Buying advice, my buddy is wanting to sell me his...

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nocturnal

New member
My coworker has family in the gunsmith/gunshop business
I mentioned today that I was interested in a 1911, but a lower cost entry-level gun, that is no frills, 5" barrel, stock configuration...


He told me about an American Tactical, which he can order for me for $500 otd. Sound good? I have never heard of American Tactical.

Or...he has a personal RIA GI that is his range toy, and is outfitted with Ed Brown parts, has the slide polished and fitted (EB bushing, trigger, safety, slide stop, beavertail, grip safety, etc) and Novak night sights
He just bought a Colt and is swapping his EB parts into that, and putting the Colt parts in the RIA and selling it (the RIA 1911 + satin Colt parts installed + Novak night sights installed + the beavertail) to me for $400 (dont remember what colt model it was)

Keeping in mind that the RIA has probably more than 5,000-7,000 rounds through it, which sounds like the better option?
 
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Shane Tuttle

Staff
With Colt parts in it, I would jump in that RIA. It's been reported over and over being a very good basic 1911. For that price along with the upgrades, I think it's a fair deal IF the smith work is solid. That round count wouldn't spook me in the least.
 
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AZAK

New member
To echo what has previously been said, It all comes down to the smith work. If, again "if", the Colt parts are installed correctly then it sounds pretty good. "If" they are not, potential nightmare.

If you are looking for a new RIA for just a bit more:
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...and+Armory+1911+Tactical+45+ACP+5"+Parkerized

Personally, I would save/pony up the money for a Colt; but that is me, and we all have our different priorities. Having never owned a RIA 1911 I can't say much except that the reviews and reports seem to be very favorable.
 
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Spats McGee

Administrator
Shane Tuttle said:
With Colt parts in it, I would jump in that RIA. It's been reported over and over being a very good basic 1911. For that price along with the upgrades, I think it's a fair deal IF the smith work is solid. That round count wouldn't spook me in the least.
Click to expand...
^^^This.^^^

It all comes down to the quality of the smithing. If it's good, I'd go with this one.
 
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loose_holster_dan

New member
ditto.

the smithing is key tho. ask to shoot it first.

i wouldn't even waste time with the american tactical. if his smithing isn't any good, look at a new RIA or STI Spartan if you have a little extra coin.
 
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nocturnal

New member
Thanks for the advice...I should be picking it up early this week. I will absolutely post up some pictures. It will have a matte black finish with the colt satin parts. It looks great, he showed me some pictures.

How do I tell if the smithing is any good? My friend (the seller) said that he has never taken the gun apart personally and it always gets cleaned, part-swapped, etc at the gunsmith.
He said the rough edges were taken off on the underside/inside of the slide, and fitted to the frame and he said it did not require much fitting to get it slick.

So how can I inspect it for "good 'smithing"???


thanks again everyone
 
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loose_holster_dan

New member
check trigger pull and safety operation for one thing. a lot of the rest can be seen by looking at it. if the parts look like they were meant to be there, he did a good job fitting them. i assume the barrel, slide, and frame won't be changing. that's where you run into the biggest problem. when the slide is fully in battery, make sure that the back of the slide matches up with the frame. if it doesn't and these parts aren't new, check the slide stop fit or the barrel link. make sure the beavertail fits flush to the frame. if you can post 360 deg of pictures, we should be able to tell you for the most part if it's a good smithing job. the rest will have to be determined the fun way - shooting it.
 
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nocturnal

New member
Little update, The Rock Island is at the gunsmith getting it's parts exchanged...and my friend seems a little slow in communicating with me/getting the gun ready.

I should be posting up some pics by the end of the week if all goes well
 
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giaquir

New member
I just bought an ATI 1911 military--plane plain jane-
and I love it.
A dab of white paint on the front site
and I've put away my Kimber Grand Raptor II

ron
 
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nocturnal

New member
Another quick update...
The Ed Brown parts on the RIA are not fitting on the Colt
My friend called me today and said he knew we agreed on $400 but he wants more for all the Ed Brown parts. I told him I understood and was glad he kept me up to date on the sale.
I offered $500...he said ok

So Ill be getting the Rock with EB slide release, ambi saftey, mainspring, mainspring housing, hammer, trigger, barrel bushing, stainless pin kit, beavertail, grip safety, and spring kit...Novak Night sights and it was hard to understand him on the phone but "barrelwood" grips?
Anyone heard of those grips???

Thanks again everyone, should have more to come later
 
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nocturnal

New member
PICS!

not the finished product, but my friend sent me this old pic
I think those are not Novaks but at least I can give you all something to look at...also Im not getting the Crimson Trace grips

But again, here's the "not finished product" gun I plan on buying
IMG956198.jpg


Im using my phone, and the whole picture thing may not be showing up
Ill fix it tonight when I get home.
Not sure if I can but Ill try to attach a link to the photobucket image
 
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nocturnal

New member
I realize its been a long time since I originally posted about the possible sale...
Well, as an update I will let you all know that the gun, as well as seller and gunsmithing, was both a bust!

I met up with the seller this past Wednesday (almost 3 weeks after the original due date) and immediately, I smelled something bad.
There was a nicely oiled, cleaned, very smooth RIA 1911; extended slide release, Ed Brown parts everywhere, ambi safety, Novak night sights, and nice double diamond checkered grips. However, there was no plug under the barrel, and when I asked my acquaintance where the magazine was, he responded with a dumb look and a: "There's no magazine???"

I was upset, and we were sitting in his car after meeting up at the local McDonald's...he started showing me pictures of his girlfriend, "Isn't she pretty?" Meanwhile, I am losing patience rather rapidly...so my reply "...the magazine?!"
"Oh my God dude, stop busting my balls..." his answer...
Yup, this one looks like a real winner I'm thinking to myself. So we drive over to his dad's gun shop (won't name any names...his dad is ok) and he hands me a magazine, I hand him the cash, 500$

As I return to my truck, I toss the mag to my ride-along, tell the seller goodbye and a begrudging thank you...
Next thing you know, my ride-along, starts playing with my new toy as we drive back to the house. "The magazine won't work!" he says...Now I see the light!

Apparently the "gunsmith" did a poor job on the Ed Brown extended mag release and nothing short of a powerful, gut-wrenching thrust would insert the magazine properly. Then, the mag would, rather promptly, slide back out.

I realize what needs to be done, I somewhat sadly, call the seller and explain the problem and tell him that I cannot keep a gun in non-working order. I got my money back, and a hard lesson learned about trusting acquaintances who "knows a guy who does good gunsmithing"

Well, now I get to decide what to do with my $500

-Dave
 
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loose_holster_dan

New member
add another $100 and get yourself an sti spartan v. i have one in 9mm, but the ones in 45 are nice too. real good shooters. decent features for a supposedly "no frills" 1911. just took some new shooters out with mine this weekend, and they liked it better than my $1100 sig.

from the pic, it looks like he had wilson combat mags in there. the problem may not have been the mag release, but the mag floorplate cut. i ran into this as well. i ended up filing down the top of the floorplate until it cleared. works fine now.
 
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