2011s... STI or RIA Pro

[MikieM]

16 hours ago, FunkyTownAggie said:

I've got a RIA, STI and SVI. All are great at their price points. Basically buy what you're comfortable spending and be happy. If you're like me you'll eventually want to upgrade but I haven't sold the pistols I upgraded from as I still enjoy shooting them. 

 

Of the three you own, which would you say was the best bang for the buck (again, pun intended)?

[FunkyTownAggie]

RIA definitely. Looking at it from a utility perspective the laws of diminishing returns apply to firearms greatly. Most would agree that a RIA is a great bang for the buck when shopping for a high cap 1911/2011 style pistol.  

 

RIA reliability out of the box is great for the price and finish is good for the price. SVI finish is average for the price but the price is 7x or greater than the RIA. The absolute finish between the SVI and RIA are in entirely different universes.

 

In my opinion, If all you care about are scores in competing (disclaimer: I've only competed 3 gun), then a RIA will not be holding you back until you are in the upper echelon.  If you want to shoot something nicer and enjoy nicer things and can afford it then look at S_I or any of the custom guns. 

 

Resale wise - if the RIA drops 40% from a new gun, who cares, you're out only a $200-$300.  STI, you'll definitely lose more than $300 if you resale it from what you bought new.  SVI, you'll be able to recover most if not make some money on it due to their continously increasing base price and the 15+ month wait time. 

Edited September 11, 2017 by FunkyTownAggie