Rock Island Pro Ultra Match 1911 45 ACP – Superb 5 in. Pistol

Description

The Rock Island Pro Ultra Match 1911 45 ACP is a full-size Government-pattern pistol assembled in Armscor’s Medallion shop with the features a target shooter would otherwise pay a gunsmith to install. An LPA adjustable rear sight, a fiber optic front, a skeletonized hammer and trigger with an adjustable overtravel stop, an ambidextrous safety and a beavertail grip safety all come standard on a five-inch, all-steel frame.

Match Features Out of the Box

The single biggest difference between a service 1911 and a target 1911 is the sights. This one carries an LPA TRT1 rear that adjusts for both windage and elevation, paired with a dovetailed fiber optic front that gathers light and gives an unmistakable aiming point. The trigger is skeletonized with an adjustable overtravel screw and breaks in the four to six pound range, which is where a serious 1911 trigger belongs.

Rock Island Pro Ultra Match 1911 45 ACP Frame and Slide

Frame and slide are both forged steel finished in black Parkerizing, a matte phosphate coating that holds oil and resists rust better than a polished blue. The frame has a beavertail grip safety that raises the hand into the gun and protects against hammer bite, and the slide is serrated for a positive grip. Checkered wood grip panels finish it in traditional style. Weight is 2.34 pounds, which is exactly what makes a full-size steel .45 pleasant to shoot.

The .45 ACP Case

Forty-five ACP in an all-steel 1911 is one of the gentler shooting experiences in centerfire handgunning. The cartridge is subsonic and slow by design, and two and a third pounds of steel absorbs most of what it produces. That is why bullseye competitors kept shooting these long after other platforms arrived: the recoil impulse is consistent and easy to read.

Specifications

• Model: Pro Ultra Match 5 in. (51434)
• Caliber: .45 ACP
• Action: single action semi-automatic
• Capacity: 8+1
• Barrel: 5 in.
• Overall Length: 8.54 in.
• Height: 5.51 in.
• Width: 1.3 in.
• Weight: 2.34 lbs.
• Frame and slide: steel, black Parkerized
• Grips: checkered wood
• Front sight: fiber optic, dovetail mounted
• Rear sight: LPA TRT1 fully adjustable
• Trigger: skeletonized, 4 to 6 lbs., adjustable overtravel
• Hammer: skeletonized
• Safety: ambidextrous thumb safety, beavertail grip safety
• UPC: 4806015514343

Living With a Full-Size 1911

Eight rounds in the magazine is standard for a .45 of this pattern, and spare magazines are one of the cheapest and most available accessories in the handgun world. Holsters are equally easy: the Government profile is the single most supported shape in the industry.

Maintenance is the traditional 1911 routine. Field stripping requires no tools with a little practice, and the design is simple enough that most owners learn every part inside a season. Keep the rails oiled and the extractor tensioned properly and these guns run for decades.

Why Buyers Choose the Rock Island Pro Ultra Match 1911 45 ACP

Adding an adjustable rear sight, a fiber front, an ambidextrous safety, a beavertail and a match trigger to a base 1911 typically costs more than the price gap between that gun and this one, and it means weeks at a gunsmith. Getting the work done at the factory with a warranty behind it is the practical argument.

The honest limitations: Parkerizing is functional rather than beautiful, and the wood grips are plain. Neither affects how it shoots, and both are easy to change later if you want to.

Who Should Buy It

Bullseye and action pistol competitors on a budget, 1911 shooters who want adjustable sights without custom work, and anyone who wants a full-size steel .45 that shoots better than its price will be well served. Concealed carriers and shooters who want a light polymer gun should look elsewhere.

Learn more from Armscor, or browse the rest of our firearms selection.

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