Sidearms & Scatterguns STI 2011 owners chime in

[chaser_2332]

looking for opinions on people who have bought bone stock 2011 such as the edge or tacical to share their experience. I have been looking at these for a while, however all of these i have ever messed with are smith built, guns for what im doing i just cant justify the price tag of buying a 2011 then sending it off for a bunch of work just to make it run properly. if your sending it off for upgrades i understand but to make it run i can't justify. Also would you recomend buying a used 2011 that has already had the kinks worked out or is it a safe bet to buy new?

 

[prairiefire]

The gun I regret selling the most was my STI tactical 5.0 9mm - best all around shooter ever.

 

[dlc356]

While mine is a custom build, it's not too far off from the Edge/Executive. I bought it used from a buddy I shoot USPSA with. I knew the previous owners, it's history, who built it, & had seen it shoot. I got a helluva deal and paid a little less then a Dawson Precision tuned Edge (and got four mags with it). 2011's come up for sale all the time on Enos Forum. If I were going to buy a new one, I'd go through Dawson Precision and get his enhanced package. They're good folks and their customer service is top notch.

 

[ShtrRdy]

If you buy it through Dawson's or Brazos's you might consider giving them the extra money to go through it. It will run for sure then. I've had a mixed bag of experience with stock new STI guns.

 

[bcuzisedso]

I have bought STI 2011's "bare bones stock" as well as full-on custom, new and used. I have not had any problems with the basic out of the box models but do like the trigger and sight improvement that comes with the Dawson tuned package. There is a huge improvement that comes with a complete custom job...you get what you pay for.

You can also go the used route without too much risk...they will handle many 10's of thousands of rounds and generally hold their value well.

 

[Hummerdawg]

The stock extractors don't usually work very well for long. Drop in an aftec extractor

 

[Steelhead]

I've had an Eagle in .40S&W for years, that I've shot in IDPA and USPSA and carry on a daily basis. The only issue I've ever had with it was my sights came loose. That was an easy fix. I would recommend the Eagle model with bushing over the Edge, if you want to shoot IDPA.

I have a lot of friends who have the standard STI Eagles too, and they're all extremely pleased with them.

 

[Decoy]

Drop in an AFTEC extractor and a Schuemann Barrel for the best accuracy/reliability upgrades you can get.

You also can can a couple of recoil springs and play with them.

 

[chakup]

I owned a Tactical US - the ONLY reason I sold it is I just don't shoot .40. If it had been a 9mm I would still own it.

 

[PatrickChewing]

Chaser,

I bought a bone stock Tactical 4.0 in 9mm. Its amazing. Mine ran great out of the box. After shooting about 500 rounds I was in love. I bought a ton of mags, STI Tactical magwell, and Dawson fiber optic front sight and sent it all to Jody Perry and had him tune everything. I now have about 2200-2400 rounds through it and I have zero complaints. I have never been a big pistol guy and this was my first 2011 pistol. There is zero recoil and its by far the most accurate pistol I have ever owned. Feel free to send me a PM if you have any more questions!

Clay

17 round mag

19 round mag

 

[Dmaxtay]

Chaser,

I bought a bone stock Tactical 4.0 in 9mm. Its amazing. Mine ran great out of the box. After shooting about 500 rounds I was in love. I bought a ton of mags, STI Tactical magwell, and Dawson fiber optic front sight and sent it all to Jody Perry and had him tune everything. I now have about 2200-2400 rounds through it and I have zero complaints. I have never been a big pistol guy and this was my first 2011 pistol. There is zero recoil and its by far the most accurate pistol I have ever owned. Feel free to send me a PM if you have any more questions!

Clay

17 round mag

19 round mag

Very nice 2011!!! What did that set you back if you dont mind me asking?

 

[PatrickChewing]

About 2.5k total

 

[chakup]

Tactical US- I picked it up for ~$1200 if I recall, sold it for a little more. Prices have gone up since but there are deals out there

 

[steve123]

I've owned many different pistols over the years. I bought and sold two STI Edge 2011's, one was a full custom 38 super made specifically for the American Handgunner World Shootoff and the other a stock Edge 40S&W. I really tried to like the other types of pistols including 1911's but alas I've been ruined forever more. Nothing compares to a 2011 in my book so my 3rd custom STI 2011 Edge 40S&W ain't going nowhere but to come out and win pistol matches with!

 

[squirrelsnpr]

I recently was in the same boat. I heard mixed reviews of how a stock STI isnt reliable. I took the plunge after determining an $1800 pistol better work without any additional cost. And if it didnt i could recoup most of my costs Ive have had mine for approx. 3 months with somewhere around 1k -1.5k rounds. I have not had a single malfunction. Not a one! I also bought a few 140mm mags and the Dawson +1 base plate. No mag tuning package. Everything works perfect so far. Waiting on night sights before its my duty rig. Easily the best pistol Ive ever owned.

I bought the STI 5.0 Tactical in 40 cal. A 9mm is on the short list as well.

 

[hlynch416]

I have a STI Edge in .45 and have put close to 3K worth of rounds through it with no problems. I shoot 3 gun and this is my go to pistol. Never had a problem with failure to feed or extract. I only wish I had bought more 140mm mags.

 

[CUSTOM1911FAN]

Bone stock STI, still means a hand assembled semi-custom 1911, hence the price. I firmly believe that a 2011 runs like a champ if its built right. Mine was, and I have NEVER had a malfunction that was not ammo related (my bad reloads). For duty type rig, I would just stick with duty length mags. The spriing pressure on my 140mm length mags gets awful light as you get to the last few rounds in the mag. They are great guns though. Most guys in my Dallas IDPA club went from being dominant shooters with Glocks, to being SUPER dominant shooters with STI 9mm guns. Very soft shooting with great trigger. I like mine with short dust cover-I think it swings better.