Rock Island\Springfield 1911

[W4OCO]

My First 1911 45 Pistol

I just picked up my Kimber Ultra Carry II Stainless last week, been waiting for months. I added a set of Crimson Trace Carbon Fiber grips. The gun is my first 1911-45 calber. It shoots great and I was plesently surprised by the recoil. I also looked at the Springfields, they are great guns and also can be had a good price.

Mike
W4OcO

[Red]

I have a lot of trigger pulls on Springfields

Hey there,

I'm not sure if this is too late or not, but I have a lot of respect for Springfields. I have three of them and love them all. The models I have are the V-10 Ultra compact, the V-16 Longslide .45 Super and the straight up gi model. I have the most time with the longslide (Stretch) me and my buddy have conservatively estimated 9,000 - 10,000 rounds through this one. I just had it apart the other day for cleaning and examination and it is still holding strong! It is accurate out to 50 yards and a human size target at 100 is easily doable. The dependability is fantastic. I've had to change the normal parts; springs, the slide catch (when you don't have to release the slide with a thumb flick .... don't! just pull the slide back by hand and let it go) the rear sight pin broke once and the extractor needed replacing once so far (probably getting close to another one).

The V-10 Ultra Compact (Shorty) is a fine carry gun. I've put quite a few rounds through it but not like Stretch... The accuracy is good for a shorty, the dependability is right there with the long-slide. Although the novak rear sight got loose and now I need a new one because the retaining screw broke off when I was trying to get it out! The extractor needed replacing once... and the typical springs (main spring, firing pin spring) have been replaced.

Then there is the straight up GI .45 (Slim) I don't have nearly the time with this one as I do the others (it's newer to me) but it functions absolutely every time. I've not had a problem with it yet, but have only put a handful of hollow points down range with it...I read an article a while back about this particular firearm that said it was a great one to get as a started because it could be used as it is... or it could be souped up to be anything you want it to be. So in essence you could build a race gun out of it. It makes a fabulous foundation. The trigger on mine (factory) is a bit heavier than I like but it can easily be made better. I just don't need to do it since I have the others with really nice triggers on them.

OK so that's my take on the Springfields... I will go and read the other posts that folks have left here to get schooled on what they all think.

Rick in NH

I'm looking for an "affordable" 45 on a 1911 platform. I've pretty much narrowed it down to the mil-spec Rock Island, and the Springfield ($100 more). There are a ton of reviews out there on both, but I thought I would see if anyone here has any trigger time with either of these models. I know that neither will be a tack driver, but I'm not planning on entering matches with it either. I just want a no frills, reliable 45.

Advice and comments welcome

[JerryPt2]

I own and carry routinely the Rock Island commander/short version(not sure of the designation, it doesnt dissasemble like a normal .45) at 7 yards i can reliably put all of the rounds into a 2 inch group in a few seconds, but ive ben practicing...make sure you break it in, and you might want to polish the feed ramp a little bit, but other than that no problems with it what so ever. never shot one of the others, i recommend the Rock Island(and it also takes standard mags, not short ones)

[slowz1k]

Thanks to everyone who op'd this thread. Ever since I was old enough to know what a 1911 was, I knew I wanted one. When I finally get the chance to buy one.... I opt for something else. I fell in love with the way this thing felt at a local shop, but they wanted real money for it. I found this one on Gunbroker for a pretty good deal. Though I have not shot a PT945, most of the reviews were possitive with only the occasional hammer bite to watch out for.
Here it is. I should be receiving it in about 10 days or so.

[cwconnertx]

I have a Taurus PT1911, not stainless because I want to use it in shooting competitions and the stainless makes it harder for me to see the sights in full sun. But normally, I like stainless.

It has never had a problem other than my grip being wrong and pushing up on the slide level when shooting. It is better than the colts I have owned, more accurate and the fit and finish is just as good. I haven't put but 2000 rounds through it, but it has been very good, not a hiccup.

The sights are very good and the ambidextrous safety is good to have if you shoot left handed like I sometimes do.

I have no problems shooting headshots into a silhouette target at 25 yards offhand. I'm sure the gun can do better, but I never really bother to shoot pistols from a rest, because there just isn't much point. I don't think many people have any business using a pistol past 25 yards.

I am very satisfied with the PT1911. I also have a 357 Taurus revolver that is top notch.

[slowz1k]

I was looking strongly at the PT1911 as well.... I hope I don't end up regretting the PT945.... Time will tell.

[PalmettoNative]

I beg to differ on tack-driver. I have a no frills Springfield 1911 (like the one issued in WW2). It is the most accurate centerfire pistol i own. In fact, it is more accurate than my 8" barrel ruger 22/45.

[civiliansoldier]

I got one of the RIA officer's model with the 3.5 inch barrel. Had to put a heavier recoil spring in it but other than that it works great. I also have a RIA double stack like the Para-Ordinance P-14. I love this pistol and not a single issue with it in well over 1000 rounds. Unbeatable price at $469.00 NIB.

[Granddad]

Speaking of P14.45's that is what I ended up getting.................let
me tell y'all about it.

About a month ago, I was in a gun shop; just goofing off, really.
I got done looking at the new pistolas and wandered over to the
"used" cabinet. There were several .45's of various makes and
trim, but one blued model had the price tag upside down. I
asked the clerck to turn the tag over (so I could see how much
it was) but he pulls the pistol out and hands it to me, unbidden.

What it was, was a used Para P14.45. I had seen them before,
of course, but I had always assumed they would have the heft
of a brick, so I'd NEVER, ever actually held one. Well, to my
surprise, this thing felt great! It fit my hand a lot better than
any single stack had, and my finger fit the trigger much better, too.

The tag said "used" but this .45 looked to never had been fired; no
external wear, and only the slightest brass discoloration at the firing
pin. Definately a safe queen, as the manufacturing date was 2002.

I had heard a lot of horror stories about ParaOrdnance, but enough
good ones, too, so I plunked down cash.

What a great pistol! No jams, NONE, nada, zip. It puts 'em where I
aim it, and it holds fourteen rounds of .45; what more can I ask for?

I liked it so much that I wanted to put on some NICE adjustable sights,
so I could really dial it in. I ended up sending it to Bob Hunter, of Hunters
Custom in Missouri, who put a 'modified' Bo-Mar rear sight on it; the corners
are angled, not square, so it can be carried easier.

I should get it back next week, and I will do a range report, with pictures,
of course, to show it off.

Great pistol. I was very pleasantly surprised. It fits right in my existing
holster, too.

I call her "Big Sexy" because of her wide butt.:D

[spioi]

i carry a RI. never had a prob with it jamming, even with hi capacity mags. 10 or 15 round.

[MasterMynd]

I have an RIA 1911 Officers model as well. It eats everything I've ever fed it and haven't had issues with any magazines in it, and I have used a variety of different brand mags. Its very accurate, especially after I upgraded to tritium night-sights. They made getting the sight pic a total breeze! When I'm carrying it I have a Wilson Combat mag in it maxed out with Golden Saber HP's. They say that its only guaranteed to feed reliably with ball rounds, but I put a box of the Golden Sabers through it to be sure they'd work before I went relying on it as a defense gun, but they got eaten flawlessly like all the other ammo its been fed. The RIA, like any good 1911 should, can use any .45 caliber 1911 mag there is, and like I said, I've tried a bunch in it and haven't had a single prob with any of them. What I am trying to say is that for the price, the Rock Island 1911 is unbeatable. It shoots as reliably and accurately as any of the other higher priced 1911's, and for the price that the Rocks are going for, you could actually afford 2 if you were originally planning on a Kimber or some other "high end" pistol. You will NOT be disappointed with Rock Island Armory! I trust mine with my life :)

[avking]

The Rock Island is a great 1911 for the money, unless you shoot it a LOT. I shoot USPSA, IDPA, STEEL CHALLENGE & ICORE (My local club allows semi's in ICORE matches) every month. The matches alone are about 1,200 rounds a month. Double that for practice time. The problem with the Rock Island is that the process they use for the metal on the slide and frame is inferior to the higher end manufacturers. Shooting it a LOT ends up rounding out some of the square holes like the slide stop. The bushings also end up coming loose and eventually falling off. A lot of guys have tried to use it as a base for a good Open gun, but they always end up with problems. It is an attractive gun to use as a base for competitions, since whatever gun you buy gets stripped down to nothing and rebuilt with better parts. But, the frame is still the frame and it ends up with issues.

[Stitch]

In my opinion the Springfield is the better gun. On Paras, I own one and have worked at a gun store in the past. Paras either work great or not at all. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground. Davidson's has a lifetime guarantee on everything they sell. A customer wanted a P18 for competition. The fist two wouldn't run properly. The third one worked fine. The FBI was originally going to use a modified P14 for the HRT, but ended up going with a single stack Springfield.

If one is a serious shooter the cost of the ammo will far surpass the cost of the firearm. Buying quality only hurts once.

[Echo2]

I like the Springfields...

[PT945]

I like the Springfields...

That is nice, I miss my 1911.