Doing Work With Rock Island Armory’s GI 1911

Sometimes we all need something a little different. The whole ‘tactical’ world, more often than not, can get stale with the same path being tread over and over. Don’t get me wrong – getting stale means proficiency, boring means capable, and both mean capable under fire; both you and the weapon. That said, sometimes we just need something a little different. A challenge, a return to roots, or really, no reason at all for any other reason than to do it.

I’m no stranger to the 1911. I picked up my first one, a Springfield TRP Operator, back in the mid 2000s as a coming home present after my first tour in Iraq. Even though I shot well with it out of the box, it was a lot like buying a high end sports car after just getting a license. It has a bunch of features, is tuned a particular way, and me as being new to the platform had zero idea why. It wouldn’t be until later on in life, after working diligently to learn the pistol, that I came to respect exactly why the handgun maintains a place among shooters even a century after its design.

That said, after years and years of range time and every day carry, I migrated to a CZ P07 and Glock 19 mainly due to commonality with people I trained and run around with. I’ve never personally been of the belief that you’re giving up anything in terms of stopping power between 9mm in a modern loading and the 45 ACP. It was just a function of the fact I shot that 1911 so well, that I loved carrying it. But, things change. The TRP was an anchor for every day carry and even though it shoots like a dream, its become a safe queen for a number of years. And then one day the 1911 bug kinda bit me again. Not as something to carry, necessarily, but something to learn. A new hobby. A new challenge. So I decided to get back into the 1911 game from square one – a bone stock GI-spec gun that I could tinker with and really learn the 1911.

First things first, the frame to slide fit has always been the first question I’ve had when picking up a new 1911. That tells the shooter right off the bat the level of care that was expressed by the gunsmith that built it. Rock Island’s offering is quite good. Not perfect, there’s some tooling marks and a bit of grittiness out of the box when working the slide, but then again GI-spec guns are built with slightly lower tolerances. There is just a tiny amount of play, with a substantial amount of grit that cleaned up nicely with a few swipes of a jeweler’s file. The trigger on the other hand was excellent out of the box, with nearly no creep and an unexpectedly nice reset. I replaced the factory rubber grips with stag laminates, and, while I think they look good, leave a bit to be desired. Those will likely be changed for a G10 set from VZ Grips.

Hammer & slide bite are a real thing, reminding my of the scene from Shooter where Mr. Rate grabs Swagger’s hand looking for the callous between the thumb and index finger. The first time I saw that film I had no idea what that was a reference to, until an old hand from 1/75 explained it. The scar left from hammer bite was the mark of a seasoned shooter. It certainly doesn’t make for the most pleasant shooting experience and leads me to understand exactly why beaver tail grip safeties got popular. But on that note is also the reduced tactility of the GI-spec grip safety, making it a bit less positive in the hand. Its something Paul Harrell pointed out as a minor issue with the GI-spec guns as being a possible vector for malfunctions, and I agree. That said I experienced no malfunctions in the gun’s first 200 rounds in two range trips.

About those GI sights…while I appreciate low profile, I also learned just how spoiled we are with the huge number of aftermarket sights out there today. Are they functional? Sure. But they damn sure ain’t a set of Novaks which are nearly ubiquitous across the handgun world. Larry Vickers’ sights on my Glock 19 are just about what I consider perfect, with Ken Hackathorn’s in a very close second. But the trigger reminded me of the reason I love 1911s, even on this budget gun. Its crisp, clean and a nice tactile reset. It reminds me very much of a CZ Omega trigger. From 25 meters the grouping wasn’t too shabby on a leftover human anatomy target form the last Fighting Carbine course, 8 rounds from the carry magazine and a 10 round Chip McCormick reload. Not my best work by any stretch and certainly not match grade, and neither is a $450 1911. But a kill shot is a kill shot. Better sights make a world of difference.

Obviously in 200 rounds I can’t speak to Rock Island’s long term reliability or durability, but it had zero malfunctions during that round count with nothing more than a stripping and cleaning of the factory lube. Everything is nice and tight, works as it should, and passes the all-critical extractor test. Its certainly no Wilson Combat or a Dave Lauck masterpiece, but its a tenth of the cost. In my opinion its an excellent no-frills entry into the 1911 platform which is how this pistol is marketed. Whether you’re nostalgic for an era gone by or looking for a new hobby in the handgun world, there’s certainly worse ways to scratch that itch. Starting from the bottom, a bare bones basic 1911, makes me appreciate all the upgrades and fine tuning the platform has gone through over the years. I love my Operator that much more now and its rekindled what I love about a uniquely American handgun. It’ll certainly win no awards but it will be fun to polish up and add my own small touches.

Its like owning a Harley or driving a Jeep. There’s more practical options on the market, but we love em and they endure for a reason. Its fun, and it damn sure works if and when we need em to.