Saturday Night Range Report

Dad and I went to the range tonight.  I brought my 3" Ruger SP-101 (model KSP-331X) and my Browning Hi Power Practical.  Dad brought along new Rock Island Armory M1911 made by Armscor in the Phillipines.

I put about 60 rounds through the Ruger.  It shoots nicely.  Easier to pack than a K-Frame but a whole lot more pleasant to shoot than a J-Frame, especially with .38 +Ps.  (The indoor range at Dad's club prohibits magnums, and I can't see myself shooting many .357s in a 27 oz. gun anyway.)

The .38s I shot in the Ruger consisted of 50 rounds of Winchester 148 grain wadcutters, 5 Winchester 158 grain LSWCHP +Ps, and 5 Double Tap 158 grain hard cast LSWC +Ps.  Compared with my S&W Model 640, the Ruger is much easier to control with full power .38s, due to the weight and the excellent Ruger rubber grip.

Before tonight I hadn't tried Brown Bear ammo in my BHP.  Unlike most American made ammo, Brown Bear has a steel case with a lacquer coating to prevent rust.  Some guns have functioning problems with steel cased ammunition, so I recommend testing any semiauto firearm with at least 100 rounds of steel cased ammo before purchasing a large quantity.

My Springfield XD9 has gone through several hundred rounds without any issues.  Since it's relatively cheap I was hoping the BHP would also function well with it.  I was not disappointed.  I put 100 rounds of the Brown Bear through the gun using 3 different Mec Gar mags, and 3 KRD (Argentine) mags.  I also shot 50 rounds of Blazer Brass.  As expected, I had zero malfunctions.

I picked up the KRD magazines several years ago, before the ban on new "high capacity" magazines sunset in 2004.  At the time they were about the only >10 round BHP mags available for less than an arm and a leg.  Compared with Mec Gars they are a bit rough, and one in particular seems vulnerable to follower tilt.  I plan on seeing if I can smooth them up a bit but until then, they are range mags only.  Note that Mec Gar is the OEM for Browning Hi Power magazines.  However, Mec Gar branded mags are available for slightly less than half the cost of Browning branded magazines.  I'll be getting some more Mec Gar 15 rounders.

Compared with the Blazer Brass ammo, the Brown Bear was dirty and smelled bad.  However, it cleaned up easily with some Hoppe's No.9 and I can tolerate the stink.  AIM Surplus currently has it in stock at $8.25 per box of 50 when ordered 10 or more boxes.  I regard it as a good deal if you don't reload 9mm.

Dad put 71 rounds through the RIA M1911.  He had 3 malfs, all of which could be cleared with a "tap, rack, bang."  The owner's manual notes that the gun has a 500 round break-in period.  He thinks that 2 of the malfs were probably due to the magazine which came with the gun.  He also used a couple 7 round Wolff mags which have run perfectly in his Colt M1911A1.  (The Wolff magazines are really good, and even have a dimpled follower.  Highly recommended.)

I didn't put any rounds through the M1911 but I did dry fire it a few times.  I'd guestimate the trigger pull at around 5 or 6 pounds and pretty crisp.  Quite suitable for a self defense pistol, IMO.

My impression of the RIA 1911 is that it's a pretty good gun for the money.  He paid $400 OTD for it.  Fit and finish are suitable for a service grade gun.  The metal is parkerized.  The grips are plain, uncheckered wood but the finish is well done.  Overall, it looks almost identical to a USGI 1911A1 except that it has a lowered and flared ejection port, and the magazine well is slightly beveled.

If the RIA was my gun, I'd replace the sights with ones easier to see, install an ambidextrous safety, use either Chip McCormick, Wolff, or Wilson mags, and maybe replace the grips with some nicer looking wood. Other than that the RIA M1911 seems like a very good self defense pistol right out of the box.