My new pistol

[FireFinder]

I've been primarily a Glock shooter for several years, and recently decided to have a custom STI-based pistol built for USPSA and Steel Challenge type shooting.

Its got a STI 2011 frame with a long dustcover, STI Unique slide, .40 S&W Nowlin bull barrel, EGW magwell, Brazos Custom fiber optic front sight, and a BoMar rear.

It still needs a little bit of work, but I'm going to go break it in Friday afternoon some. Eventually all the in-the-white steel will be blued.

The trigger is a SVI Tri-Glide with a long reach. There is hardly any takeup, and it breaks crisp at 2lbs. 5 oz.

[lawdog]

Fuck, now I'm really jeaulous! That is a beautiful piece of work. I know that had to set you back a few dollars. I was looking into a Kimber Custom II TLE/RL for a bit of fun. Not quite the gun that is but a little more in my price range. Until then I'll stick to the Glocks.

[FireFinder]

Hey Lawdog,

Yeah, it was pretty expensive. Probably close to $1800 without mags.

I sold a Glock 35 I had setup for USPSA, and a S&W 610 revolver to finance this. I still have a Glock 17 and a Glock 34 (and the Bushmaster).

This guy is a friend of mine, and just started his business in Dec. He's been building and tuning 1911-type guns for years, just never tried to support himself by doing so until now.

http://www.experimentalmachining.com is his site.

I'm pretty psyched. The trigger job is just sick. I like the flat trigger a whole bunch, I would have to substantially break my grip to get more finger on the trigger. I'll follow up Friday night with the results of my first outing with it.

[Creeping Death]

I've got a few buddies that shoot STIs. They are pretty, but damn if they don't cost.

Personally, if I were gonna put that kind of investment in a 1911, I'd go with STI before I'd go with Wilson or some of the others out there. Just my preference. But I can't drop $2G on a handgun. Pampers are expensive .

[lawdog]

I just checked out your buddy's website. Some real nice work in there. Too bad the salary of a civil servant just isn't fitting with one of those pieces of art. Maybe someday
Can't wait to hear back how it functioned. Maybe a few action pics too.

[lawdog]

2 words lawdog "TAX" and "DEDUCTABLE" being a civil servant and all. ALL of your ammo is tax deductable because its for training right. Same with guns you need to have a variety of them just-in-case you come across one during the performance of your duties you will know how to make the weapon safe.

Additionally I carry the Kimber TLE on duty....the fucking TLE II/ RL came out 4 mother-fucking months after I dropped the 800 bucks on my TLE...yup I'm a little pissed about it. TLE II/RL looks like a serous piece of steel. Lawdog if I were you I would pick one up. Also the surefire X2000 to round out the package :D Of course when I see you I'm gonna mug you if you actually get that package before I do.

Bberkley you are a lucky man. Please keep us posted on what you think of it.

If I get it and break it in good luck with the mugging! I'll be ready and waiting. I think I'm going to look for one in .40 S&W. With my department shooting all .40 it would be much cheaper in the ammo category. By the way, I can get the TLE/RL for $818. Not a bad price if I do say so. Good buddy of mine is a dealer. Does the M3 fit the rail as well? I like the price of those a little better than the Surefires and they work great.

Bring your shit up in '05 and well do some playing.

[FireFinder]

I took the new pistol out this evening (and the 2 Glocks) and put 300rds downrange with borrowed mags (1x SVI and 2x STI 140mm mags). I had a couple hundred 180gr Bear Creek Moly-coated over 4.7gr VV N320 that I had loaded for a Glock, and 100rds of 180gr Blazer.

It still needs some work, and a proper load worked up for it. The 1911-based .40s need to be loaded longer, somewhere in the 1.185 range to function reliably, and all my loads are at 1.130. The trigger needs some tuning, after about 200rds it started doubling occasionally. The extractor needs some adjusting as well, as there didn't seem to be enough tension to keep the firing pin stop from wiggling and slipping out.

I've got a few pics, and a couple of short Quicktime movies my friend shot with my camera. I need a better camera operator next time.

My gunsmith has been "really patient" with me, and probably shouldn't have let me take it out and shoot it first.




If you want to see the movies, I can post a link to them on my server, just let me know. They are a few MB in size.

[FireFinder]

I've got a few buddies that shoot STIs. They are pretty, but damn if they don't cost.

Personally, if I were gonna put that kind of investment in a 1911, I'd go with STI before I'd go with Wilson or some of the others out there. Just my preference. But I can't drop $2G on a handgun. Pampers are expensive .

Ranger Creeping Death,

Yeah, its an expensive hobby. We are in the pampers line here as well. I sold a couple of guns to fund this one. I liked both guns, it just got a little silly trying to turn a Glock 35 into something its not, and thats a single-action racegun. I'm pretty fortunate that I got a some extra $$$ this spring in the form of stock options maturing, and the semi-annual bonus at work, otherwise I wouldn't have the funds to get this one.

[lawdog]

Berkley, that is a great looking pistol but that seems like a lot of shit to "tune" to get operational. That's why I would pick a Glock for combat over anything. Don't get me wrong, I'd fucking love to have that pistol but someday they gotta figure out how to get those things to run without all the extra shit. I had a Kimber polymer several years back that wouldn't feed reliable regardless of what I threw through it. I downloaded it for my Armalite cause I wasn't putting my life in its hands. When it fed reliable it was a fucking dream to shoot but I couldn't trust it.
I still think I'm going to get a Kimber but I said "fuck it", Smokin Joe don't get to jeaulous but, I'm going to go with the Gold Cup RL. I like the finish and some of the other extras of that pistol. Its about $300 more but like I said "fuck it". Why the fuck not?
Berkley, send that video information. That would be cool as hell to see. Keep us up to date on the progress of the pistol. I'm curious how much needs to be done to get a racepistol completely up and running.

[FireFinder]

Lawdog,

My Glock 17 is my primary defensive weapon, I feel the same way as you do about combat guns.

I don't know that much about building 1911-type guns, but I do know that fitting it tight, and shooting it to break in will usually make the first 500+ rounds you shoot a little frustrating. I expected this.

He told me it wasn't done, but let me go shoot it to shut me up. I've been bugging the hell out of him for weeks. I'm like a kid with a new toy. If I had the faintest idea how to build a 1911 myself, I would do it myself, much like I can do high-end bicycles, computers. I wasn't about to drop $1200 in parts so I could screw it up. :)

Here are the links, you should probably right-click and choose save as:

Movie 1 (5MB)

Movie 2 (2.3MB)

Sorry, I don't have the bandwidth to stream them.

Brian

[lawdog]

I can understand that. I should have thought of the tolerances of those pistols compared to "combat" or duty pistols. All I need to do is put a few slugs in some asshole faster than he can do the same to me and a Glock works perfect for that. I am really fascinated by race guns like the one you have there and would also love to build one myself but, like you, don't have the time or know how to do it right.

I'm sure that thing will purr like a kitten once it's finished and broke in. Why did you go with a .40 over a 38 Super for racing? Most of the race guns I see are 38 Super or old reliable .45 ACP. I love the idea of a .40 but didn't expect it. I don't know about the price of 38 Super ammo but does that have something to do with it?

I haven't downloaded the videos yet cause I'm at work but look forward to it when I'm done.

Keep me informed.

Travis

[Earthpig]

Damn, Berk....you need to name that thing "Excaliber!" She's a beauty!
RLTW
EP

[FireFinder]

Travis,

I would use .38 Super for an Open gun with a compensator and red dot sight. I chose .40 for USPSA Limited Division, because you can get 20rds or 19+1.

I'm still going to add a .45 ACP 1911 to the collection, probably get it built the same way.

I load my own, and .40 Brass is plentiful, even the once-fired stuff from Glocks I size with an EGW "U" die to remove the bulge. .38 Super brass is more expensive, and you don't find that laying around on the range as much.

I'm thinking of getting a .45 ACP Glock for CCW, and GSSF competition. As I get older, its harder to see the holes the 9mm makes in the 25yd target(s). :)

Ranger EarthPig: Its really sweet, I'm thinking I'll get it hard chromed now instead of blued.

Brian