STI Trojan 9mm review

J

Jayhawkhuntclub

New member
Here's my honest opinion of this gun. Bought new about 5 months ago.

Function: A This gun functions wonderfully. One stovepipe in about 500 rounds and I think that was ammo related. The slide is light (9mm) and quite smooth.

Accuracy: C Pretty average (to slightly below) for a production 1911. I've only found 1 load (10 tested so far) that will consistantly group <2" at 20 yards from a rest. Most groups tend to be in the 2-4" range.

Finish: F I am only giving this gun's finish an F because there is no such thing as a F-.:eek: Think Krylon flat black. It's not pretty and it wears poorly. This is unacceptable on an $1100 gun IMHO.

Trigger: C+ It's a pretty average production 1911 trigger. It has a tad of creep and is 4.75 lbs. Not a big deal as it's quite fixable.

Style: B+ This is very subjective, but I think it's a nice looking piece. I could do without the forward serations. But I personally like the wide serations in terms of looks and comfort of use.

Sights: B+ Nothing special, but very nice. Standard front post and a Bomar style rear. Works for me.

Quality build: B+ This gun is no rattle trap. OTOH, it's no Dan Wesson. The slide is reasonably well fit. It lock up well. The barrel to bushing fit is so so. The barrel looks great inside (no visible chatter marks) and is fully ramped.

Those are my first impressions. As always: YMMV.:cool:
 
S

s3779m

New member
Thanks for the review. Let us know if it gets better as you shoot more. I agree with you on what to expect for the price.
 
H

horseman308

New member
I've got the same gun and about the same number of rounds through it. Three FTE's that I'm pretty sure were magazine related. Similar feeling about the tightness/lock up and the barrel, bushing etc. The finish on mine looks pretty good - it's not the deep blue I'd have hoped but it doesn't look like spray paint. Not sure about wear - I haven't done much with it from a holster. I actually dislike the look a good bit - forward cocking serrations suck. But I love how well it shoots. I don't recall the accuracy other than better than I'm able to shoot (which isn't saying much lately; I've not shot in over a year), but I love the trigger. No creep, about 4 lbs, and crisp. No, it's not a Dan Wesson but I have no significant complaints.
 
P

Pilot

New member
Thanks for the review. I have always heard good things about both the .45ACP, and 9MM Trojans. I've never shot one, but did dry fire a .45, and was impressed with the out of the box trigger.
 
V

Valerko

New member
Don't have one ,,but buddy in Europe just got one. And put 5 shots in 1.5 inch at 25 yards. So I'd say looks pretty accurate. For the money , I'd say more then enough. :)
 
R

rock185

New member
Jayhawk, just a comment on the "F" finish. I have owned my share of blued 1911s, by different manufacturers, for many years. Thsi would include multiple Baers, Wilsons and a bunch of Colts, etc. Some of those guns had polished Blue finishes, some brushed blue, and some, as the Trojan, matte blue. While some were certainly better looking than the Trojans, none of their blued finishes had any abasion resistance. All showed wear if the gun was actually used, especially if carried in a holster. Blue finishes are slightly better than bare metal in resisting rust, but they are just a change in the color of the metal surface. Blue is not a durable protective coating, other than mentioned above. I have no illusions as to the durablility of blued steel and would have much prefered to pay a little more to be able to buy a stainless Trojan, but I guess hard chrome is the only option now...
 
J

Jayhawkhuntclub

New member
I've had dozens of blue guns over the years. And yes it's not an extremely durable finish. Although I've never really had issues with rust. But I keep them oiled.

BTW, my best group is 1.21" CTC at 20 yards from a rest. But that's not typical. My minimum expectation for anything with a barrel 4" or longer is that it average under 2". I guess it does that with one load.
 
P

pilpens

New member
I have the same pistol, a Trojan 5" 9mm set up for my GF (thin grip/short trigger).
Approx 2000+ rounds. It is the best shooting 9mm I have. Better than my Kimber Target Custom II 9mm, Glock 34, etc ...
The blue finish wear came on fast like my Kimber Custom II .45.

I agree, finish seems like it should be better for over $1000 pistol.
 
K

KyJim

New member
Odd. The Spartan is STI's budget gun (built by Armscor with STI trigger control system and to STI specs). The finish on my 9mm is utilitarian (nice way to say it) and there are toolmarks on the inside (what do expect for that money?). However the slide to frame fit is tight and the bushing super tight (Les Baer tight). Trigger is very good. Maybe the Filipinos are building them better than the Texans.
 
H

HKFan9

New member
I have a STI 9mm Tacitcal SS 5.0 and it is hands down my favorite gun to shoot. The trigger from the factory is crisp and light, and the accuracy is great, not that I even expected it to be a tac driver. I DID have a few hang ups in the factory mag, but I only use Wilson ETM's it since they arrived and its been top notch.

As for your groups, call STI and ask them to inspect it, or ask what ammo they are using.
 
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