STI Tactical - best calibre?

UncleWalther

UncleWalther

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
241   0   0
Location
Alberta
I am a 1911 newbie. But, I've been wanting to buy an STI Tactical for some time and I am torn between which calibre to get - .40 or .45. I am leaning towards the .40, but I am worried about reliability. Is this worry justified?

Thanks!
 
UW,
It might help you if provided some detail for the use of the caliber.
Pure economics: 40 will be cheaper to shoot if volume is a consideration.
IF you reload - then it might be a different equation.
I have always preferred the 45ACP which is the original caliber of the 1911.
 
I don't shoot competitively and I don't reload. This is just for casual range shooting. I guess I wondering there is any particular reason I should stay away from the .40SW. Is it necessarily less reliable in a high-end STI?
 
Last edited:
Sti / .40

I have the STI Tactical in .40 and found it is more sensitive to ammunition than my Para P16 and much more so than my Glock 22.

Handloads that worked in the other pistols were failing to feed in the STI. They were hanging up on the way into the chamber because of what turned out to be insufficient crimp.

The spec I was using (Lyman #47) was .423, and the rounds I was loading measured .422 – .423. They fit in a Dillon case gauge, but many of them did not fit in the STI barrel.

Factory ammunition (Speer and Winchester) worked in the STI, and I measured the crimp on these at .420.

Changing my crimp setting to .420 made the handloads run fine in the STI, so in my case there was ot a reliability issue but an adjustment was needed.

I would not hesitate to get the STI Tactical in .40, the only question would be which size. I have the 5" but the 4.15" would also be very nice...

Snapshot
 
Snapshot, thanks for the info. Do I understand correctly then that you've never had probs with any factory ammo in your STI? I will be only shooting factory stuff.
 
The factory ammo I have tried in my Tactical includes Speer, Remington, & Winchester, all 180 grain truncated nose solid point and all worked fine.

Handloaded 180 grain hollow point worked fine after I increased the crimp to .420.

Snapshot
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom