Rock Island Armory / Armscor is a Manufacture of 1911 pistols and some other firearms from the Philippines. I chose their TAC 1911 in 9mm. This is a full size parkerized, not blued, 1911 chambered in 9mm (duh). The pistol comes from the factory with a Novak style rear low-profile sight and a post front, both dovetailed into the slide. Both sights are target black with no dots of any type. This 1911 is a series 70 style, meaning it has no firing pin safety. The TAC model also comes with an extended ambi thumb safety, a beavertail grip safety, beveled magazine well, longer trigger, commander style hammer, full length guide rod, and a checkered flat mainspring housing. While the extended thumb safety is nice, it is too sharp for my liking. Where the safety angle back toward the frame, there is are really sharp corner.
This sharp safety cause the pistol's safety to bite into your thumb under recoil, it was however better if you are one that rides the thumb safety. The frame of the pistol has vertical grooves on the front to help aid in your grip. I would have liked it better if they had checkered the front strap. The rear checkered mainspring housing feels nice in the hand, it is however made from plastic. The beavertail grip safety is very nice. It has a bump on the bottom to aid in depressing it and has a nice feel to it. Having a longer skeletonized trigger placed my finger just right, for people with shorter or longer fingers this might not be the case. The commander hammer and beveled mag well are nice touches also. The rubber checkered grips that come on the pistol where not of my liking, but they do supply an okay gripping surface. The RIA TAC 1911 makes for a good entry level 1911 with quite a few built in options.
The TAC 9mm is extremely accurate. I could keep shots under a 1" circle at 7 yards off hand. The slide to frame fit on this pistol is very tight and I believe that is why it shoots so good. That, and the fact that the trigger was extremely smooth out of the box. The trigger has very little take up and over travel is adjustable with a set screw that is located in the trigger. The trigger pull weight is about 5 1/2 pounds. I have had no failures with the pistol in over 500 rounds of various types of 9mm ammo. Recoil is very manageable as one might expect with an all steel 1911 in 9mm.
All in all I really do like this offering from Rock Island. It shoots great and would make an excellent starting point for a more custom pistol. Rock Island has many other 1911 style pistols also. So if this style isn't what you are looking for, they probably make a style you might want.
Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points
Claim to Fame: Entry level priced 1911 in 9mm with good options
Target Market: Shooters wanting a full size 1911 in 9mm
FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):
- Caliber: 9mm
- Finish: Parkerized
- Operation: Single Action Semi-Automatic with Thumb and Beavertail Safeties
- Barrel: 5"
- Length: 8 1/2"
- Height: 5 1/4"
- Width: 1.4" at the safety and 0.9" at the slide
- Weight: 2.56 lbs
- Grips: Textured black rubber
- Sights: Novak style rear, Post front, both dovetailed in for drift adjustability
- Safety: Extended Ambidextrous thumb and Beavertail grip
- Capacity: 9+1
- Trigger: Skeletonized
- Hammer: Combat style
- Beveled magazine well
What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?: The Rock Island Armory Tac 1911 is available in many different styles and calibers available at Rock Island Armory
What others are saying?:
- Budsgunshop.com By: Preston O on 07/20/2014Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] This gun is amazing! This is my first 1911 and the first gun I've bought off Bud's. Took it out to the range the first weekend after I got it and put about 75 rounds through it without any issues. Zero issues! The gun cycles everything I've put through it. I have even hand cycled some Hornady Custom 147gr JHP through this bad boy and still zero issues. I've read that if you are going to run HP's through this then go with a larger bullet. Don't use 115gr or 124gr. I have read that they can have issues, but the 147gr run perfectly. The gun comes with a Metalform magazine which i highly recommend for this gun. I bought a Metalform 10rd and it runs perfectly. Again, zero issues! The only thing I will say is that the picture shows the new model with the small logo on the rear of the slide. I got the older model with the "Rock Island Armory" billboard on the slide, but it's not that big of a big deal.
- Budsgunshop.com By: Andrew C on 07/09/2014Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!] This was my first Rock Island Armory purchase and let me say it won't be my last. Fit and finish exceeded my expectations for a sub-$450 1911. It shot great right out of the box and with over 300 rounds through it, I've experienced no failures, even with the sometimes sketchy reloads and cast lead bullets folks give me. It came with nice brand name magazines (to which I added a slam pad). Accuracy is very good and with a full size 1911 frame shooting 9mm, recoil is light. Now, why only four stars. My pistol came with a firing pin stop that I could not remove. I personally think they put a little too much finish on the slide and it got stuck. I sent it off to RIA prepaid and they fixed it, no problem. Now, it is a really great pistol and one I love to shoot. I wish I could give it 4.5 stars but that isn't an option. Anyway, I am quite satisfied and recommend this pistol.
Price point: MSRP = $559 Retail = $465
I need it now! Availability: Check your local gun store
Our Rating:
Pros:
- Price
- Novak style sights
- Extended Beavertail grip safety
- Full length guide rod
- Extended skeletonized trigger
- Beveled Mag-well
- Combat hammer
- Smooth trigger
- Ambi-safety (see Cons)
Cons:
- Thumb safety is sharp
- Rubber grips
- Plastic mainspring housing
- Only comes with 1 magazine
Score: 8.5 Great
Chad's Favorite Link: U.S. Tactical Supply
LOK
