RIA 2011 vs cz, sti, custom build. Videos

[BamaShooter88]

HayesCustom is a you tube channel. They have several videos comparing a ria that has been upgraded to various well known guns. It’s very interesting. I was surprised. The ria with upgrades would be around $1,600 for gun and upgrades. This could be a good option for shooters on a budget. I’ve never had one so I can’t say for sure. Just thought I’d share what I have found.

[BLUEPSTU]

Just my 2 cents but no way would I buy a RIA for that much when you can find a TSO for that.

[RadarLuv]

Ria right out of the box is pretty good, upgrades don't have to be done all at the same time if your on a budget 

[BamaShooter88]

4 hours ago, BLUEPSTU said:

Just my 2 cents but no way would I buy a RIA for that much when you can find a TSO for that.

Yea that’s a good point. The ria is $800 then the total upgrades add up to $600ish

[BamaShooter88]

37 minutes ago, RadarLuv said:

Ria right out of the box is pretty good, upgrades don't have to be done all at the same time if your on a budget 

Yea that’s what I was thinking. It might be a good option for a 2011 on a tight budget. Just upgrade slowly.

[mlmiller1]

Here is something I posted when another shooter was asking about custom guns... mostly applies to your topic also but honestly Ive not seen any RIAs so not sure what to say about them.  If youre wondering about quality & reasons to go custom vs off shelf vs discount you might apply some of this to your thoughts.... especially the part about your personal occupation & the tools you use to make a living.

 Im not sure you can call an sti a custom gun at least not directly purchased from sti.  They are nice guns but not customs.  They are sort of hand built but not to a customers specifications but to the particular model specs they are building that day. Now an sti parts built or gun  modified & sold  by any number of the gunsmiths people talk about on here is closer to a custom gun. Perhaps the gunsmith works with you on what you want on or in the gun (bedell)or perhaps they just do things to a stock sti they think should be done then resell it (brazos)  Either way its still an sti.  I like sti, dont get me wrong, I have 2, but both have had things done to them.  Still neither is a custom gun.  Infinity is closer to a custom gun sort of like ordering a new car.  You pick options off a list & have svi build their gun with these options.   There is more handwork, more care & subjectively better parts put in svi guns than sti. 

A true custom gun has the builder working with the customer.  You work together deciding many of the options you want or need in this gun.  Hand size, trigger length & pull, recoil impulse, sight choices, weight, balance forward & rearward on gun, & of course appearance of gun.  

  The difference between an off shelf sti & a true custom gun can be dramatic.  Problem is does a new shooter know what they need?  Not really.   Also will you truly utilize & appreciate the difference?  

  Least custom to most:

Off shelf sti

Modified or tuned sti, dawson or brazos

Smith built gun using  some sti parts, bedell

Option chosen infinity off website

Smith built gun with svi parts, no builder name for certain here but heard limcat uses svi parts...not sure

Full custom built gun with each & every possibility( within that gunsmiths parameters) discussed & decided upon.  Atlas will do this along with akai I believe plus there are others.

There is no shortage of good gun builders that will build you a real custom gun.  Sti is about the least custom (still nice guns) on up the food chain.  

Ask yourself if the tools you work with to make a living matter to you...computer guys...is basic keyboard just fine & dandy or do you wish you could have 1 built to your liking?  Me I work with hand tools.  I like wood handle hammers.  Ive got 3 hammers Ive had for 30 years plus.  I put new handles in them the other day & I am still shaving & scraping adjusting them to fit me.  

If you can appreciate a tool(gun) built to your specs, shop  out a custom, if not, buy something less custom, less $$$$, less time & go on.  If you want to impress your friends then have someone do something nifty to it to make you feel its made for you personally...trigger job or fancy finish.. steel grips are big deal now. Then you can be all proud of your custom gun...hahaha.

  If you shoot a glock or whatever you shoot( which I did for 17 years), could you close your eyes, have someone put a glock in your hands & still w your eyes closed know if this was your gun or not?  If not, dont waste your money on a full custom... if you know your gun by the feel by the weight by whatever makes it different & special to you, then a custom might be in your future

[BamaShooter88]

22 minutes ago, mlmiller1 said:

Here is something I posted when another shooter was asking about custom guns... mostly applies to your topic also but honestly Ive not seen any RIAs so not sure what to say about them.  If youre wondering about quality & reasons to go custom vs off shelf vs discount you might apply some of this to your thoughts.... especially the part about your personal occupation & the tools you use to make a living.

 Im not sure you can call an sti a custom gun at least not directly purchased from sti.  They are nice guns but not customs.  They are sort of hand built but not to a customers specifications but to the particular model specs they are building that day. Now an sti parts built or gun  modified & sold  by any number of the gunsmiths people talk about on here is closer to a custom gun. Perhaps the gunsmith works with you on what you want on or in the gun (bedell)or perhaps they just do things to a stock sti they think should be done then resell it (brazos)  Either way its still an sti.  I like sti, dont get me wrong, I have 2, but both have had things done to them.  Still neither is a custom gun.  Infinity is closer to a custom gun sort of like ordering a new car.  You pick options off a list & have svi build their gun with these options.   There is more handwork, more care & subjectively better parts put in svi guns than sti. 

A true custom gun has the builder working with the customer.  You work together deciding many of the options you want or need in this gun.  Hand size, trigger length & pull, recoil impulse, sight choices, weight, balance forward & rearward on gun, & of course appearance of gun.  

  The difference between an off shelf sti & a true custom gun can be dramatic.  Problem is does a new shooter know what they need?  Not really.   Also will you truly utilize & appreciate the difference?  

  Least custom to most:

Off shelf sti

Modified or tuned sti, dawson or brazos

Smith built gun using  some sti parts, bedell

Option chosen infinity off website

Smith built gun with svi parts, no builder name for certain here but heard limcat uses svi parts...not sure

Full custom built gun with each & every possibility( within that gunsmiths parameters) discussed & decided upon.  Atlas will do this along with akai I believe plus there are others.

There is no shortage of good gun builders that will build you a real custom gun.  Sti is about the least custom (still nice guns) on up the food chain.  

Ask yourself if the tools you work with to make a living matter to you...computer guys...is basic keyboard just fine & dandy or do you wish you could have 1 built to your liking?  Me I work with hand tools.  I like wood handle hammers.  Ive got 3 hammers Ive had for 30 years plus.  I put new handles in them the other day & I am still shaving & scraping adjusting them to fit me.  

If you can appreciate a tool(gun) built to your specs, shop  out a custom, if not, buy something less custom, less $$$$, less time & go on.  If you want to impress your friends then have someone do something nifty to it to make you feel its made for you personally...trigger job or fancy finish.. steel grips are big deal now. Then you can be all proud of your custom gun...hahaha.

  If you shoot a glock or whatever you shoot( which I did for 17 years), could you close your eyes, have someone put a glock in your hands & still w your eyes closed know if this was your gun or not?  If not, dont waste your money on a full custom... if you know your gun by the feel by the weight by whatever makes it different & special to you, then a custom might be in your future

Very well put! I am a new shooter and do not need a custom gun. It would be a waste of money for me. So I am stuck between getting 

 

1. Upgraded rock island with 3 mbx mags $1600

 

2. Used sti with mags $1900

 

3. CZ tso with mags $1800

 

All basically the same price just trying to get the most for my money. In a few years I will upgrade to a custom built. I work with tools everyday. So I know you get what you pay for but my cheap ryobi power tools have never let me down for 2 years now. I bought them to just get started with and have no reason to upgrade yet because they are still going strong and do everything a dewalt power tool does.

Edited April 21, 2019 by BamaShooter88

[mlmiller1]

I shot glocks in uspsa limited major for 16 or 17 years.  Great tools but let me say when I bought an sti, it sure felt good!  Ryobi is fine.  Glock is fine.  Stepping up to a higher level gun in fit & build quality was a nice move though & I am glad I did.  

[je85]

On 4/21/2019 at 1:15 PM, BamaShooter88 said:

Very well put! I am a new shooter and do not need a custom gun. It would be a waste of money for me. So I am stuck between getting 

 

1. Upgraded rock island with 3 mbx mags $1600

 

2. Used sti with mags $1900

 

3. CZ tso with mags $1800

 

All basically the same price just trying to get the most for my money. In a few years I will upgrade to a custom built. I work with tools everyday. So I know you get what you pay for but my cheap ryobi power tools have never let me down for 2 years now. I bought them to just get started with and have no reason to upgrade yet because they are still going strong and do everything a dewalt power tool does.

Like I said before the Rock Island is an ok gun however no way would I pay for one all dolled up.

Thats like trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

The metal rock island uses is a very poor and low quality cast.

If you said you only plan on shooting 5k rounds a year for 2 years than a stock RI will get you by but if your serious in the sport 15-20k per year is a minimum.

The rock island is not going to hold up well.

The hayes rock island isnt anything special. They make some fancy cuts in the low quality slide and replace some fire control parts.

 

The TSO will last as long as a STI. 

 

Do yourself a huge favor and spend a few more dollars on a STI or CZ. Trust me you will thank me later.

[Dranoel]

Heard too many stories of cracked slides and frames from Armscor stuff. You can put a grand in top of the line custom parts into an RIA and I still won't trust it. For the same money you could buy a top of the line Sig 1911, or a Kimber or a decent Dan Wesson and have something WORTH building on.

[zzt]

Your no worry option is the TSO.  Buy a fourth mag and four extended CZC base pads.  All the ones my friends have run 100%, and did so right out of the box. 

 

STI guns are generally not all that well built, so be careful with a used one.  You could get a good one with all the kinks worked out, or you can get one that is being dumped because the owner is tired of trying to get it to run 100%.  That being said, I'd take a good, used STI over a tweaked RIA.

[geraldskip]

I've shot one of the Haye's RIA's extensively and while it was nice, I wouldn't buy it.

 

 

 

If you can't swing the $2000 or so for a decent used 2011, buy a Shadow 2, get the Single Action kit and flat trigger, mags, and magwell and you'll be way less than $1500 and be done.

 

[IronicTwitch]

Used STI would have the best resale.  You could try it and sell it without losing much.  I think you'd eventually get to a 2011 anyways, might as well start with what the majority of US shooters in Limited are using.

[Rosswoodford]

On 4/19/2019 at 3:42 PM, BLUEPSTU said:

Just my 2 cents but no way would I buy a RIA for that much when you can find a TSO for that.

I’m late to the party here, but I completely agree with this. And there’s plenty of used options as well. I found a well used edge here on the forums for 1k and put 500 into it. I don’t regret it at all.