yekcoh Posted December 31, 2022 Share Posted December 31, 2022 (edited) Yesterday, I made a post about an STI DVC I bought from an individual on BE. But the admin prematurely locked it. Here is the story: My 2011 expert friend came over last night to inspect the gun. One of the guys @Joe4d in the locked post actually responded that it was probably a build kit that someone bought and put together. My friend pointed out that the serial number starts with TG. Then he quickly realized that it's Tim Grave's Custom frame. Because as far as his knowledge goes, no STI factory gun starts with that initial but with TX. My other DVC open indeed had the TX initial. Here is the picture showing the SN: https://imgur.com/a/Qu8oCsQ I'm not looking for commiseration in this post. I'm actually trying to verify the origin of this gun now. I don't think the seller is lying. I'm currently communicating with him and he said he will call the guy he bought it from and he will call STI. The seller did sell the gun to me thinking it is an STI DVC from factory, however. If anyone here is familiar with STI runs, please let me know what that serial # might indicate. Edited December 31, 2022 by yekcoh fact checked Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted December 31, 2022 Share Posted December 31, 2022 One of my Cheely built guns has an STI frame that starts with SAS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yekcoh Posted December 31, 2022 Author Share Posted December 31, 2022 3 minutes ago, Sarge said: One of my Cheely built guns has an STI frame that starts with SAS ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilrb Posted December 31, 2022 Share Posted December 31, 2022 2 hours ago, yekcoh said: Yesterday, I made a post about an STI DVC I bought from an individual on BE. But the admin prematurely locked it. Here is the story: My 2011 expert friend came over last night to inspect the gun. One of the guys @Joe4d in the locked post actually responded that it was probably a build kit that someone bought and put together. My friend pointed out that the serial number starts with TG. Then he quickly realized that it's Tim Grave's Custom frame. Because as far as his knowledge goes, no STI factory gun starts with that initial but with TX. My other DVC open indeed had the TX initial. Here is the picture showing the SN: https://imgur.com/a/Qu8oCsQ I'm not looking for commiseration in this post. I'm actually trying to verify the origin of this gun now. I don't think the seller is lying. I'm currently communicating with him and he said he will call the guy he bought it from and he will call STI. The seller did sell the gun to me thinking it is an STI DVC from factory, however. If anyone here is familiar with STI runs, please let me know what that serial # might indicate. I have an STI Edge that came from Brazos that the S/N starts with TE. This was verified with Bob before I purchased my gun used. These were early guns, mine had at least 10k rounds and looked better than your pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted December 31, 2022 Share Posted December 31, 2022 Your "expert" is wrong. TG is a legit STI serial number prefix. Image-searching STI DVCs will show several DVCs with TG # in about two minutes. Plus for $40 back in the day you could have whatever serial you wanted put on a factory STI. But... a pocketed-in serial number? I don't like the looks of that. What address is on the bottom of the frame? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yekcoh Posted December 31, 2022 Author Share Posted December 31, 2022 (edited) 11 minutes ago, shred said: Your "expert" is wrong. TG is a legit STI serial number prefix. Image-searching STI DVCs will show several TGs. Plus for $40 back in the day you could have whatever serial you wanted put on a factory STI, but a pocketed-in serial number? I don't like the looks of that. What address is on the bottom of the frame? you brought up an extremely good point. This SN is pocketed. I took a close up picture here https://imgur.com/gallery/1k5cpvy Edited December 31, 2022 by yekcoh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yekcoh Posted December 31, 2022 Author Share Posted December 31, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathanb Posted December 31, 2022 Share Posted December 31, 2022 I’m no expert but that doesn’t look normal. Especially since it looks like there is a pocket and then another slight pocket that doesn’t line up to the serial Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazos Custom Posted December 31, 2022 Share Posted December 31, 2022 I have seen plenty of STI with TG prefix. I have also seen quite a few with a pocketted serial number. Most likely they messed up the serial number and had to re-do. They machine the old number off and put the proper one on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted December 31, 2022 Share Posted December 31, 2022 Thanks Bob. Not something I'd run into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnyglock Posted December 31, 2022 Share Posted December 31, 2022 Why not contact STI Staccato and find out? Bob is correct as I’ve seen the pocketed ser# and they always looked like a redo to me as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yekcoh Posted January 1, 2023 Author Share Posted January 1, 2023 4 hours ago, Brazos Custom said: I have seen plenty of STI with TG prefix. I have also seen quite a few with a pocketted serial number. Most likely they messed up the serial number and had to re-do. They machine the old number off and put the proper one on. @Brazos Customthank you for your comment. It’s great to hear from someone in the business. Would you have any comment on the condition of the internals by any chance? https://imgur.com/a/ZERia3Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muncie21 Posted January 1, 2023 Share Posted January 1, 2023 I've got a TG serial numbered frame. Nothing special about it, as far as I can tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yigal Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 On 1/1/2023 at 2:33 AM, yekcoh said: @Brazos Customthank you for your comment. It’s great to hear from someone in the business. Would you have any comment on the condition of the internals by any chance? https://imgur.com/a/ZERia3Y Judging by the photos of the titanium coating on the barrel and the photo of the breach face, this gun did not shoot much. The rest of the terrible signs look like a rough machining and "fit" by a "gunsmith" who assemble it . i saw only once new DVC STI with same rough machining sings and bad slide to frame and barrel fitting. but it works Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHA-LEE Posted January 2, 2023 Share Posted January 2, 2023 You actually want these older "DVC" Hard Chrome / Ti-Nitride Barrel STI guns to have at least 10K on them so you can verify that the Barrel to Slide fit at the upper lugs isn't going to eat itself to death. Unfortunately, I have seen MANY of this vintage of "DVC" STI 2011's get shipped with very poor barrel fits. A dead give away on a very poor fit is to measure the diameter of the barrel link hole where the slide lock lever pin goes through. The hole in the Barrel Link shouldn't be much bigger than 0.206". If it is, run for the hills because that link was hogged out to "Make it fit" and it leads to the barrel not being pulled all the way down when the barrel unlocks and the upper lugs are peened to death. Most of the "DVC" Hard Chrome / Ti-Nitride Barrel STI guns look like they were intentionally made in a manner where none of the parts were precision fit to that specific gun. They seemed more like "Parts Bin" guns where the parts were made with so much slop that anyone could simply pick parts out of a bin and slap a gun together with zero "Fitting" required. That is great for manufacturing guns quickly. But its horrible if you actually want a gun that is going to be accurate and last a long time without destroying itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
APL-G35 Posted January 3, 2023 Share Posted January 3, 2023 I gotta agree with CHA-LEE here. I had a Hard chrome STI that shot itself crazy loose inside of 10k. I bought what was seemingly a solid gun with about 1k on it. Gun ran fine for awhile but then just got sloppy and started to get malfunctions. Ended up accurailing it, fitting new parts and had a solid gum before I sold it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yekcoh Posted January 3, 2023 Author Share Posted January 3, 2023 15 hours ago, CHA-LEE said: ired. That is great for manufacturing guns quickly. But its Thank you for the input Charlie 5 minutes ago, APL-G35 said: I gotta agree with CHA-LEE here. I had a Hard chrome STI that shot itself crazy loose inside of 10k. I bought what was seemingly a solid gun with about 1k on it. Gun ran fine for awhile but then just got sloppy and started to get malfunctions. Ended up accurailing it, fitting new parts and had a solid gum before I sold it. damn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yekcoh Posted January 8, 2023 Author Share Posted January 8, 2023 So the comp seems to have cracked after 200 rounds. my other sti with 3k still looks new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 After you shot 200 rounds or total? It looks like a lot more than 200 rounds of erosion on the front port to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yekcoh Posted January 8, 2023 Author Share Posted January 8, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, shred said: After you shot 200 rounds or total? It looks like a lot more than 200 rounds of erosion on the front port to me. Seller stated 1000 rounds so. This is 1200rounds. Yeah I mean, the gun looks beat to death. I just don’t know how that crack formed. Does anyone know if this is repairable Edited January 8, 2023 by yekcoh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mscott Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 5 hours ago, yekcoh said: Seller stated 1000 rounds so. This is 1200rounds. Yeah I mean, the gun looks beat to death. I just don’t know how that crack formed. Does anyone know if this is repairable The comp cracking is a common problem with that series of Open gun and has been posted about several times. No easy repair. Time for a new barrel and comp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yigal Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 (edited) i cut comp like this and now i use this gun as limited. saw few sti cracked comps after 3k of minor ammo. Edited January 8, 2023 by yigal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chillywig Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 12 hours ago, yekcoh said: Seller stated 1000 rounds so. This is 1200rounds. Yeah I mean, the gun looks beat to death. I just don’t know how that crack formed. Does anyone know if this is repairable Why did you want to get a DVC? How long have you been shooting? I remember when the DVC first came out they looked pretty slick for a mass produced gun. But stories here on Enos and seeing others first hand experience with them it did not take long to see these were a crap shoot as to how soon it would take to go back to STI for warranty repair. Pretty sure the DVC is what made STI turn into stacatto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yekcoh Posted January 9, 2023 Author Share Posted January 9, 2023 On 1/8/2023 at 1:28 AM, mscott said: The comp cracking is a common problem with that series of Open gun and has been posted about several times. No easy repair. Time for a new barrel and comp. Who would replace the barrel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpenshooterMclass4lyfe Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 On 1/7/2023 at 8:41 PM, yekcoh said: So the comp seems to have cracked after 200 rounds. my other sti with 3k still looks new. This is the exact same issue my second hand sti had. Original owner had venom customs fit a Kkm barrel and I’m not sure what comp. Been running great since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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