I wanted a place to discuss my handguns and firearms in general. Everyone seemingly has lots to say about guns, so I promise you this won't be a rant blog.
I’m not sure why I haven’t posted about this yet, but a few months ago (Jan/Feb timeframe) I was cleaning my RIA Rock Ultra MS and noticed that the front sight was very loose. I’m not sure what occurred to loosen it, but I’d been carrying that particular gun for a while and hadn’t noticed that issue until it happened.
I was carrying that handgun in a Tenicor kydex holster, but the kydex doesn’t touch the front sight. I do remember dropping the gun once, on a carpeted floor. I’m thinking that might have been enough to dislodge the front sight. I can’t remember how the gun landed, but if it landed on the front sight, that would explain why the sight was loose.
The front sight was loose enough to where it slid all the way out of the dovetail with very little effort. Not only that, but the dovetail edge was surgically sharp and sliced my finger badly (had an issue stopping the bleeding).
When I cleaned the slide of blood, I saw that it looked as if the only thing that kept the sight in place was red threadlocker. I could see old threadlocker on the bottom of the sight and in the dovetail. I’m almost certain RIA didn’t fit this sight to the dovetail, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to slide it back on and off the slide.
I’ve ordered another sight (from Armscor) but do not have the tools needed to perform an installation (I’ve no vise, I’ve no files, I’ve no sight pusher).
I can either order the needed tools or give the slide and sight to a local gunsmith so that they can install it.
After I had the issue, I couldn’t carry the gun, but I ended up installing the 9mm barrel to my 22TCM RIA Tac Ultra so that I could carry that gun instead. That gun also fit in the Tenicor Certum holster.
I visited the range for the first time since April 2022. I’m still focusing on 1911s, and I’m preparing to carry my RIA Rock Ultra MS in 9mm.
Why carry the 9mm instead one of my 45ACPs? The two 45ACP 1911s I have are the Metro Arms American Classic Commander and the Tisas Duty (full-sized). I’ve found that even though the heavy metal frame soaks up a good bit of the recoil of those 1911s, 9mm shoots even better from the 1911 frame. As well, 9mm is cheaper and easier to find, locally or otherwise.
Another thought: If I end up ever having to defend myself, I’d have to temporarily give up my gun for case evidence. I do not want to give up any gun but of my 1911s, the ugliest is that 9mm Rock Ultra! While it’s the ugliest, I shoot it the best, by far!
I didn’t want to bother with capturing video footage during this range visit, so I have none, but I did keep the targets and I’ll post them down below.
The below pictures are in chronological order of when I shot at them. Each second picture is a picture of quick range notes (written on the back side of each target).
I shot between 7 and 10 yards – anything further and I struggle to see where I need to hit (all but one target are designed to be shot from 7-10 yards. My actual range notes will be at the bottom of this page.
I’ve two holsters that’ll fit the Rock Ultra without issue, but I’m wondering if I should try carrying appendix – I’m eyeing a holster but need to know if I can commit to it before spending $100-120 on a AIWB holster.
I also just bought two extra 10-round mags so that I can use my two WC mags for carry duty.
Photos of the targets:
I numbered in which order I shot at each mini-target.
I numbered (and circled the number) in which order I shot at each mini-target. I also counted each hit per mini-target.
I aimed between the dead space between the right-side mini-target, attempting a group of five.
Range Notes:
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I brought 350 rounds with me, but only shot 228 (one box of 50 was half empty).
I brought the following brands: Norma 115-gr FMJ (100) Federal Hi-shok 115-gr JHP (50) Belom 115-gr FMJ (50) Fiocchi 115-gr FMJ (28)
Of the total, there were 8 FTFs and one FTE (stovepipe). It was with one brand of ammo – the Federal Hi-shok JHP. The FTFs were almost certainly due to the hollow points – I expected as much. The FTFs only occurred at the top of each mag (top 3 rounds). After the 2nd-3rd round, the issue stopped. It stopped after 3 mags, as well. Note that the mags were Wilson Combat mags and two ACT mags. It happened with both mag brands, so this wasn’t a mag issue.
This gun is accurate as all hell! I ate the middle out of a target at 10 yards (shot 50 rounds). It’s flat-shooting. Yeah, the initial grouping had opened up but I found I had to just be steady (and watch my breathing as well) to get tight groups.
I will probably begin to carry this gun, which is why I put so much ammo through it this range session. I just need to refer to my notes on which JHP this gun didn’t have issues with – I think I shot some 9mm SD ammo through it last range visit.
I tried a new format in this video, using my GoPro hat-clip. What I didnt’ account for was the volume isn’t crisp, as the hat-clip requires usage of the GoPro case, which is apparently covering the camera’s mic. 🙁
There were issues with the Metro Arms 1911. I’ve been suspecting as much the past 1-2 years, but my handgun experience is expanding and I’m confident to say that this handgun has issues with it’s sights. I’ll be looking into obtaining a new set of sights for this handgun (I wouldn’t mind having the sights that are on my RIA Tac Ultra installed on this handgun).
Also, I finally installed the 9mm barrel into my RIA Tac Ultra (I have always shot it with the 22TCM barrel installed). I shot 140 rounds of 9mm from the gun. The gun now has a total of 746 rounds through it. It’s my third most-fired handgun (the Grand Power P11 and Bersa Thunder Plus are 1st and 2nd).
There were some fails to feed when firing the Tac Ultra, but the feed issues only occurred with the OEM mags. I’ve Wilson Combat 9mm ETM mags, which didn’t have any feed issues. I also used the 38 Super mag that came with the Tac Ultra. I also used the 9mm mag that came with my RIA Rock Ultra. The latter two mag are the mags that had inconsistent issues. The feed issues were occurring mid-mag.
Lastly, I need to research who is the new US importer for Metro Arms. Eagle Imports was the importer, but they went out of business earlier this year.
1. We bought Remington R1 mags (45ACP doublestacked) for use with my RIA 10mm HC, since I can’t find any Armscor mags. One mag feeds well, the other does not. Also, the R1 mags will fit the OEM 10mm base plates.
2. We had feed issues with the RIA 22TCM extracting spent cases (the cases were getting stuck in the chamber). This was an ammo issue – I had half a box of older ammo that I’d put aside because I was blowing primers and one case refused to come out of the chamber. I’d forgotten that this was a box I wasn’t supposed to finish shooting. In fact, there was one primer that was blown out in this range visit (I forgot to mention that in the video).
3. I’ve been frustrated with all of my 1911s, thinking that I can’t shoot them because I’m never able to have tight groupings or that I’m always hitting low left (meaning I’m flinching or have bad trigger discipline). Well, I prove that’s not the case on this range visit, as I also took my 9mm RIA Rock Ultra. My groups were tight and directly under the bullseye. I was shooting this gun the same way as the other two. This proves I need to make sight adjustments. In this case, I need to move the POI up 2 inches. In the case of the 10mm, I need to adjust the sights up and to the right a few inches. Not sure yet on how I need to adjust the sights on the 22TCM (maybe 2″ to the right).
My first 10mm is now at my FFL dealer (my gun club). It shipped on 2/12 and arrived at the FFL today (2/16). Pickup is by appointment only and the earliest opening they have is 2/19 (Friday). So, I will be picking it up at 9:30 AM that day.
Not only is this my first 10mm, it’s my first full-sized 1911, and first double-stacked (M1911A2) 1911.
I also have 200 rounds of 10mm range ammo coming – ordered online: 100 rounds of Sellier & Bellot 180-gr FMJ and 100 rounds of Ammo Inc. 180-gr FMJ. I’ll also attempt to see if I can find more (hotter, maybe) locally.
So, the plan is to pick up the 1911 Friday morning, clean it sometime during the day, and visit the range either that evening or the following day.
The two extra mags that I ordered haven’t even been processed yet…I’ve no idea why there’s such a hold-up at Armscor. I hate it when a gun shop’s website says they’ve hardware in stock but when you order it, it’s not in stock. IMO, that’s false advertising.
I’ve a bunch of new Go Pro batteries and plan to use the Go Pro to catch footage of my first 10mm experience!
I show where I damaged a reverse plug on a bull-barreled 1911. I’ve replaced the reverse plug with a new one that is a revised part (the replacement part has what appears to be a barrel cradle).
I also show how to use the slide to disassemble the recoil rod assembly. I know most folks use their hands but I feel for them if they’re using their hands to disassemble a RR assembly from a 10mm. I can barely use my fingers when doing it to my 9mm. I got this procedure from sootch00 (specifically his SR1911 10mm video).
Used my old Go Pro Hero 4 Silver, which I thought had died…turns out, the SD card was bad and the camera was fine
I’ve a 10mm 1911 on the way here. It’ll be my first full-sized 1911 and my first 10mm. I purchased a RIA Rock Ultra FS HC chambered in 10mm. I’d been looking at Glock 20s and 29s but didn’t want the shock of recoil to bug me. While the Glocks weigh around 2 lb empty, the RIA 10mm weighs around 2.5 lb and is all steel. I won’t be carrying this gun but I do want to experience 10mm without regret. As well, I had a difficult time finding a Glock 20 and 29 in stock.
What’s cool about this 10mm is that it is double-stacked (what some folks call the M1911A2; it’s not a true 2011, as the 2011 is modular in nature while the M1911A2 is not). It is a full-featured handgun. What’s not cool is that the handgun only comes with one magazine.
It’ll probably be 2 weeks before it ships to my FFL. The FFL will probably take another week to call me to pick it up. In 3 weeks time, expect a table top review.
I’m about to order another magazine and will begin looking for ammo. I hope to have both the mag and ammo will be here before the gun arrives.
This is what I ordered (from Hinterland Outfitters):
UPDATE (2/15/2021) – I just got notice that the firearm shipped on 2/12…headed to my FFL dealer now…may be a while though, since there’s severe weather in the mid-West right now.
NOTE: all targets were shot from 7 yards standing.
I was going to the range Sunday morning and the wife woke up and asked where I was going. I said, “the range.” She said, “I wanted to go too,” and I said, “well, get dressed and come with me!”
We brought four guns with us: her Ruger SR-9C, my RIA 22TCM MS 1911, and my Bersa Thunder 380 Plus. Of course, I was carrying my Grand Power P11 in a concealed fashion, too…that went with us.
We arrived and she had to take a gun safety orientation class. It was also crowded but we didn’t have to wait long for an open lane.
We decided to shoot her Ruger first. It had never been fired before and she’s owned it over a year. It was cleaned and lubed (by me) and ready to fire. We loaded the ammo (she’d never done that before…for a handgun, at least) into the two mag that the handgun came with (one 10-round and one 15-round mag). I gave her a quick summary on how to hold her gun and to not put her finger on the trigger until she was ready to fire. She knows proper sight alignment already (she’s retired US Army). Then, to demonstrate the proper hold and trigger discipline, she stood beside me and I squeezed the first round out of her handgun. The round went right into the red. That is a testament to the gun’s trigger and sights because that normally doesn’t happen with me…it usually takes me a few mags to warm up.
I then gave her the handgun and she shot her first two handgun mags ever:
All but 5 of those are probably kill shots. And one of those in the red is mine (the one that’s to the direct left of the X)! We ended up firing 100 rounds out of the SR-9C. The ammo was Remington UMC yellow box (mega) FMJ. There were no failures whatsoever.
I ended up firing more ammo from her gun than she did. Here’s my target:
If she doesn’t want her SR-9, I’ll take it…I’m happy with the way it shoots and the trigger is exceptional!
Next, we fired my 1911. I fired the first shots so she wouldn’t be surprised. She was still surprised. I told her it was loud and shot out fire. I think she thought I was exaggerating. After the first two shots, she said, “OK, this gun is loud!” She later (after the range) said she was intimidated by it. She shot it extremely well. She loved the heft and the fact that the weight negated the recoil (never mind that it’s going to be a soft shooter anyways). I took video of her shooting this gun and I was honestly flinching the whole time due to the muzzle flash. The guy the next lane over kept looking over, probably mentally saying, “WTF is that?”
We fired 59 rounds of 22TCM with no failures whatsoever, although she kept unintentionally enabling the safety, which makes me wonder if it’s not positive enough in engagement…IMO, one should not be unintentionally enabling a safety.
I didn’t get a snapshot of the target but here’s some footage of her shooting the 22TCM:
Our time was running out so we had to decide on shooting only one of the two guns that still hadn’t been fired. She decided to shoot my carry gun, the Grand Power P11, a sub-compact. We only fired 36 rounds out of the P11, but I think she loved this gun just as much as the 1911. She loved the lack of recoil. I later showed her why it had no recoil…I showed her how the barrel rotated. And she was very accurate with this gun too. Here’s the target:
I shot a magazine and all my shots grouped under the red…very tight grouping and I wasn’t shooting slow. She shot a mag and started up high (the grouping around the 7 & 8, above the red) then she took better aim and plugged the middle grouping. She wasn’t messing around!
I shot the last mag of the day, from the P11:
I was going for head shots since we were out of targets. I was trying to shoot once and rapidly follow up with another (not quite double-taps). I had several flyers but still, that’s a pretty tight group of 12!
She said she wants a sub-compact. I have a few sub-compacts she’ll probably shoot: a Sig Sauer P320C slide on an SC grip module; a Springfield XD9 Mod 2 9mm; a Bersa Thunder 380 Plus (not really a true sub-compact). And she’ll probably end up renting some range guns to get a feel for what sub-compact she enjoys shooting.
We’re going to try an outdoor range this weekend if it isn’t too cold.
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Other happenings:
I ordered 3 mags for my P11 from Cheaper Than Dirt. I ordered 3 12-round mags. They sent me 3 15-round mags. I double-checked the receipt and sho-nuff it says that I ordered 3 12-round mags. I was a bit pissed. I do not want the hassle of having to ship these back while waiting for them to send me the correct mags. I opened one mag’s packaging and inserted it into the P11. It fits fine, although it’s long and hangs out of the gun by an inch or so. It’s fine for the range but not fine for carrying. I guess I can keep them for range duty and use the two that came with the gun as carry mags. :/
I also ordered 4 Jagemann 15-round mags for my Glock 19. My Glock came with 3 10-round mags. They’re supposed to be good mags. We’ll see. They were cheap @ approx $11 apiece.
A range officer saw the ammo on the range table and was asking what type of ammo it was. He stayed while I shot the first magazine. He was awed and saw how tight the shot groupings were…many of the target holes were on top of each other. He also commented on the muzzle flash. It was bright enough to where I was sometimes flinching! I’m disappointed with the video footage…the footage wasn’t framed good. I may try to go to the range again tomorrow.
I shot 100 rounds through the gun. There were only two feed issues. One was when a spent case didn’t want to come out (common issue that’s related to the ammo case out of round or expanding). The other (right after the first feed issue) was a double-feed. After that, there were no more issues.
This 1911 has next to no recoil and had tight groupings, but I’m STILL not in full control of trigger pull (working on it…practice makes perfect).
Oh, and there’s copper along the slide, next to the ejector. I’ve heard of someone mentioning that issue before (not sure what the cure was, other than sending it back to Armscor to have the extractor tuned).
By the way, the .22 TCM round is basically a shortened .223 round (no, it isn’t a necked down 9mm). It’ll pierce 3/16″ steel. It has an approximate velocity of 2000 feet/sec, but realistic speeds from the Commander-sized barrel is in the 1900 feet/sec range, while RIA’s .22 TCM rifles will shoot this round at 2800 feet/sec.
I also fired my FDE Canik TP9SA. The gun had no issues. I fired close to 100 rounds from it (half of it JHP that was also shooting flames…wonder if it was +P…I think it was some left-over Remington JHP that I was firing during my last range session). There were no jams, but the mags are super-tight…I could only get 17 rounds into the mags up until the 3rd refill.
I bought another Rock Island Armory 1911, the MS Ultra (or what used to be called a Tactical MS 2011), manufacture number 51963 (Armscor link it dead, but this one works)
UPDATE: As of 9/12/2022, this gun isn’t available for purchase from Armscor, although you might be able to find it as a used gun or at a gun store that has old stock. The closest things to this gun that is currently on the Armscor website are items 56636 (FS), 56634 (CCO), and 56633 (CS-L) – all three of them being sold with two barrels (9mm and 22TCM9R); All three are Rock Ultras and are single stacked. There are two Tac Ultras that shoot both 9mm and 22TCM9R – 56635 (single stacked) and 56632 (double stacked). The closest in-production RIA to my MS Tac Ultra (51963) is 56632 – that one is a MS Tac Ultra, but it is double stacked.
What’s the difference between that one and the one I currently have? Well, the 51963 will shoot two calibers – .22TCM and 9mm (it comes with two barrels and recoil springs). It also has an accessory rail. The barrels also aren’t bull barrels. Those are the only differences.
The cons of this weapon? The only ammo maker that has this ammo type is Armscor (the maker of this gun). Also, I’d initially thought I was locked into specific magazines for this round, as the .22TCM round is longer than a 9mm round, so I can’t use a 9mm 1911 magazine (well, I CAN, but only if I’ve the 9mm barrel installed), but I’ve found that I can use 1911 mags for .38 Super calibers…basically, that’s what the MS Ultra 22TCM/9mm 1911 uses as a magazine — 1911 .38 Super mags.
I did take the liberty of ordering 250 rounds of 22TCM via online store…it should arrive today. I also found that there’s at least one local store that carries 22TCM. Although they sell it for $6 more than where I found it online, I can rely upon the local store for emergencies. I’d have ordered more 22TCM but I’m due to begin packing up for location move…I don’t think the movers will pack up ammo and I’m already going to have a car that’s heavy with weapons…I’d prefer not to be carrying a ton of ammo too. Once I’ve finalized the relocation, I can then stockpile ammo.
I can’t wait to shoot this gun, but I may wait until tomorrow so that I can clean the gun first. The gun has already arrived at the FFL and I’m awaiting them to call me for pickup, but I can’t go until Fedex delivers that ammo I ordered, otherwise I’ll miss the delivery.
UPDATE:
Fedex waited until 7PM to deliver the ammo. They also dropped it off on the front doorstep and barely knocked on the door. If I’d have known they’d do that, I’d have picked up the weapon without worrying about missing the ammo shipment. The FFL was open until 8PM and I didn’t get there until 7:10. I inspected the weapon and bought another 100 rounds of ammo (that’s the second source of .22TCM ammo that’s local to me, @ $25 a 50-round box). It took me 10 minutes to do the paperwork and another 5 minutes of waiting to see if the background check was good (it always is, and always takes 5 minutes). I was home before 7:30PM.
The gun is NICE. The slide to frame tolerance is quite a bit tighter than my Tactical II RIA, at least from looking at the rear of where the slide meets the frame. With the Tactical II, I can actually see a bit of daylight in some cases, but my Metro Arms is tight…just not as tight as this TCM.
The differences between this gun and my Tactical II is:
The slide has a flat area down the top of the slide.
The slide serrations on the TCM are larger and are canted forward.
The TCM comes with a railed dust cover.
The TCM comes with two barrels and recoil springs (9mm and 22TCM).
The TCM is easier to take down (it breaks down in the traditional 1911 manner — has a barrel bushing).
The magazine follower is a bit different in shape, to allow for usage of both 9mm and 22TCM ammo.
I haven’t been to the range yet. Today is Friday…I’ve no reason to not go to the range and test this gun tonight.
