I should clarify that I'm not ONLY interested in Ransom Rest tests, but I mean something somewhat quantitative, even if it's only a careful head-to-head comparison with a gun of known quality. It's just that comments like "makes me look better than I am" or "shoots like a laser" aren't very informative...
How accurate are RIA Pro Ultra Match .45s?
The Pro Ultra Match sounds good on paper, but how good are they really? I mean like 25 or 50 yards in a Ransom Rest good, not "it's more accurate than I am." Any pistol worth owning meets THAT criterion, IMHO, unless you are a Precision Pistol shooter qualified Master or better!
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
how good of a shooter are you the human is the one that makes the gun look good.
I think I can honestly say that I'm better than most people you find on a typical pistol range, and way, WAY worse than a good target shooter. I'm trying to start a semi-serious effort to at least narrow the gap between myself and the good target shooter.how good of a shooter are you the human is the one that makes the gun look good.
A couple of years ago, my wife and I were at a fairly busy indoor range one evening, and as we left, the guy at the desk said "you guys are the best shooters we've had all day." I believed him, but most people are terrible, so that doesn't mean much. And some of those people are better than me at run-and-gun shooting, because that doesn't interest me much.
But errors are additive, generally. Could you tell the difference between my targets with a gun that holds under 1" at 25 yards and one that shoots a little over 2", at this point? Probably not. A 3" gun? Probably yes. I'm hoping to improve enough so that MAYBE it would matter.
burn powder the more you burn the better you get proven factI think I can honestly say that I'm better than most people you find on a typical pistol range, and way, WAY worse than a good target shooter. I'm trying to start a semi-serious effort to at least narrow the gap between myself and the good target shooter.
A couple of years ago, my wife and I were at a fairly busy indoor range one evening, and as we left, the guy at the desk said "you guys are the best shooters we've had all day." I believed him, but most people are terrible, so that doesn't mean much. And some of those people are better than me at run-and-gun shooting, because that doesn't interest me much.
But errors are additive, generally. Could you tell the difference between my targets with a gun that holds under 1" at 25 yards and one that shoots a little over 2", at this point? Probably not. A 3" gun? Probably yes. I'm hoping to improve enough so that MAYBE it would matter.
Mine is more accurate than my Springfields. Shooting regular WW 230 grains factory full metal jacket rounds, and no adjustment of the sights, I can keep around 3 in to 5 in. grouping at around 15 yards. That is good enough for me as I am a casual shooter, high nearsighted, and with advance cataract on both eyes. I am sure a much younger and better shooter than I am would be able to print a more impressive grouping.
The damn Springfield (5) were all over the paper. I consulted with a few gunsmith in my area and I was told to upgrade this and that, I decided its more expense than I want. I just sold them away.
The damn Springfield (5) were all over the paper. I consulted with a few gunsmith in my area and I was told to upgrade this and that, I decided its more expense than I want. I just sold them away.
Forgot to add above: My Pro Match Ultra FS is the 5 inch model. Its the only Pro Match allowed here in commiefornia. changed the factory wood grips (too thick, cheesy, and ugly for my taste) to a darker cocobolo Herretts Grips. I also sent the gun earlier to the Armscor factory in Pahrump, NV for conversion of the ambidextrous thumb safety to a one side GI safety. That was my preference.
RIA generally gets the little things right—slide rails are cut true to spec, slide stops are usually 0.200”, and the barrel links are the right length. Lug fit is usually fine. Bushings are usually pretty generous—they can be turned in lock-up with minimal or no resistance. Production guns rarely have snug bushings; most consumers don’t want to be told to use a bushing wrench while holding the slide out of battery every time they clean a 1911.
If you handload really good ammunition, a gun with confirmed good specs but a roomy bushing fit will usually shoot 5-6” at 50 yards. You’re not going to get “true” match grade performance (sub-3” at 50 yards) without a properly tight bushing.
If you handload really good ammunition, a gun with confirmed good specs but a roomy bushing fit will usually shoot 5-6” at 50 yards. You’re not going to get “true” match grade performance (sub-3” at 50 yards) without a properly tight bushing.
newbie opinion. I have shot quite a few firearms but I am still relatively new and inexperienced re: 1911s.
I am only 300 rounds into the break in period. I feel like the accuracy is coming in and the gun is more and more accurate each time I shoot. The best group I've shot so far is 5 inches at 25 yards, but Im not the best shooter and I shoot standing. I am also shooting with stock wood grips instead of upgrading to G10 grips, which would improve grip and therefore accuracy for follow up shots. The groups tend to be 2 close and one flyer type groups. Sometimes the first two are one hole and the second is 3-7 inches high or low, depending on distance to the target. I believe the gun will continue to get more accurate, potentially match grade, but it wasnt there out of the box.
I do not feel like the gun is more inherently accurate than a sig p320, for example. I shot 3 inch groups at 25 yards the first time I shot the gun. I decided to purchase a 1911 initially because I rented a well-worn Colt 1911 that I was able to shoot one hole at 10 yards, and felt the inherent accuracy of the 1911 model was superb. I did not get the feeling of inherent accuracy out of the box with this gun.
In terms of the parts, the gun does appear to have a match barrel(whatever that means, but Rock Island calls the part "MA" in their parts catalogue to distinguish it from their regular barrel), the slide-frame fit is superb, it has yet to fail to fire, and the trigger is really good in my view. I think its probably a 4lb trigger, which I prefer. It has an interesting take-up under tension up to a clean break, which reminds me of a multi-stage trigger. like this: https:// youtu.be/4UGws8FarG4?t=199
The cosmetic and functional problems with the gun mostly come from what appears to be soft steel used in the frame. Every time I sneeze it causes a burr or chip or dent. There are actually two indentations on the frame rail that are very annoying. I have no idea what caused that but I haven't done anything that I think warrants that kind of damage to a steel frame. Maybe use of pliers and my hand slipped when changing the ejector. If you baby the frame, then this gun does have the fitting out of the box to be a match grade pistol with some additional gunsmithing, assuming it wont get there on its own with further break in. Hayes custom uses RIA tac ultra(similar to this model) as base models for their match grade stuff.
I am only 300 rounds into the break in period. I feel like the accuracy is coming in and the gun is more and more accurate each time I shoot. The best group I've shot so far is 5 inches at 25 yards, but Im not the best shooter and I shoot standing. I am also shooting with stock wood grips instead of upgrading to G10 grips, which would improve grip and therefore accuracy for follow up shots. The groups tend to be 2 close and one flyer type groups. Sometimes the first two are one hole and the second is 3-7 inches high or low, depending on distance to the target. I believe the gun will continue to get more accurate, potentially match grade, but it wasnt there out of the box.
I do not feel like the gun is more inherently accurate than a sig p320, for example. I shot 3 inch groups at 25 yards the first time I shot the gun. I decided to purchase a 1911 initially because I rented a well-worn Colt 1911 that I was able to shoot one hole at 10 yards, and felt the inherent accuracy of the 1911 model was superb. I did not get the feeling of inherent accuracy out of the box with this gun.
In terms of the parts, the gun does appear to have a match barrel(whatever that means, but Rock Island calls the part "MA" in their parts catalogue to distinguish it from their regular barrel), the slide-frame fit is superb, it has yet to fail to fire, and the trigger is really good in my view. I think its probably a 4lb trigger, which I prefer. It has an interesting take-up under tension up to a clean break, which reminds me of a multi-stage trigger. like this: https:// youtu.be/4UGws8FarG4?t=199
The cosmetic and functional problems with the gun mostly come from what appears to be soft steel used in the frame. Every time I sneeze it causes a burr or chip or dent. There are actually two indentations on the frame rail that are very annoying. I have no idea what caused that but I haven't done anything that I think warrants that kind of damage to a steel frame. Maybe use of pliers and my hand slipped when changing the ejector. If you baby the frame, then this gun does have the fitting out of the box to be a match grade pistol with some additional gunsmithing, assuming it wont get there on its own with further break in. Hayes custom uses RIA tac ultra(similar to this model) as base models for their match grade stuff.
I feel like the bushing fit has gotten tighter through the break in period, to the point where the bushing sticks to the barrel and its difficult to remove from the barrel itself when I takedown the gun. Not sure why or how that would be the case.Production guns rarely have snug bushings; most consumers don’t want to be told to use a bushing wrench while holding the slide out of battery every time they clean a 1911.
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
1911Forum
A forum community dedicated to all 1911 firearm owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Recommended Communities
