Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 Standard MS

Rock Island Armory (Armscor)
1911 Standard MS – Product
Review
While I do own several Rock Island Armory (Armscor) pistols,
don’t expect a biased report concerning the Rock Island Armory
(Armscor) 1911 Standard MS. I am not beholden to any firearm’s
manufacturer and I will provide the bad with the good, even
though even though in doing so may reflect upon the wisdom of
my decision to purchase and carry such firearm.
However, I will say up front that I feel the Rock Island
Armory (Armscor) pistols are underrated by many not familiar
with these pistols. And, if you feel that an under $500 pistol
cannot protect you as well as a $5,000 pistol then you need
not read further.
After participating in a recent training course, I realized
that my preferences in a 1911-based pistol needed to change. I
needed a feature that most 1911 purist detest on a 1911-based
pistol. I will get into that in the write-up.
Over the years, Rock Island Armory (Armscor) has expanded its
line-up of 1911-based pistols. The current line-up includes:
TCM Series
TAC Series
Rock Series
GI Series
BBR Series
XT Series
Pro Series
Their line-up also includes calibers in .22 LR, .22TCH, 9mm,
.40 Smith & Wesson, 10mm, and .45 ACP. Available are FS (Full
Size or “Government” model), MS (Medium Size or “Commander”
model, and CS (Compact Size or “Officer” model). Essentially,
a Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911-based pistol is available
for virtually any need in the pistol community (for example,
competition, sport shooting, home defense, personal defense,
and plinking).
Rock Island Armory (Armscor)
1911 MS Standard (51443)
I have been carrying a “second generation” Rock Island Armory
(Armscor) 1911 FS Tactical for a while now. And, while I
really like this pistol (although I have had to do some
tweaking to get it to my wants and needs), a 1911-based pistol
in the “Commander” length barrel is more to my liking. An
online search ensued and local gun shops were visited. The
goal was to obtain a personal defense fighting pistol that was
within my budget, which meant as close to $500 as I could get.
There was also that “feature” that I desired. While that
“feature” could be found, the pistols that incorporated it
were well beyond my budget limits. I finally narrowed it down
to one pistol, the Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 MS
Standard, which is part of the “Rock Series.” While there was
a Rock Island Armory 1911 ULTRA MS listed on the Armscor
website, it includes features that I didn’t feel I needed for
the asking price. Also, and according to my local gun store,
it had been discontinued. No need to go further there, I
thought. The Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 MS Standard was
available, but there was only one of them left in the system.
A deposit was made and one was ordered for me.
A week later, I had this hot little item in my hand. An
initial inspection and function check was made and I
determined that the pistol was fit enough to accompany me
home. The first order of the day was to perform a disassembly
and really see what I was dealing with. Disassembly of the
Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 MS Standard is not as
straightforward as a standard 1911, but I’ll get into that
later in the write-up.
Here are the specifications for the Rock Island Armory
(Armscor) 1911 MS Standard:
What’s In The Box
The Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 Standard MS comes
contained in a nice polymer case that incorporates sliding
latches with locking capabilities. The inside of the case is
nicely padded and fully protects the Rock Island Armory
(Armscor) 1911 MS Standard from damage. The pistol itself is
wrapped in a plastic bag for further protection. In addition,
the pistol is well oiled and would make Shell or Exxon proud,
as the pistol is literally dripping oil. An Owner’s Manual and
Warranty Registration card is included as is a spent cartridge
case and plastic chamber flag.
Also included is a single, 8-round ACT-MAG magazine that
incorporates a “slap bumper” and which rounds out the package.
So, let me present the Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 MS
Standard to you.
First of all, the Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 MS
Standard is far from your “standard” model of 1911-based
pistol.; it has features that you would only find on higherpriced 1911-based pistols, with the exception of the sights,
but I’ll mention them later.
Bushingless
“Bull”
Barrel
and Full-Length Guide Rod –
Note “Crown” of Barrel That
Helps To Protect the Muzzle
The pistol is chambered for the .45ACP cartridge. This is
readily apparent looking into the very large hole at the end
of the muzzle. While you are doing that, you just might take
notice that there is no barrel bushing; the barrel is of the
“tapered” type that some call a “Bull” barrel and a barrel
bushing is not needed. The Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911
MS Standard also has a one-piece guide rod, which has its
proponents and opponents of this feature. Personally, I can
live with it and I can live without it.
Dovetailed Blade Front Sight
The front sight is the usual blade type that is dovetailed
into the slide and blends in well with the pistol while
providing a no-snag surface to holsters and clothing. While
the front sight contains no dot, it is more than adequate for
defensive use and that is what this pistol is intended for.
A “Commander” 1911-based
Pistol Makes For a Nice
Carry Package
The frame and slide is Parkerized, which is no different from
many carbon-steeled pistols on the market today. The
Parkerizing seems to be uniform throughout the pistol and
seems to be blacker than dark grey as with other RIA pistols
that I have. The pistol’s slide, although the same as on
previous models, does not have the “Rock Island Armory”
billboard on the left side of the slide. Instead, Rock Island
Armory (Armscor) has (apparently) listened to its customer
base and now the Rock Island Armory logo is imprinted at the
rear of the slide just above the thumb safety lever. I
consider this as the “3rd” generation of pistols; the 1st
generation had a large roll-marked “Rock Island Armory) on the
slide and the 2nd generation had the same roll-mark but
silver-colored.
The slide incorporates a relieved and lowered ejection port,
which aids in ridding the pistol of expended shell casings.
Early in the history of the 1911-based pistol this was a
“custom” feature; today, it is commonplace as a “standard”
feature.
NOVAK
Sight
Style
Notched
Rear
The rear sight is a “Novak-Style” unit, is dovetailed into the
frame, secured by a “hex” head screw (loosen the screw and
drift the sight for windage), and is not adorned with two dots
or other type of sighting indicator. The width of the notch is
enough to provide spacing to adequately view the front sight
blade with just a hair of space on each side of the front
sight. From what I understand, there are now sights available
that will fit the Rock Island Armory 1911-based pistols, which
was not true in the early times of these pistols. However, I
have no problems with the sights and, if need be, I can paint
the front sight to make it more visible.
The left side of the pistol sports the usual 1911 fare; takedown/slide lock lever, magazine release button (not extended),
and an extended thumb safety lever. The take-down/slide lock
lever, magazine release button, and an extended thumb safety
lever all have been Parkerized and blend well with the rest of
the pistol.
The magazine well is slightly beveled, which aids in locating
the well and inserting a magazine. The Rock Island Armory
(Armscor) 1911 MS Standard comes with an 8-round ACT-MAG
magazine with an extended base-plate. The pistol; however,
runs well with virtually any 1911 single-stack magazine. The
Wilson Combat magazines work well as do those from Meg-Gar.
The front strap of the trigger guard has vertical serrations
to aid in gripping the pistol (some higher-priced 1911-based
pistol do not even have this). The mainspring housing is a
checkered polymer affair that now seems standard on even the
most expensive COTS (Commercial-Off-The- Shelf) 1911-based
pistols.
Adding to the features of the pistol is the nicely up-swept
beaver-tail grip safety with memory bump, which helps to keep
the shooting hand as high as possible without experiencing
slide or hammer tattoos to be imprinted into your hand.
Speaking of the beaver-tail grip safety, I noticed a
difference between it and the rest of the pistol – it is a
different color. I thought it was my eyes, but the beaver-tail
is actually greyer like the color of the Parkerizing on the
RIA 1911 Standard Tactical! Not a deal breaker because the
grip safety works as it is supposed to, but the darn thing is
colored differently than the rest of the pistol! A QC issue at
the factory, perhaps? I would not have even noticed it if it
wasn’t for the main spring housing being shiny black rather
than flat black. This is what you get when you don’t pay the
big bucks for a pistol. The mainspring housing is plastic,
which seems to be the norm these days (except for the Ruger
SR1911 series). Regardless, I would not have rejected the
pistol because it had grey-colored beaver-tail safety. In
fact, and to turn a negative into a positive, I just may swap
out the beaver-tail safety on the RIA 1911 FS Tactical, which
is black with the beaver-tail on the RIA 1911 MS Standard to
match the Parkerizing on the RIA 1911 MS Standard. Funny how
things work out!
Mismatched Beaver-tail
Grip Safety
I also noticed that the beaver-tail grip safety is not well
matched to the frame; there is too much of a gap between the
bottom of the grip safety and the hammer spring housing. The
gap is enough that I can view the hammer plunger when the grip
safety is pressed inward. The long and short of this is that
the beaver-tail grip safety and mainspring housing may be
changed out for units that better match the frame in fit and
finish.
Skeletonized and Roiled
Hammer Makes for Easy
Cocking and De-Cocking
The “combat” skeletonized and roiled hammer provides for easy
cocking and de-cocking when necessary (or desired). The hammer
also received the Parkerizing treatment and blends nicely with
the rest of the pistol.
Rubber, Standard Height,
Double-Diamond Grip Panels
Are a Big Plus
Grip panels are checkered with the double-diamond rubber with
the Rock Island Armory logo. They actually feel good in the
hand (at least they do in my hand). These are actually rubber
panels and not some polymer type. They are also much better
gripping surface than the 1st and 2nd generation RIA pistols.
I have to say that I am impressed with the grip panels and I
may just decide to keep these on the pistol rather than
changing them out. Hex-head grip panel screws hold them
securely in place. With that said, they may also be changed
out to a set of LOK grip panels that will match the off-color
beaver-tail grip safety.
Skeletonized Trigger
Over-Travel Adjustment
with
The trigger is a long, skeletonized type and incorporates an
over-travel adjustment screw. The trigger face is serrated and
flat that, I understand, is an excellent design. Since I use
the first joint when shooting, the squared edge of the trigger
tells me when the trigger is in the “sweet spot” on my finger.
The trigger has also received Parkerizing. In fact, the only
thing shiny on this pistol is the chamber of the barrel when
the pistol is in battery. Trigger pull weight on this
particular pistol is four and three-quarter pounds out of the
box. It exhibits very little take-up before you hit the
familiar “wall”, after which a crisp release of the sear is
felt as the trigger is pulled rearward. Over-travel is
virtually non-existent and trigger rest is very short.
The slide-to-frame fit is good with just a slightly
perceptible amount of play detected when the pistol is dry.
When the pistol is loaded, and with a round chambered, there
is absolutely no play in the slide. The internal extractor is
flush with the rear of the slide (as it should be) and the
roiled (and serrated) hammer nestles nicely in the well of the
beaver-tail grip safety.
An Ambidextrous Safety Is a
Feature That Now Appeals To
Me
The right side of the frame incorporates the feature that has
my interest – a thumb safety lever. Ayup! The Rock Island
Armory (Armscor) 1911 Standard MS comes equipped with an
extended ambidextrous safety. I used to scoff at ambidextrous
thumb safeties on a 1911-based pistol, but that has changed,
and of course, I am going to tell you why.
After I had participated in the Bare Bones Gunfighting course,
which was taught by the more-than-capable CR Williams, I began
to develop some of my own drills. One, in particular, involves
transitioning the pistol from the right hand (my strong side)
to my weak hand (and vice-versa). The drill also includes a
reload (weak and strong hand). Now, releasing the magazine
release is not a problem when using the trigger finger of the
left (weak side) hand nor is releasing the slide lock with the
same finger. Operating the safety lever; however, requires a
different (and alien) set of pistol-handling skills.
I talked to one of the folks at the LGS, who is left-handed,
and he told me that he shoots l his 1911 left-handed with his
left thumb on top of the thumb safety – on the left side.
Obviously, this impacts the grip on the pistol. His right hand
(weak side support) provides most of the support. I tried this
and I cannot do it. Now, I have two methods that I use to run
the safety and slide lock lever on the 1911 using the right
hand when shooting the pistol left-handed. As the left trigger
finger presses the magazine release button, the right hand
loads the fresh magazine. Once the magazine is shoved into
place, the right hand either comes over the rear of the
pistol, or beneath the left (shooting) hand, to operate the
slide lock lever and the thumb safety (if the safety is on).
In most cases, I can push the safety lever on with the trigger
finger of the shooting (left) hand. It is pushing the safety
off safe that is the challenge. Having an ambidextrous thumb
safety lever eliminates the need for right hand (weak hand)
intervention when operating the 1911 left-handed. A simple
press of the lever with the left thumb on the right side of
the frame does the dirty deed of making the pistol “ready to
rock.” The safety can also be placed in the safe position by a
simple upward motion of the shooting hand thumb, while
maintaining a good grip on the pistol when the fight is over,
but yet remain ready to “flick the switch” if the fight is to
continue.
The thumb safety has a good feel when moving from safe to fire
positions with enough of a detent to makes it secure in either
position. The plunger spring housing, like most 1911-based
pistols, is staked to the frame and the internal spring is
healthy enough to hold the slide lock and thumb safety lever
but not stiff enough or interfere with proper operation (With
my Springfield 1911 Loaded, for example, a small screwdriver
is necessary to press the slide lock plunger inward to install
the slide lock/takedown pin assembly.)
That takes care of the “pretty” stuff.
Arriving home with the Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911
Standard MS, the first order of things were to take care of
paperwork (recordkeeping) with the next thing being
disassembling the thing to see what the innards look like,
effectively clean everything, and then properly lubricate the
beast.
DISASSEMBLY AND THE CONTORTIONS OF THE DAMNED!
As I mentioned earlier, disassembling the Rock Island Armory
(Armscor) 1911 Standard MS, which is equipped with a full
length, one piece guide rod, can be a challenge that most
would balk at and buy a more traditional 1911-based pistol.
However, I am used to full-length guide rods and have
discovered that field stripping is not all that bad with a
1911-based pistol equipped with them.
1. Lock the slide open with the slide stop.
2. Use the left hand to push the slide to the take-down
notch, grasp the slide and frame with the right hand to
maintain the slide take-down position (the slide is
under extreme spring tension at this position). Caution!
Keep the fingers of the right hand clear of the ejection
port.
3. With the left hand, remove the slide-stop/take-down pin
assembly while maintaining the hold with the right hand
on the slide and frame.
4. With the left hand, support the slide by wrapping the
left hand around the slide with the fingers beneath the
slide. Caution! Keep the fingers of the right hand clear
of the ejection port. Failing to heed this caution may
cause the ejection port and barrel to pinch the fingers,
which will result in extreme pain, lots of language not
suitable to young ears.
5. Slowly, while maintaining pressure on the slide, allow
the slide to move forward off of the frame. Note that
until the spring pressure is fully released, the guide
rod and spring could fly from the slide. Maintain upward
pressure on the spring and guide rod with the fingers of
the left hand.
6. Once spring tension is no longer felt, remove the slide
from the frame. Note that the guide rod is still under
extreme spring tension. Normally, I will place the slide
bottom side down on a firm surface just in case the
guide rod decides that it does not like where it is and
wants to be free.
Now to remove the guide rod, guide rod spring, and guide rod
bushing as a unit from the slide.
Guide Rod Removal:
You will need a standard paper clip, a pair of needle-nosed
pliers, and a set of side-cutters for creating a “hook” for
removing the guide rod, guide rod spring, and guide rod
bushing from the slide. This “hook” will also be necessary for
disassembling and assembling the “Captive” guide rod assembly.
1. Straighten a standard paper clip (leave one end bent for
gripping, if desired). The guide rod of the pistol is
approximately 5/16-inch in diameter.
2. With a set of needle nose pliers, bend one end 90-degree
so that the bent end is approximately 5/16-inch long
(the approximate diameter of the guide rod).
3. Cut the length with the side cutters, if necessary to
achieve the proper length.
4. Have the paper clip, which you prepared earlier, ready
to use for the next step.
5. Rotate the slide so that it is facing bottom up while
maintaining pressure on the guide rod and guide rod
spring.
6. Push the guide rod to the front of the pistol until the
hole in the guide rod can be observed. I normally hold
the front of the slide with the trigger finger and push
the guide rod forward with the thumb.
7. Place the short end of the paper clip into the hole in
the guide rod.
8. Allow the guide rod to slowly move rearward until the
paper clip stops against the guide rod bushing.
9. To remove the “captive” guide rod assembly from the
slide, push the entire captive” guide rod assembly
toward the rear of the pistol and lift it out of the
slide.
Now, you can remove the barrel assembly from the front of the
slide.
Modified Barrel Bushing
Wrench Makes Disassembling
and Assembling the “Captive”
Guide Rod Assembly Easy
At this point, I usually disassemble the “captive” guide rod
assembly for cleaning and lubing. This would also be a good
time to replace the recoil spring with a new unit if need be.
However, unless you really, really, really need to replace the
recoil spring, I would advise not to disassemble the guide rod
assembly. I modified a Barrel Bushing Wrench to also serve as
a disassembly/assembly tool for the Guide Rod “assembly.”
Essentially, a hole was drilled in the center of the Barrel
Bushing Wrench that was large enough to slide over the Barrel
Bushing.
If; however, you are willing to undergo the task of
disassembling the guide rod assembly, continue on. If not,
jump to CLEANING, INSPECTION, AND LUBRICATING.
Guide Rod Disassembly:
Dissembling
the
“Captive”
Guide Rod
Caution! The “captive” guide rod assembly is under extreme
spring pressure. Keep your face away from the front of the
guide rod assembly.
1. Slide the modified barrel bushing wrench over the guide
rod bushing until it is against the base of the bushing
– with the guide rod base on a firm and non-slippery
surface.
2. Slightly press the guide rod bushing to the rear of the
guide rod. The object here is to simply remove pressure
from the paper clip.
3. Remove the paper clip while maintaining pressure on the
guide rod bushing.
4. Slowly allow the guide rod bushing to move forward and
off of the guide rod. Maintain pressure on the guide rod
bushing until no further resistance is felt. The
“captive” guide rod assembly is now fully disassembled.
Fully Disassemble Guide Rod
CLEANING, INSPECTION, AND LUBRICATING:
I normally clean parts like the barrel, guide rod, and guide
rod spring with BrakKleen to start, which removes all
lubricants from these assemblies. The barrel is further
cleaned with Hoppes, nylon bore brush, and bore jags with
appropriately-sized patches. Everything else (except the grip
panels) gets a wipe-down with appropriate cleaning chemicals,
soft brushes, and then wiped down with a light coat of
Ballistol.
The slide incorporates an internal extractor and the framemounted ejector is substantial. The breech face showed signs
of firing (a test round) and that was cleaned with an
appropriate brush to remove any leftover debris from the test
firing. Everything looked great!
The Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 Standard MS pistol is
built in traditional classic 70 series design and is delivered
with Rock Island’s top quality production and engineering
standards. This pistol has a 4.25” button rifled barrel
supported by a full length guide rod. The barrel, as was
mentioned earlier, is a tapered barrel and incorporates the
John Moses Browning designed swinging link.
The slide rails are inspected to detect possible wear points.
The slide contact points are coated with a light coating of
Lubriplate NO. 130-A. The barrel locking lugs, internal to the
slide and external to the barrel are also Lubriplate NO. 130-A
treated. Lubriplate NO. 130-A is also used on the guide rod
and the outside of the barrel itself.
While the above seems like overkill, I know people that run a
new 1911-based pistol dry. When I asked why, the response that
I received is that running a slide dry will allow to metal-tometal contact to “bed” them in – whatever that means. To me
that philosophy is akin to buying a car and then running the
engine without oil so that the rings will “bed” with the
cylinders.
The inside of the slide is well machined and finished, which
is surprising as one would expect an inexpensive pistol to be
roughly machined and finished. The internal extractor blends
perfectly with the rear of the slide and there are no “look
see” or other indicators that the chamber is loaded. The frame
is as well machined and finished internally and I could not
find any machining marks. The manufacturer states; “All Rock
Island 1911’s, each is built using 4140 ordinance steel on the
industries best CNC machines while being hand fitted and
tested to strict tolerance guidelines for unmatched quality
and value.” From what I see, I believe it.
Everything checked out. Now comes the fun of assembling the
Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 Standard MS.
The first thing, if you disassembled the guide rod into its
individual components (guide rod, guide rod spring, and guide
rod bushing, is to assemble the guide rod. There is only one
safe way to do this. As I mentioned previously, I have
modified a bushing wrench to handle the task of assembling the
guide rod components. This allows me to have a full hold on
the guide rod bushing as I compress the recoil guide spring,
which is a very stout fellow.
1. Locate the paperclip that you used to disassemble the
guide rod assembly.
2. Place the base of the guide rod against a firm and nonsliding surface.
3. Place the guide rod spring over the guide rod. Note that
if the guide rod spring is smaller at one end than the
other, the smaller end goes over the guide rod first.
4. Place the guide rod bushing over the guide rod spring.
Ensure that the base of the guide rod bushing is at the
bottom toward the guide rod base.
5. Press the guide rod down over the guide rod until the
hole in the guide rod is just visible. This is where the
modified bushing wrench comes in handy. I will position
the guide rod so that the hole will be between two
fingers once it is visible.
6. While holding the guide rod bushing in place, insert the
short end of the paper clip into the hole in the guide
rod.
7. Release the pressure on the guide rod slowly. The guide
rod will press against the paperclip and the guide rod
“assembly” is now complete.
Install the barrel into the slide and you are ready to install
the guide rod “assembly”
Install the Guide Rod Assembly:
Slide and Fully Assembled Guide Rod Assembly Ready For
Installation
1. Position the slide so that the bottom is facing up.
2. On the guide rod assembly, rotate the guide rod bushing
and guide rod into the proper position for assembling in
the slide.
3. Insert the guide rod “assembly into the slide from the
rear of the slide. The guide rod bushing should be flush
with the rear of the guide rod bushing housing and the
round part of the guide rod base should be upward toward
the (yet to be installed) frame.
4. Push the guide rod toward the front of the pistol until
tension is just off the paperclip. In most cases, the
paperclip will just fall out.
5. Slowly allow the guide rod to move to the rear of the
slide. Again, I use the trigger finger on the front of
the slide with the thumb holding the base of the guide
rod to control the rearward movement. The guide rod,
once fully rearward, will be against the front of the
barrel’s swing link housing. But don’t relax just yet.
At this point, I use the finger of my right hand to hold
the guide rod into place while I apply pressure to the
guide rod at the front of the guide rod just behind the
guide rod bushing.
Now you are ready to install the slide into the frame.
Guide Rod In Place and Slide Ready to Install on the Frame
1. While holding the slide and guide rod assembly in place,
position the swing link up for insertion into the frame.
2. Insert the slide into the frame just far enough to
insert the slide lock/take-down pin into the frame and
through the swing link. At this point, you can remove
the support to the recoil guide rod. Also at this point,
there may be slight tension in the slide. This is due to
the guide rod spring being slightly compressed. Don’t
worry because the worse is yet to come.
3. Push the slide to the rear of the pistol until the
alignment notch is lined up.
4. Hold the slide in place with the right hand while
pushing the takedown/slide lock assembly into place.
5. Release tension on the slide. If you did everything
well, the slide will stop.
6. Rack the slide several times to ensure that no binding
occurs.
7. Perform a function check of all safeties.
If everything passes muster, the pistol is ready to go. Of
course, that won;t be verified until you take it to the range.
RANGE TIME:
I always look forward to taking a new firearm to the range. As
the character Forrest Gump once said, “Life is like a box of
chocolates; you never know what you are going to get.”
I had fifty rounds of 230-grain FMJ ammunition from Georgia
Arms with me and that was going to serve as the indicator of
what the Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 Standard MS was
going to be; good, bad, or really ugly.
A silhouette target was placed at 7-yards just to get the feel
of things. At 2.36 pounds (unloaded), the Rock Island Armory
(Armscor) 1911 Standard MS is not light by any means. With a
“commander” length barrel of 4.25-inches, muzzle flip can be a
little bit more than anticipated at first. But, I am used to
the weight because I have been carrying the Rock Island 1911
FS Tactical for two weeks now and it weighs in at 2.5 pounds
(unloaded). Just for comparison sake, the Ruger SR1911CMD, a
comparable sized pistol, weighs 2.275 pounds unloaded.
However, the Ruger SR1911CMD does not have a full-length guide
rod or ambidextrous safety, which might account for the
difference in weight.
The slide was moved to its locked position and the 8-round
ACT-MAG that was stuffed with FMJ rounds slid into place in
the magwell with just a snick as the magazine was locked into
place.
One of the things that I always liked most of the “Commander”
length 1911-based pistols is that once loaded, the balance of
the pistol just feels good. It is neither barrel nor butt
heavy. The grip is long enough to accommodate all of the
fingers of the shooting hand and the standard ¼” thick grip
panels provide enough girth to the handle for my mitts. The
grip panels are as comfortable as the Hogue checkered rubber
grips that I installed on the RIA 1911 FS Tactical. As I
stated earlier, these grip panels just may remain on the
pistol.
Pressing down on the slide lock lever released the slide with
authority and the second round of this pistol’s life was now
chambered (the first being the test round).
I lined up the all black slot and post sights for a 6 o’clock
hold on the bull’s-eye, began the trigger pull and 4-pounds
later a hole appears just below the center of the bull and
slightly left. I adjusted the POA a bit and the round impacted
centered and slightly above the bulls-eye. The POA is just
where I like it, with the barrel covering what I want to
shoot. I emptied the pistol of the remaining six rounds
without fail. All fifty rounds that I had brought with me
cycled and fired without a
nothing to brag about, all
surrounds the “X” and I was
were good enough to declare
least at seven yards.
glitch. While my groups were
rounds were in the oval that
pleased with that. The results
the pistol combat worthy – at
I also tried 8-rounds of Federal Hydr-Shok to see how well the
pistol did with hollow-point counter-offensive ammunition.
There were absolutely no issues.
The trigger pull is excellent and the flat-faced trigger lines
up naturally with the first joint of my shooting finger.
Subsequent range sessions and my getting used to the Rock
Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 MS Standard should result in some
pleasing sessions as I gain confidence in the pistol as a new
EDC.
WRAP UP:
Rock Island (Armscor) 1911
MS Standard
The RIA 1911 MS Standard
With His Big Brother the RIA
1911 FS Tactical
Alright! So the Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 Standard MS
has an issue (cosmetic) with an off-color and incorrectly
fitted beaver-tail safety assembly. Whoop-de-big-doo! If that
is all I can find in a 1911-based pistol that cost less than
$500 (and this one was the only one left at the distributor),
I can learn to live with it or change out the beaver-tail
safety, mainspring housing, and mainspring for better units.
The Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 MS Standard is, after
all, going to be a carry pistol and not a safe queen.
At the range, it performed very well and that matters. If you
want something pretty, you need to buy a Kimber. If you want
something functional, and are budget minded, the RIA line is a
hard value to beat in a 1911-based pistol, although some minor
tweaking might be in order. All of my RIA 1911-based pistols
have been performers and that is what I demand. There is an
old saying in biker circles (otherwise known as motorcycle
enthusiasts), “chrome don’t get you home!” I think that the
Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 MS Standard, as is, will
help me get home and I can’t ask for more than that, but more
range time and break-in will tell the true tale.
UPDATES:
12/12/2015:
I Ordered set of VZ ETC Dirty Olive G-10 grips
(https://vzgrips.com/pistol-grips/1911/elite-tactical-carry/el
ite-tactical-carry/etc-dirty-olive-g10) and e-mailed Armscor
Customer Service regarding beaver-tail safety issue
(mismatch).
12/16/20015:
Response from Armscor Support to my question about the grip
safety mismatch:
“I have shown the picture to the gunsmiths and the fit and gap
is completely normal and is actually necessary to allow for
the bottom of that grip safety to rotate down to properly
disengage. The color tone of some parts can vary from time to
time depending on how long they were in the parkerizing tank”
My response:
“Thank you for your response, although it was not to my
liking.
Although the grip safety looks like a different shade of grey
than the rest of the pistol, it is more of an O.D. Green
depending on the lighting. Parkerizing usually results in
shades of grey more than green from what I currently
understand. I have a set of VZ grip panels, in what what they
call “Dirty Olive G10”, being shipped that should match the
color of the grip safety close enough.
The gap at the base of the grip safety is really of no concern
as the grip safety does what it is intended to do. However, it
is the only grip safety of my ten 1911-based pistols where I
can actually see the hammer strut, so I did not consider the
gap normal.
12/19/2015:
Armscor Customer Service Ticket closed.
The VZ ETC Dirty Olive G10
Grip Panels Add a Bit of
Class To the Pistol.
The VZ ETC Dirty Olive G10
Grip Panels, in Standard
Thickness, are Perfect For
My Hand
VZ ETC Dirty Olive G10 grip panels arrived and were quickly
installed with no issues. The grip panels, also advertised as
a low texture grip, have quite enough texture to make things
interesting for the hand; they have a very positive gripping
surface. In fluorescent lighting, they match perfectly with
the shade of the beaver-tail safety. The beaver-tail safety
under normal lighting conditions (or when taken a picture of
using a flash); however, look to what I would discern as a
greyer tone than the rest of the pistol. Go figure!
I had ordered the VZ grip panels with a beveled bottom and
standard thickness in addition to the Rock Island ambidextrous
thumb safety cut. They are a perfect fit and the right side
panel is notched perfectly for the Rock Island version of an
ambidextrous thumb safety. VZ ETC Dirty Olive G10 grip panels
add a bit of class to an otherwise mundane-looking pistol.
12/20/2015:
Several issue showed up during this day’s shooting session.
The screws holding the VZ grip panels in place were
working looses under recoil. The grip panels were
removed after arriving home and the original grip panels
reinstalled. They have been installed; however, on a RIA
1911 FS 9mm Standard (a review of this pistol is in the
near futures) and they seem to work better on this
pistol due to its lower recoil.
My Son-In-Law had made up some “Geezer” loads so I
though that I would give them a try to see if they would
cycle. On one occasion when using the magazine provided
with the pistol, the slide did not lock back on the last
round.
On one other occasion, the slide stop had actually
worked its way out of the frame just enough to jam the
pistol. The only thing that I could figure out is that
the slide was now working slower due to the “Geezer”
loads that somehow there was just enough time for the
take-down notch in the slide to coincide with the slide
lock’s removal/installation pin to wiggle just past the
spring-loaded slide stop plunger in the frame. The slide
lock assembly was realigned with disassembly/assembly
notch and pushed back into the frame. I returned back to
my normal range ammunition and a Wilson Combat magazine
and experience no further occurrence of “slide lock pin
walk.”
Lastly, the magazine provided with the pistol jammed in
the frame. This occurred on the last round of the
magazine. I pressed the magazine release button and
nothing happened; the magazine stayed put. I pulled and
pushed the magazine while pressing the magazine release
button and the magazine would not budge. I pressed the
magazine follower down and the slide went forward into
battery. I pulled the slide all the way back to the
slide stop and the magazine dropped free after pressing
the magazine release button. I could not find any reason
for the magazine to hang up like it did. I used Wilson
Combat magazines afterward and the issue did not repeat
itself.
12/25/2015:
I may have discovered the solution to two problems that reared
up during the last range session; a magazine hanging up in the
pistol and the slide stop pin walk. One was the effect of the
other.
Issue #1 – Magazine Lock-up:
Provided Magazine (ACT-MAG Left) and Wilson Combat Magazine
(Right)
You will notice the magazine followers in the accompanying
image. The magazine on the left is the magazine that came with
the pistol. The magazine on the right is a Wilson Combat
magazine. The follower in the magazine on the left (the
original magazine) is open below the stepped section that
engages with the slide stop. The follower of the magazine on
the right (the Wilson Combat) is enclosed in the section where
the follower engages the slide stop.
Apparently, when the slide stop pin “walked” outward (See
Issue #2 – Slide Stop Pin Walk), there was enough clearance
for the follower to “step over” the slide lock assembly and
lock the magazine follower into place. This was the reason why
pushing the magazine release button had no effect on the
magazine; it was locked into place by the slide stop. I was
able to duplicate the issue by pushing the slide stop pin
against the slide while the slide was in battery and then
racking the slide to the rear until it locked up with the
slide stop. Sure enough, I hear a slight “ping” and the
follower had come up over top of the slide stop. The use of
the Wilson Combat magazine negated the issue as the magazine
follower is solid and prevents the follower from slipping over
top of the slide stop assembly.
Issue #2 – Slide Stop Pin Walk:
Slide Stop Issue
The purpose of the Slide Stop is to lock the slide open either
when the last round in the magazine is fired or when the slide
is moved to the rear manually and the Slide Stop lever is
pushed upward. The Slide Stop must be fitted properly to the
pistol to ensure its proper operation. The part of the Slide
Stop that locks into the frame by virtue of the Slide Stop
Plunger and Plunger Spring has a tab (for lack of a better
word) that protrudes up into the frame when the Slide Stop is
installed into the pistol. The height of this tab is
important. It must allow the Slide Stop to fully engage the
slide and lock it into place either when the last round in the
magazine is fired or when the slide is moved to the rear
manually and the Slide Stop lever is pushed upward. It must
also be able to clear the Disassembly/Assembly notch in the
slide so that it can be pulled out for disassembling the
pistol or pushed in to assemble the slide to the frame.
When the military first started to teach soldiers how to shoot
the 1911, the trigger was pulled with the middle finger while
the “trigger” finger rested against the frame of the pistol,
which served as a “pointer” to the intended target. It was
found that if the soldier pushed hard enough against the frame
the pressure of the “Pointer” finger could dislodge the Slide
Stop when the Disassembly/Assembly notch coincided with the
Slide Stop “Tab” and that could prevent the pistol from
cycling. The practice was stopped and soldier would fire their
pistol using the normal “Trigger” finger. It; however, did not
prevent “Slide Stop Pin Walk” if the Slide Stop assembly was
not correctly fitted to the pistol. I believe that was the
case with this pistol.
I had a spare Slide Stop assembly from another 1911 that was
removed and decided to do a comparison of this one against the
Slide Stop installed in the pistol. I found that while they
were close, the “tab” of the Slide Stop in the pistol was
slighter shorter than the other. I replaced the Slide Stop
with the taller “tab” and did a function check of the pistol.
The replacement Slide Stop fully engaged the slide on an empty
magazine and no lateral movement was detected when in full
battery. It was a much better fit to the pistol than the
original Slide Stop so it remains in place.
12/25/2015 Update Summary:
I think that running too light a load without exchanging the
recoil spring to accommodate the lighter load may have
contributed to the problem.
Sometimes you have to tweak a pistol to get the desired
results – a perfectly functioning pistol. While the RIA
pistols are not custom-fitted, custom-tuned pistols some
imperfections in their manufacturing is to be somewhat
expected. Most can be rectified easily while others may take a
certified and competent gunsmith to do the work. Fortunately,
this fix was easily accomplished without gunsmithing. A
magazine without a solid follower will no longer be used in my
1911s and I hope that the “Slide Lock Pin Walk” has been
cured. Only additional range time will tell.
Aside from the few glitches, the pistol ran beautifully with
no FTFs or FTEs. The recoil spring is breaking in as is the
trigger. I have about 170 rounds through the pistol thus far
and I am working any bugs out as I go. Really there are no
real complaints about the pistol and I feel that it will be a
good full-time carry at some point.
12/27/2015:
Another trip to the range and slide lock issue reared its ugly
head again. The slide would not lock back on an empty magazine
during fire, but I could make it lock back when I cycled the
slide by hand. I was shooting range loads (Georgia Arms 230grain FMJ rated at 810fps). My first thought were light loads,
since I had exchanged the slide stop with one that I had and
it seemed like that would fix the problem. Unfortunately, it
did not. Also, the issue was intermittent.
I returned home and located some hotter ammunition; a couple
of old Silvertips that I needed to shoot, some defensive loads
at 875fps, and some Magtech 230-grain ball ammunition that I
had shot at the BBG course without failure. I also exchanged
the slide stop with the original part to give me a baseline to
work against.
Back to the range and the problem was, again, intermittent.
However, if I pressed the slide stop inward after every
magazine, the slide stop functioned fine and the slide would
lock back after the last round. If; however, I allowed the
slide stop to work on its own, the slide failed to lock back.
Apparently it was a two-fold problem; the slide lock walking
out and also not enough ledge to catch the lips of the
magazine after the slide stop had walked out.
Arriving back somewhat frustrated, I ordered a new Wilson
Combat Slide Stop, which according to several reviews, fixed
the same problem in other RIA customer’s 1911s. I hope that it
will fix this customer’s issue with the RIA. If not, the
pistol will be delivered to my certified and competent
gunsmith to further analyze the problem. The first issue will
be to correct the slide lock walk as none of my other 1911
pistols exhibit any slide pin walk to any degree. The second
will be to ensure that the magazine catch catches the magazine
properly.Although the Wilson Combat Slide Stop’s lever width
is slightly smaller (more like the standard 1911), if it works
I could care less.
Granted that the pistol is brand new and I could send it back
to Armscor under warranty. Considering that they sold it this
way, why would I want them to work on it as they seemed to
pass over the defect during QA? The pistol would have had to
be fired more than twice (two fired test cases are provided
with the pistol), as it would have taken at least one magazine
to catch the fault. If the pistol truly is defective, as
determined by my certified and competent gunsmith, I will most
certainty will return the pistol under warranty, but not until
I have exhausted all means to prove that it is a manufacturing
defect and not operator head-space.
So, the Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 MS Standard is now
residing in its case awaiting the ordered part. In the
meantime, I am carrying the Rock Island (Armscor) 1911 FS
Tactical as my EDC; A pistol that has been tried and trusted
over time.
UPDATE 01/03/2015:
Although I had ordered a Wilson Combat Slide Lock assembly, I
decided to do some experimenting in an attempt to correct the
“Slide Lock Pin Walk” that I had been experiencing with the
pistol.
I have a RIA first generation GI Standard MS – 45ACP model and
I removed the Slide Lock from that pistol and installed it on
the ROCK Standard MS – 45ACP just to see if I experienced the
same malady.
The installation of one RIA pistol’s Slide Lock into the ROCK
Standard MS – 45ACP proved successful and yet perplexing. I
could feel a difference in inserting the Slide Lock into the
ROCK Standard MS – 45ACP, which was a slight click that I had
not heard nor felt previously. The Slide Lock also did not
move outward from the frame – at all. I tried several
magazines and all locked the slide back perfectly. Working the
slide several times, I tried to push the Slide Lock out, but
it would only move outward when the Slide Lock and the
disassembly/assembly notch lined up – as it is supposed to.
Only a range session would tell the true story.
At the range, I went through 50-rounds of ammunition in
various magazines and the pistol operated wonderfully. No sign
of “Slide Lock Pin Walk” was experienced and every magazine
locked the slide back when empty. There were also no premature
“lock backs” although there was a minute tell-tale sign of
rounds brushing slightly on the slide stop. That will diminish
with more use. The Slide Lock assembly exchange
successful. Now, comes the perplexing part.
was
The Slide Lock assembly from the ROCK Standard MS – 45ACP also
installed perfectly in the GI Standard MS – 45ACP with
absolutely no “Slide Lock Pin Walk” and all magazines
functioned as they should; lock the slide back on an empty
magazine. There was also no problem with bullet clearance with
the Slide Stop. The ROCK Standard MS – 45ACP was also shot at
the range and I experienced no failures, just as with the ROCK
Standard MS – 45ACP. Go figure!
I am not a gunsmith nor have I ever played one. I cannot
explain why or how swapping out a Slide Lock from one pistol
with a pistol (a government model at that) to a ROCK Standard
MS – 45ACP pistol with a “Slide Lock Pin Walk” issue fixed the
ROCK Standard MS – 45ACP nor can I explain why or how the
“Slide Lock Pin Walk” issue did not show up in the GI Standard
MS – 45ACP, in which the suspected Slide Lock was installed.
Logic would dictate that if the Slide Lock failed in one
pistol, I should see the same issue if I installed the Slide
Lock into another pistol – but it did not. Both pistols
functioned according to Hoyle, or as close to Hoyle as can
happen.
Troubleshooting Slide Stop issues or any problems with a
firearm can be both simple and complex at the same time. With
most issue, it is doing some homework to understand how the
suspected part is supposed to work in relation to the
operation of the firearm, what critical measurements are
necessary for it to work, and then determining if the part(s)
is working within those measurements. Sometimes, it is simply
necessary to hand the firearm over to someone who is certified
and competent enough to do the troubleshooting and subsequent
repair work for you. In this case, a simple parts exchange
solved the problem and the ROCK Standard MS – 45ACP did not
have to be returned to the factory or turned over to my
favorite certified and competent gunsmith. I like that.
RESOURCES:
Rock Island Armory (Armscor): http://armscor.com/
Rock Island Armory (Armscor) 1911 Standard MS:
http://armscor.com/firearms/rock-series/rock-standard-ms-45acp
/