STI 1911 Questions

nathanst

nathanst

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Hi Guys,

Looking a picking up an STI 1911 (I love the look and they seem to be great guns). I'm new to 1911's and was hoping someone could point out the differences between the Trojan/Ranger models and the spartan. Obviously the price but why are the Trojan and Ranger models almost double the price of the spartan?

Thanks
 
The Spartan is made in the Philipines by Armscor and then assemebled in the USA by STI with STI parts. The Ranger/Trojan are 100% made in USA.
 
Both are excellent pistols. The Trojan just has more features like blued finish instead of parkerized. Better tuned trigger out of the box. High cut and "STI checked" front strap instead of the traditional 1911 smooth grip profile. Fully supported ramped barrel. I looked at them side-by-side and although the Spartan was very nice, I chose the Trojan.
 
cam1936 said:
The Spartan is made in the Philipines by Armscor and then assemebled in the USA by STI with STI parts. The Ranger/Trojan are 100% made in USA.
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The Spartans are actually manufactured in the "STI Section" of the Armscor plant in the Philippines. They are made with a cast frame and forged slide supplied by Armscor, but made to STI's specifications.

You are correct though that they are made with STI internal parts, supplied by STI to Armscor. The pistols are then given a QC inspection when they hit STI's warehouse/shop in Georgetown, TX before they are shipped out to the distributors.

Without a doubt, the Spartan is, hands down, the best value in a 1911. Period. There are cheaper 1911s that are good and there are more expensive 1911s that are better... But there is no other 1911 that give you the bang for your buck that the STI Spartan gives you.

As already mentioned, the Trojan/Ranger series are made entirely by STI in their shop in Georgetown, TX. They use a cast frame, featuring "STIppled" front strap and high cut trigger guard. The slides used on the Trojan and Ronger series are forged.

The Rangers are commander length guns and use a bushingless bull barrel and STI's RecoilMaster guide rod. Rangers come with fixed Heinie sights. The Trojans are full length (government length) pistols and come with a bushing barrel and standard full length guide rod. Adjustable sights are standard on the Trojans, but fixed sights are a factory order option.
 
nathanst said:
Thanks, I'm kind of leaning towards the Trojan
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If the price difference is not an issue, then you can't go wrong with the Trojan. I have a Ranger and love it. I would not hesitate to recommend a Trojan (as long as the huge TROJAN on the side of the gun doesn't bother you. It actually looks less noticeable in person than in pictures.

But if you are leery about spending $1200 on a pistol or are not sure if the 1911 platform is really right for you, then going with the less expensive Spartan is a good choice. And you are still getting a phenomenal gun.

Either way, you really can't go wrong.
 
Wow, thanks for the answer. I was looking at STI's website wasn't really seeing where the differences in price between the trojan and spartan were coming from...I didn't want to spend an extra 500/600 bucks just for nicer grips :)

The Trojan name doesn't bother me too much as long as I think Trojan war and not the other Trojan....
 
"Trojan" Slide graffeti

I have expressed my wish to Sean @ Freedom Ventures in ordering an STI Trojan 6.0 to NOT have a slide with all the current advertising (but rather a 'clean' slide as much as possible). His reply on 26 November was "As it stands today, you cannot get a 6” Trojan without Trojan markings. When STI reopens the custom shop, (Currently closed while they focus on demand for standard offerings) we can submit your request for a quote to have a custom gun built that way. I’ll keep your email on file and let you know when it reopens. "

If you know of others who wish to see a cleaner slide on the Trojan model, please have them get in touch with Sean. Volume counts in swaying STI corporate/marketing minds.

FYI: if any of you are current/retired Cdn Forces people, there is a move afoot to get a "CF Appreciation" 1911 made up. Several companies have been polled, of which STI is one. There is no further information at this point. Look for notification by "CdnCombatMedic" elsewhere in this Forum.
 
If you don't like the markings, there are other options that are easier than organizing a grassroots movement.

STI sells frames and slides and short block kits, with cuts or uncut, checkered or smooth, marked or unmarked. Freedom Ventures will bring them in for you.

You can buy the exact frame, slide, and barrel you want, the remaining parts that you want, and just about any pistolsmith can finish it for you.

That's a much easier way to get the gun you want.
 
If you have the money get the Trojan as I find the undercut trigger guard make a difference for me in gripping the gun (it's a feature that's available mostly on expensive 1911s). Stippled front strap also helps IMO.
 
If you really want a expert opinion, go here:
h ttp://glocktalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16048266&postcount=17

Normally we don't link to other forums but this thread had been discussed on CGN because bac1023 is an absolute authority on 1911s. He probably has one of the bigger & better collections of 1911s in the US.

If you want the best $1000 1911 on the market, look no further. I’ve been pushing this 1911 on potential buyers for years now and will continue to do so.
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