Rock Island 1911 Commander

[stash]

Has anyone heard of Armscor in the Philippines - They apparently mfg. handguns. I think I have heard of the name before but know nothing about them. Anyway, the reason I ask is RIA is importing a 1911 Commander type made by them (Armscor) with a cost of 370.00..They look like a basic Springfield G. I., i.e., no frills. Just wondering if anyone knows anything about Armscor?

Thanks, Stan

[bauerdj]

I believe RIA and Amscor are related companies. The RIA offerings have a pretty good reputation as a low end no frills 1911. I have one and was pleasently suprised at the quality and reliability to the point where I sometimes use it for carry; I originally purchased it for range use only.

Dave B.

[stash]

Thanks Dave. I think I am going to check into this one a little bit more.

Stan

[DoubleJ]

Just be mindful of the "drop fire."

[RKirby]

I also own an Armscor gun. Mine is a High Standard Crusader Compact. It's identical to the Rock Island Compact Tactical, except for the "High Standard" roll mark.

It's been absolutely reliable for me and seems to be very well made considering the price point it was manufactured to. It eats everything that I've fed it so far and works great with inexpensive Chip McCormick Shooting Star mags.

Keep in mind that this is a cast gun (slide and frame) versus higher quality forged components in the more expensive brands. But that shouldn't be a problem unless you plan to shoot many thousands of rounds of +p ammunition through it. If that's the case, invest in one of the more expensive forged brands. If you plan on burning a lot of ammo through it you'd better have deep pockets too... 45acp is expensive...even do-it-yourself reloads.

IMHO, it's a great range, home defense, or carry gun for the money. The only thing I'm adding to mine are a set of XS Big Dots and better looking grip panels.

I'd buy another Armscor product in a heart beat.

[WarHawk-AVG]

Are they cast or MIM?

[bauerdj]

I am also looking to change the sights, I have a hard time picking up the front site (poor vision) and would welcome suggestions on where to go locally to have new sights installed. I also would like to change the hammer from the spur type it has now; it digs in to some of the excess weight I am carrying.

Dave B.

[dukalmighty]

I would suggest you replace the firing pin spring with a wolff X strong spring,I love my RIA compact but an accidental drop from 3 feet on the muzzle caused it to discharge.I replaced the spring and the new spring compared to the factory spring was about 1/4" longer

[longtooth]

Are they cast or MIM?

MIM everywhere possible.

[stash]

Thanks everyone. I just want a 1911 and when I saw the price of this one I thought I would just check with you all. I really don't care to pay a fortune for what alot of 1911's sell for. I already have the ammo in that I have a couple of Glocks in that caliber. I love my Glocks but just thought it would be nice to own a 1911.

Thanks, Stan

[longtooth]

Save a little more money & find a Springfield Armory 1911A1 used on one of the boards. hey are utterly reliable. Excellent customer service & I practice what I preach. I sit w/ one on at my office right now.
Bear is by my side.

[Mike1951]

I'd like to suggest the Taurus PT1911. The blued model can be had as shows for less than $500 with the SS going for $550 or less.

No other 1911 has as many features for the price and they have proven themselves to be reliable.

[Roshi]

Thanks for the info. I had a Charles Daly made in the Philippines back in 2000 that was a terrible piece of junk that wouldn't fit aftermarket parts. I also had a Taurus (early production) 1911 that wouldn't lock the slide back and was inaccurate. For a low cost 1911 I prefer the Springfield GI version. You often see them on sale at Carter's for under $ 550

[Mike1951]

Thanks for the info. I had a Charles Daly made in the Philippines back in 2000 that was a terrible piece of junk that wouldn't fit aftermarket parts. I also had a Taurus (early production) 1911 that wouldn't lock the slide back and was inaccurate. For a low cost 1911 I prefer the Springfield GI version. You often see them on sale at Carter's for under $ 550

Well, I've had four Taurus PT1911's (still have three) without an issue. Both of my Springfields required serious work to get them to function reliably.

BTW, the slide lock back problem was probably the mag. All of mine are more accurate than I am.

[RECIT]

What i don't understand is why you would pay GOOD money for a weapon that is no frills, but also needs aftermarket parts to function "reliably". If I spend that kind of coin on a NEW weapon and it still needs stuff to make it work. That weapon does no seem very reliable at all. Or just not worth the metal it was made from. I have and have had many different types of handguns and never had to modify one to make it "work". But I have never owned a 1911. I have the itch but I'm not going to spend my coin on something that will not work correctly outta the box. If I want to modify it, thats a personal preference. Just a few cents on my part.