Advice on a STI Spartan ...who has one?

Greenman

Greenman

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I have gotten bitten by the bug of .45 again and I was wondering if anyone has one ...likes dislikes ,accuracy...let me know...if you got some pics of yours post em up for me please
 
get the trojan instead. I have plans in the future to get one. It is basically the spartan with bit more, including made in USA parts.
 
Lot of Spartans in the Calgary club being used for both ball-match and as wadcutter guns. Good piece for entry level competition as it will hold the 10 ring at 25 metres.
Dr J
 
maybe you never had together both Spartan and Trojan and see the difference of quality
....if there were no diff, then Trojan will be sold at same price having just another market name
 
;) I'm not saying the Trojan isn't a better spec'ed and built gun. I'm just saying that the Spartan is a great (some say amazing) gun for the price and is a perfect intro to the world of 1911's at a very reasonable price. :) A first time 1911 buyer would not go wrong with a Spartan.
 
I just bought a Spartan from another forum member. Looks to be a very nicely built 1911. I have yet to shoot it but in taking it apart I found that the barrel bushing is extremely tight to the point that the plastic bushing wrench provided is getting mangled. I know they are supposed to be tighter than some others but it's to a point that you can't remove it at all with bare hands. Anyone else experience this with their Spartan?
 
carsmovies said:
I just bought a Spartan from another forum member. Looks to be a very nicely built 1911. I have yet to shoot it but in taking it apart I found that the barrel bushing is extremely tight to the point that the plastic bushing wrench provided is getting mangled. I know they are supposed to be tighter than some others but it's to a point that you can't remove it at all with bare hands. Anyone else experience this with their Spartan?
Click to expand...

I do but I dont use the wrench, I use a pencil or the same hex key I use to remove my 2 peice guide rod. It really is a tight bushing
 
First make sure pistol is unloaded of course, remove top end and proceed.
I'm doing it on these pics with the factory barrel and guide rod (not my usual setup with the 2 peice rod I mentioned earlier)

Step 1: push down on the recoil spring plug with the tool of your choice in an angle


Step 2: with chosen tool, force bushing to the right (I skip the left turn and go straight to bushing removal) while maintaining plug down

Make sure you keep your chosen tool over the plug once bushing is unlocked of course or you'll have a steel plug straight to the eye, and use either of your palm to collect spring and plug


Step 3: With bushing in the right angle, pull on barrel to pull bushing out.





Of course if you're fancy about your Spartan, you can put masking tape to protect finish, mine serves as a tool not eye candy
 
I bought an STI Spartan off another member on this site earlier this year. I've put about 200 rounds through it since then and it's been very reliable. I find it's a bit finicky with magazines - it works great with the Novak magazines but seems to have some feeding problems with the mccormick mags I have. It's very accurate and the fit is extremely tight. Most who have handled it have loved it.

The spartan was my entry into the 1911 world. I have some regrets not getting a trojan but I figure I'm not missing out on a whole lot accuracy-wise.
 
charles.emond said:
First make sure pistol is unloaded of course, remove top end and proceed.
I'm doing it on these pics with the factory barrel and guide rod (not my usual setup with the 2 peice rod I mentioned earlier)

Step 1: push down on the recoil spring plug with the tool of your choice in an angle


Step 2: with chosen tool, force bushing to the right (I skip the left turn and go straight to bushing removal) while maintaining plug down

Make sure you keep your chosen tool over the plug once bushing is unlocked of course or you'll have a steel plug straight to the eye, and use either of your palm to collect spring and plug


Step 3: With bushing in the right angle, pull on barrel to pull bushing out.





Of course if you're fancy about your Spartan, you can put masking tape to protect finish, mine serves as a tool not eye candy
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for taking the pics with instructions. Great idea of using the barrel to pull the bushing out. Btw mine is so tight that even turning the bushing without a tool is impossible. I suppose it'll loosen up a little over time.
 
I guess I got the only spartan ever made, that wasn't perfect. The slide stop was sticky, the grip safety didn't function, If you pulled the trigger with the hammer on half-####, the hammer dropped onto the firing pin. The slide wouldn't return all the way forward every few rounds, and the trigger felt like it was going to fall out. To make matters worse, the dealer accused me of "gunsmithing" it.

Not only would I never buy another spartan, I wouldn't but any STI. My ranger has trigger issues, and it cost almost twice as much as a spartan. They tried to make the tolerances too tight, and made them prone to being sticky.
 
My friend bought a brand new Spartan last year from Armco for seven hundred and somthing bucks. It's truly one hell of a gun for the money. Everyone who tries it shoots really well with it - a VERY straight shooter - easily holding its own against premium 1911s by comparison. Quality, fit and finish and performance is excellent and if I were in the market it would be the first on my hit list.

The Spartan and Tojan are the same gun, but the Spartan parts are made in the Phillipines and then shipped to the US where they are assembled and fitted by STI in Texas. By contrast, the Tojan is "American made". This is where most of the price differential comes from. As well, the Spartan came with a polymer MSH whereas the Trojan didn't (my friend swapped out the MSH for a curved metal one anyway).

I would find out what the actual current differences are between the Spartan and Trojan in terms of parts quality etc. and price and then decide.

Either way, the Spartan, being the lower of the two, left me thoroughly impressed, especially for the money, and represents one of the foremost 1911 values on the market today, IMHO.
 
I am happy with my spartan. Seems to me to be a great 1911 pistol.

I've had a little troubles with my....but I consider that a handloaded ammo problem, not a gun problem
 
My Spartan is a fantastic gun.

very tight slide to frame fit, same as on my Trojan...

very tight match grade bushing, same as on my Trojan...

very nice trigger pull, same as on my Trojan...

Actually all the internal parts on my Spartan are the same as on my Trojan...

accuracy wise you wont see a difference.

The Trojan is blued (not the best blueing)
while the Spartan is parkerized (I prefer blued guns)

The Trojan is built in Texas and the Spartan is built in the Philippines, hence the price difference.

Now I am watching for the new 9mm Spartans to arrive, must have one ...
 
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Got Spartan from Freedom, no issues at all. The only changes I made were mag release with a button and lighter springs. It's not a safe queen so I didn't feel like spending more on a gun that would shoot just as well.
 
I have a Spartan - got mine new from site sponsor Armco in PG. It is an excellent handgun - likes all ammo and isn't fussy with mags. Honestly, I find it every bit as accurate and reliable as a friends new Kimber TLE (of course it isn't so pretty) and another friends much older Colt Gold Cup. I paid maybe seven bills and change and I think I got a great deal for the money ( and excellent service from Gunar at Armco ).
 
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