Rock River Arms carry pistol

[Hstanton1]

Anyone here have recent experience with this? I’ve got about 2500 to spend, and have been interested in 1911s long enough that it seems like time to just pony up and buy a solid mid tier 1911 with styling that I like. The RRA seems to check those boxes, I’ve heard good things about their pistols in the past and styling wise I like the vaguely Les Baer cocking serrations and finish. If Les Baer wasn’t in the same price range as WC or nighthawk these days I’d be inclined to go with them, but value wise I don’t think they represent what they used to.

[fatdog]

No experience with that model but I have acquired two of the Poly 1911's by those RRA guys the last few years. One lost extractor tension inside 2,000 rounds and the second one came from the factory with substandard tension.

Bending the extractors in my Weigand tool yielded good tension, but did not fix it for long, so I replaced both with Wilson extractors. One of the two had some slight interference between the barrel hood and extractor (before I replaced it with the Wilson) that was solved with a few strokes of the file. Other than that, there have been zero other problems, but I was sorta disappointed they got minor stuff wrong on those two pistols.

May or may not be indicative of their level of attention to the steel framed guns.

[awp_101]

@farscott has some experience with RRA.

[farscott]

I have experience with the older generation "Carry" and handled a newer one. I would recommend a used older RRA over any new model. The newer one was not nearly as well fit as my old Carry. It was fit better than a Colt or SA gun but nothing like the older guns.

The "Carry" was an entry level model that did not have the options available on the rest of the line. My recommendation is to look for an Elite Commando or Basic Limited Match if adjustable sights are desired. Neither should not be much more than the "Carry" and should be available for less than the $2500 budget. I would keep any eye on the 1911Addicts forum as I saw a Basic Limited Match go for $2400 in March. The semi-custom 1911 market is soft now, so a deal can be had.

I agree with the assessment of Les Baer pricing being too high for what you get.

Another option is SACS which is where Baer and RRA both started. This one is a deal if adjustable sights work for you. Not mine and no relationship to seller but I have considered it. Even if adjustable sights are not wanted, John Harrison offers his rear sight to fit the buried Bo-Mar cut.

https://www.1911addicts.com/threads/.../#post-2958084

[Robinson]

A RRA steel gun should be pretty solid.

But if you aren't sure about RRA quality, save up a little more and go for a Wilson CQB or a Les Baer. Think about what will probably make you happy long term.

[theJanitor]

$2500 is a decent spot to be in when looking for a used "custom" 1911. Let someone else take the depreciation and vet the pistol. In the past several weeks, I've seen LB Thunder Ranch, LB recon, SACS single stack classic, wilson Professional, and Springer PRO's all in that range. good luck

[Hstanton1]

I have experience with the older generation "Carry" and handled a newer one. I would recommend a used older RRA over any new model. The newer one was not nearly as well fit as my old Carry. It was fit better than a Colt or SA gun but nothing like the older guns.

The "Carry" was an entry level model that did not have the options available on the rest of the line. My recommendation is to look for an Elite Commando or Basic Limited Match if adjustable sights are desired. Neither should not be much more than the "Carry" and should be available for less than the $2500 budget. I would keep any eye on the 1911Addicts forum as I saw a Basic Limited Match go for $2400 in March. The semi-custom 1911 market is soft now, so a deal can be had.

I agree with the assessment of Les Baer pricing being too high for what you get.

Another option is SACS which is where Baer and RRA both started. This one is a deal if adjustable sights work for you. Not mine and no relationship to seller but I have considered it. Even if adjustable sights are not wanted, John Harrison offers his rear sight to fit the buried Bo-Mar cut.

https://www.1911addicts.com/threads/.../#post-2958084

Wasn’t aware that both LB and RRA originated at SACS, that’s pretty interesting. Honestly, looking through the classifieds over at 1911 addicts there are a few Hillsdale Baers selling for under 2500, which seems like a really good deal.

In terms of build quality, how far is something like a Baer TRS or a SACS Pro over something like a Dan Wesson Specialist?

[farscott]

In terms of build quality, how far is something like a Baer TRS or a SACS Pro over something like a Dan Wesson Specialist?

SACS, RRA, and Baer, who once ran SACS, built hard fit pistols. DW builds closer to the fit that Ed Brown or Wilson use; tight but not tight enough to wring all of the accuracy out of the platform. DW excels in the value proposition which is defined as what you get for how much you pay. SACS excels in both fit and support/warranty/guarantee; SACS guns are supported for the life of the pistol by SACS. If you like 20 LPI checkering, SACS is the way to go. If you like finer checkering, Baer is the way to go.

In this space, it is more personal preference than anything. I prefer SACS and RRA over Baer and DW. I have owned and shot the snot out of all of them. I think the former offer more attention to detail than the latter.

[awp_101]

Is SACS still doing work? I thought they closed down?

[bofe954]

Is SACS still doing work? I thought they closed down?

They still build anything you want, as long as it's a professional, or professional with a rail, in 9mm or 45.