STI Short Block Experience?

[cheers623]

Hello all. I am getting my feet wet doing a few home gunsmithing projects on a couple of 1911s I own. Fitting beavertails, thumb safties and installing sights is not a problem and I am getting ready to buy the Brownells tools and jig for doing trigger jobs. My question is: has anyone here bought an STI shortblock kit and built a limited gun with it? Their website says the frame, slide, barrel, and slidestop are all fitted at the factory so it would seem that completing the gun would entail installing the small parts and trigger group and then applying a finish. Is this the case and has anyone had good or bad luck with this. Thanks in advance for any feed back.

DVC

[HSMITH]

Barrel fit is good generally. Slide to frame fit is good for a production gun as well. You can make a really nice blaster out of them. I prefer dead tight hard fitted parts, but the short block kit is great for someone that can't fit a slide to frame or a barrel. All of the 'really expensive when you screw it up' work is done.

[North]

When you do the math you are better off just getting one built. You only save money if you really start from scratch.

[Kingman]

I like starting with their fitted slide to frame. I don't do the short block kits because you really don't save anything. Mainly I just don't like fitting slides.

My last two I just ordered a frame and used caspian slides and that has saved a bit more.

[Chuck Merriam]

I did what you are doing but got my kit from Brazos...I am sure he doesn't do them anymore, but concider a good smith to put Frame, Slide, and Barrel together for you. If you screw up any of the rest...it won't be a disaster. Mine turned out great and there is the knowledge and satisfaction from doing it yourself. The blending is what was one of the most noticable things about my gun. It just melted into my hand, because I fit it to me!

[cheers623]

Hsmith,

thanks for the reply and from everyone else as well. I am shooting an Edge right now and have been happy with it for the most part. I am not looking to save money but instead just build a basic reliable 2011 style limited gun with a few slide profile options and fit the grip and controls to my personal tastes. Eventually I will probably get a sight tracker or a fat-free but for now I just want to build a gun that I like holding and looking at that shoots well. I read somewhere that Rob Leatham said basically you should buy or build a gun that you like to pick up and "play with" all the time because that is what will build the motor skills and familiarity that translates into faster times, etc, etc

So, my final question is if I buy a short block kit and install the sights, fire control group, and safties will I more or less be coming up with a good solid gun. I realize that after buying the remaining parts I would be within striking distance of a full build but I enjoy working on the guns I own and so hope to learn some in the process. However, if there is going to be alot of hassle beyond the parts installation I mentioned above then I suppose I am not ready for that yet. Any wisdom is greatly appreciated and thanks again for the previous replies.

All the best,

DVC

[Sixgun]

I have "built" two guns from the Short Block kits. One Open and one Limited. The first, Open took me about 2 weeks of fiddling with all the parts to get it to work. The Limited went together in 2 days.

I learned a lot in putting all the parts together. I know what brands of parts I like and have my reasonings why.

I have a great local smith that I took both guns to after I had finished them. I had him go over them and do all the safety checks and "tweaks" that I might have missed. He came up with some suggestions and told me why. I think he liked that he didn't have to do a lot of work, and that I was interested in the whole "how a 1911 works" process. Well worth the $50 or $100 I was charged. I now have two guns, built to my specs, that are 100% reliable.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Ray

[Action Pistolero]

I put an Open class short block together around 5 years ago. I couldn't be happier with it. I was fortunate enough to have a gunsmith that helped me along the way at no charge. It taught me a lot about how the 1911 operates and the tricks to make it better. The gun now has a 1 pound trigger pull that is totally reliable. Two years ago I bought all the parts for a limited gun and put it together myself. The slide to frame fit is not the best but it shoots well.

Get the short block and play with it. What you learn will give you the confidence to try something harder next time. I've been thinking about a tack driving single stack for my next project.

[buddy_fuentes]

First off, I am no gunsmith. I have (assembled) built a couple of 1911's and they came out alright. Lets just say that they are not Benny Hill/Dave Dawson guns.

I have a Ransom Rest and started playing with different slides and the fit to different frames. In my un-scientific testing I have noticed that the slide to frame fit may account for a tiny (5%?) bit of accuracy at 25 yards. In my limited experience, I think the barrel fit is the jewel in the crown. If it is a good barrel and fitted properly...it will out shoot most of us; even with a sloppy slide fit. For USPSA and IDPA you'll never notice the difference.

I have not built on the short block, but the ones I handled are slick and should be fine.

Buddy

[Action Pistolero]

Snubby,

Slide to frame fit is not as important on a metallic sight gun as it is on an open gun that has the scope mounted to the frame. The reason being because with metallic sights mounted on the slide the slide can come into battery in a different place than the previous shot. It won't make any difference because you are lining up the sights and the shot will impact near the first one. On an open gun, with the scope mounted to the frame, the dot will not move with the slide therefore a group of shots could go all over the place.

Kevin