STI Duty One or Range Officer ?

[p7fl]

STI Duty One or Range Officer ?

Purchase conundrum. For the past 7 years I’ve carried a Colt Gunsite CCO.

(Lightweight lower, 4 ¼ inch commander slide, 45acp). The gun beats up my hands and I usually only shoot a box a month. The timing and feel are different from my Colt Single Stacks. so it just isn’t enough practice.

Handled a 9mm Springfield Range Officer, also lightweight, in 9mm – very similar feel to the Colt. But, I’ll be able to get more time on a 9mm.

Gun runs about $725.00, add in shipping, transfer, sights, grips and a trigger.

I am seeing an STI Duty One at twice the price. It looks the same, light lower and commander slide. But expensive! With MSRP close to $1700.00

I’ve got an STI 9mm Legacy, no longer made, and it has been my square range go to gun for everything and stone reliable for 17000 rounds. It is too big to carry concealed in South Florida and not dependable with hollow points.

Twice the money is a lot. Anyone with experience with both or either guns would be appreciated. One can’t exactly walk into the LGS and see a STI.

Thx

jon

[zzt]

I have no experience with a Duty One. That will not stop me from recommending the RO. Every one I have shot or worked on said quality where it counts. Receivers and Slides are forged and every one had a really good slide/frame fit. The barrel is match quality, and it's accurate. Okay, the trigger sucks at first, then wears in after 200-400 rounds. It's still not good. The internals are MIM, but so what. You get good bones for $725 and you replace the internal parts as they wear with billet parts.

Figure on converting the MSH and go with an 18-19 lb mainspring. It will work with the Ti FP.

Here is another way to look at it. I spend about $1500 on primo parts for my 1911 builds. They come out very well and shoot the lights out, but at the cost of a LOT of work. If I decide to build myself a fourth custom 1911, I'll start with a RO and replace all the guts. The frame, slide and barrel represent the bulk of the cost of a custom pistol, and the lion's share of the work to fit them. That is already done quite satisfactorily on the RO, so I could replace all the other parts with good billet parts for less than you will spend on a Duty One. You could do the same.

Given your two choices, I'd pick the RO in a heartbeat, then shoot it until I saw a lot of wear on the internals. At that point, $350 buys you, as an example, EGW's Grip Safety, Ambi Thumb Safety, Ignition Kit and rebuild pin set. That's really all you would have to replace to go the next 50,000 rounds.

Edited May 6, 2015 by zzt

[427Cobra]

I got my RO 9mm a couple months ago, I'm doing exactly like zzt said, I replaced the front sight with a Dawson Fiber Optic, made a relief cut on the sear to limit engagement, and have put 2000 rounds through it, now I'm waiting the Brown truck to deliver new internals.

[ipscjoe]

I have a RO in 9mm I'm not impressed with the accuracy with factory white box ammo at all. Haven't loaded long and tried that yet. "Just a gun" in my opinion. Fired two boxes through it and put it away.

[PalmBeach1]

Jon, pretty sure I saw a few Duty One's at Guns and Range in downtown WPB. Almost certain they are .45, but at least you can get to handle one in person. From memory, they had both a 5" and 4". May want to call first to make sure I am correct that they are indeed Duty Ones.

Edited May 10, 2015 by PalmBeach1

[FULLMETAL]

Been really pleased with my RO and Tripp 10 round mags always goes bang