Most Reliable and Accurate 1911 under $1,000 USD

Favorite Vice Handguns
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Robert:

Good luck! Please let us know how it turns out.

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jf89:

Agreed. Would have preferred to see 10 out of 10, but I understand how at least one could/would have failed.

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From what I understand about metallurgy the have to add more iron to stainless to gain the hardness required. This can cause rust on stainless.

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Gunsmoke:

So, if I understand you, you are saying that stainless steel guns are MORE prone to rusting than blued guns?

Other than Springfield Armoryā€™s handguns, I have never heard that before, but I donā€™t know.

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I guess you donā€™t understand. I didnā€™t say that. I was just referring to the guy saying he found rust on a stainless barrel. It does happen. Its not surgical stainless. If you want to check put a magnet on it. Mags wonā€™t stick to pur stainless.

S.Sgt 45th\43rd Idaho Lightfoot Militia. Rich Labonte

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Ok, thanks for clearing that up for me, Gunsmoke.

Also, thanks for the tip about pure stainless - I did not know that.

Now, whereā€™s my magnets?

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@JohnB I own probably a dozen (At least) Rock Island Firearms. Not one of mine give me any issues. From the FS 1911 in .45 to the .22TCM/9 to the 9R Mapp.

If you are looking for something under a grand that is reliable, Rock Island is hard to beat if you compare Apples to Apples.

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230

Thanks for that, Rockislandadmin.

So, most reliable, most accurate, stainless steel, RIA 1911 in your opinion, would beā€¦?

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I prescribe to the notion that a gun is as accurate as the guy behind the gun. I had not realized you were after a SS Sidearm, however did read the comments about varied pieces of info on them (Rust/ala bluing, hardness etc.)

While I cant recommend a specific ā€œSS Modelā€ of Rock Island Firearm.

What I will do is tell you I visited the Factory this past year. Their Mettalurgy is sound, so is their forging and cast processes. Armscor is the Largest 1911 manufacturer on the planet. They uses 4140 Steel and test every batch for hardness. Their Customer Service is not even comparable to any other manufacturer as far as quality and cover of their products.

I prefer the 1911 .45 in a Compact model myself and is my typical EDC. I do rotate the MAPP 9r and sometimes even the .380 Baby Rock but typically for daily carry, it is the .45. I have 5 Full Size Armscor .45s. Two Compacts. A Mid Size and others in my stash.

If you havenā€™t shot a Full Size 1911 from Armscor in .45, you should. You will be impressed.

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Yes sir. Armscor is the parent company who makes the Rock Island Armory Series Weapons.

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So, for a full size 1911 RIA, in .45 acp, what would you recommend?

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The Nickle http://armscor.com/firearms/ria/gi-series/gi-standard-fs-nickel-45acp/ IS a good option and its usually under 800.

It will really depend on the features you wish to have. Night sights? GI? LPA Sights? Do you want or prefer a Rail?

There are a lot of options, if you go here http://armscor.com/firearms/ria/

You will see that there are numerous choices. Some of the better offerings are still under 1000.00

In fact Model 51434, the Pro Match Ultra 5" with Target sights is well within that budget.

The PRO Match Ultra 5" is a target grade pistol ready for competition right out of the box. Built in the Rock Island Armory Medallion shop to deliver best priced match grade 1911 available.

Chambered in 45 ACP with 8-round capacity, it features adjustable LPA rear sight and high visibility fiber optic front sight. Includes skeletonized hammer and factory 4- to 6-pound trigger with adjustable over travel stop.

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Yes sir. In their factory, each subsection of a process has Quality Control and Quality Assurance staff in place.

For example in the Baby Rock Section, there is staff to check each piece when it is created. There are over 150 (Maybe 200 or more by now) CNC machines running all the time.

If I can add videos at some point, I will share those of their factory and processes.

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238

thanks for all the info, Rockislandadmin.

I looked at some of their guns - nice looking, especially the prices.

Havenā€™t decided on which 1911 to buy, but will let everyone in this thread know when I do.

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Its my pleasure to provide the info. Iā€™m a staunch Supporter because their firearms have been super reliable for me, their Gunsmiths do great work and their CEO and Customer Service is bar none the best in the field.

Take a look at the short videos here on YT I made (I have more to make ) and pay attention to the items in the background and processes being used. I was very impressed when I made this trip.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVSEEjvZIJRN4wkeBd7-C4Q

Whatever you choose, choose what you are happy with and shoot the heck out of it.

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Thank you very much!

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Iā€™ve read most of the comments. I can only offer experience of my personal SA Mil Spec 1911 [gi]. Otherwise, the weapon performs great for me in all weather. I have about 3500 rounds through , it has a great finish, shoots really well, and came with a nice case. Iā€™d say thatā€™s your best bet for under a grand. I had a Rock Island GI, the fit and finish was crap, but it shot really well and wasnā€™t really any less accurate or reliable than the SA while shooting steel. I feel like you get what you pay for. Hope you find what youā€™re looking for!

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Thanks, PAWoodsman86.

A Springfield Mil Spec (GI) 1911 is a serious consideration for me.

From what I can tell, the Rock Island Arms 1911ā€™s are better for people that have some gunsmithing skills (which I donā€™t have), though they are tempting.

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Sure thing. One thing I noticed right away between the two pistols is the crisp action of the hammer/trigger assembly. The SA ā€œfeels betterā€ all around for me at least. I could tell right away it was built ā€œbetterā€ [sort of vague but you know what I mean].

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Yes, I understand you, PAWoodsman86.

Thanks.