Bad rock island

In memory of dad · February 27, 2014, 07:14 AM

Bought a brand new rock island officer model 1911 the other day. Got it to the range finally and loaded, pulled slide back fired than it started. Mag popped out the grip. Would not insert and lock into place. The mag catch inside the grip looked to be way out of speck or not even there!
Took it back and my buddie down there tried other mags and came to conclusion like I said bad mag catch. 3 dollar part I know but I told him wanted my money back and bought something else instead.
Moral of this? If you buy a rock island new, check by pulling on the mag while it's inserted before walking out! Might just been mine or there could be others in a bad batch. Not knocking them at all, just passing Long sum info on new ones

Shadi Khalil · February 27, 2014, 07:23 AM

I have had guns that cost three times as much as a RI that have had far worse problems. I think you should have had it fixed and kept it. After all you did like it when you originally bought, right?

qwiksdraw · February 27, 2014, 07:57 AM

You had a bad part, not a bad gun. For a production gun to have a part get past QC is not that big a deal, that's what warranties are for. Yea it's aggravating, but this one was easy to resolve. If you bought the gun, then you must have done some looking into it and had some kind of interest to buy it, yet you didn't even give it a chance.

Life's too short to wig out on such little things, bless your heart.

Of course, I would expect a custom gun to be 100%.

rebs · February 27, 2014, 08:57 AM

I would have had it fixed under warranty and kept it. RIA builds some nice guns. My friend has one and loves it.

UncleEd · February 27, 2014, 09:18 AM

Sometimes mag catches stick or need a tad of oil or possibly had a tiny burr which caused it to stick. Every once in a while it happens.

I find it strange that the OP hadn't tried mags in and out and lockbacks, etc., which comes with field stripping a brand new 1911 and giving it the once over plus perhaps re-oiling it.

TacticalDefense1911 · February 27, 2014, 10:08 AM

Well, it sounds like you are trying to "knock them." Rock Island does a good job standing behind their product when something goes wrong. Moral of the story, you should have contacted them first.

In memory of dad · February 27, 2014, 11:20 AM

Not knocking them at all. Make fantastic guns, just telling people to check new ones before they leave the door. Other than that it's my right to spend my money on any firearm I like and I decided to go a smaller conceal carry 45 than this so it worked out for me.

jrinne0430 · February 28, 2014, 12:32 PM

I have the RIA officer model and like it but, I also experienced a couple of bugs. New, out of the box, it would not eject the last round which required me to adjust the extractor. Come about the 500rd mark the slide would not lock to the rear after the last shot (both with original and wilson combat mags). Replaced both the recoil spring and slide stop and now close to the 1000rd mark an all is good to go. By the way, I found RIA customer service very pleasent to deal with.

qwiksdraw · February 28, 2014, 01:19 PM

Quote:

jrinne0430: Come about the 500rd mark the slide would not lock to the rear after the last shot (both with original and wilson combat mags). Replaced both the recoil spring and slide stop and now close to the 1000rd mark an all is good to go.

It seems that Officer's models pistols often needing more frequent recoil spring changes is not unique to RIA which I have read in reports on other manufacturers. That short cycling slide is pretty brutal to recoil springs.

Polglock · February 28, 2014, 01:26 PM

I had the same problem with a ria officer it was used and the mag would pop out often. I sent it back for service and when I got it back the work order said they changed mag release. I took it out shot it and no more mag drop. But now the last round would fail to feed every time. I traded it in on something else. But I've seen 1911's that cost triple the price have way bigger problems that new. Everything mechanical will fail. Some sooner some later.

aarondhgraham · February 28, 2014, 03:57 PM

I think I side with the OP here,,,
If something new is bad out of the box,,,
I want a replacement or refund for that item.

I had a similar experience with a new revolver I purchased,,,
I took it home and in the initial cleaning found the cylinder wouldn't "catch",,,
So I took it back (within three hours) and was told that he couldn't exchange or take back guns.

The LGS owner gave me some BS about serial numbered items weren't eligible,,,
And that my only recourse was to send it back to the manufacturer for warranty repair.

Of course I pitched a calm but firm fit,,,
He again tried to snow me with something about the 4473 form,,,
I wasn't making a lot of noise by screaming and hollering but I was very vocal in my reasoning.

Several people in the store were paying attention to us,,,
One person asked "I want to buy a rifle but what if it's a bad one?"

While I was standing there I got on my cell phone and called my credit card company,,,
I explained the problem to them and asked them to cancel the credit charge,,,
The lady on the line couldn't cancel it but she did offer a "dispute" claim,,,
That would have held payment until the problem was worked out.

Hearing that was what caused the owner to reevaluate,,,
He eventually refunded my money in total,,,
And I've not been back there since.

If it's bad out of the box,,,
I don't see why I (or anyone) should absorb the hassle of returning it for repair.

When I hand him my hard earned money,,,
I want instant gratification from the purchase,,,
I don't want to have to wait weeks or months for it.

Aarond

.

ntg · February 28, 2014, 06:59 PM

I have a 9mm tactical and it had a very minor issue, in my opinion. I called RIA and they insisted that I send it to them. They fixed the problem (the mag was real tight once released), and did a full "reliability" tuning to include a new recoil spring as well.

They're awesome IMO.

SVO · February 28, 2014, 11:31 PM

Rock Island has very good customer service and will make it right. Yea, one would prefer not to have to use CS to repair a new purchase but at least they will make it right for you. There are other brands that are not that willing.

teeroux · March 1, 2014, 12:05 AM

I had a problem with the mag catch on my Springfield armory hanging up in the unlatched position after I took it apart. I discovered that the coil spring's tail was twisted against the catch ever so slightly pushing it back to the take down position when pushed in. Turning the spring and reasembling solved the issue.

kyew · March 2, 2014, 02:59 PM

I thought this was going to be something... more. I've always had this itch looking at RIAs, thinking, "This can't be that good for that price", but I've heard very little bad about them.

Beagle45ACP · March 2, 2014, 09:14 PM

No personal experience with RIA, but I have read everything about them that I can find because I think that will be my next gun purchase. From what I've come across online, if you had sent the gun to them for such a small fix, you would've been surprised by the rest of the "upgrades" they do when a pistol comes back into their shop.

HiBC · March 2, 2014, 09:33 PM

I like the Philipine 1911's.I have seen problems with the Springfield milspec,too.Like a plunger tube falling out.And some major internal burrs

Its true the small parts on an RIA are pretty much as cast or MIM'd,and so they may need a little TLC,or the frame may need a burr or sharp edge cleaned up.There is not going to be hand craftsmanship on an under $500 handgun.

A Wilson or Ed Brown mag catch is pretty easy.I upgrade the slide stop,too.

On the compacts,Wilson Combat just sent out an informative article on making them run.I recommend it.Think lighter slide =higher slide velocity.He suggests a more squared off firing pin stop,flat wire recoil spring,and,probably best advise,185 gr 750 fps loads.Avoid 230's and +P's.

And,mag catch is one thing,but mediocre mags are another.I suggest a magazine upgrade,which may have solved the problem,or,maybe not.

February 27, 2014, 07:14 AM	#1
In memory of dad Member Join Date: August 8, 2013 Posts: 93	Bad rock island Bought a brand new rock island officer model 1911 the other day. Got it to the range finally and loaded, pulled slide back fired than it started. Mag popped out the grip. Would not insert and lock into place. The mag catch inside the grip looked to be way out of speck or not even there! Took it back and my buddie down there tried other mags and came to conclusion like I said bad mag catch. 3 dollar part I know but I told him wanted my money back and bought something else instead. Moral of this? If you buy a rock island new, check by pulling on the mag while it's inserted before walking out! Might just been mine or there could be others in a bad batch. Not knocking them at all, just passing Long sum info on new ones

February 27, 2014, 11:20 AM	#7
In memory of dad Member Join Date: August 8, 2013 Posts: 93	Rock island Not knocking them at all. Make fantastic guns, just telling people to check new ones before they leave the door. Other than that it's my right to spend my money on any firearm I like and I decided to go a smaller conceal carry 45 than this so it worked out for me.

February 28, 2014, 03:57 PM	#11
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	I think I side with the OP here,,, I think I side with the OP here,,, If something new is bad out of the box,,, I want a replacement or refund for that item. I had a similar experience with a new revolver I purchased,,, I took it home and in the initial cleaning found the cylinder wouldn't "catch",,, So I took it back (within three hours) and was told that he couldn't exchange or take back guns. The LGS owner gave me some BS about serial numbered items weren't eligible,,, And that my only recourse was to send it back to the manufacturer for warranty repair. Of course I pitched a calm but firm fit,,, He again tried to snow me with something about the 4473 form,,, I wasn't making a lot of noise by screaming and hollering but I was very vocal in my reasoning. Several people in the store were paying attention to us,,, One person asked "I want to buy a rifle but what if it's a bad one?" While I was standing there I got on my cell phone and called my credit card company,,, I explained the problem to them and asked them to cancel the credit charge,,, The lady on the line couldn't cancel it but she did offer a "dispute" claim,,, That would have held payment until the problem was worked out. Hearing that was what caused the owner to reevaluate,,, He eventually refunded my money in total,,, And I've not been back there since. If it's bad out of the box,,, I don't see why I (or anyone) should absorb the hassle of returning it for repair. When I hand him my hard earned money,,, I want instant gratification from the purchase,,, I don't want to have to wait weeks or months for it. Aarond . __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

March 2, 2014, 02:59 PM	#15
kyew Junior Member Join Date: February 26, 2014 Posts: 13	I thought this was going to be something... more. I've always had this itch looking at RIAs, thinking, "This can't be that good for that price", but I've heard very little bad about them. __________________ “If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.” ― Albert Einstein

March 2, 2014, 09:14 PM	#16
Beagle45ACP Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2012 Location: IL, USA Posts: 163	No personal experience with RIA, but I have read everything about them that I can find because I think that will be my next gun purchase. From what I've come across online, if you had sent the gun to them for such a small fix, you would've been surprised by the rest of the "upgrades" they do when a pistol comes back into their shop. __________________ I have a mild interest in guns. Actually, I think the clinical term is "obsession," but that makes me sound like some kind of gun-nut. Which is fair, since I am. Wastin' away my future children's inheritance one box of ammo, range fee, and bottle of Hoppe's #9 at a time.

February 27, 2014, 07:23 AM	#2
Shadi Khalil Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2006 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 5,210	I have had guns that cost three times as much as a RI that have had far worse problems. I think you should have had it fixed and kept it. After all you did like it when you originally bought, right?

February 27, 2014, 08:57 AM	#4
rebs Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2012 Posts: 3,881	I would have had it fixed under warranty and kept it. RIA builds some nice guns. My friend has one and loves it.

February 27, 2014, 09:18 AM	#5
UncleEd Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2013 Location: N. Georgia Posts: 1,150	Sometimes mag catches stick or need a tad of oil or possibly had a tiny burr which caused it to stick. Every once in a while it happens. I find it strange that the OP hadn't tried mags in and out and lockbacks, etc., which comes with field stripping a brand new 1911 and giving it the once over plus perhaps re-oiling it.

February 27, 2014, 10:08 AM	#6
TacticalDefense1911 Senior Member Join Date: April 4, 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,277	Well, it sounds like you are trying to "knock them." Rock Island does a good job standing behind their product when something goes wrong. Moral of the story, you should have contacted them first.

February 28, 2014, 12:32 PM	#8
jrinne0430 Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 298	I have the RIA officer model and like it but, I also experienced a couple of bugs. New, out of the box, it would not eject the last round which required me to adjust the extractor. Come about the 500rd mark the slide would not lock to the rear after the last shot (both with original and wilson combat mags). Replaced both the recoil spring and slide stop and now close to the 1000rd mark an all is good to go. By the way, I found RIA customer service very pleasent to deal with.

February 28, 2014, 01:26 PM	#10
Polglock Member Join Date: August 26, 2011 Posts: 83	I had the same problem with a ria officer it was used and the mag would pop out often. I sent it back for service and when I got it back the work order said they changed mag release. I took it out shot it and no more mag drop. But now the last round would fail to feed every time. I traded it in on something else. But I've seen 1911's that cost triple the price have way bigger problems that new. Everything mechanical will fail. Some sooner some later.

February 28, 2014, 06:59 PM	#12
ntg Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2013 Location: 4B - Idaho Posts: 119	I have a 9mm tactical and it had a very minor issue, in my opinion. I called RIA and they insisted that I send it to them. They fixed the problem (the mag was real tight once released), and did a full "reliability" tuning to include a new recoil spring as well. They're awesome IMO.

February 28, 2014, 11:31 PM	#13
SVO Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2009 Location: Texas Gulf Coast Posts: 728	Rock Island has very good customer service and will make it right. Yea, one would prefer not to have to use CS to repair a new purchase but at least they will make it right for you. There are other brands that are not that willing.

March 1, 2014, 12:05 AM	#14
teeroux Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 2006 Posts: 1,512	I had a problem with the mag catch on my Springfield armory hanging up in the unlatched position after I took it apart. I discovered that the coil spring's tail was twisted against the catch ever so slightly pushing it back to the take down position when pushed in. Turning the spring and reasembling solved the issue.

March 2, 2014, 09:33 PM	#17
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,289	I like the Philipine 1911's.I have seen problems with the Springfield milspec,too.Like a plunger tube falling out.And some major internal burrs Its true the small parts on an RIA are pretty much as cast or MIM'd,and so they may need a little TLC,or the frame may need a burr or sharp edge cleaned up.There is not going to be hand craftsmanship on an under $500 handgun. A Wilson or Ed Brown mag catch is pretty easy.I upgrade the slide stop,too. On the compacts,Wilson Combat just sent out an informative article on making them run.I recommend it.Think lighter slide =higher slide velocity.He suggests a more squared off firing pin stop,flat wire recoil spring,and,probably best advise,185 gr 750 fps loads.Avoid 230's and +P's. And,mag catch is one thing,but mediocre mags are another.I suggest a magazine upgrade,which may have solved the problem,or,maybe not.