STI Edge 40 Review

[Frankl03]

I have about 1500 rounds through my stock Edge. It runs great! I just sent it off to FGW for a little work. I don't load long for mine. I also use stock mags.

[bonglee0507]

My stock edge tHe first time i fired it out of the box. My gs throated and reamed the barrel before it went flawless

After the throating

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Edited January 31, 2013 by bonglee0507

[Aglifter]

Obviously, the OP's didn't run either, as it spent 2 months getting warranty work done to it.

Hopefully, my VIP will work - should have it in a few days. If not, I guess I'll send it to Benny.

[Forgetful]

Two mods stock Sti's should have IMO are tweaking the feed lips and beveling the bottom of the extractor claw.

Loading long helps too.

[Orbit]

The road to the Edge

This thread will be a review of a brand new box stock STI Edge 40 caliber. Now I know there have been reviews before and basic blanket statements made about the Edge, however, most of these were old/bias. I want to be clear, I have no affiliation with STI and have been outspoken about not buying an STI in the past. My reasons were that a custom could be obtained for not too much more and well factory STI’s don’t run out of the box. Well after a couple custom money pits that didn’t run out of the box either and finding out that some builders take longer to fix a gun than build one. STI started to look rather promising with quick delivery and service. I know there have been some rumored quality control issues in the past, but I kept meeting shooters who raved about their STI’s. Hmm… What to do?

Well, I made the decision to switch to Open, but after buying an open gun and shooting every open build I could get my hands on. I came to the conclusion I liked a different type of platform than the one I had bought. So, I sold the current open build, decided on a new build, and decided on a builder to build it. Problem is that with all the bells and whistles it will be some time until I get around to having all the parts, getting it assembled and getting a finish. So, I decided that I’ll finish the project later this season and shoot limited. I like limited, I like open, but until I can really get an open build and spend some quality practice time with it, I should shoot in limited. Being that I have a bunch of money tied up in my open project and decided to put open on hold this season, limited I’m coming back to you.

Dilemma, after being absolutely positive that I was switching to open, I decided to sell my old faithful SV battle ax. ERRRRR…. Wish I hadn’t of done that. It never let me down, was always loyal, and always went bang. Yet I turned my back and sold it along with my entire limited rig. I still beat myself up for that impulse move. None the less, I needed a limited pistol and I needed one quick so I could get back to shooting asap. I considered a Glock 35 to hold me over and ordering a custom, but $3,000+ and a minimum 3 month wait changed my mind. So, I looked at the used market, but after posting an ad, not finding anything that seem like a solid buy for me personally, I caved. Let’s see what this factory STI is all about and if it sucks I’ll make it good.

So, into RedDot I went, asked Jonathan and Rachel to order me one. They looked at me, laughed and said sure. They’re great and have put up with my impulsive behavior since Jonathan introduced me to the USPSA. They know how I felt about factory STI’s, so it had to be ironic that I was standing there with a check book asking for an Edge. Well one day later, I got a phone call my Edge was in. Time to find out what a factory STI Edge is all about and I figured I’d post it here.

A look at the STI Edge in 40

The case. I noticed that the case was basic, decent quality, black with an STI logo, no frills. This is great to me, I hate when companies deliver a pistol in an over engineered case. I’d rather save an extra $50, my firearms are either in a safe or in a range bag. I don’t need or want the MSRP jacked up because some marketing guru is proud of a box.

The Edge. Initial inspection of the firearm I noticed it was test fired on 3/2 and it was 3/17. Fresh off the assembly line, yet it looked like it just came from the National’s. It was stupid dirty, by far the dirtiest gun I have ever purchased new. No biggie, I detail strip and clean all my firearms before I ever put a round in the chamber. Next, I looked at the slide to frame fit; it was tight like a drum and had a weird feeling in the action. What the hell is that? Oh, it’s the recoil master, heart attack avoided. Slide to frame fit was, well… it was perfect. Barrel lock up tight yet, unlocked and locked very nicely. Slide was blended to the frame. Something I thought was the mark of a custom build. Trigger was, horrible, absolute garbage, I’m just kidding, it wasn’t that bad. It was the standard 1911 factory trigger, not good, not bad, it will work. Overall, I was happy with it and I took it home for cleaning.

Break down, I took the Edge down to the frame and cleaned each piece. At this point, every part of me wanted to start polishing and tinkering. Internal parts were fit well, just certain parts were not polished like you find on a custom. No big deal, polishing up the internals later on is easy. Just breathe, I contained myself to shoot the Edge first before I did anything to give it an honest review. In addition, I have never used a recoil master before so I left that in as well to give it a try.

Range. I have heard these don’t run out of the box and need a break in period. Well maybe I got lucky, maybe I got a Tuesday gun, maybe the rumored new quality standards are working. The Edge went bang every single time, factory, reloads, short, long, it didn’t matter, ate everything. Wow, I was impressed, this gun was very easy to shoot. The recoil master, well that made recoil very nice, but the feel is different. Not better or worse than a standard guide rod, just different. I’ll have to leave it in for a bit to see if I like it, I don’t know, most likely I will take it out.

Match. Having such good luck at the range I decide to bring the Edge to a local match for a bit more fun. Stock STI mags, stock STI Edge, and 5.0 gr of N320 at 1.195 with Zero 180 JHP’s to play for the day. For the record, I don’t know if my ammo makes major or not in the Edge. It has to be close, but it’s a local match and it’s close enough to shoot with the boys. Bang, bang, bang like a champ and I was having a great match with my new friend the Edge. The third stage was where I encounter a hiccup with the Edge. Failure to feed, I didn’t chamber check my rounds, so it could have been the ammo. Additionally, I hadn’t oiled the gun for about 400 rounds at this point. I cannot blame this on the Edge as I oiled it, finished the match, then some buddies and I put about another 500 rounds through it after the match with no issues.

In closing, I’m now well over the 1,000 round mark and fully trust this Edge. In fact, I have bonded with the Edge and am looking forward to shooting it this season. Outside of a trigger job, fiber optic front sight and a grip texture, I’m leaving the Edge alone. I’m going to continue to test the recoil master out to decide if I like it or not. I have my standard replacement parts on standby if something breaks, but for now I am happy with the Edge. Actually, I’m really digging it at the moment and can’t wait for the next local match and the Steel Nationals coming up. Yup, this is the gun I am going to use for the US Steel Shoot. I’ll report back around the 5,000 round mark in about a week or two. For now, if you need a limited gun in a hurry, it's hard to beat. On the other hand, if you have the money and time permits, bottom line, any smith in the vendor tent of this forum will give you a gun with a better fit and finsih. Hope this helps, if any of you find yourself needing something quickly, needing a solid back up gun, or are on a budget.

If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

_Mike

Hi,

I really like your post in regards to STI Edge 40.

I would like to know your final comment about the pistol after almost 3 years. The reason, I just bought a new one and with a bit of doubt if i made a right decision.

Please let me know.

[SWprotected]

Orbit,

I also bought a new Edge this spring March I think. I have always liked 1911's and thought I would really like to have a 2011. I purchased the CRP Edge from Dawson and it has been great, I did a little tweaking on the trigger, changed the grip and magwell to better fit my hand and that's pretty much it. I also put my own mags together STI tubes, Grams springs and followers, Dawson +1 base pads. As for function I have about 2500-3000 rounds through it and as long as I feed it good ammo it runs good and is way more accurate than I can shoot it. Hopefully the OP will chime in with an update but I think you will like your new gun.

[OperationHitFactor]

Hello,

The final verdict on the STI Edge.

I feel the overall value of the gun is pretty decent. If you are a weekend/local match warrior that wants a solid gun with a lifetime warranty, I feel it is a pretty good buy. If you need a back up gun to throw in the range bag in case your main mojo takes a dump on you, I feel it is a pretty good buy. If you can only buy one gun you plan to shoot the snot out of and travel across the country to some major matches, this is where it gets a bit tricky.

I have owned two samples of the STI Edge. I have since sold them both, one now resides in Hawaii as a back up, the other is down the street with a good friend. Word from Hawaii the Edge is running great, but mostly sits in the range bag. I did swap the ejector and put in an Aftec extractor before sending it off because I could never get consistent ejection. The Edge down the street from me has been back to STI once for a new frame and needed an Extractor swap due to a crack. Since then it has been great, running for many thousands of rounds on stock STI parts.

I know a lot of people say to buy a custom, which is a solid argument "if" you have a custom builder that is nearby or one you really trust. The reason I say nearby is because unfortunately some builders are complete jerks. I have had some really bad experiences with builders a few states away when you are just a voice on the phone. I waited a year for a gun to have it a relatively short time before it broke, then was told he had new guns to build and mine wasn't a priority. I had another builder take my deposit then after 8 months tell me I was rude for checking back so frequently after I was quoted 6-8 weeks. Three months later (over a year from initial deposit) and after a letter from my Attorney I got my $1500 back. I tried the used market, which I bought a super sweet custom for $2900 that I shot 2 matches with then the slide cracked. Builder apologized but since I wasn't the original owner, I was very politely told to pound sand. So the custom route can be a mouse trap, while STI you get exactly what you expect. STI is a solid gun that might have some problems, but they will fix no questions asked any and every time.

Now to disclaim, there are some great builders out there, so by spending a little extra money you can get an excellent custom for about 30-40% over an STI. Just do your homework, get quotes, get timelines, and get warranty information if you can buy from a guy in the local circuit you get to see face to face custom can be wonderful. I live in Central Florida and have the luxury of some pretty great guys to choose from. If you live in an area where you do not have any local builders find out who people in your area have had good luck with buying out of area.

WARNING!!! Do not base your decisions on looks. I made the mistake of getting caught up in all the fancy cuts and lines not considering reliability and performance. If you have the money and looks are very important to you then buy two pretty guns, hopefully they work, but if not your rich so buy some more. For us normal guys, find a builder who puts reliability and performance above all else. My current guns are pretty basic and not very special looking, but they have perfectly fitted top quality parts. If I couldn't find a builder I felt I could trust or I was on a limited budget, I would by a factory STI Edge again.

As for regret, don't regret buying an STI Edge, they hold there value fairly well and any problems are covered by the lifetime warranty. The Dawson CRP is a pretty good bargain, it has some decent upgrades and should serve you well. I personally haven't owned a Brazos or Dawson tuned gun, but I could see the value. My recommendation if a 2011 must be had is buy a used STI Edge or Eagle with 3000-5000 rounds, which can be found at a pretty good price point and most likely any bugs would have been reveled and/or remedied by then. Plus you still have the lifetime warranty if things go wrong.

Now if it is a new shooter trying to get into Limited on a limited budget. By a GLOCK 24 or 35!!!! Seriously!!!! or shoot production!! Total set up is under a $1000 for a complete rig with a few necessary upgrades. Focus on learning the sport, focus on the shooting fundamentals/foundation, and buy lots of ammo. Mentally most people, myself included, are/were just trying to buy their way out of bad shooting skills. It is so easy to get caught up in the equipment race because mentally we don't want to admit we suck. We blame everything then convince ourselves spending thousands of dollars will make us better only to discover we spent our money to discover we still suck. Buy a Glock, then spend money on training and ammo for practice. I promise this is the better route. After you practice and train hard, then after a couple years go buy yourself your dream gun. You will meet builders along the way and gain priceless knowledge.

All this is of course very subjective to a person and relative to their financial situation. Good luck, and enjoy.

Later,

Mike

[BigGabe]

For a limited gun an Edge is just hard to beat. Have had several over the last few years.

[LilBunniFuFu]

Now if it is a new shooter trying to get into Limited on a limited budget. By a GLOCK 24 or 35!!!! Seriously!!!! or shoot production!! Total set up is under a $1000 for a complete rig with a few necessary upgrades. Focus on learning the sport, focus on the shooting fundamentals/foundation, and buy lots of ammo. Mentally most people, myself included, are/were just trying to buy their way out of bad shooting skills. It is so easy to get caught up in the equipment race because mentally we don't want to admit we suck. We blame everything then convince ourselves spending thousands of dollars will make us better only to discover we spent our money to discover we still suck. Buy a Glock, then spend money on training and ammo for practice. I promise this is the better route. After you practice and train hard, then after a couple years go buy yourself your dream gun. You will meet builders along the way and gain priceless knowledge.

Priceless.

[hiker88]

Now if it is a new shooter trying to get into Limited on a limited budget. By a GLOCK 24 or 35!!!! Seriously!!!! or shoot production!! Total set up is under a $1000 for a complete rig with a few necessary upgrades. Focus on learning the sport, focus on the shooting fundamentals/foundation, and buy lots of ammo. Mentally most people, myself included, are/were just trying to buy their way out of bad shooting skills. It is so easy to get caught up in the equipment race because mentally we don't want to admit we suck. We blame everything then convince ourselves spending thousands of dollars will make us better only to discover we spent our money to discover we still suck. Buy a Glock, then spend money on training and ammo for practice. I promise this is the better route. After you practice and train hard, then after a couple years go buy yourself your dream gun. You will meet builders along the way and gain priceless knowledge.

Priceless.

Thank you. You just saved me a few grand. LOL!!!

[Haraise]

Hello,

The final verdict on the STI Edge.

I feel the overall value of the gun is pretty decent. If you are a weekend/local match warrior that wants a solid gun with a lifetime warranty, I feel it is a pretty good buy. If you need a back up gun to throw in the range bag in case your main mojo takes a dump on you, I feel it is a pretty good buy. If you can only buy one gun you plan to shoot the snot out of and travel across the country to some major matches, this is where it gets a bit tricky.

I have owned two samples of the STI Edge. I have since sold them both, one now resides in Hawaii as a back up, the other is down the street with a good friend. Word from Hawaii the Edge is running great, but mostly sits in the range bag. I did swap the ejector and put in an Aftec extractor before sending it off because I could never get consistent ejection. The Edge down the street from me has been back to STI once for a new frame and needed an Extractor swap due to a crack. Since then it has been great, running for many thousands of rounds on stock STI parts.

I know a lot of people say to buy a custom, which is a solid argument "if" you have a custom builder that is nearby or one you really trust. The reason I say nearby is because unfortunately some builders are complete jerks. I have had some really bad experiences with builders a few states away when you are just a voice on the phone. I waited a year for a gun to have it a relatively short time before it broke, then was told he had new guns to build and mine wasn't a priority. I had another builder take my deposit then after 8 months tell me I was rude for checking back so frequently after I was quoted 6-8 weeks. Three months later (over a year from initial deposit) and after a letter from my Attorney I got my $1500 back. I tried the used market, which I bought a super sweet custom for $2900 that I shot 2 matches with then the slide cracked. Builder apologized but since I wasn't the original owner, I was very politely told to pound sand. So the custom route can be a mouse trap, while STI you get exactly what you expect. STI is a solid gun that might have some problems, but they will fix no questions asked any and every time.

Now to disclaim, there are some great builders out there, so by spending a little extra money you can get an excellent custom for about 30-40% over an STI. Just do your homework, get quotes, get timelines, and get warranty information if you can buy from a guy in the local circuit you get to see face to face custom can be wonderful. I live in Central Florida and have the luxury of some pretty great guys to choose from. If you live in an area where you do not have any local builders find out who people in your area have had good luck with buying out of area.

WARNING!!! Do not base your decisions on looks. I made the mistake of getting caught up in all the fancy cuts and lines not considering reliability and performance. If you have the money and looks are very important to you then buy two pretty guns, hopefully they work, but if not your rich so buy some more. For us normal guys, find a builder who puts reliability and performance above all else. My current guns are pretty basic and not very special looking, but they have perfectly fitted top quality parts. If I couldn't find a builder I felt I could trust or I was on a limited budget, I would by a factory STI Edge again.

As for regret, don't regret buying an STI Edge, they hold there value fairly well and any problems are covered by the lifetime warranty. The Dawson CRP is a pretty good bargain, it has some decent upgrades and should serve you well. I personally haven't owned a Brazos or Dawson tuned gun, but I could see the value. My recommendation if a 2011 must be had is buy a used STI Edge or Eagle with 3000-5000 rounds, which can be found at a pretty good price point and most likely any bugs would have been reveled and/or remedied by then. Plus you still have the lifetime warranty if things go wrong.

Now if it is a new shooter trying to get into Limited on a limited budget. By a GLOCK 24 or 35!!!! Seriously!!!! or shoot production!! Total set up is under a $1000 for a complete rig with a few necessary upgrades. Focus on learning the sport, focus on the shooting fundamentals/foundation, and buy lots of ammo. Mentally most people, myself included, are/were just trying to buy their way out of bad shooting skills. It is so easy to get caught up in the equipment race because mentally we don't want to admit we suck. We blame everything then convince ourselves spending thousands of dollars will make us better only to discover we spent our money to discover we still suck. Buy a Glock, then spend money on training and ammo for practice. I promise this is the better route. After you practice and train hard, then after a couple years go buy yourself your dream gun. You will meet builders along the way and gain priceless knowledge.

All this is of course very subjective to a person and relative to their financial situation. Good luck, and enjoy.

Later,

Mike

Let me know if this summation is correct:

Figure out what you want, then get an SVI battle axe and NEVER sell it.

[kalaikanui]

I started out with a plastic gun (went with a XDM 5.25 Comp instead of the Glock)and that was a good bet. The XD allowed me to run in L-10 amd Limited (guess I could of shot Prod with it too), which made getting classifiers in quick. But once I started trying to improve my skills - I started craving the heavier feel of the STI's. I bought an STI Trojan and started shooting single stack with fairly good results and that has lead to recently buying a used edge from a forum member here. I'm really looking forward to running it in Limited (once I get it outta the 10-day jail).

[krazykj03]

thanks for the review great info