[Renomucker]

I am an avid IPSC shooter with large hands, and have found my Limited gun built on an SV to fit my hands almost perfectly. However, when I shoot my Kimber carry gun, I feel like I do not have complete control of it. I have had the front strap serrated, and have the thickest grips I can find fitted to it with an SA mag funnel, but it still feels too small. Because of this, I am looking at having my gunsmith build me a carry gun on an STI frame. I have heard that in 45 reliability is spotty, but in 40 and 38 they run like champs. I can vouch for the reliability in 40, since my gun only has troubles when I feed it bar reloads. But, relibility at a match is nice, relibility in carry is an absoulute need. My question really revolves around a having a gun built in 40, 5" with fixed sites, no mag funnel, and a bull barrel. Can a gun be made to these rather general specs and be reliable enough to bet my life on it?

 

[Desert Dog]

Renomucker,

Welcome to the forum! I have a 9x23 STI that is my current carry gun. It was built specifically with that purpose in mind. This pistol is amazingly accurate and has been ufailingley reliable. We had a thread a while back on it. You can see it here. I can't speak to reliability for double stack forties, but maybe another member with experience with one will?

DD

 

[DblTap]

One problem I see with a .40 would be lack of suitable factory defensive ammo. My STI doesn't like short (SAAMI spec) OAL loads. Everyone I know loads ammo long for reliability in there .40 IPSC gun. 1.135" is spec, my personal STI Edge likes an OAL around 1.175". Have you considered a Para P14?

 

[Renomucker]

I know that some pistols are problematical with ammo length in 40. Mine will run with factory ammo without a hitch, but I load mine to 1.200" with my long throated barrel. DD, How is the pistol holding up to sweat and general grime from carry? I ask because when I get some dust in the mag tubes, feeding gets iffy. But that is with 140mm competition mags with Arrendondo followrers.

 

[Mikey]

I built my STI 40 cal as a dual purpose (IDPA/IPSC) gun with the primary focus on IDPA due to the bushing type barrel requirement. It has the STI standard frame kit, STI slide, hammer, sear and grip safety. The barrel is a Nowlin ramped. The mags are the 16 round "carry" length (I think about 120) that fit flush and will fit the IDPA box with "carry" base pads. The MMC sights are quite suitable for carry.

This gun has been flawlessly reliable for two years in competition and feeds Federal Hydra-Shoks without a hitch. I save the hi-caps for IPSC and carry but the neutered 10 rounders work very well for IDPA. If cartridge length ever presents a problem one can always punch the chamber out to 10mm and use that as a carry round.

Mikey

 

[Tom Freeman]

My carry gun is a STI aluminum frame and SV aluminum slide, SV compact grip in 38 Super. Runs 100%. I am building another one in 40 as we speak. I will let you know how it goes.

So, my answer to your question is yes.

Tom
AF Shooting team

 

[Renomucker]

Thanks Mikey, that is almost exactly what I am looking for. How easy is it to find leather for the STI? I noticed DD has the trigger guard rounded on his, but yours is still square. Does this cause any troubles? I noticed my SVI doesn't fit anything that my Kimber does. With the short square dustcover and the "Unique" slide I find all kinds of hangups. Also, what followers do you use? The standard STI or some after market? Since both you and DD have the bushing barrel, do you find it any more or less reliable than a Bull? I personally prefer the muzzel heavy feel of a bull barrel over the standard, but if the reverse plug setup causes any function troubles I have no trouble going with the standard setup.
Tom, that AL frame idea sound interesting. What weight is the gun? About 28oz with mag?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Renomucker on 2001-04-27 22:54 ]</font>

 

[jfrancis]

I have an SV Infinity Compact in .40. I bought it mainly to shoot ESP Division in IDPA and it is certainly reliable enough to carry (which is what SV obviously intended for this pistol).

 

[Mikey]

Renomucker,

Leather is a problem. The square trigger guard and the slightly "fat" standard dustcover both make leather selection difficult.

I use a DeSantis Pro-Fed paddle holster. This type has a tension screw at the forward edge of the trigger guard and another at the forward edge of the dustcover so it's a perfect match. If I was going to dedicate the gun to carry I would probably have the trigger guard rounded and shave down the dustcover a bit. Oterwise expect to have to pay for custom leather.

I've never used a bull barrel so I can't respond about the differences.

Mikey

 

[Bruce]

Have an STI commander length slide 38super that is the picture of reliability, with 38 and 9x23. A 6" in .40, just as reliable. Some require fiddling with mags. I sure enjoy mine, carry the .38sup quite a bit. It is always between that pistol and the 9x23 single stack Dane built me, both are excellent in every respect.

The STI's were built by Benny Hill in Texas. Great guns, great 'smiths.

 

[Dave Berryhill]

Tom - How is the aluminum frame on aluminum slide holding up? Did you have it Accu-Railed or anything? Anodized or other coating?

 

[Sean Smith]

I have a friend who has two SV Infinity pistols, one in .40 S&W and one in 10mm. They perform very well in most respects but I personally don't care for them, and neither does my friend. They are very tight and quite sensitive to dirt... after maybe 200 rounds they start to choke until you clean them up again. They are also relatively ammo sensitive. That said, within their "comfort zone" they run extremely well, and there is no reason they couldn't be made to be less finicky.

Just my observations from a very limited sample.

 

[ragls]

I have an STI 9X23 racegun that was built by Mark Schallat in Ohio and it has never missed a beat thru the 5,000 plus rounds I have fed it since this past Feb. ! This gun is a 6" LWDC with the unique slide. I Loved the way that it performed so much that it was inevitable.

So I called up Dawson's and had Dave build me a 40 twin but in stock form with a 6" STI bull barrel and iron sights. Dave did all the cuts and fitted the barrel, frame and slide, and I am working on the rest. The gun is tight to the point that I didn't expect it to run reliably right away but it did!

That was incredible to me and a statement to Dawson's work!

I don't believe that you would be making a bad choice to carry one of these! As far as leather goes Matt Delfatti does holsters for just about anything and his work is first class! http://www.delfatti.com/

 

[Desert Dog]

I see it has been more than a year now since my first post in this thread, and my BCP-STI 9x23 Talisman is still my primary CCW piece. No small wonder. This thing just runs, and runs, and runs. It has also proven to be more accurate than I can hold. Had a shooting buddy recently show me what my gun was capable of... :roll: Two shooters (Dane Burns being the other one), can now lay claim to having shot a 50 yard cloverleaf group with my gun. Sad to say, I am not one of those two. Close on a couple of occasions, but still no cigar.

This is a pistol that engenders confidence. Having as many rounds in the gun, as you can carry in total (or nearly so) with a single stack, does add an extra degree of mental comfort. While a double stack cary gun is definitely not something I would recommend for everyone, I had little problem getting used to the extra weight and bulkiness of it. The right holsters, and a good belt are key to comfortably carrying a pistol like the Talisman. My holsters are the awesome ACP and GWH holster designs, that are currently being produced by Alessi. It is gonna feel a little strange to start carrying a single stack again (after all this time), but I will soon be doing just that, as my long awaited BCP fullhouse Colt 9x23 project nears completion. The Talisman will move to number two position in my line-up, continuing to pull duty as my house gun.


DD