They’re, like, beyond Dan Wesson stiff when new, true. I had no trouble taking mine off, but flicking it on again was an effort.Originally Posted by 45dotACP
They’re, like, beyond Dan Wesson stiff when new, true. I had no trouble taking mine off, but flicking it on again was an effort.
”But in the end all of these ideas just manufacture new criminals when the problem isn't a lack of criminals.” -JRB
Yeah, my one gripe, but I have a few stones in the box of gunsmithery to break some edges, so if anything, it's barely an issue.
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Are the grip panels “real”, or are they molded to look that way?
Real per the American Rifleman review at https://www.americanrifleman.org/art...-1911-pistols/
The Rock Rivers are somewhat unique from other polymer-framed M1911s in that there are actual stock screw bushings threaded into the frame to accept removable stocks. Most polymer M1911-style pistols have a single molded frame with texturing pressed in. I was curious about what the Poly would feel like with thin stock panels onboard, and I happened to have a pair of VZ thin G10 panels from another pistol. With the thin stocks on, the feel was very similar to a traditional M1911 with robust wood or G10 panels, measuring 1.316" in width compared to the 1.319" across for my most-used M1911 with Craig Spegel cocobolo panels.
Last edited by farscott; 05-14-2019 at 04:42 AM.
I have a DW that’s giving me a little grief in this area. I am resolving it through a dry fire discipline I use a lot, wherein it’s manipulated a couple score of times in a session. Just a draw making sure the click happens in the right place, drop to low ready and safe, pull in to retention and off, extend to low ready and safe, etc.
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That's stiff! My friend's Vigil Commander is the stiffest thumb safety I've come across. And yeah flicking it back up with the thumb took a grip shift for me.
“Remember, being healthy is basically just dying as slowly as possible,” Ricky Gervais
Problems with thumb safeties are almost always the result of one of two things. With Colts, it is usually the sear engagement surface that needs filing and/or polishing. With other makes, it's more commonly the plunger spring/safety interface that causes it. Either one can be cleaned up without much trouble, you just have to go slow and re-check the fit and function often to avoid removing too much material. Usually a small file and a stone are all that are needed, possibly some cold blue to touch up the surface if it's a blued part.
Just picked up my RRA Polymer from layaway. Got a little time to make some first impressions.
The thumb safety takes immense pressure to disengage, and my thumb is sore now just trying to wear it in. It's going to get filed into shape when I have time.
Extractor tension was light as is. Maybe 2 oz of pressure on a cartridge case. It would barely hold a fired case against the breech face. This is extremely common in 1911s for whatever reason, but I added tension and drove on before even firing a shot. The extractor itself, in spite of being almost without tension, was clearly polished and fit to break the edges, so apparently whomever built the gun knew what they were doing. The picture of the empty is exactly how an extractor should look, with the case being contacted only on the rim, by the tensioning wall (the inside wall of the hook) of the extractor.
Odd that the tension was so light.
The barrel appears to have been well fit. The lower lugs don't seem to suffer from Kimber's lack of fitting, or the over cut lower lugs of a Colt. The bushing however, required a bushing wrench to even budge. To describe it as tightly fit would be a gross understatement. I've heard that the RRA 1911s were built by an employee of Les Baer and I am unsurprised by this.
Per my trigger pull scale, the trigger breaks right at or slightly less than 4lb, and the gun is a series 70 (with a GI guide rod thank goodness) with a 9mm firing pin and XP firing pin springs to reduce likelihood of firing if dropped directly on the muzzle. I feel the likelihood of this is even less, given the guns lighter weight, which is lighter than my combat Commander.
It is spring with an 18lb recoil spring, giving me reason to believe that the intent was to fire a steady diet of +P ammo. As a 1911, it accepts all the usual 1911 mags I own, from Wilson to CMC to Brownells. I am a huge fan of the thicker grip and the polymer allows or to be textured with checkering of a sort.
The holster situation is an odd one. I think maybe I ought to look into a railed 1911 holster, because none of my current kydex holsters fit due to the thicker polymer dustcover. However, a bianchi leather straight drop holster seems to fit just fine. Granted it's not the nicest cowhide, but I sense a leather holster is in my future.
Shooting impressions are to follow, but I'll bet it's accurate, and with how the extractor looks now, I'll bet it's reliable. It will be groomed in hopes of being my carry pistol here in Cook County, provided I get the holster situation squared away.
Last edited by 45dotACP; 06-04-2019 at 09:09 PM.
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