA and wait for the Ruger to be priced more reasonably.

Everybody can start screaming now.

REV

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Advice was well taken, and I did find the SR at 636.00 including state tax, from a LEO distributor. It is on back order, like many others, but I can wait. It should allow me more time to save up and pay off the card I put it on.
GTDist.com is their site.

Congratulations and good price !!

REV

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I never said I could tell which gun was which, re-read my post.

1. You can't compare anything to a Colt Python, unless its 3k or more and probably not then.
2. I'm of the opinion that Ruger just don't make no junk. I just got my sr1911 2 weeks ago.
3, I presently have colts ruger and para in 1911s. I feel strongly that the sr1911 although new for them is destined to be one of the top 1911s along with colt factory produced in quanity. 21k + last 12 months.
4. My next purchase will be the S&W e series, my SNL just got a Talo it looks and shoots great.

Thats my 2 and 1/2 cents worth...

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"I know a little bit about everything and a lot about nothing" JUST ASK ME

Tipper

If I wanted a 1911 clone, I'd get a bare-bones RIA because it's the closest thing to a "real" 1911 out there.
On the other hand, if I wanted "something else" Id base the decision on whichever model (from whichever manufacturer) came closest to having the features I was after.

RIA and Ruger both build good guns.
Both have excellent customer service.

In the end, which one I'd pick don't matter here 'cause it's your money, and you aint me.

DGW