My first 1911 was from Thompson. I paid 450.00 about 10 years ago for it. The POS had to go into the shop for the trigger and safety to properly function.
A good friend of mine bought a Colt commander on sale the same week. He paid 650.00 And I ended up at almost 540.00 including time in the shop on my Thompson. Not to mention his shot and felt soooo much better.
I think you got real lucky with the RIA 1911. 1911 pistols are pretty simple however, if the machine work is poor, you will end up spending a ton of cash just getting it to work right.
Before buying,test the pistols ability to accept and eject a mag. Pull the trigger and try to pull it with the thumb safety engaged. Rack the slide several times slowly and feel for uneven movement or grinding. I would go through the weapon prior to buying it. Thats the biggest lesson I learned from my first 1911. I really like the Dan Wesson. Sharp .357 for the price you cant beat it with a stick! Ubercool!