STI brand 1911s

C

cwok

New member
I've looked at them a few times (on-line) but the price for the models I saw seemed too high.

Recently I noted that they have a SPARTAN model that seems to offer an awful lot for just about $700.
Adjustable rear sight
Fiberoptic front
skeletonized trigger with overtravel screw adjustment
and some good reviews on-line.

It looks like a nice package.
Does anyone have an experience with the, especially with this lower priced SPARTAN Model .
I/d tend to expect the $1500+ guns to work well.
.
 
O

Olympus

New member
The Spartan model is essentially an Armscor 1911 frame with STI parts and pieces. I think they can be found for a little less than the $700 figure. There are a lot of good reviews about them. From the pictures of them that I've seen, the finish looks a little thin so that's probably the main reason I've stayed away from them.

I don't know much about the higher end models.
 
D

deeczman

New member
Armscor, RIA are made in the Phillipian's. I know some 1911 collector's whom say these are some good 1911's. They've even said the metal is from railroad track's very strong. I know someone who has a RIA and i shot it. The trigger was good and the accuracy i received was very good. I no longer own any 1911's but the one you are thinking about i would like know no more oneday.

These 1911 guys i know have Wison, NightHawk and Ed Brown's just to name a few so i take what they tell me with as accurate. I was looking on Bud's Gunshop on line at these you mention Good Luck:cool:
 
K

KyJim

New member
I have a Spartan in 9mm. It has a very nice, tight fit and is very accurate. Mine has been 100% reliable with FMJ ammo and some WWB hollow points. Trigger is crisp. Armscor makes it but it is an upgrade from the RIA because it uses a forged slide and barrel and the internal parts are STI.

Olympus is correct that the parkerizing is just a bit "thin" but it's fine for the price point. Stocks are pretty good. Finish is okay. Nothing obvious on the outside but with tool marks on the inside (they don't effect function a bit.

I honestly believe the STI Spartan is the best, or least one of the best, value 1911s out there. I do have experience with high end 1911s, so I can make comparisons.
 
J

jaysouth

New member
My range guns are an STI Trojan 9mm ($1,200 from Dawson) and a Les Baer PII super tac in .45 ($2,300)

Hand held or Ransom rest, the STI outshoots the Les Baer. That's what I call value for money.
 
R

rsxr22

New member
STI makes a heck of a gun! The Spartan out of the box is a much better buy then the RIA. It is more ready to go with a nice trigger. Whenever, someone wants a budget 1911 and wants to put some work into it though, then i sell them a RIA
 
M

Mosin44az

New member
From what I've read, STI put some effort into quality control with the Spartan, it sounded like they wanted to make sure they kept their good name with this model. The Spartan has interested me for some time.
 
3

38 Super Fan

New member
My range guns are an STI Trojan 9mm ($1,200 from Dawson) and a Les Baer PII super tac in .45 ($2,300)

Hand held or Ransom rest, the STI outshoots the Les Baer. That's what I call value for money.
Click to expand...

I've heard other people offer similar reports on the Trojans accuracy. That really says a lot. The Spartan is a great gun too. Probably the best 1911 available for under $700.
 
O

Olympus

New member
I guess I just wish some companies would make a 1911 for under $600 that had something other than the thin parkerized finish. I had a blued Taurus 1911 and only had it for a couple months because I hated the finish. You had to keep a sheen of oil on it just to keep it from rusting. I traded it for the exact same thing just in stainless. And I had a Citadel Compact for several months too and the finish was pretty poor on it too.

I'd like to see a company make a $600 or less 1911 and offer an epoxy finish like Duracoat in a handful of different colors. I'd be more apt to buy one rather than saving my money for a little higher quality 1911 which is what I've been doing lately.
 
R

RLWII

New member
I own several Colt 1911s and a Colt was always my carry piece. But a couple of years back I had a chance to pickup a STI Spartan for a good price. After about 6 months of range use, my Colts have become safe queens. Very accurate!!! Have not had a single issue with mine. Goes bang everytime I want it to. Pretty finish, no. But should I ever need to impress a bad guy it's not the finish he is going to be looking at. Try it.
 
V

verdun59

New member
I agree with RLWII. I've got a Spartan and it's been dependable right out of the box. Now I'm not a big 1911 fan, but this gun is right up there with all the 9mm guns I own and it sure is more accurate than I am. I think it's a great buy for the money.
 
R

rsxr22

New member
The Spartan is definitely super accurate!! I wasnt expecting much and i got everything i could ask for!
 
K

KyJim

New member
I'd like to see a company make a $600 or less 1911 and offer an epoxy finish like Duracoat in a handful of different colors. I'd be more apt to buy one rather than saving my money for a little higher quality 1911 which is what I've been doing lately.
Click to expand...
You can Duracoat or Durabake the gun yourself for $30 or so. I've never done it but it doesn't seem very complicated.
 
O

Olympus

New member
You can Duracoat or Durabake the gun yourself for $30 or so. I've never done it but it doesn't seem very complicated.
Click to expand...

I've did just that with the Citadel Compact that I had. If you've never Duracoated before, there's a bit of a learning curve. And the kits with the compressed air and toy model airbrush are junk. Trust me on this! So unless you have a HVLP gun and air compressor, that's more stuff that you would have to buy. And there are several companies that do a very high quality epoxy finish. But by the time you add their cost to the cost of the gun, you'd have just about enough to buy a higher quality 1911. So if some of these 1911 companies could offer an epoxy finish like that for their models and be more affordable than the other specialty finish companies, I would probably consider one.

Here's a couple pictures of the Citadel that I finished:

P2201729.jpg


P2201732.jpg
 
C

cwok

New member
STI Spartan Question

Thanks for all of the comments -- they seem almost all positive.
I'm surprised that, given the great price, I haven't read more about them.

It looks like I'll be adding a Spartan to my "To Buy list".
.
 
R

rsxr22

New member
Good info on duracoat! We offer duracoat and cerakote through our shop and much prefer the cerakote. Duracoat is ok, but in our experience, doesnt hold up as well to regular usage.

Cerakote is very simple to perform:
1. strip pistol
2. parts in a degreaser overnight
3. Aluminum Oxide blast
4. Spray
5. Bake for 45 min at 350 and your done!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top