spencerattix Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 I have been drawn to the Tanfo line of pistols long before I got into competitive shooting. The slide in frame design has always appealed to me from an engineering perspective. I'm sure I don't have to go into the perceived or real advantages of the design philosophy to this crowd. However, I have been hesitant to purchase one for competition shooting due to the prevailing "conventional wisdom" in our shooting community. A little background. I got into this sport a few years ago and one of the guys in my neck of the woods is a 1911 smith and slicked up a few 1911s for me. One day I let him know I was considering getting a Tanfo for open and his immediate reply to me was, "If you decide to go that route, I can't help you if you have trouble." So, I decided to shelve that idea. Fast forward a couple of years and I'm at a Level II match and Henning was there with some of his stuff including an Elite Limited with his trigger and internals installed. I was interested to say the least and when I picked it up that pistol felt like it was made for my hand. Not to mention the fact that the Elite pistols are really sweet looking blasters! My interest in Tanfos was rekindled. OK. Where is this all going? Get to the point already.... During a discussion of the merits of Tanfoglio pistols, I often see the common refrain of 1)there isn't many around, 2) If there are problems not many people can help you, 3) there aren't a lot of accessories and after market support, 4) "I started with a Tanfo but I got wise and bought an STI (sort of like the Borg, resistance is futile). The last comment is tongue and cheek. I am NOT bashing 2011s. So, this all begs the question 1) How many problems do these pistols have? 2) How much after market support does one need? 3) Do I really want to participate in the hegemony of the Borg? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryridesmotox Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 (edited) While you're correct that there has been a lack of support and full array of aftermarket parts... that all changed about 6 months ago. With the Patriot Defense Optimized line, it has truly brought Tanfos to the top of the game, especially with the BOLO and springs. It's not that there is a lack of support, it's that most guys were sending their gun out to one of the few Smiths that worked on Tanfos. Now that's changed; people are familiar with the platform and working on it. Additionally, many of the aftermarket parts were a bandaid for a jugular rather than addressing the real issues that come with modification of the platform. Guys were cutting and filing sear cages, hacking this, hacking that. The Patriot line actually has the RIGHT parts for our Tanfos... which, I might add, you can put in yourself. If you decide to go open, a Gold Team works well with a double action hammer and bolo (even JJ is running that combo). Oh, and they got a bad rap due to the chambers/barrels being being out of spec... it wasn't until that was discovered, that guys and gals were having feeding and light strike issues. That's a thing of the past, now, with the Bevin Mod. Edited November 28, 2016 by ryridesmotox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WJM Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 1) Depends. Before there was a lot of people buying these pistols they were a complete pain in the butt to diagnose issues for. I spent a year trying to get my gun to be reliable. I think it's easier now but still keep in mind you have to have an open mind and be patient with these things. 2) Pretty straightforward aftermarket support. Just stalk Memphis Mechanic or Atlas. 3) That's your prerogative. I think these guns are worth it over their competition. Wyatt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasdawg Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 I concur with the words above. The info needed to get a Tanfo to run well and reliable is in the pages of this forum. The Tanfo is not a gun that you can buy and SEND to many gunsmiths to make better. There are a few. One must do the work themselves with the right application of elbow grease and Patriot Defense and Henning parts. Chasing the ulitmate, best trigger is where things get expensive and edgy,,, I have a LimPro DA for uspsa thats 5ish/2ish and never misses a beat with WSP primers. I have a SA LimPro for idpa running 2.1ish# all day. These are not stretch goal guns,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusticeOfToren Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 If you have tinkered with 1911 or plastic guns, Tanfos are not more difficult to be made reliable. The biggest problem with Tanfos based on my experience is the manufacturing variance. Different batches of the same model just a couple months away can be very different in many aspects. If you do buy Tanfos, make sure you buy 2 with sequential serial numbers, else your match and backup gun may feel 2 different pistols. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMechanic Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 (edited) I think they make a lot of sense for Production. A fantastic amount of sense in the DA/SA world. Where there's no real competition in the "designed as gamer guns" category for CZ and Tanfoglio. That said, if Limited is your game, I think you owe it to yourself to read CHA-LEE's crange diary in entirety and talk to him about the gut wrenching realization that a 2011 was a superior platform at the top levels for a GM in Limited. You might still wind up with an Italian blaster, but it should be a researched and informed decision. Edited November 28, 2016 by MemphisMechanic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbu Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 Very little breaks. They are also extremely reliable, UNTIL people diddle with them too much. typically, a person tries to get the lightest DA trigger but missed a few prep steps. Or they use hard primers. If I use wolf, winchester primers a 5# - 5 1/2# da is reliable. I can swap springs and go 4 1/2# da and still be reliable if the gun is clean and ammo assembled correctly. I've even gone down to 3 1/2# da with 100% reliability using federal match primers (only). But mixing 5# da and cci primers... not so good! But settle with a 7#da and 3#sa and it will light off anything. things reported breaking have been a few trigger springs and the rear sight across all models. The henning guide rod is also a must to fix a design weakness. The factory part batters the frame. The henning straight trigger is also a nice upgrade. The limited being sa only, it can stay with stouter hammer springs and after polishing, will be 2 - 2 1/2# and crisp yet light off anything. there is very little "wrong" with them. For the price, they are hard to beat. Yes, the 2011 platform is better, but 3x more $. Obviously worth it for some! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niroth81 Posted November 28, 2016 Share Posted November 28, 2016 I've taken 2 limited customs and turned them into open guns. Hennings gear is absolutely fantastic and really ups the game. I've tuned 3 or 4 more to smooth them up, decrease trigger weight, remove creep etc. They aren't really hard to work on once you have the basic information that can be found in the forums. I haven't actually had any issues with either of them. Running about 172PF and no issues with feeding, ejecting etc. Nor have I had any need to send my guns to a smith to have them worked on. I have migrated to a 2011 style platform recently. I got into Tanfogs because they fit my hand better than any STI/SVI 2011 gun that I picked up. We now have an Australian manufacturer of the 2011 platform who is also making his own grips. His grips together with his build just make the gun fit perfectly for me. That said, I still love my Tanfogs and plan on using them for steel challenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billthemarine2862 Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 (edited) I have a S3 Elite that I love! I did have some failure to fires early on. Once I started to hand load I found an OAL that works well; with that and plunking every round I have not had a single issue since. I feel that there is plenty of support for the platform. I have really dialed this gun in well, I have replaced all the major parts with easy to obtain upgrades. This forum has some very knowledgeable and helpful people who walked me through anything that gave me trouble along the way. I shoot a highly modified CZ TS as well. I do not care for 2011's. The tanfo and CZ point better for me, transition faster, and my trigger in SA is damn sweet! I will take the Pepsi challenge any day with my CZ TS vs an STI when shooting limited (although I don't shoot with any GM's in limited div where I shoot). I also enjoy shooting production and want to try carry optics. Major selling point of a tanfo over a STI there. Edited November 29, 2016 by billthemarine2862 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spencerattix Posted November 29, 2016 Author Share Posted November 29, 2016 Excellent, informed and well thought responses. Much appreciated. My remarks about STIs are all really tongue in cheek. I have several of the single stacks and have been impressed by their quality and reliability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeviSS Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 On 11/28/2016 at 1:43 PM, MemphisMechanic said: That said, if Limited is your game, I think you owe it to yourself to read CHA-LEE's crange diary in entirety and talk to him about the gut wrenching realization that a 2011 was a superior platform at the top levels for a GM in Limited. I guess I don't see how a Tanfo could hold you back when there are shooters at the very top shooting Glocks. Unless it was unreliable or breaks often, but that doesn't seem to be the case from what I'm reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMechanic Posted November 30, 2016 Share Posted November 30, 2016 52 minutes ago, LeviSS said: I guess I don't see how a Tanfo could hold you back when there are shooters at the very top shooting Glocks. Unless it was unreliable or breaks often, but that doesn't seem to be the case from what I'm reading. Go read CHA-LEEs range diary. He's pretty close to the top tier GMs and it's fascinating reading, his descriptions and thinking behind the advantages he found the 2011 had with that kind of high round count use and abuse and with training at that intensity. Below that level, I'm not convinced it matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeviSS Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 (edited) 22 hours ago, MemphisMechanic said: Go read CHA-LEEs range diary. He's pretty close to the top tier GMs and it's fascinating reading, his descriptions and thinking behind the advantages he found the 2011 had with that kind of high round count use and abuse and with training at that intensity. Below that level, I'm not convinced it matters. Holy crap...that things like a novel. I skimmed over some of it and found little things here and there, but I also found this (linked below) where he summarizes the reasons you don't see Tanfos at the "top" in limited. EDIT: inserted twice for some reason and can't get rid of it: (1) Feeding Issues -He says since Mec-Gar entered the game, it's no longer an issue. (2) Lack of EAA Competition Support -I've heard that EAA has upped their game as far as customer service... admittedly, this is hearsay. (3) Lack of After Market Parts Support With Henning, Stoeger, and Patriot Defense, it seems this has been resolved and getting even better. (4) Lack of local brain trust or gunsmith support Is a local brain trust or a gunsmith necessary with the people we have on this forum shooting/tuning Tanfos now? Most people are shooting Stocks, sure, but the basic design is the same and people are turning out great running guns on their own. It's fairly inexpensive and cheap insurance to have a box of springs and extra parts in case something breaks. I'm just trying to think my way through this (possibly trying to convince myself I don't need a 2011), since so much has changed in the years since those posts. Edited December 1, 2016 by LeviSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMechanic Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 I don't disagree with you guys, just found it an interesting read. I want to read everything I can from those who've traveled down that road, and wanted to point out that it was there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATLDave Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 (edited) FWIW, my recollection on CHA-LEE's eventual decision to move to 2011's was that even though he liked the way the Tanfo's shot, logistical issues were overwhelming. Specifically, he likes light recoil spring setups, and he shoots HUGE volumes (as most top-level GM's do). Therefore, he wears out slides. He wears out slides on 2011's and on Tanfos alike. But it's easier to get replacement 2011 slides (as opposed to replacing complete uppers). In his words, IIRC, he could keep "feeding" slides to 2011's easier/cheaper than he could "feed" them to Tanfos. And to this day, in describing his fascinating-to-read descriptions of tinkering with this or that part of his three current limited 2011's, he often makes reference to setups that he likes as reminding him of his Tanfos. My takeaway is that, if you don't anticipate shooting enormous volumes, his rationale for ditching Tanfos isn't really relevant. Edited December 1, 2016 by ATLDave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbob21 Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 Again, I'll add to the idea that it depends on what your hoping to do with the platform....For production: as long as you can handle a dremel or sandpaper, your gun will outperform any plastic fantastic...For limited: it's personal preference unless your chaleeFor open: it's still up in the air... jj might love his, but that's nowhere near a stock gun. I think kneelingatlas has said it a bunch in other threads, cz/tanfo has an inefficient comp and popple hole setup... it takes more than a tinkerer with a dremel to get the same performance out of a tanfo in open vs a 2011 from a builder...Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryridesmotox Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 (edited) Wears out slides holy dick warts that's nuts. I know guys with 1911a that have 250k rounds through them, they are custom for bianchi or ppc for pistol team members at work... No joke If you shoot a slide out, you must be a ridiculous volume shooter. I wonder what his ammo bill is every month. Sheesh Edited December 1, 2016 by ryridesmotox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbu Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 About the only real issue is the insane cost of major parts like slides, barrels, etc. And there being no aftermarket barrels to allow us to run suppressors... (Anticipating the 2015 hearing protection act being passed by congress and signed by Trump!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATLDave Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 ARy, the video of the open gun(s) makes it look like there's a Henning flat trigger that has had the edges broken with a file or dremel. Is that correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATLDave Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 Ah, didn't even know they made/offered one! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbu Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 You need long fingers to reach the da. Some love it... some don't. 37 minutes ago, ATLDave said: Ah, didn't even know they made/offered one! Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMechanic Posted December 1, 2016 Share Posted December 1, 2016 16 minutes ago, ARy said: I just lol'd. It's really hard to reach the DA position in a gun that doesn't have one, eh ARy? Impossible even. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aceinyerface Posted December 2, 2016 Share Posted December 2, 2016 1) Not many. If you compromise the pistol because you are being unreasonable ( trying for a silly light trigger) you may not light everything. 2) You need enough support to get parts, mags and holsters. A decent gunsmith (or a reasonably competent user) can do all of the work on the gun. 3) Don't let people manipulate you. If you want a 2011, go get it. If not, get what you like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbu Posted December 2, 2016 Share Posted December 2, 2016 I have to read these things on a device with a larger screen! 3 hours ago, MemphisMechanic said: It's really hard to reach the DA position in a gun that doesn't have one, eh ARy? Impossible even. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATLDave Posted December 2, 2016 Share Posted December 2, 2016 14 hours ago, johnbu said: You need long fingers to reach the da. Some love it... some don't. On the open gun? Who has a DA on an open gun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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