I picked up an RIA Tactical (thanks to the awesome service from Kodiak Outpost), mainly because it continuously receives glowing reviews in the American 1911 forums, and I can see why they like it so much. It really is a lot of 1911 for the money. I'm pretty pleased with it. I'm gong to get rid of the full length guide rod and replace the ambi safety with a regular one, but otherwise I am very impressed with this gun. Armscor does know what they are doing and they put out a great budget 1911. There is a reason that STI chose Armscor to make the Spartan for them. By the way, as a side note, the Regent and the RIA guns are not in the same league, not by a long shot. But the comparison to other quality budget 1911s is a fair one.
Now, all of that being said, I have also owned Norinco 1911s and one cannot help but compare the relative value of the two pistols. If it is fair to say that the RIA 1911 are worth every penny (and they are), then the fact is that the Norinco 1911s provide far greater value than their meager price point would otherwise suggest.
Don't get me wrong, the RIAs are fantastic guns for the money. I love mine and would not hesitate to recommend them to others. Great shooters, very decent build quality and a nice parkerized finish. At half the price of a Kimber, they are an amazing value, and that's why they are so popular south of the border...
However, our neighbours to the south don't have access to the Norincos... In a market devoid of Norinco 1911s (especially the new ones they are churning out), the RIA is not only a good value, it is simply the absolute best bang-for-the-buck 1911 that is available in the US.
North of the 49th however, the Norinco is truly the king of the budget 1911s.
The RIAs are a little more refined than the Norincos and are a little more evenly finished. The enhanced controls and beavertail on the Tactical are definitely a little nicer than the ones on the Norinco Sport model. And again I will stress that I do believe that the RIAs are worth every penny they cost.
But... the Norincos give you a forged frame and slide, and they are just so f**king cheap! And that's what makes them impossible to pass up. For a couple hundred dollars less than an RIA, you get a gun that is in pretty close to an RIA im most ways and actually has a stronger frame...
Everyone needs at least one Norinco 1911 in their collection, no doubt about it. I also believe that if you are a 1911 die-hard (or on your way to becoming one), then you also owe it to yourself to buy an RIA. In particular, I recommend their GI models. I think for under $600 they have the nicest GIs on the market.
