STI Edge 9mm

[72stick]

Hi guys,

Just wondering what kind of groups people are seeing with their 9mm Edge? Any 1 inch 5 shot groups at 25 yards?

 

 

[Ocd666]

my bone stock edge with my own loads I can get a 2.5" group at 50 yards of my range bag.

at 25 yards of my bag I can keep 5 in a 1" pretty easy even fre hand if I'm on point but that is slow shots. 

Comes down to the ammo from what I can see. What works in mine doesn't work in my buddy's new DVC. But he has worked out a load for his and I still think my edge has the edge lol.

 

[72stick]

That's really nice!

I had to send my pistol back to STI. The groups were starting to open up. When mine was new it shot nice tight groups on an 8 inch paper plate at 25 yards. Now I'm lucky to keep 5 shots on the plate at 25 yards. 

My local gunsmith looked at the gun and couldn't see anything obviously wrong. He did notice the barrel lugs didn't show full contact with the slide for a full lockup. Only the rear lug showed a wear pattern. He slugged the barrel and the bore was really smooth with no pits or other imperfections and measured .355",however, the throat was really long. With my calipers, it measured a little over .380". I knew STI used a long throat on their 9mm barrels, so I looked up the 9mm SAAMI specs. SAAMI shows a max spec of .170". Even if I loaded to 1.2", that leaves a bullet jump of more than .180" and that's from the tip of the bullet not the ogive. That sure seems like a long way for the bullet to perfectly jump before it enters the rifling.

I'm hoping when I get the pistol back it will shoot those nice tight groups you're getting.

[72stick]

That's really nice!

I had to send my pistol back to STI. The groups were starting to open up. When mine was new it shot nice tight groups on an 8 inch paper plate at 25 yards. Now I'm lucky to keep 5 shots on the plate at 25 yards. 

My local gunsmith looked at the gun and couldn't see anything obviously wrong. He did notice the barrel lugs didn't show full contact with the slide for a full lockup. Only the rear lug showed a wear pattern. He slugged the barrel and the bore was really smooth with no pits or other imperfections and measured .355", however, the throat was really long. With my calipers, it measured a little over .380". I knew STI used a long throat on their 9mm barrels, so I looked up the 9mm SAAMI specs. SAAMI shows a max spec of .170". Even if I loaded to 1.2", that leaves a bullet jump of more than .180" and that's from the tip of the bullet not the ogive. That sure seems like a long way for the bullet to perfectly jump before it enters the rifling.

I'm hoping when I get the pistol back it will shoot those nice tight groups you're getting.

Edited September 4, 2016 by 72stick

[chuckstur]

My Springfield 9mm 1911 had a very long throat also.  Me thinks it was an effort to limit the pressure from hot ammo.  It never shot well so I sold it.  I even built a fixture (anchored to 300 pounds of concrete in the ground) to hold the barrel so as to eliminate inaccuracy associated with lock-up .  The shotgun-like patterns at 50 yards would not stay on a letter-size target. I tested dozens of factory and hand-loads so I know of which I speak.  My fixture holds Glock and M&P barrels also: much better.  The STI 40 S&W barrels are still the best.  

[72stick]

Interesting you should mention the .40 S&W STI barrel. I also have an STI Edge in .40 S&W. My gunsmith tuned the trigger to a crisp 2# break and it is a fun gun to shoot. Although you have to work a little harder than I think you should have to off a bag, it will group nicely at 25 yards. I shot it today on Challenge Steel Targets and was ringing steel for a couple hours.