STI Eagle, First Impressions

[PSSOH22]

So I just purchased a STI Eagle 9mm from Dawson. It came with hard chrome, tac magwell, and drilled and tapped mag release, just to name a few of the options.

Overall the pistol shoots amazing!! I am very pleased and it is super accurate. This is my first 2011, however, I have many semi custom 1911's from WC and NH.

Some of the things I dont like so far are: The first being the GS. I have medium sized hands and with my natural, muscle memory grip sometimes I do not depress the GS enough to fire the gun. Also the TS is digging into my hand. My first NH was the same way and after that I ordered the others with WC TS'. What are my options?

This gun will be primarily used for IDPA. Can I pin the GS in ESP? I could deal with the TS as long as i have consistent engagement of the GS.

Should I swap out the TS for a different style? Like a WC? I am not to impressed about the safety engagement either! It really has no "click" at all during engagement. Is there another option besides WC I should look at?

I may end up swapping the trigger out for a "flat" trigger down the road considering all my others have it, but my main concerns right now are getting this GS and TS situation figured out before my state matches starting in 3 weeks

[bhurte]

Disabled safeties are a no-no in IDPA regardless of division, from my understanding at least.

[Paul-the new guy]

you can tune the GS and make it very sensative i.e. easy to disengage. I ground the TS safety and the back of the frame on my Eagle until it didn't bother me any more.

[lc2hl]

No disabling of any safety in IDPA, in any class or division. I have found that an arched mainspring housing helps get the web of the hand on the GS, as well as tuning it to be activated with a light grip. That is what I have done to my 2011's as well as my SS. Since my right hand grip strength is less than my left while firing, I had to figure out a way to consistantly activate the GS while keeping it activated thru the string of fire.

The TS issue with agrivating your grip will need to be ground down as the blend job from factory on mine and most I have seen leaves a lot to be desired compared to a custom build.

[Frankl03]

I had the GS desensitized on my Edge so it would engage easier. It works great now.

[Forgetful]

Thumb safety murdered the base of my thumb on my stock sti. Talking blister in 100 rounds.

I ground it down and now I'm fine, I have a tough spot there now but it never hurts.

[lksyotas]

Another option is to replace the GS with an Ed Brown bevertail version.

http://www.edbrown.com/beavertail.htm

I also had the stock thumb safety digging into my thumb at the 2nd joint and found that the EB version eliminated this issue as the top of the beaver tail is thicker than stock but still maintains a high grip hold. Another plus to EB version is the raised section on the backside extends slightly higher than the stock one and I've found that I don't have the issue of not disengaging the GS as often as before with the stock. Of course, hand size and shape can change all of this but for me, it was a good upgrade.

[1911aow]

I occasionaly have the same problem with my GS. I had it sensitized, but it would still happen every once in a while if I got the grip wrong on the draw.

I found a easy fix by sticking a small piece of grip tape on the "memory bump" of the GS. It has just enough "bite" in the hand to ensure that the GS always gets deactivated.

[PSSOH22]

What is involved in lightening the gs? I probably wouldn't attempt it myself but just for knowledge sake. You really think its better to grind the ts opposed to just replacing?

[2011WRBSTI]

Pin the GS.....thats what I did.......

[lksyotas]

Thats a great demo on how to pin the GS - I never really understood how this was done so thanks for posting! However, OP said that this will be used primarily for IDPA which by denies a pinned GS from being legal to use in any division.

[2011WRBSTI]

The good thing about the pinning is that you can have it setup to be pinned ( pre drilled holes ) and you can take the roll pin out whenever you want. This way you can play in all areas regardless of limitations on safeties

[lksyotas]

The good thing about the pinning is that you can have it setup to be pinned ( pre drilled holes ) and you can take the roll pin out whenever you want. This way you can play in all areas regardless of limitations on safeties

Yes, very good point. My only comment to that would be if he got used to shooting with it pinned then shot a IDPA match and had the same issues he's dealing with now. That would be frustrating.

[Quack]

Bobby, I'll adjust the GS for you when I put the trigger in.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

[PSSOH22]

Don,

I appreciate it! Can you let me know what parts I need to order? I would love to pin the GS, but like some others said, Taking them out for IDPA would completely screw me up, but when I do pull the trigger on a limited gun, I will definitely pin it. I am still thinking I am going to change the TS out opposed to grinding mine. It looks like with my hands size, even grinding wont do much. I think the lower ride TS's like WC and EB will work out better

[2MoreChains]

Where is the thumb safety digging into your hand? I think I may have had a similar problem where the corner of the thumb safety wore a hot spot in the web of my hand if I shot a bunch in one session. I was also getting slide bite so those two factors led me to change out the STI beavertail grip safety for an Ed Brown.

Both my problems went away with the EB because the EB doesn't have those relief cuts on the beavertail like the stock STI one does. So before you change out your TS, might just try putting in an Ed Brown GS. Plus the EB one comes with a "memory" bump that helps to depress it. Relieving the underside of the arm of the GS helps to disengage the GS sooner without having to pin it.

[PSSOH22]

It's digging in the same spot as you. I can't even get through one session unless I stick my thumb straight up in the air. I can't rest it on top like my wc

[2MoreChains]

In that case, give the Ed Brown BTGS a try. It definitely helped me, and now all my STIs have the EB. Nothing against the stock STI BTGS, it's just not for me.

[PSSOH22]

I see the eb gs solving the lack of activation issue but I still don't see how it relieves my hand from hurting. I would think the only things that could help that are replacing the ts to something wo sharp edges, fitting the gs so it sits flush with frame like my wc has, or modifying grip to make it more ergonomic.

[2MoreChains]

It is pretty subtle, but what the EB did for me was provide a wider beavertail that spread the web of my hand out a little further than the stock STI one did. Look at your WC and compare the width of the STI's beavertail to the WC's. Look at how the WC sits in your hand differently. Everyone is a little different, but for me the EB made a big difference with alleviating the hotspots caused by the corner on the thumb safety as well as preventing slide bite on the big joint of my thumb.

On my first STI I started to grind down the corner of the thumb safety to remove the hard corner, but I had to take so much off that I was worried about weakening the TS. Then I compared my STI to another 1911 where I didn't have this problem and determined that it was the relief cuts in the STI beavertail that was causing the gun to sit lower and deeper into the web of my hand. That allowed move contact with the corner of the TS, which led to the hotspots. With the EB installed I can run an unmodified STI tumb safety without any issues or discomfort.

Heck, its a fairly cheap part, and damn near drop-in. If it doesn't resolve your problem, sell the EB. I'll buy it if it hasn't been too molested.

[sandrooney]

I just filed down and polished the sharp point on the STI BT and all was good. Before I did that it sure tore me up.

[CocoBolo]

I'ts just not that complicated. Take a little square piece of leather and super glue it to the GS. Makes it a little taller for your bad grip. You can make it a bit more appealing by applying a clear coat over it. Lots of USPSA limited shooters are doing this. On my open guns they are pinned, they won't let me shoot IDPA because of the Comp, C-more, and the 170 mm mags.

I can't hear my safety click at a match with 5 other bays shooting like crazy, but it works, maybe its the ear plugs and the muffs, coupled with my deminished hearing from old age.

I can't believe you like the stock trigger, it is probably a 5# pull. I had one gun with a straight trigger, after an AD on a table start it got the same curved trigger all my other guns have, just under 2#.

[Good Looking]

was wondering about the grip safety myself for ESP division. I also have an eagle and agree with the OP on the GS being a little uncomfortable. Thanks for all the info i will also look into finding a better substitute grip safety

[Son Of The Griz]

I had some fit issues with the safeties on my Edge and have been battling the grip safety as well.

The "relieved" grip safety STI puts on the gun (I assume the Eagle is set up the same) was giving me a hell of a sore thumb.

The thumb safeties were too sharp and too narrow, as well. On a normal 1911 frame they don't bite but on the double-stack frame I couldn't ride them instinctively without coming off the edge.

I took mine in to Rick Hebert to get replaced and can't wait to get it back this Friday; he is performing a grip reduction, fitting an EGW grip safety (disabled & pinned for USPSA games), fitting and polishing an Ed Brown wide ambi thumb safety, and dropping in an EGW steel mainspring housing.

For IDPA I could see a fitted, tuned grip safety helping the "bite" as well as taking care of the dead gun problem.

[IHAVEGAS]

I have medium sized hands and with my natural, muscle memory grip sometimes I do not depress the GS enough to fire the gun. Also the TS is digging into my hand. My first NH was the same way and after that I ordered the others with WC TS'. What are my options?

This gun will be primarily used for IDPA. Can I pin the GS in ESP?

At an IDPA (or any other) match, if a guy told me that he had disabled the grip safety because he was not getting a consistent grip on the gun, I would be scared to shoot with him and would try to make sure I was on a different squad & that the folks he was shooting with knew about it. That is not meant to be a rude reply in any way, I just don't think it is safe to disable a safety for that reason.

Edited June 26, 2013 by IHAVEGAS