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PostPosted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:34 pm 
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Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:43 pm
Posts: 66
I bought a Rock Island Tactical back before Christmas. I shot a couple boxes of ammo through it and it worked fine but I decided it needed a little "tune up." I stripped the frame down and sent it out to Rogers Precision to have the frame scalloped. I also asked Chuck to scallop an S&A mag well to match. After I got the frame back I ordered a bunch of new parts from EGW and 10-8 Performance and then sent the whole mess off to Miller Custom in Ill. for the workover. I asked Robert to install new sights, a new grip safety, thumb safety, a GI-type recoil spring system, a Dawson rail and a flat trigger. I also asked to have the top and rear of the slide serrated. About all that's left that's factory RIA is the frame, slide, barrel and grip screw bushings.

Shortly after buying the RIA Ractical I also bought an STI Spartan. I had plans on getting the Spartan set up similarly to my Trojan so I'd have a back-up USPSA Single Stack gun. Well, I had been using both guns and had them both torn down for detailed cleaning and parts inspection when I saw on the board that Mr. Chuck Rogers was running a batch of his frame scalloping. Knowing that he doens't normally accept off-shore pistols, I contacted him and asked him if he'd be willing to work on an STI Spartan frame. He agreed.

At this same time, I was packing to travel to Glynco, GA to attend some training I had been selected for on rather short notice. I was busily getting things ready and making travel plans, etc and grabbed what I thought was the STI frame and boxed it up and shipped it out.

Guess what? I sent the wrong frame in for scalloping. I didn't realize what I'd done until I got back home. Well, after having spent $300 for scalloping on the frame and the mag well I figured I was too far gone to turn back. That's when I ordered all the new parts and decided to "perfume the pig" so to speak.

I have to say that I'm totally impressed! Both Mr. Miller and Mr. Rogers were great to deal with all the way through.

I'll get a range report up as soon as I can, if anybody cares to hear how this sucker shoots!

I should also note that the scallop on the left side of the slide was something I did before I sent the gun to Robert. I wanted to re-create the scallop for disassembly that the old BHP's have. I've always liked that touch and I thought it'd be neat on a 1911.

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PostPosted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 5:18 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 5:25 pm
Posts: 20
Location: SC
Not very familiar with the Rock Island gun though,is it made in the US?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:50 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:53 pm
Posts: 34
Location: Grand Junction, CO
they did a great job, wow, does not even look like the same gun.......


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:04 pm 
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Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:43 pm
Posts: 66
Quote:
Not very familiar with the Rock Island gun though,is it made in the US?
These are made in the Philippines by Armscor and are imported into the US under the Rock Island name. Armscor 1911's are also imported by Charles Daly, High Standard and STI. There may be other importers also, I'm not sure.

I've got about 400 rounds of factory and handloaded ammo through the gun since I got it back from Mr. Miller. It runs like a top and is very accurate. I've had no issues with ammo type or mags used.


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 Post subject: Good Looking Weapon
PostPosted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 8:58 am 
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Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:52 am
Posts: 94
Location: US of A for now...
I have a lower tiered 1911 that I picked up on a whim and wouldn't mind having the same work performed. Would you mind posting a detailed list of parts used and work done by Miller? I'm assuming your list above is a basic run-through of what you had done to the weapon.


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 Post subject: Re: Good Looking Weapon
PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:41 am 
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Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:43 pm
Posts: 66
Quote:
I have a lower tiered 1911 that I picked up on a whim and wouldn't mind having the same work performed. Would you mind posting a detailed list of parts used and work done by Miller? I'm assuming your list above is a basic run-through of what you had done to the weapon.
Here's what I got:
Quote:
Please complete the following to the enclosed pistol. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

1. Remove the factory "Novak" sights and replace them with the enclosed 10-8 rear and fiber optic front.

2. Fit the enclosed barrel bushing, EGW firing pin stop (leave flat on bottom) and extractor.

3. Serrate the rear and top of the slide. Please leave the slide rounded on top and run the serrations between the dovetails.

4. Install the included Ed Brown ambi thumb safety and grip safety.

5. Polish the feed ramp.

6. Fit the enclosed long mag release.

7. Blend the S&A mag well to the frame so there's no step around the inside of the mag well. I’d like to have the interior well opened as much as possible to facilitate reloading.

8. Fit the 10-8 slide stop. I'd like you to cut the rounded end of the slide stop pin off so it's flush with the right side of the frame.

9. Clean up the trigger and set at 3-3.5 pounds.

As for refinish, can you ship the gun back to me in the white? I have a local guy who'll parkerize and Lauer Coat it for me.

One thing I'd like to ask about is the grip safety. The gun came with a beavertail installed from the factory and the Ed Brown is not a perfect fit, having a small gap between the frame tangs and the safety. Is it worth the hassle to weld up the tangs? I guess I'll let you look at it and see how bad you think the gap is. It's small and probably really isn’t worth messing with.

I'd like to see the gun feed Federal 185 JHP ammo. I've sent you 100 rounds of this ammo in a separate shipment. I’ve enclosed two different magazines for testing.

Thanks!
Although I was originally planning on having the gun finished in black, I decided to ask Robert to send it off for chrome.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:18 pm 
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Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2005 12:09 am
Posts: 714
Location: Commonwealth of Virginia !!!
Tokarev....very nice indeed...and nice to see you back on the forums, hadn't seen you online for quite a while and was wondering where you'd been!!

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"There is a true glory and a true honor, the glory of duty done, the honor of integrity and principle."--Gen. Robert Edward Lee


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:19 pm 
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Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:52 am
Posts: 94
Location: US of A for now...
Thanks tokarev - going to give him a shout tomorrow and work out the details.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 6:15 pm 
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Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:43 pm
Posts: 66
Quote:
Tokarev....very nice indeed...and nice to see you back on the forums, hadn't seen you online for quite a while and was wondering where you'd been!!
Thanks for the kind words! I've been busy with other things and haven't been spending as much time on the boards these days. More time shooting=less time on the keyboard! :D


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