Questions about Tanfoglio Stock 3

[RNA]

Hi All,

I'm new to Tanfoglios and have been trying to read as much as possible about the different models. I absolutely love the lines and proportions of Tanfog designs and think that the Stock 3 is the sexiest gun I've ever seen. I've read that IFG will be importing them within the next couple of months, and am anxiously awaiting when they hit the market. But I have a few questions about it:

1. How many rounds do the factory magazines fit in 9mm?

2. Are the Stock magazines interchangeable with the Witness Elite Match series? (As a side question, how many rounds do the Mec-Gar magazines hold for the Witness Elite Match 9mm?)

3. What is the reliability record of the Stock series?

4. I've read of Witness frames and slides cracking -- do the Stock guns have a history of cracking as well?

5. I've also read that the Witness series has a steep feed ramp and I've read of cases where hollow points can be iffy -- is the feed ramp as steep in the Stock series? I plan on relying a Stock 3 for range fun AND for home defense (and possibly CCW in the winter), so reliable feeding of hollow points is an absolute necessity. Would it be beneficial to get the feed ramp coated with Robar NP3, or will adding that very thin layer of coating exacerbate feeding problems?

Thanks in advance, and sorry if the questions seem so newbie or obnoxious. I just can't stop thinking about getting my hands on a Stock 3 and don't want to keep indulging in my dirty thoughts if there are reliability/design issues that might pop up if my life depended on it.

[JorDanO]

I should be able to answer most of those questions in a few weeks when I get mine

If the Stock 3's are in fact small frame, large frame mags won't work.

[RNA]

Ho man that's wicked! Want to share your source where you're getting one?

[JorDanO]

Contact Jim Bodkin at JD Sales. His website is Shooterready.biz

He can also tune it up with all of Hennings goodies before shipping it out to you

[Skydiver]

As for the slide/frame cracking. I've only heard of the slide cracking on the guns with the scalloped out slides. People had them replaced with the regular "square" slides. I've only seen one report of a "cracked" frame and it turned out the owner wasn't away that there is a tiny relief cut extending from the mag release hole on all the Elite series guns.

I've never had any feeding issues with my Stock II using the newer K9 magazines. It didn't matter what the bullet profile was. I did have occasional issues with the older Tanfoglio 9mm magazines. But these were issues with the magazine design, not the angle of the feed ramp.

[Nealio]

All of the cracked frame/slides I have seen writeups on were the low end models with the rounded slide like Skydiver mentioned. Then most of those were 10mm , second was 40S&W. And finally of all the 10mm ones, nobody had a heavy enough spring(they have very light springs from the factory). Most of the .40S&W cases were not sprung correctly either.

The "Elite" series guns are MUCH more durable. Many guys with guns on this forum have a lot of rounds through their gun. And by lots I mean over 15K.

[J-Ho]

I should be able to answer most of those questions in a few weeks when I get mine

If the Stock 3's are in fact small frame, large frame mags won't work.

Dude you so have to show the thing off. I'm dying to see one.

[RNA]

Thanks so much for everyone's replies -- they definitely pushed me over the edge of certainty and I'll be ordering my Stock 3 ASAP!

JorDanO: Ordering from Jim Bodkin sounds great, especially since I can kill two bird with one stone by tuning it when I buy it. What Hennings products do you think I should have Jim install? Like I said, I'm very new to Tanfoglios and am not quite sure what the pros and cons are of Hennings parts. I'm no competitive shooter, so I'm more interested in making it the most reliable sweet shooter possible.

One thing that I'm sure I want is a delta hammer, though. Not only do I love the way they look, but I've read a shooter from either the Philippines or Australia say that he really digs his set up of the stock recoil spring with the delta hammer. Are these hammers available through Jim? If not, does anyone know where I might be able to order one?

Thanks again for any replies!

Edited August 25, 2012 by RNA

[Skydiver]

By "for range fun" are you talking about:

USPSA,

IPSC,

IDPA,

bulls eye,

plinking?

Some of the above? All of the above?

Some modifications which will make the gun more fun for plinking or bullseye will unfortunately make it illegal for some of the action pistol sports. For example, taking out the firing pin block and putting in the Henning XL firing pin lets you take the single action trigger pull down to about or less than 2 lbs, but using the Henning XL pin disqualifies it for IPSC Production (non-OEM part), and from USPSA Production(all factory safety mechanisms must be present). You'll be okay is IPSC Standard and USPSA Limited, though. I suspect that IDPA also has the same rule but safety mechanisms, but I'm not as conversant with those divisions and rules.

[JorDanO]

Your best bet is to just give Jim a call, and discuss what you're looking for. He'll set it up however you want it.

[RNA]

Hey Skydiver: My definition of range fun is definitely on plinking and bullseye, I guess -- the gun I'm looking at getting won't need to stay within any official shooting organization criteria. With that limitless horizon in mind, what parts can you think of off the top of your heads that might help it become more fun to shoot (i.e. nicer trigger pull, faster on target, nicer sights, higher reliability, etc)?

JorDanO: I will probably give Jim a call or e-mail him and ask him about some customization, but I don't want to sound like a complete airhead when I'm talking to him. I'm just trying to get some ideas via all your guys' awesome knowledge so at least I know in what general direction I might want to go in terms of all the various springs, pins and other myriad goodies that are available for the platform.

Great replies and community you guys have here -- hopefully all these answers will help me and anyone else who might stumble upon this thread int he future who are in the same boat that I'm in!

[Skydiver]

A red dot sight will make a stock 3 infinitely more fun to shoot, but you probably don't want to go that extreme.

My suggested minimum upgrades:

Henning XL firing pin (be sure to tell him that it'll be for a Stock III)

13# or 14# Wolff hammer spring

Henning fiber optic front sight

8# Wolff recoil spring

Since are planning for this to also be a self-defense weapon down the road:

Henning fixed rear sight -- the adjustable Bomar sight will break eventually. You probably don't want to give Murphy a chance to mess with your sights.

For the self defense rounds, you may want to try both the 8# recoil spring as well as the factory spring and see which you like better.

If you have small hands, or like a sexy looking gun:

Henning aluminum grips

For the fun factor:

At least one Henning H141O magazine base pad to put on magazine and fill up that magazine and then let loose!

[RNA]

LOL, although nice, the red dot is going a little too out there for me -- I want to retain the sexy look and profile from the factory. But I like where your heads at! I'm sure there are lots of ways to do it big since I don't have to worry about any shooting league rules.

Thanks for all the suggestions, they sound like they will certainly lighten and smooth the trigger pull. I plan on playing around with the recoil spring to find what feels best to me. I've read there are trade offs between light and heavy recoil springs, so I'm sure recoil springs are a personal preference. Generally speaking though, if I was deciding between two springs, would the lighter or heavier spring err on the side of reliability?

As far as the various other springs and pins Henning offers, which ones should I be looking at? I don't like the idea of a cheapie roll pin anywhere a solid pin might be installed. What pins should I inquire about changing out when I order with Jim?

[Skydiver]

The following are optional upgrades. It's pretty amazing for the bang for buck that you get with Tanfoglios and not really have to change much unless you really want to. Slightly different mindset from getting a 1911 at the same price range where there are a lot of "required" upgrades.

If you'll be doing a lot of detail stripping all the way down to the frame, the only roll pin of consequence that will make your like infinitely easier is the trigger pin. Henning's nut and bolt style trigger pin makes reassembling the gun so much easier. You don't need a 3rd hand growing out of your chest anymore. The downside of is that now you have the bolt head and nut above the trigger detracting from the nice lines of the gun. It's pretty subtle, but still there. If you have Jim make the nut round, then it looks a lot better, but still different from the original lines of the gun. See here for what it looks like with the Henning trigger pin:

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=155696

Also, the pin lessens any side-to-side slop of the trigger because of the pin's larger diameter.

As for the other pins:

Since you are planning on having this as a self-defense weapon, most schools of thought are to keep the slide lock lever so that your gun locks back when you are empty. If you don't belong to that school of thought and know you'll be keeping round counts even under extreme stress of a gun fight (I don't know, you maybe a SEAL), then the solid Henning or EGW pins are worth looking at. They also improve accuracy with a tighter barrel lock up.

With the older Elite series, if you are planning on having a trigger job done, then the tighter fitting Henning Sear pin, and Hammer Pin will provide a more consistent positioning of the hammer and sear. The new Stock III supposedly has a new sear design that is going back to the more complicated two part CZ 75 SP-01 sear. I don't know if Tanfoglio decided to tighten up the fit of the parts while doing their re-design. I suspect that the Henning Hammer Pin will still be a nice benefit for a more consistent hammer engagement. And again, if you detail strip your gun a lot, the Hammer Pin Pin makes life easier.

In fact, if you detail strip your gun a lot, a spare Hammer Pin Pin or two will be useful unless you work in a clean room laboratory like setting. You will lose a pin eventually. It sucks not being able to put the gun back together fully.

And other parts:

The cone rod. Just get it. Removes the frustration of the slide not coming off easily when it's time to clean the gun.

If you are planning on going single action only, maybe you should have gotten a Limited instead. But that will be your second Tanfoglio. Seriously, though, if you plan on converting the gun to single action only, then the Henning Flat Trigger System is worth looking at as well as the EGW Hammer and Sear I previously mentioned. Installing the FTS will need a really good smith familiar with Tanfoglio's, as getting the reset to work consistently is usually the stumbling block for amateurs working on their guns.

[Skydiver]

A quick note about cocked and locked. In my opinion, it is very easy to flip the safety off on Elite series guns. Almost too easy because of the size of the paddle and spring tension. If I were going to carry cocked and locked with my guns, they will be in a holster that protects the safety lever and keeps the lever in the safe position. For my Stock II, I'd have it as double action first shot. There are are other opinions out there, but I can't find the thread right now. Basic topic was about using a Match for daily concealed carry.