RG86 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Howdy folks, I need a little advise here. I want to get a limited division rig. I am torn between the Limted or an STI. ( a lim cat would be awesome the wife said I have to keep my kidneys) Can anyone point out any major advantages that one has over the other? I really like Tanfo's as my huge mitts fit them really really well. but the STI fits very nice also. Honestly the tanfo is a bit cheaper. ( not by much once you get done upgrading it) and the mag bodys are cheaper. But the STI has a huge aftermarket. I cant decide and Its driving me nuts. I am going to borrow a buddys sti and run it next match to get a good feel for it. I am going to do the same with a limited as well. I am just looking for any personal knowledge or advise on the subject.Thanks guys and gals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nealio Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Its mostly about preference. I like the way the Tanfoglio shoots much better than the STI. In particular I like how the Tanfoglio grip fits my hands and I feel like the Tanfoglio runs flatter/faster than the 1911/2011 platform. I know several STI guys would argue the exact opposite though. Personally I feel like the Tanfoglio is a better platform. It is an "updated" design from the 1911. Browning himself realized the linkage and internal extractor weren't that great, which is why the Hi Power doesn't have a linkage and has an external extractor. Most all firearms made today are based off that Hi Power design (Tanfoglio, CZ, HK, Glock, M&P, XD). Also the CZ design with the 1/2 slide allows more tolerance between the frame and slide, while still retaining accuracy. People like the tight, smooth feel of the STI (myself included) but that also equates to less reliability because a tiny piece of grit can cause issues (which I've seen a lot of around here in the Idaho desert). You also mention the aftermarket support (which a lot of people do), but I can never get an answer of what people are needing that isn't offered. But like I said its mostly about preference. I like everything about my Tanfoglios better than any other gun I've shot, except for the CZ. The grip is just too small on those.. That's my $.02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
open17 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 A month ago i would have said Tanfo. That was before I broke the slide on my Limited and endured a month long spin cycle with the nice folks at the importer---with the net result that I still have a very attractive paperweight. If/when I get another Limited gun, it will be a full dustcover 5" bull barrel S*I. Not because it's more ergonomic/faster/sexier than the Italian---but because when eventually something breaks, I can fix it quickly, without drama. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torogi Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Cost is the biggest difference IMO. One can argue endlessly how one recoils better than the other but to me that is not important. As long as there is a recoil im happy. No click, no poof, just bang. Henning summed up what the difference is with the 2 trigger system. Its pure preference. 21 reloable is easy with Henning's basepads. No need for pricier tuned mags. 2011 platform is highly cu$tomizable with ton$ of aftermarket part$. When they break during a match, you have more chance of borrowing parts from other shooters than a Lim Elite. If going Witness Elite, i'd go for 2. Main and back up =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iggy42 Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 As someone who recently went through this very argument, here is my takeaway: I choose a 2011 based pistol because aside from USPSA, I also shoot 3 gun, USCA 2 gun, and knockdown steel. For 2/3 gun I wanted level 2 retention for my pistol holster as I have seen more than a few people get DQ'd because their pistol wanted to take a roll in the dirt. While I found a few people working on it, I was unable to find anyone that had level 2 available for Tanfos. Parts: While Henning has nice upgrade packages for Tanfos, options for getting your pistol how you want it are limited. There are only a couple grip panel choices, magwells etc. Those few choices may work for you, but when I was doing my research Henning was out of his magwell and because of that everyone else was as well. The only exceptions were the standard magwell that comes on Limiteds, and the Canyon Creek weld on version. Being that at last report Rich is not excepting work anymore, I was unable to find someone will to weld the mag well on. I am sure there is someone(s) out there that would do it, and do it well, I just ran into reluctance. Support: There are plenty of smiths out there that service the 2011 platform, not so much for Tanfos which means you are basically on your own. If tinkering is your thing then no worries, but if your like me and have very limited time it can cause problems. I was willing to give it a go, but it is something to keep in mind. Also EAA's customer support's um issues are well documented. Finally availability: Last I checked there are guns to be had, but a month ago I couldn't find a Limited/Lim Pro (I was mostly looking for a Lim Pro to tune up) anywhere. IMO EAA just doesn't bring in Tanfos often enough to satisfy the market, and more importantly the after market. If these guns were easily had I think it would help improve the aftermarket support, especially with the growing popularity of the CZ platforms. Being that Tanfos are sexier CZ clones, I firmly believe that if there were more Tanfos to be had the smiths would start coming around do to customer demand. Doesn't hurt that Ben Stoeger just was USPSA Production Nats with a Stock 2. I just picked up my 2011 and I like it quite a bit, but I keep eye balling Tanfos and I have a feeling I may take one on as a project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racingjoe27 Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Can I vote for the CZ TS? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TennJeep1618 Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 I recently went through the same conundrum. I've always loved the feel of CZ's, so I automatically went with a Tanfo Limited when I wanted to get into Limited Major. I bought an STI Edge while I was trying to figure out some feeding issues with the Tanfo and compared the 2 of them side by side. I wasn't really happy with the Edge, so I sold it and picked up an SV. In comparing the SV and Tanfo, the SV won out big time. When comparing the Tanfo to the Edge, I felt like the Tanfo pointed better, but the Edge was much faster on the reload (grip angle, I guess?). When I picked up the SV, it just felt RIGHT in my hands. It points naturally and the reloads feel as fast as lightning. I owned the SV for a total of a day or two before listing the Tanfo for sale. All that being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a Tanfo Limited. They are fantastic guns. After comparing both platforms for a while, I decided to stick with the 2011, but it was strictly a personal opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RG86 Posted August 13, 2015 Author Share Posted August 13, 2015 Can I vote for the CZ TS? CZ doesn't fit my hand. Think XL-XXL gloves. I love the accu-shadows but its the same issue, no fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RG86 Posted August 13, 2015 Author Share Posted August 13, 2015 thanks for all the advice folks. I still have a lot of thinking to do....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Nick Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 (edited) I sure like shooting my Tanfoglios. So far I haven't experienced any breakages and I've shot my Limited Pro for 5 years and my Gold Team for 6 months. I like the way they feel in my hand and how quickly they come up on target. I would suggest you take your time and enjoy the excitement of the hunt for a new gun. Edited August 13, 2015 by Big Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHA-LEE Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 (edited) The which is better Tanfo vs STI decision is very hard when both guns are setup and running properly. I have shot both guns extensively in match conditions and they both effectively get the job done on the clock. The main difference between the two platforms is seen when they don't run properly. The EAA/Tanfo guns have a very limited aftermarket following and thus an even smaller gunsmith following. You are also stuck with EAA for factory customer service here in the US and they have along standing reputation of being absolutely horrible to deal with. Since the aftermarket parts following is small and you can only get OEM parts from EAA you are basically held hostage to a few vendors for getting parts and they are not cheap. The 2011 (STI/SVI) platform is dramatically easier to troubleshoot and maintain due to the significant following in the practical shooting sports. There are a boat load of vendors offering OEM and aftermarket parts and its not hard to find local gunsmiths that can repair or upgrade a 2011 pistol. The other advantage you have is the local brain trust at the matches. The majority of shooters will be using a 2011 based pistol and asking them for advice in upgrading or troubleshooting gun issues is relatively easy. Long story short is that everything eventually breaks or has problems. Do you want to use a "One Off" type of gun that you will be forced to troubleshoot and fix all on your own? Or do you want to use a popular type of gun that has support readily available? Personally, I switched to the 2011 platform because I got tired of dealing with EAA and their horrible customer service. But I did shoot an EAA Witness Limited platform for 5 Years successfully before switching to a 2011. I pretty much had to do all of my own troubleshooting and gunsmithing to keep my herd of limited blasters going (I went through about 5 of them total). But eventually I got fed up with EAA's poor customer service even when I wanted to buy replacement parts at full retail. Edited August 13, 2015 by CHA-LEE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racingjoe27 Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Can I vote for the CZ TS?CZ doesn't fit my hand. Think XL-XXL gloves. I love the accu-shadows but its the same issue, no fit. The TS is going to have a larger frame than the 75's and the sp-01's. I find them comparable to tanfos. Lots of people do reductions on the TS frame, granted its to get rid of the factory checkering but nonetheless decreasing the size of the gripping area. Maybe you already knew all that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RG86 Posted August 14, 2015 Author Share Posted August 14, 2015 Can I vote for the CZ TS?CZ doesn't fit my hand. Think XL-XXL gloves. I love the accu-shadows but its the same issue, no fit. The TS is going to have a larger frame than the 75's and the sp-01's. I find them comparable to tanfos. Lots of people do reductions on the TS frame, granted its to get rid of the factory checkering but nonetheless decreasing the size of the gripping area. Maybe you already knew all that... No I didnt know that. thank you for the input sir. I appreciate it. Wish we had a cz or a tanfo dealer here in AK.......... everything good has to be ordered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt1 Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 If the Tanfo fits I'd be very surprised if a TS wouldn't fit as well. CZ TS / Tanfo / Sphinx are all pretty much the same. I have big hands too and I love my TS (no grip reduction either). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pivoproseem Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 In particular, an unmodified TS is wider and the Limited has a width much like a standard 75, feeling almost like an SP-01 at the beaver tail. The TS doesn't fit my hand quite as well, even though I can shoot them about the same. The TS trigger is awesome out of the box.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHX Posted August 19, 2015 Share Posted August 19, 2015 I shot tanfo for over two years. I liked it a lot, but I had a chance to shoot a friends custom 2011. It is my preference, but I liked the 2011 better. I felt it pointed better, weight felt better, ergonomics felt better and the felt recoil was the same. Another thing I liked was the availability of support. I live in AZ and have a few very good gun smiths to pick from. There are no tanfo smiths here. Perhaps it was just my tanfo, but I couldn't get my trigger to reliably perform like my now 2011. Looking back I'm not disappointed I started with tanfo, but if I were to give a new shooter advice id recommend a 2011. Look at the top shooters. A vast majority are on the 2011 platform. It's for a good reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red1Alpha Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 It truly is all about the feel in your hand and how the gun performs when you shoot. Having shot 2011 SVI's for years and now having a new Tangfo Limited, it's no comparison. I have large hands and the Tangfo is like a mold in my hands. To me the 2011 frame just feels blocky now in comparison. Each person will have to decide this for themselves but both can and will run great if prepped properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Hepworth Posted August 21, 2015 Share Posted August 21, 2015 I have had 2 sti edges...and no matter what i did to make it fit, my hands fit the tanfoglio pattern better. I love the sti look,and they worked excellent for me...but i was never comfortable with them. I run a Limited Custom 2 40, an Xtreme stock2 9mm..and a 38super V8 i built on an old 40 frame. Parts are not an issue. I have never broken a slide, frame...etc. only thing i ever broke was a rear sight on an old well used stock2, and the safety detent pin on a old safety. I have shot so nany rounds, i actually forget how many rounds. I am not a fan of the wood grips. The aluminum grips allow me to reach the mag releases without issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benchmark Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 (edited) On 8/13/2015 at 2:25 AM, racingjoe27 said: Can I vote for the CZ TS? X2. So what the hell did you buy? Lol. Edited May 24, 2020 by Benchmark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoKimberDave Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 Love my Tanfo. Sexy Italian gun and super fun to shoot. It shoots great and I love everything but the checkering, which sucks. Had to do some work to get gun where I want it. And was lucky to get a used gun that had nice parts to begin with. Coming from a CZ-75 it made sense to me as well. Internally. For the price I am happy and as a hobbyist, a wait for a part means I can shoot other guns/matches/classes, if it were to break. I ain't winning any championships, to understate it. But if I were serious about shooting Limited Major, and had a little deeper pockets, I'd buy-once-cry-once on a nice semi-custom 2011. STI set up to my liking or something. Holsters is a big one. Race parts, availability, etc. But you could get two Tanfos and for that. If you like tinkering they may be the gun for you. Mine has been very reliable and I do love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 I can tell you I've been shooting Tanfo's for 20 years. I shoot CO with a Stock ll and love it. I have an STI open gun. I Bought a Gold Custom as a back up. I recently sent the STI back for service and have been shooting the Gold Custom. I miss my STI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoSteel Posted May 29, 2020 Share Posted May 29, 2020 On 5/24/2020 at 12:19 AM, Benchmark said: X2. So what the hell did you buy? Lol. Not sure your going to get a reply to a 5 year old post from a member who hasn't been active for the same 5 years.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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