Rock Island 1911 Questions

I just got a Rock Island 1911 Question #1:  What poundage of spring is used on the slide? Question #2: Will a 6" barrel work with the 5" slide? Question #3: Will Rock River part fit on the frame?
      Now the reason why: I have a hard time pulling the slide back and releasing it. I have a 25 Smith 45acp with a 8 3/8" barrel, I can't hold it up to shoot. I have been down last three years with heart, eye problems, plus a long list of other things. I what to shoot Bullseye again. I like taking a pigs ear and making a silk purse out of it.  I can't see but 80% out of one eye and can see out the other. It took 15 mins to see to type this. Can't do pictures right now, Sorry.

#1 If you're going to shoot open sights and light target loads you should be able to get by with a 12-16lb recoil spring.
#2 yes it can be fitted but why do it when it's not an advantage?
#3 Rock River parts might take some fitting but will work.

I would sell the S&W 25 and just buy a Rock River, so you have a gun that is fitted and ready to shoot Bullseye with.
Less aggravation and more pleasure.
Also if you plan to put a red dot on it the Rock River is still a better option. 
You still might end up with the same weight pistol and the same problem of holding it up to shoot it.

I’ve been there and done this.



At best, you can transform a sow’s ear into a nicer sow’s ear. I put about a grand into a RIA, replacing everything but the frame and slide.

It was a pain. The factory parts were all soft low-quality steel. Some of the pinholes were not square. My hammer pin broke at a match. I had to recut the trigger bow tracks in the frame to fit aftermarket triggers.

I made something roughly usable… at the cost of well twice what I would spend on a decent used Springfield Range Officer.

Your questions: #1, 16 pounds is factory, but you might need to go down to 14 if you’re shooting light powderpuff loads. #2, yes, but there’s zero reason to do that. #3, maybe, but there’s no guarantee that any particular aftermarket parts will fit the imported frame or slide.

there is a gunsmith who claims to use a specific rock island frame and slide options for making custom guns, cant recall the name or the model of gun used. 

If the rock island wasnt going to fill in all the options, its not a great choice to get.  At least by the time you have the cost of a new replacement barrel in, and then the cost of a gunsmith to fit it, and all shipping to and fro, you could have afforded something nicer

colt competition or a national match model. 

There is a 1911 forum that has a section on rock island guns, and no one uses them for actual serious work. 

they would rather use a TISAS for that.

and the basic 1911 government is 46 ounces.  You arent going to have much fun with a 6" barrel. All the professors on coltforum indicated that the longer the barrel, the more important the ability to hold the gun steady.

For what it is worth the late Stan Huey who learned how to build 1911's from Bob Cow would use Rock Island 1911's to build bullseye pistols and they shot really well.  I believe he used the unramped 38 supers and Colt kit gun barrels for 38 special conversions.