Recommend someone to work on an RIA 1911, or is it even worth it?

Backstory, my father several years back purchased an Armscor/ Rock Island 1911 Commander, the model with the basic GI sights. It became his favorite gun rapidly, and he shot it as extensively as his limited ammo budget allowed. However, on one range session its front sight departed, never again to guide Holy Hardball to the paper demons. We took it to the local dremel and duracoat surgeons that call themselves gunsmiths to have the sights replaced with their recommended Meprolights.

After 7 months and no response (on a six-week quoted turnaround) we finally called them for a status update, the status being that they had left the slide on the store counter where we had dropped it off , and forgot about it. After many more broken promises and runarounds we finally got it back with the new sights (crookedly) installed.
Oh well, if it shoots straight, who cares. Miraculously, it does! For two range trips at least. Then the front sight joins its predecessor in whatever hell betrayers and telemarketers go to.

I would like to get some decent sights installed on this thing for him, as he is reluctant to sell it because it has worked well for him, and he has the understandable aversion to letting go of guns, after having regretted selling off most of his( now very expensive) "junk" guns when he was younger. So it just sits in the safe, with us being gun-shy about "gunsmiths", and in the current environment, not feasible to economically replace.

Any recommendations on how to proceed?

Pressing a new sight in is no big deal unless it's staked like a Colt Gov't model. There are some tools on the market that make the job fairly easy if it's a dove tail cut. I use an MGW sight pro but for a 1911 there are some for about half the cost.

Have the slide dovetail cut by Novak.

https://www.novaksights.com/Products.aspx?CAT=9473

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Originally Posted by 5pins

Have the slide dovetail cut by Novak.

https://www.novaksights.com/Products.aspx?CAT=9473

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And have them install a new sight while it's there. Staked sights suck. I had two Colts with staked sights and sold them. My Gold cop has a dovetail cut.

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Originally Posted by 5pins

Have the slide dovetail cut by Novak. https://www.novaksights.com/Products.aspx?CAT=9473

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This is the best approach as the dovetail eliminates any issue with a staked front sight. Novak should have a front sight that works with the GI rear, will install it, and warranty the work.

Yeah staked in sights are horrible. I'll be sending my Colt Commander in to get dovetailed soon.

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Wow! Thank you for all replies! I cannot believe I never thought to look at Novaks' website. That should be just the ticket. Now to convince my father that it would be worth it to send it in. Being ignorant of what all the different measurements for front sights mean and their relation to the rears, I think the safest bet is going with one of the offered mega dot front and adjustable rear combos and the full slide milling and installation options. Nice big visible front is his preference, and while fiber might me cheaper, I'm thinking tritium would show up better in the crappy lighting at our indoor range.

I will be footing the bill, so any objections about price are moot. Seems a reasonable cost to get him back to being enthusiastic about shooting. At least when ammo availability (hopefully) returns to something approaching normal.

Any tips about the best method working with Novak? Feedback from folks who have gone through the process? Any issues that might pop up? I'm pretty sure I have read through all the FAQs and the like on the site, but not knowing what I don't know, I may have missed(or not understood) something.

I'm curious about this as well. It looks like you are able to purchase the milling service in their shop website and presumably you just send them your slide, but I'm always hesitant to send guns out in the mail.

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I'll pile on and recommend Novak. Twenty years ago, a very small number of people knew how to properly stake a 1911 front sight, and I'm sure that number has gotten smaller in the interim.


I always chuckle when somebody recommends "any local gunsmith." They mostly screw together AR15s, install drop in Glock parts, and do Hello Kitty cerakote jobs.

20 years ago I mailed Novak a Springfield Mil-Spec slide. It came back a few weeks later with Novak night sights installed. They shot POA/POI with 230 grain ammo and I had zero issues.

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Originally Posted by 45dotACP

I'm curious about this as well. It looks like you are able to purchase the milling service in their shop website and presumably you just send them your slide, but I'm always hesitant to send guns out in the mail.

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Usually, you can just send them the slide.