When Armscor’s Rock Island Armory 5.0 9 mm Luger semi-automatic pistol hit the market in 2023, it was not only a patented unique design, but also one of the company’s first handguns to be manufactured in the U.S. New for 2024, the company is offering an “Enhanced” version of the pistol with the RIA 5.0E.
The RIA 5.0E takes the basic 5.0 design released last year and “enhances” it.
At the core of the RIA 5.0E are all the innovative features of the original 5.0, including a low bore axis and Ram Value System (RVS) recoil management. The frame is still a modular two-piece design, with an aluminum alloy main frame that has a full-length dustcover with a Picatinny rail and polymer grip module. Using a concealed hammer, the action has a single-action trigger with a trigger-safety blade that breaks at 4.5 lbs. Magazines are a metal box that hold 17 rounds. Final fitting of components are done by hand.
Updates to the RIA 5.0 design includes an improved barrel assembly, changes to the external profile of the pistol and an updated optics mounting system.
Updates on the 5.0E include that the slide and barrel are now made of stainless steel, with the “match-grade” barrel retaining its square profile. The slide has been re-profiled with more aggressive serrations and lightening cuts and an updated optics cut and plate system. The finish is RIA’s diamond-like carbon (DLC) Armor Series. Sights are Night Fision units fit into dovetails, with a post front with a green fiber-optic insert and a serrated notch rear.
The dimensions of the E version of the 5.0 are nearly identical to the original. It has an overall length of 8.11” with a 4.91” barrel and weighs just under 34 ozs. The Armscor RIA 5.0E has an MSRP of $1,988. For more information, visit armscor.com.
