AbitNutz Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 I realize that STI's are pretty much custom made as it is. What if STI doesn't offer exactly what I want in a standard configuration? I don't know if STI will build a pistol to suit. If not, what are my choices? What shops specialize in putting together STI's? I can put together run of the mill 1911's but I'm not up to the task of bolting together something that will cost a couple of grand. This wouldn't be a wildly exotic affair...just optioned the way I want. I figure for this kind of money I should suffer with exactly what I want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Why use STI? If you are willing to spend a couple of grand on a 1911, use good stuff instead. As far as I'm concerned there should be no MIM parts in a $2k gun. Start with a JEM Engineering frame, MSH (with magwell, if desired) and the JEM GS. Then add a good slide and barrel. I like Barsto and Kart barrels. Then pick billet or bar stock internals. I like EGW stuff, some of the SVI stuff (not everything fits) and some Harrison Custom stuff. You can send all the parts to Gans Guns and have your true, custom pistol back in three weeks. Just tell him what you want in the way of slide cuts, etc. and you are good to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbitNutz Posted September 17, 2016 Author Share Posted September 17, 2016 Interesting. I always thought STI was the cats A$$, no? I'm really looking not so much for an entire STI but the kind of modular double stack frame it has. I want a long slide, long dust cover frame, flat top slide without radius cuts and a flat top that takes a conventional bushing. I like Barsto and Kart as well. I prefer Kart a bit more because I can fit their exact fit barrels. I'm not really capable of doing a professional fitting of parts. I can assemble the heck of a 1911 but I can't fit the slide to the frame, the barrel to slide/frame or ignition parts. I'll definitely take a look at JEM. I'm not familiar with them, but I will be, Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cecil Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 STI has a custom shop... shop around when laying down that amount of cash... its prudent to learn about different choices... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbitNutz Posted September 17, 2016 Author Share Posted September 17, 2016 I looked at JEM but they don't offer a widebody... I happen to like a particular Caspian slide. Longslide, no radius cut, serrated flat top, Bomar rear cut, Novak front cut, bushing, stainless. The price is mega high from Caspian...$538.00. I'll likely go with the STI long dust cover bottom end with a variety of guts, not fit by me....I really like that Caspian slide though. I know caspian has been around for a long time but I don't know their quality compared to others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcc7x7 Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Buy the parts you want and send the to Gans to fit and build the gun He will also do whatever mill work you want on the slide He usually take less than 2 weeks to turn your parts into a great working pistol Good fortune Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewtac Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Many folks do this, I used lonestar innovations. He is doing a short block for me, and I will finish it. I have used Gans before, good work as well. Be advised if you want a long slide and a full 6" dust cover to match you will be stuck buying and STI frame kit (has thier grip, trigger, etc). I wanted a steel grip and other parts and ended up going a different route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbitNutz Posted September 17, 2016 Author Share Posted September 17, 2016 1 hour ago, andrewtac said: Many folks do this, I used lonestar innovations. He is doing a short block for me, and I will finish it. I have used Gans before, good work as well. Be advised if you want a long slide and a full 6" dust cover to match you will be stuck buying and STI frame kit (has thier grip, trigger, etc). I wanted a steel grip and other parts and ended up going a different route. Is there a problem with an STI frame kit? I kinda like the idea of the nylon whatzit material...I wish the actual receiver was stainless... What about the Caspian slide? Any issues with them? Like I said, I like the features of the Caspian and they are an old player but I'm not sure of their reputation any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewtac Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 No issues with the STI frame at all. I did not want their grip, trigger and other things included. I would have had to sale those items to recoup some cost. Caspian is good, I did use their 6" slide. They offer a mil discount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyler2you Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 (edited) I talked to a couple of custom builders when I was shopping around and both preferred Caspian slides over STI and CK. Fewer cracked slides. Edited September 17, 2016 by tyler2you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tino2212 Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 My Custom open build also has a Caspian slide my gun smith also likes using caspian slides for the same reason less chance of cracked slides . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbitNutz Posted September 17, 2016 Author Share Posted September 17, 2016 I've emailed Gans. I expect he get a billion emails a day from folks bothering him, wasting his time and coming to nothing. I know that I'll have a couple of thousand dollars in parts alone. I'm asking him for a budget to assemble it all. I'm not looking for any machining work. I do need the slide, frame, barrel and internal ignition parts all fit together to make a gun. I can assemble a gun, I can't make one out of a pile of parts. What would an expected budget for labor be? Like I said, no machining but there would be fitting and mating every freakin' part to one another. I'm also a little concerned about the bias against using stainless major parts...like the slide and frame. According to Gans web page, he doesn't do stainless because of galling of close tolerances . I agree...if you leave them raw, Gans says that chrome plating is a cure but he doesn't like that either because you have to leave room for the chrome. The solution I, and bunch of the rest of the gun world recognize, is salt bath ferritic nitrocarburizing...trade names are "Black Nitride" and "Melonite". It's slicker than bubba Trump and harder than Hillary's tit. It comes out at 70 Rockwell and has no surface buildup as it's a process, not a coating. It makes an ideal treatment for stainless steel. I'm going to see what he says about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romad7 Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 Contact Tim Calhoun, he built my gun and is easy to contact and does great work in a reasonable time frame. Here's what he built for me, http://www.calhouncustomfirearms.com/?p=220 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzt Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 Abit, Gans has a price list posted on his web site. You can look at it and add up everything you want him to do. Black Nitride is an excellent finish, but be careful. It only works on alloy or stainless steel. It eats up Aluminum and Ti parts, so don't send them. If you are going to have your gun Black Nitrided why do care what the frame and slide material are. I'd go for carbon steel anytime. BTW, Gans does work on SS frames and slides. The caveat is for "precision builds". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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