Posted: 3/27/2014 3:48:28 PM EDT
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Thinking about getting a double-stack STI for limited. (My 40th b-day gift to me, plus big bonus this yea=--gettin older need more expensive toys!) Always when 1911/2011 pop up the inevitable "tuning" getting it to run discussion comes up.
I have run a regular 1911 Single Stack and am comfortable keeping it running. Rely on the smith for big jobs, but can do routine 1911 "stuff" (mainly feed it good ammo and mags, but detail strip, clean, replace parts for wear etc..) How much of a step up is running these widebody 2011s? I see various degrees of headache that I've learned to take with a grain of salt due to the fact that if people aren't complain about gear, they generally aren't breathing. I tend to shoot more than i tinker, so I'd prefer things that start working and i KEEP working, rather than fiddling to get it to work to start with. Everyone in my neck of the woods shoots STI/SVIs, Do you go with a factory STI, or get one tuned from a custom maker (SVI options are overwhelming--more on that in a sec)? If custome maker, then I have more research to do. The other thing I've found is I'm not gear limited at this point. I know competition gets serious with LImited and Open style guns, and I've generally been a production/SS kinda guy. Swap my trigger for a decent one and g2g. I know open guys tend to make their setups run with very specific bullet weights, filing down slide stops--custom serrations all over the place (40dpi, 20dpi, holy crap it gets complex fast). I've n ever found anything more than my prefered sights and trigger to be needed. Biting off more than I can chew? Mainly want a fun-n-gun that runs limited, I won't be a GM in the near future, but I like to play with them on the weekends. |
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I built an STI with a Caspian slide and Schumann barrel. Overall they hold up fine in Limited class. The grip is boxy. Mags are a pain to load. I've rarely fired it. I always go back to my familiar SS 1911.
If you want to step up your Limited class game by all means dive into an STI. I rarely shoot these days and if I do it's the old 1911. |
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I have a "High Performance" STI Edge from Brazos that has been flawless. Brazos gave it a 3lb trigger that is awesome. I have several STIs and love them!
One thing you might consider... If you get a custom built gun with STI parts, it will not be covered by STI if you need anything fixed. STI has a great lifetime warranty that gives me peace of mind knowing they'll fix it if there's a problem |
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Quoted:
One follow up--if you get a STI from Dawson or Brazos--does the STI warranty still apply? The STI Warranty applies to whoever owns the gun period. The warranty transfers no matter what, unless you have a gunsmith or you mess it up on your own by working on it, then of course I doubt they would fix that type of mistake. I bought a "barely used Edge" off of here and when I got it I tried to change the recoil master out for a full length guide rod. Well something was amiss because I could not get the guide rod to fit no matter what I tried. I even had a local smith look at it and he couldn't figure it out either. The recoil master had dinged the barrel up as well and the barrel link was sticking too. I contacted STI, told them I was the second owner and they sent me a shipping label, fixed the gun, refinished the gun etc and sent it back to me with no questions asked. That is great service!!! |
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STIs are nice guns, but if i had the cash SV would be where I placed my cash.
My factory Edge ran factory 40 (180 gr) just fine, but my reloads not so much, added a aftec and all extraction problems went away. the open gun (9mm major) was built by a PA gunsmith off a sti frame I won, that one works just fine as long as I keep the pm up and clean it every 600 or under. 40 mags I use are non tuned stiv bodies, ISMI springs, Dawson followers, and Dawson +1 pasepads. gives me 19 reloadable iirc. |
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STI builds a perfectly adequate gun for Limited. There just isn't a need to pay $3000 for something from one of the custom shops. I also wouldn't recommend jumping straight into one right off the bat. Shoot a stock one for a while to discover what you want and whether the platform is right for you.
If you are already comfortable with what's required to keep your 1911 running, a 2011 presents no major learning curve. The only thing really different is the magazines, and in my experience, once you get them going, they are fine. +1 on buy from Brazos or Dawson. They can slick it up a bit for a few extra bucks. |
| There is no doubt in my mind on this question.Go with a good smith.I have seen this time and time again.This is one area you simply cannot skimp.I am sure someone somewhere got a factory built sti that runs, they are the exception .I have even owned the so called "tuned" guns mine is a Brazos btw.There simply is no comparison.The Sv infinity, and the Limcat customs i own are better in everyway. Triggers, reliability, smoothness, recoil minimizing, custom features, warrenty, accuracy, the list goes on and on.If you are serious about competing, and want a pistol that well NEVER hold you back and will even make you shoot better then you actually are.Go custom.I am totally biased, because i now own 3 of them, but Limcat custom will build you a pistol you will always be proud to own, love to shoot, and on top of alll of that is guarenteed for life. I also went down the cz, tanfoglio, glock road, and for me they were all a dead end.Save the $ time and frustration, and headaches go custom.I know shooters that have Akai, SV, Camerons, Real Brazos custom, and a few others that all have tried the cheaper route like you are contemplating.I promise you they will all tell you the same thing i did. |
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Shell out @1100 for a new CZ Tactical Sports. They come with an awesome trigger and the mags are much less finicky than an STI. Run some extended basepads and Grams spring/Follower kit, Dawson front sight, and maybe some thin aluminum grips. This is my ideal pistol for Limited. Just have to keep saving my pennies! |
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There is no doubt in my mind on this question.Go with a good smith.I have seen this time and time again.This is one area you simply cannot skimp.I am sure someone somewhere got a factory built sti that runs, they are the exception .I have even owned the so called "tuned" guns mine is a Brazos btw.There simply is no comparison.The Sv infinity, and the Limcat customs i own are better in everyway. Triggers, reliability, smoothness, recoil minimizing, custom features, warrenty, accuracy, the list goes on and on.If you are serious about competing, and want a pistol that well NEVER hold you back and will even make you shoot better then you actually are.Go custom.I am totally biased, because i now own 3 of them, but Limcat custom will build you a pistol you will always be proud to own, love to shoot, and on top of alll of that is guarenteed for life. I also went down the cz, tanfoglio, glock road, and for me they were all a dead end.Save the $ time and frustration, and headaches go custom.I know shooters that have Akai, SV, Camerons, Real Brazos custom, and a few others that all have tried the cheaper route like you are contemplating.I promise you they will all tell you the same thing i did. I have a pretty good custom 2011 collection and I disagree. Are the customs better? Sure. Are they necessary? No. |
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I'd go to the Brazos Custom website and spend some time reading the articles. Bob Londrigan has been building top notch guns and writing for Frontsight for years. I have one of his custom Limited guns, and it is my favorite pistol in the world. That being said, I have a stock Edge that has been close to flawless after tuning the extractor and replacing the Recoil Master guide rod with a full length unit after I broke about 3 of them (all replaced by STI).
I also have a Triangle Shooting Sports Fat Free 6" Limited gun that is pretty darn reliable as well, but the Brazos is my go to gun. |
| I have a edge with a lot of mods that is my favorite gun. its has never failed me. My buddy have a Brazo's limited gun with all the hols and stuff. looks real cool and the fit and finish is awesome. A new gun like his is about 3500 and mine 2500. is it worth the 1k difference? to me its not, but it seems that Brazos has a 1 year wait on the model so there sure seems to be plenty of people that think different than me. |