38 Super STI / ID help

[mike g35]

I work at a gunshop and I recently started looking for a 2011 open gun to start "playing with". I'm currrently running an open Glock or M&P and I enjoy shooting them very much. They're fast and reliable and I think they can hang with anything else in the open division. BUT I keep hearing "buy a 2011" so I found one I could get for a REALLY good price and I am considering buying it. All I know about the gun is its an STI frame and grip, it has a CMore mounted on a Dawson mount (I think), it has an extra compensator (STI T2) that comes with it. It appears to me that the slide is void of any identifying marks, so I take it its not a STI slide (upper half). Honestly because I can't tell from the pics I'm still trying to figure out if its a full size or a shorty. They told me it was a 5" but it looks short to me. The gun is in transit from another shop for me to check out right now, so I don't really know anything else about it and I won't until it gets here. I added a couple pics and I wondered if you guys could help me identify the comp, mount (if I'm wrong), etc.. I'm new to 2011's, I just wanna know what it is I'm thinking of buying and if you guys think it's "worthy" or not. Thanks.

[Jon Merricks]

It may have been a 5" slide at one point but you can see the reverse plug sticking out by about an inch. So I would guess that much of the slide has been cut off, but with that comp I would say its an 8" gun.

[mike g35]

LOL It is giant. So I take it this would qualify as a "shorty" (4.25"")?

[Yagi]

if you take the pictures dissassembled and much higher resolution i am sure people here would i.d. it...

[Guest]

I’ve had a few open guns build with cut slides and 5” barrels.

Basically, the slide is cut back to whatever length accommodates the compensator when it is threaded onto a 5” barrel. This is a good way to get the slide weight down and have a gun that is a little shorter with better balance. Not sure that is what you have going on with that gun, but it is possible.

I agree about getting pics of the barrel/comp assembly out of the gun. Also, measure the barrel lenght.

That asymmetric comp somehow seems familiar, but my two brain cells aren’t really talking to each other at the moment.

If something bubbles up I’ll let you know.

[mike g35]

Thanks for the help guys. Once the gun arrives I'll post pics of it disassembled. I've seen that comp before also, but the name is "eluding me" at the moment. I was told the barrel measured 5", but I tend to not believe things until I check myself.

[lcs]

You need to measure the length of the barrel to where it ends in the comp.

That is a LOT of comp hanging off the barrel. I'm not quite sure about the barrel holes as they look off to the side? If both sides of the barrel had those holes?

Pretty sure it will take a LOT of powder to make major which will narrow your powder choices.

Is the gun nose heavy, looks like it would be.

If this is your first open STI gun--I would shy away from it unless you get it for some awesome low price and consider re-barrel with newer style comp. A new barrel and comp fitted is probably going to run $500-700. I would also go to 9 Major unless your wallet is pretty fat.

[mike g35]

I won't have $2k in it, and that's with 4 140mm mags and some kind of an extra comp. I was thinking about changing it over to a 9 but everything I've read says the 38 super is softer and flatter shooting. I'm not too worried about the cost, it's availability of components that worries me.

[Shadyscott999]

Definitely been cut down. Looks like a Caspian slide to me. That comp... my goodness. Shoot it and see how it runs. Super is no more expensive for me than 9Major was for the year I shot 9.

[Blujay291]

Looks nice for the right price. And of you are able to recover your brass at your local club than 38 super/sc is great. I preffer sc over 9major, just my 02