Customer Reviews for Rock Island Armory Rock Ultra FS 45 ACP Pistol

I felt the need for a 45 and after my experience with the RIA 9mm I didn’t need to shop a different manufacturer. The weight and balance is ideal for me. The trigger pull is short and easy. I wish my 9 was the ultra also but I was just starting my shooting. The RIA 9 is a favorite and when I got the 45 I was thrilled and bit apprehensive to pull the trigger. No sweat! The build and weight of the gun soaked up a lot of the recoil. It’s still a 45 and it bucks a bit but not like shooting a 357 revolver. I’m happy with my purchase and Bud’s continuing selection. I don’t think you can beat Bud’s prices!

Had one of these before and didn’t get to keep it due to divorce. This thing is super smooth, very accurate and very comfortable to shoot. I’d highly recommend to everyone

Seems like an excellent weapon so far, haven't took it to the range yet.

Great gun. Accurate out of the box. Buds shipped fast

this is a great 45 pistol thanks to rock island, armory and buds gun shop. I love this gun. It shoots so nice.

So far so good. Reliable firearm so far. Good price when I bought it. Great price now. Very good beginner 1911 for those who are new to them. Rock Island is a very reputable and quality manufacturer of this particular 1911.

Based upon my prior experience with a quality Rock Island Armory 45 acp full size 1911, I purchased this tactical II as it comes with adjustable rear sight, fiber optic front and g10 grips. The grips and sights are amazing. The pistol looks great. However, I have to say that after 100 rounds I feel like Rock Island quality has really dropped. The slide fails to lock back after the last round on all four new Chip Mccormick power mags I have and the factory mag that came with the pistol. I did find it will lock back with wilson combat mags. Also, the trigger pull...it's terrible..averaging over 9lbs using my Lyman electronic trigger pull gauge. My other Rock Island 1911 pistol trigger pull was only at 6lbs when it was new. I hope that things will improve after I shoot more rounds down range. Slide lock failure to lock back and 9lb trigger pull is unacceptable with a new pistol.

Picked this up from my FFL two weeks ago. Probably due to storage requirements of overseas shipping from the Philippines, it was wrapped in plastic and covered with oil, which obviously necessitated an initial pre-use field strip/cleaning. If you get one of these, don’t expect to be able to run straight to the range with it directly from the gun store; it must be cleaned up first. Mine was packed with the wrong magazine, apparently for a high-capacity .38 Super of some sort. I contacted Armscor (the parent company of Rock Island Armory) customer support in Nevada and they promptly shipped me the correct magazine. Otherwise first impressions were very good. Fit and finish is excellent, sights are nice, trigger pull is awesome. Field strip/reassembly is not particularly easy. It has a full-length guide rod and the barrel bushing/spring/spring cap is very tight, definitely requiring a barrel bushing wrench. Be careful getting it apart as it will really launch that spring/spring cap if you let it, and getting it back together is a bit of a challenge. As of this writing have taken it to the range twice, having now put a total of 170 rounds through it. In the first 50 rounds it jammed three times, including on the very first shot. For the subsequent 120 rounds there were no problems whatsoever, and these included 40 rounds of two different types of defensive hollow point ammunition (230 grain Federal Punch and 185 grain Remington HTP, 20 each) that cycled flawlessly. Accuracy was very good out of the box, with only minor sight adjustments required; the adjustable rear sight makes this very easy. Overall a very good handgun for the money. I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone looking for a fine M1911A1 at a reasonable price. (They do need to pay a little more attention in their shipping department, though.)

I carried this gun as my duty weapon during the last 2 years I was Chief of Police in my little town, before I retired. It was very reliable, and had a good "duty" trigger, light and crisp, but not too light. I also carried 3 10-round Chip McCormick power mags that fed reliably through it. While it's no Kimber, it's well worth the price.

Solid value for the money. Shoots well, very stiff

This was my first handgun I ever bought and fired. I had always wanted the 1911 45 auto. I don't have anything to compare it to since it is my first handgun. I can only say that if all Rock Island Armory weapons are as good as this one I will be buying more. I have fed it cheap ammo as well as mid range price ammo. It eats it all just the same.

I got my my rock island 45 this past Monday from my gunsmith but with out a magazine. I sent emails but no responds after 3 days. Buds will get 1 star from me. Very unhappy customer.

Feels good in the hand, easy to clean and fun to shoot. Can’t beat a 1911

Love this gun. Was having a feeding issue at first but a couple Wilson Combat magazines fixed the problem. Now with over 500 rounds fired through it is 100% reliable with any brand of fmj and hollow point ammo. I also ditched the full length guide rod for standard gi because I like the feel of a traditional 1911 and easier to field strip.

The Rock Island 51486 TAC 1911 II FS .45 is a great gun

awesome gun was covered in grease from storage cleaned up no problem. awesome gun shot amazing out of the box love rock island armory 100%.

This gun gives you maximum bang for the buck. It's a beautiful gun. The sights are excellent. Shoots like a $1500 pistol. Can't recommend it enough.

Reliable, full featured and low cost, I am tremendously enjoying shooting this weapon. I also own the 11 mm RIA double stack whose grip is just about right for my oversized hands. I was afraid the grip on the .45 single stack would be too small, but it's not. I like everything about this 1911. The sights are excellent, including the adjustable Bomar-like rear sight and the fiber optic front sight. The adjustable trigger is very nice, smooth with a crisp break. The G-10 grips give you secure purchase on the weapon. This is an all- steel pistol. As such, it weighs around 3 pounds. Because of the weight and size, I doubt many will want to wear this gun. But, it would be great to have in a vehicle, keep by the bed or just within easy reach. Many have commented that they initially found RIA weapons unreliable until after lengthy break ins. Twenty years ago, it was common to give 1911s and other semi autos what some of us called a "fluff and buff" by putting some metal polish like Mothers or even valve grinding compound on the slide and working the action a couple hundred times. And this method is far less expensive than firing 200 rounds. But in this case is not necessary Feeding issues were not my experience. When it arrived, I hosed it down with brake cleaner and re-lubed it with CLP, took it out back and blasted away. No problems. . Many have commented on the "dull" front sight fiber optic. I replaced mine with a Trijicon AC50009 green 0.060" tube. This is an easy job, and I see the green better than the red that came on the weapon.My only real problem right now is the availability and cost of ammo. Don't know why I sold the Dillon 550B in January.This is a fine 1911. Just buy one, you won't regret it.

Hello. I just bought this r.i.a 1911 in .45 acp . I might have got a bad run of this model. Reviews said this is a great buy and if you put a few hundred dollars more it’s could be top notch. Not from what I’ve seen so far. Gun came in hard case wrapped in a plastic bag with one mag a b/w owner guide. The 1911 was so oily that the remainder leaked and ruined the case . As I Disassembled it for better parts, found nasty Metal burrs so sharp it almost cut my shock buffer in half . So hours of filing sanding and polish oh yeah the finish is rubbing off. Never fired just touching it.before I took it apart !

RIA makes arguably the best 1911 on the market for the money. This TAC II feels and operates like it should and it is flawless. I trained with and carried a 1911 as Army active duty so the 1911 is still my go to gun and my RIA 1911s are the ones I go to.

I bought this for two reasons, the first is that I had my EDC pistol stolen from my vehicle and needed to replace it, and two I have always wanted a 1911. I got this because I could not find any in stock at my local gun stores. I have heard of Rock Island, but had no experiences with them. I have to say that I am really happy with this pistol. it is the smooths pistol that I have shot in a while. I would gladly recommend this pistol to anyone.

An amazing deal for a 45. I have had it for 2 years and it’s the most accurate handguns I own. It also has never jammed.
I would seriously recommend it for anyone.

Add me to the list of people who love this gun!! I snugged up the grips and wipe the packing oil down. Took it to the range, sights for me needed adjusting only 4 clicks right. I have several 1911's Colts, Sigs, Ruger, Para and one cherished Wilson. I have been listening to a friend of mine go on and on about his Rock Island, so I put myself on the notification list when I got notified I jumped. I ran several different magazines it took them all. I shot 250 rounds of Remington and Magtec 230 grain ball ammo. I did not have any malfunctions at all and the last 50 rounds or so I was trying to get it too. Loose gripping, weak side shooting, NOT a SINGLE HICCUP. Impressive!! As for the looks honestly I have never seen a ugly 1911, some are deep blued some are shiny stainless others just drive nails and go bang every time you pull the series 70 trigger. This is the latter!! If your thinking of a 1911 or have a bunch of these history makers you will love this gun. Buds great as always!!

This is a good entry level 1911...surprisingly accurate out to 25 yards. Other than needing to retighten the grip screws and watching for feed issues with flat nose anmo, the gun has performed flawlessly. Oh, you might want to wear gloves with the G10 grip panels.

I cannot tell you 1911 enthusiasts how much I enjoy the balance, accuracy, and efficiency of this Rock Island 1911. I have the exact same 1911 only chambered in 9mm for USPSA matches and the sight picture and balance on both are exceptional! I would encourage anyone, if your on the fence about this firearm or another at a higher price point... but the Rock Island! You will be glad u did.