Rock Island 1911

[Oro_O]

DuckRyder beat me to it but that is my assessment and I agree with him entirely. I also agree DW is a great product. Though, much better when they were cost competitive - I feel now they are priced above fair value. My opinion is not based on just reading catalogs or listening to marketing, but almost 40 years of shooting 1911s, some years building them, lots of work on them and comparisons, and lots and lots of guns owned.

I have NOTHING against other brands, and still own a Norinco, a 1st gen Kimber, custom Caspian, maybe another or two I am forgetting right now. I really find that Colt puts together the best gun for the money nowadays, and has for 10 years or more. There was a period in the 80s and 90s they were complacent and let business issues, labor issues, and complacency cost them enormous market share. They've refocused under good leadership and the fruits are there now, and they have been for a decade or so.

 

[Robenstein]

Sadly Colt has largely rested on its past designs and is now very close to bankruptcy. Their entire catalog is a nod to the past. The Mustang, the 1911, the 1873, and the AR.

They need to create new guns, at a lower price point, and of newer designs to compliment the classics and compete against other makers like S&W and Ruger who do all of that as well as take a bite out of Colt's business by offering AR rifles and 1911 based pistols.

 

[KCJeep]

I have one Colt. I absolutely love it, it's a .357 though not a 1911.

A side thought... I handled an "American Tactical" 1911 the other day and really liked it. My buddy said it was a Rock Island. Is American Tactical another version of Rock Island or does it come from the "other" Philippines manufacturer?

Anybody know? The price was crazy low and I really, really liked it.

 

[Robenstein]

American Tactical Import's 1911's were made by Shooters Arms Manufacturing last I saw, which is a different Philippine maker than Rock Island/Armscor. SAM pistols are sometimes brought in by Century Arms also.

 

[DuckRyder]

Originally Posted By: Robenstein
Sadly Colt has largely rested on its past designs and is now very close to bankruptcy. Their entire catalog is a nod to the past. The Mustang, the 1911, the 1873, and the AR.


While it is true that Colt is in a bit of a pinch right now, it doesn't have anything to do with the commercial product line.

Originally Posted By: Robenstein
They need to create new guns, at a lower price point, and of newer designs to compliment the classics and compete against other makers like S&W and Ruger who do all of that as well as take a bite out of Colt's business by offering AR rifles and 1911 based pistols.


That is pretty much the VERY LAST thing Colt needs to do. Colt is a small company with limited resources, diverting resources to try expand outside their area of expertise would be - frankly - ignorant. Incidentally it has been a disaster every time they tried, including recently with the double actions.

They could get out of the hostile environment of the Northeast, but other than that they need to continue to do what they do best with is produce high quality firearms for a reasonable price.

Originally Posted By: KCJeep

A side thought... I handled an "American Tactical" 1911 the other day and really liked it. My buddy said it was a Rock Island. Is American Tactical another version of Rock Island or does it come from the "other" Philippines manufacturer?

Anybody know? The price was crazy low and I really, really liked it.


Some of the confusion between SAM and RIA (other than both being PI), maybe that the US importer of RIA in Nevada was named (IIRC) "Advanced Tactical Imports". That is where Ivan is/was. It appears they have now been renamed/taken over or otherwise replaced by Armscor US.

 

[Robenstein]

Colt got to be a small company with limited resources by resting on their laurels and past designs while their traditional competitors overtook them by being more bold.

 

[KCJeep]

Thanks guys.