[Jason Nesquik]

I recently purchased a new RIA 1911 (.45) One of the first things I like to do with a new firearm is practice with a laser cartridge. Normally, when I insert the cartridge into a new gun and give it a click, the little red flash is aligned almost perfectly with the sites. Much to my surprise, with this one, it was about five inches to the right and an inch up at six yards. I took the cartridge out and rotated it to see if it had been damaged and would be five inches off to the left, or high, or low, but no, it was still 5 inches to the right and an inch high. This is well over a full degree off! Remember, this is not a live round with any recoil, this is a laser. I braced it, viced it, and everything else but I still keep getting the same result. I am not new to shooting having began around 1980, but I am new to the 1911. The cartridge shoots straight in everything else, so I'm pretty sure that is not the problem. In order to use the sites, the front site has to hide completely behind the left rear site about half way between the edges. The front of the barrel seems to be perfectly in the center of the barrel bushing. The gun has to be held unnaturally cocked to the left so far that you can easily see the left side of it. It is visibly not straight and is very awkward .

Is this common?
Has anyone else run into this?
Did I get ripped off? (It was brand new)
Any suggestions?

 

[Grandpas50AE]

It sounds like a simple matter of drifting the rear sight to the left (or the front sight to the right). And welcome to the forum.

 

[Jim Watson]

I would not get worried unless you can insert a real cartridge and apply a moderate amount of force to the trigger. If the hole appears 5 inches to the right of the point of aim at six yards, I will agree that you have a misaligned pistol. Make a warranty matter out of it.

 

[drail]

Is there any play in the barrel when in battery?

 

[tgt_usa]

It reads like a lemon and not common in my experience. Declining to disagree with 'Jim Watson on this topic where his experience is much greater. From your write-up, you read as having been meticulous in analysis. Based on the post from 'Grandpas50AE' , here's a thought:

Temporarily cover the rear sight (tape or whatnot) mark the cover in place of a notch such that the mark lines up with the PoI and front sight. This shows how much you'd have to drift the rear sight. If I did it right, that'll be >.1" (presuming a government model). And that seems like a lot.

 

[Rwehavinfunyet]

I would give your new RIA .45 a good range test to determine if the sights are way out of alignment.....if so, then see if the sights can be drifted to allow POA vs. POI. If that doesn't work, call RIA in Nevada and discuss the issue.....

 

[BC17A]

Sounds exactly like the extractor pushing the rear of the cartridge to the left. Laser bore sights are most accurate once the rim is milled/filed so the extractor doesn't make contact with it.

 

[Jason Nesquik]

It sounds like a simple matter of drifting the rear sight to the left (or the front sight to the right). And welcome to the forum.

Thank You!. Unfortunately the sites are fixed

It sounds like a simple matter of drifting the rear sight to the left (or the front sight to the right). And welcome to the forum.

Thank You. I am glad to have wandered on to this forum. Unfortunately, the sites are quite fixed. I would have to scoot them so far to the left, I'm afraid they would be partially off the side of the gun.

 

[Jason Nesquik]

Is there any play in the barrel when in battery?

It seems firm.

 

[Jason Nesquik]

Sounds exactly like the extractor pushing the rear of the cartridge to the left. Laser bore sights are most accurate once the rim is milled/filed so the extractor doesn't make contact with it.

Now there is an interesting thought.

 

[Jason Nesquik]

It reads like a lemon and not common in my experience. Declining to disagree with 'Jim Watson on this topic where his experience is much greater. From your write-up, you read as having been meticulous in analysis. Based on the post from 'Grandpas50AE' , here's a thought:

Temporarily cover the rear sight (tape or whatnot) mark the cover in place of a notch such that the mark lines up with the PoI and front sight. This shows how much you'd have to drift the rear sight. If I did it right, that'll be >.1" (presuming a government model). And that seems like a lot.

Yeah, that would have to be pretty far. I'll check that out. Thanks!

 

[45ofcourse]

Sounds exactly like the extractor pushing the rear of the cartridge to the left. Laser bore sights are most accurate once the rim is milled/filed so the extractor doesn't make contact with it.

My thoughts as well. Removing the extractor should be an easy way to test this.

 

[partsproduction]

Not a gunsmith, but,,,
I have a Star F sport .22 that was like that, the first time I picked it up, Probably not nearly as bad as yours, but pushing the sight over seemed to make it obvious to the shooters eye if he was looking for irregularities. I picked it up later and wondered why I thought earlier that it looked so bad, it's barely perceptible. But yeah, if you hand the gun to someone else and mention it and they say "oh, yeah!", that would be a deal breaker for some, myself included.

But if it's really obvious I'd send it back, just my personal POV. I don't know how others feel about that but to me it says something is off in the frame or slide. I'm sure the manufacturers don't feel it's a deal breaker. I responded because of my earlier experience and wondering how others feel about that, it's mostly cosmetic, and some people feel that means it doesn't matter, I disagree FWIW.