Not all STIs are STIs

R

Rickmeister

New member
That's right. Not all STIs are the real thing.

I discovered that some very shrewd gunsmiths actually buy parts from STI at a discount, assemble them at their own shops, and then sell the finished product at factory MSRP---if not audaciously more. These guns don't go through the same stringent quality control procedures the genuine creampuffs are so famous for. And yet they are hard to tell apart.

So, if you ever decide to buy one of these top-of-the-line 1911/2011s, make sure it's the right one. Unless, of course, you're one of those folks who happen to like not-so-cheap imitations. :cool:
 
Rickmeister, if you look around you will find that many guns can be built up from parts from the manufacturer. Les Baer, Springfield Armory, and STI just to name a few. But, as you mentioned the price for these guns are often higher for a reason. You can get better fit and finish from a gunsmith than you often get from the factory. While STI has a reputation for high quality, look at the people that buy their guns. Almost always they take them to gun to a smith to get some tweaking and tuning done. With a gunsmith you get it done just the way you want. I am currently having a carry gun built on an STI frame and slide because they no longer make a commander length high cap, and I wanted some specific details addressed.
 
I'm not sure most STI owners take their guns straight to a gunsmith.... if they do I think they are idiots. The Trojan I bought three years ago needed absolutely nothing. It has fired about 10k rounds and is still very accurate, dead tight, smooth trigger, and shows almost no wear anywhere I can see. These guns use first rate parts and you can order them with what you want straight from STI. I have never needed any work done on mine, but I have spoken to the STI factory people on many occassions. They are like me in one respect: they think the guns going out the door should be perfect. The guns are basically hand made and it shows. I would never buy a gun built up of "STI parts" from somebody I don't know.
 
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