My first 1911, upgrade finish question

**6SPEED** · February 28th, 2012, 03:42 AM

I just picked up my new (well new to me) RIA 1911 from the York gun show a few days ago

It's not the model I wanted, but it was a good price and I didn't want to pass it up. This is my first 1911, I've shot one once before but that's it. I'm just wondering if there is any must do's and must don'ts when it comes to cleaning and oiling a 1911 before I put it back together. I was happily surprised at the ease of dis assembly of it for my first time without and instructions.

Now i'd like to get a few upgrades to get it to be more the gun I wanted. my question is, I was going to pick up this 5-piece hammer and sear set Cylinder & Slide Tactical Match Trigger Pull 5-Piece Set

Also I planning on getting many Wilson Combat parts like this one Wilson Combat High-Ride Wide Thumb Safety and want to make sure that the finish will match. They look like they would in the pictures, but you can't always trust pictures. I've seen parts marked blue that looked like these parts.

Here are some pics

and a few hours after I got it

**Mity2** · February 28th, 2012, 05:30 AM

before you spend any money on it, I would shoot the hell out it.

My wife's RIA had 6.2lb trigger when it was new.
After several hundread rounds, it dropped to 6lb.

Then I replaced the trigger to short solid, and added the magwell MSH with 19lb mainspring, then trigger dropped to 5.5lb.

I think one of the thing the RIA suffers the most is the lack of overtravel stop, and by adding trigger with it, made quite the difference.

RIA Tactical comes with ambi safety. Its actualy a good one with modified sear pin to hold right side safety.
I believe you can buy one as a parts, and finish will match perfectly.

Wife's RIA seems to like to run little on wet side. So I lube it well.

Welcome to the addiction!

**6SPEED** · February 29th, 2012, 04:04 AM

Thanks Mity2 for the response, I've only put 50 rounds through it but I did buy it used and it looks a bit like it. I'm so used to running my Desert Eagle wet that I didn't even think of running this one dry. I tried finding RIA parts but I only found advancedtactical.com that sold any and they didn't have much.

I ended up biting the bullet when my friend gave me a $10 off coupon code for Midway that expired today. I picked these 3 things up,
BlackHawk CQC Serpa Holster Left Hand
Cylinder & Slide Tactical Match Trigger Pull 5-Piece Set
Nighthawk Custom Match Trigger 1911 Aluminum Silver

I'm now wondering if I should have gotten a hammer strut and new main recoil spring also, does a different strut do anything? Also I think after trying to do a few fast reloads with empty clips I may also get a magazine well for it

I guess that was one thing good about my Desert Eagle, there wasn't 5000 aftermarket parts for it to keep me broke

**Mity2** · February 29th, 2012, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by 6SPEED

I'm now wondering if I should have gotten a hammer strut and new main recoil spring also, does a different strut do anything? Also I think after trying to do a few fast reloads with empty clips I may also get a magazine well for it

I dont think new strut does much in term of performance, but I've never had luck removing the old hammer strut pin out to reuse them.

I would say get one so that its lighter then original for the faster lock time.

And I whole heartedly recommend 19lb main spring. It works, and does make trigger feel slightly better. And spring are cheap.

RIA are great guns. But them vertical surrated MSH do feel little poo on my hand... So I installed magwell/MSH combo from Fusion on my wife's RIA. It was drop in with good fit. And I used 19lb main spring. Her trigger feel is excellent.

While I had her gun apart, I also tried to see if my EdBrown magwell/MSH would fit, and it also fits great as well.

Oh and let me know how those C&S kit works out. I'm thinking abought replace my Springfield Loaded's FCG with them

**harold63** · March 2nd, 2012, 01:52 PM

Unless you just like changing parts, there is nothing wrong with the parts that came in the gun. There are even quotes coming from the Wilson Combat camp that the parts they build are no better, function wise, and durability wise, than good MIM parts. It is as if you put an evening gown on a prostitute. At the most, for now, get the trigger that came with it cleaned up. A good gunsmith can do this and make minor adjustments to the springs that came in the pistol and it will make a world of difference.

My opinion is use a little grease on the slide rails, oil the rest of the parts, and keep the exterior of the gun wiped with a rust inhibitor every so often. It is carbon steel and it will rust if you don't keep it oiled.