Newer version (2011) STI GP6

[onmedic]

Looking for as much information on this pistol as i can get. I've read lots of online reviews and seen a few on youtube. The reviews i've read have been great and mostly talk about the trigger out of the box. Alot have payed upwards of 300.00 on trigger jobs to get the feel of the GP6.
Now on here i've recieved alot of comments on "stay away", "full of problems" that kind of stuff but i can't get anyone to clarify why? Or what exactly the problem is? Based on reviews this sounds like a heck of a good pistol for ipsc and idpa yet i've been told to get a glock instead. Being a lefty the GP6 being totally ambi is a huge bonus and glock is not, other than you can swap the mag release but not the slide lock.
I do not have access to these pistols to shoot so its a big leap of faith for my first gun. I'm also hearing that STI is a great company to deal with as far as customer service goes. Even blade tech has holsters for this pistol, and i have found aftermarket sights so accessories does not seem to be an option.
I always get lots of help on here and i really need it now, so close to buying my first pistol. The STI is one sweet eye appealing gun to me and ergonomics apparently are like the 1911 which STI is known for.
Thanks again everyone for replying to my tons of questions and threads. I know i'm making better choices based on responses from threads on here.

 

[Canuck223]

STI asked Grand Power for a few changes to set thier guns apart. It seems to have bitten them in the ass.

The STI hammers were MIM'd (I believe, I don't know if for a fact) and didn't last as long as the machined Grand Power hammers.

The slide stop pins had a habit of creeping out to the left. (It would have to virtually fall out before there would be a mechanical problem, but annoying.

I'm also aware of one slide cracking at the center of the slide rails. Mind you, the same individual had two overloaded cases rupture in this gun. That the cracks are in the same spot might not be a coincidence.

I know another individual in southern Ontario cracked a slide, but I never saw where/when/how the crack started, so I can't offer an opinion.

My own has almost 9k through it, and all I've done to it is replace the recoil spring and hammer. Neither failed. I just had the spares so I replaced them.

Since STI ended thier relationship with Grand Power, there have been a few changes to the guns.

The slides used to be investement castings that were then finished machined. Now the slides are 100% CNC machined.
The profile of the slide stop pin has been changed to prevent creeping in either direction.
The extractor has a slight bevel on the inside angle so oversized rims still tend to feed.
The ejector is a bit more aggressive and the inner part of the ejection port is reshaped to get brass out faster.
I believe the slide markings are no longer filled with white paint. Black/black now.

Blue Line just posted the MSRP for the full(ish) line of the Grand Power guns. Pricing starts about $100 less than the comparable STI badge version.

 

[onmedic]

Now thats the kind of info im looking for. Is the newer 2011 GP6 with the different back straps a gun that was made duing Grand Power or do they have the newer modifications above that you are talking about?
Are you happy with yours? The two key points that i have read with these pistols in their reviews was the excellent trigger and the barrel, the pistol was very accurate out of the box and needed no additional gunsmithing for competition. I just want to make sure i'm looking at the newer model with the updates when comparing the glock, GP6 and CZ 85

 

[Freedom Ventures]

Really?

STI asked Grand Power for a few changes to set thier guns apart.

From my point of view, GP learned a lot about what was wrong with thier original designs by using STI as a beta test, but then - I only have seen hundreds of the things go through my hands and dealt with the warranty support for a few years. I've also personally met Jaro & David Skinner and dealt with the QA team at STI on these guns.

The STI hammers were MIM'd (I believe, I don't know if for a fact)

No. They were EDMed - the material used was too hard. STI came back with a less hard material and of course, replaced every hammer that broke.

The slide stop pins had a habit of creeping out to the left. (It would have to virtually fall out before there would be a mechanical problem, but annoying.

The early versions; (a GP design flaw) later versions had a upgrade that stopped this. Other early issues were too-tight chambers from GP (So we had to ream them to spec here) and flawed extractors from GP that we had to replace before shipping. All stuff STI discovered and fixed.

Part of the blessing and at the same time, curse - along the life of the GP6 was that GP kept upgrading issues that they found along the way making being able to say one thing or another about a gun was impossible as the GP6 from 2009 and the GP6 from 2012 are generations different.

I know in your eyes, GP can do no wrong - but trust me - they can. One only needs to look as far as that massive thread here about Marstar and GP, the past threads about TSE and GP, etc. to see a common element. I sincerely hope that Blue Line has more luck than the rest of us. They seem like really good guys and don't need the headache.


OP, I think I recently answered an email from you - but if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

The newer GP6 with the beefier frame (the same as on the newer GPs) has had a lot of the past issues cleared up and I've not yet seen one come back for service in the past year. If you're getting into IPSC or IDPA; they're a decent starter gun. (A Tanfoglio Stock III is way better for IPSC, though)

 

[onmedic]

excellent, thank you. I'm learning what the issues were and that steps have been taken to rectify the issues. Thats how all things continue to improve. Its looking like, for the money, the GP6 has it all in the right places, barrel, trigger and sights.
Usefull info gentleman, i appreciate it greatly.

 

[Canuck223]

Really?

I know in your eyes, GP can do no wrong - but trust me - they can. One only needs to look as far as that massive thread here about Marstar and GP, the past threads about TSE and GP, etc. to see a common element. I sincerely hope that Blue Line has more luck than the rest of us. They seem like really good guys and don't need the headache.

If I thought that was true, I wouldn't be up front about things that either failed or benefited from improvement along the way.
I also wouldn't have solicited your opinion early on, or suggested that folks call you when you had your remaining stock on sale.

I actually did make a point of digging back to the beginning of the pistol forums archives to refresh my memory about some of the interactions you mentioned.

 

[onmedic]

warranty question on the cz's and glocks. Does any warranty work require the pistol being shipped outside of Canada on these guns? It does not on the GP6

 

[Canuck223]

Both have service depots here in Canada. Both (I suppose all) manufacturers however sometimes have hiccups. Some times when a gun craps the bed and the depot can't fix it, your option is reduced to waiting for the next order for a replacement.

I recall TSE mentioning several years back that they had a number of guns returned to the Glock distributor (R. Nichol I believe at that time) who then had to wait for the gun to be sent to Austria before the factory would authorize replacement. IIRC, they had a number of slides crack at the ejection port near the front.

At the end of the day it comes down to the agreement between the manufacturer and the distributor. It's a serious question worth asking when buying any gun.