1911-style pistols run the gambit of incredibly expensive and reliable to incredibly cheap with spotty reliability at best. Rock Island Armory (RIA) has produced a very well made 1911 for a great price. These weapons are accurate, reliable, and a hell of a deal.

A lot of 1911s feature a ton of custom details like large sights, ambidextrous safeties, extended beaver tails, the list goes on and on. When a purist is looking for a pure G.I. 1911 he’s left a little lost. The RIA 1911 is completely G.I. original, down to the tiny non snag sights to the wood grips.

Many believe these are the best entry level 1911 on the market, with new models going for well below $500. They present an enthusiast on a budget with a great option for a 1911. This particular 1911 featured in the photo has a great looking parkerized finish. This gun has been carried for the last 7 years and the finish has not worn or chipped at all.

The weapon shoots accurately, but the little sights are a bit lacking for someone spoiled by something like large SIG sights. The weapon has a clean breaking trigger, smooth with no hang up. The weapon did take a few hundred rounds to break in before it became sweet-shooting. About 300 rounds through it and this thing shoots like a dream. The RIA 1911 is an excellent 1911 for the money.