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Sidearms & Scatterguns STI experiences/opinions wanted

Rustybroadhead

Anschutz North America
Full Member
Minuteman
May 15, 2012
376
7
Alabama
I have had the 1911 bug for a while and have been doing quite a bit of reading and researching on several different pistols. I recently started looking into STI and wondered what the general consensus was.... I know that a lot of the competition shooters use them but are they worth the price? I like the fact that they offer pretty much all of their guns in a double stack configuration so they hold a lot more ammo. I like the idea behind their polymer grip (to reduce weight) but does it have any draw backs? Customer service?

Thanks for your help!
 
I don't have a double stack but my STI Trojan is a great gun. I have never needed the customer service.
 
I have two of them I shoot in Uspsa. Their customer service is top notch. Great hardware. I would buy another if the need arose. Think about this though when you purchase. You are buying a factory gun. The guns still have a little bit of the "factory gun" flaws. Don't expect $3500 custom gun fit and finish.
 
I bought an STI from a friend of mine about 6 years ago. He had thousands of rounds on it and I have put tens of thousands on it since. During a match the thumb safety broke. I called them up and had a replacement sent out. They asked me if I knew how to fit it myself and I thought that I did. I over-estimated my skills and could not get it right. So, I called them back and explained that I was an idiot. They sent me a return authorization and a shipping label that day and told me that it would be at least three weeks. I got it back two weeks later as good as new.

I am a big fan of STI guns and the company. They are factory guns, but the slide to frame and barrel fitting is almost as good as some of the high dollar customs that I have seen.

Good luck,

Guns
 
I've had good experiences with STI. I have an Open class gun, a Limited class gun, and a Trojan. Whenever I've had a problem they took care of it. The times I had to send one back I think I had to cover shipping to the factory and they paid the shipping back to me.
 
I have had 3, a 9mm uspsa single stack, a 45 lawman, and a 45 falcon 3.9 double stack. They're all accurate, well built, and smooth shooting.

The 9mm doesn't feed some hollowpoints 100%, and the double stack magazines required some tuning for full reliability, but other than that I have no complaints.
 
I wouldn't say there are any drawbacks to the polymer frame or Sti in general. All of mine are very reliable and extremely accurate. As stated above though, some of the single stack 9mm well have trouble feeding certain hollow points

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I have a Trojan 6" and it shoots well and feeds everything from powder puff semi wadcutters to hollow points. I have an Edge from Brazo's in 9mm that I use for 3 gun. It shoots well and has been very reliable. I have not had to experience their customer service.
 
Thanks guys! Sounds like everyone has been pretty happy with the gun itself and very few have had experiences with customer service. That is the best of both worlds. I have been looking at there 5" tactical model for a gun to shoot some of the USPSA matches with now but also be a carry weapon as well. Thanks everyone for taking the time to post your input!
 
Never had a problem with any of mine. I would not hesitate buying another one. You get a nicer fit and finish with strayer voight but you will pay twice as much for that.
 
Thanks guys! Sounds like everyone has been pretty happy with the gun itself and very few have had experiences with customer service. That is the best of both worlds. I have been looking at there 5" tactical model for a gun to shoot some of the USPSA matches with now but also be a carry weapon as well. Thanks everyone for taking the time to post your input!

Here's a little food for thought on the tactical models. The 4" Tactical has the same stroke as the 5" model so it actually shoots like a 5", but in a smaller overall package with a slightly shorter sight radius. For an all around gun, the 4" tactical is the way to go in my opinion.
 
I owned an STI Lawman that broke an extractor in the first 50rds. STI was kind enough to offer to have the pistol sent back and repaired or they would send me an extractor and I could do it myself. I got the new extractor and put it in and tuned it and it ran fine for a few hundred more rounds which is when I traded it for a TRP. I think they are a good company with great products and customer service.