9mm follwers?

[geezler]

I purchase an STI Eagle 5.0 in 9mm it came with one magazine, I ordered .38/9mm 140mm sti magazines and spacers. When i load the magazine without the spacers the bullets start to nose dive when its about halfway loaded. I purchased arradondo spring/follower kits for .38/9mm with the spacer in the magazine the follower is to long, I am having the same issue with Gramms spring/followers . I have noticed the magazine that came with the pistol has a plastic spacer and a shorter follower than the 140mm .38/9mm STI mags i purchased. Any recommendations?

[HSMITH]

The follower for a 9mm using spacers is shorter than a Super follower, sounds like you have the wrong followers. Trim the back of the follower off on one of each enough to clear the spacer with a little bit of room and try that. If you get good results trim the others, and it should work just fine. Next time you order followers call Chuck at Shooters Connection, he will get you the parts you need if you tell him what your setup is.

Grams and Dawson Competition followers both work very well, and are all I use.

[Joe4d]

I understand from your post that the magazine that came with the gun works fine ? But the STI mags you bought seperate dont ? I would not spend any additional money on them. I would contact STI and let them know and let them know you expect the magazines they sold you to work, Most likely they can exchange them for ones Identical to the ones that came with your gun. We as a shooting community need to force manufacturers to stand behind their products and quit running to the aftermarket for basic function with factory standard ammo.

[Kingman]

it is almost comical that they send a 9mm mag with 9mm guns, but when you order mags you order a .38/9mm mag. Now what kind of situation does that sound like.

[HSMITH]

Joe, nowhere does it say the mags came from STI, they made them but there is no way of knowing where they were purchased and if the vendor supplied what he needed or asked for. Every time I see a post from you in regard to STI it is negative, sometimes VERY negative. I use STI guns, parts, and their customer service. Their customer service is absolutely top notch, I don't know where you got the impression that it isn't. If there is any complaint about STI it is that they are sometimes slow, but that is to be expected with a company as busy as they are. On boards like this we hear of problems all the time, but for every problem gun you hear about they sell dozens more. As far as factory guns go STI makes a VERY good gun, worlds better than most in fact.

Sorry, but I get a little tired of the negativity when it is directed at a company I know to be exceptionally fair and easy to work with.

[Joe4d]

There is nothing negative about that post, Poster said my STI stuff doesnt work I said contact STI they'll most likely fix you up as it isnt anything weird because the supplied magazine works.

Everything I have heard about STI's service is good also, it's not so much STI in specific it is the hole concept that it is ok to spend a bunch of money on a product that doesnt work, and then go aftermarket for the solution. This is only enabling the industry to lower their standards. It is cheaper to have lower QC standards if customers a.ccept it. If it is more expensive to deal with a higher volume of customer complaints the QC will improve. The poster bought a STI manufactured complete magazine marketed for use in a 9mm. He is using that magazine in a 9mm manufacturered by the same company. I think he has every right to expect it to work. Nothing to do with negativity. Any other product sold that doesnt work will get returned to the vendor or the manufacturer but for some reason with guns we run off to aftermarket vendors.

Say what you want but anytime I am asked for advice or opinion on a product that doesnt work as advertised I will allways feel the original vendor or manufacturer needs to be held accountable.

[HSMITH]

Joe, not sure if you know this or not, but you can get 9mm SLASH 38 Super tubes, and followers galore. Nothing was mentioned about where the mags were purchased. Perhaps this poor fella ordered 9mm tubes and followers but the order person on the phone where he got them didn't know what he NEEDED. That is why I suggested he call Chuck, tell him what you are doing and he can tell you what you NEED, not sell you THINK you want. Even if by almost impossible chance Chuck is a dollar more on everything, it is worth it to get real expert assistance.

I don't know how to explain it, but I have gone to STI with some really trivial stuff to have them completely and totally take ownership of the problem. I have also had some parts with more serious problems, all with the same result. STI has a problem and they take care of it, no questions asked. It might not be RIGHT NOW, but they will make it right. I have dealt with a lot of companies and STI is in rare company.

He never said he bought the stuff from STI, why would he go to STI for resolution? STI sells tons of parts that can (and are in this case) used in combination with aftermarket parts. If we expect STI to answer for that then we should also expect to pay for that service in every purchase we make as it is far from free, I would rather not pay for it and continue to use sources that KNOW what I NEED and don't just sell me what I thought I wanted.

STI DOES NOT have QC problems, trust me, I work on enough guns to know. STI does a really good job, but still has some problems as does every company out there. The grip that still feels the best to me comes from a ways north, and boy oh boy do they ever have QC problems, enough to keep me from buying another for a LONG LONG time. Real QC and real durability problems with that company drove me to STI, and STI continues to make a believer out of me.

I am all for accountability, but I hold that it should be universal. Every vendor, every retailer, every supplier, every builder. Accountability is only accurate when the appropriate party is tasked with making it right. Flogging a builder when a retailer sold the wrong product is counterproductive, negative and inaccurate.

[Mick]

Get SV mags and you won't have that follower issue...

[Kingman]

Howard - on a comment that we had back and forth regarding STI's 9mm mags, did you check into it.

[HSMITH]

Bob, give me a call or shoot me an email, I am drawing a blank. Sorry.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: I have been playing around with some STI mags for my 9mm. I need the mag to lock the slide back for IDPA. I have removed the spacer and I am using stock 40 STI followers. They are working just fine so far. I would check the feed lips first, then go from there. I have also tried some purple 38 Arredondo followers and they seem to work as well. I only load these to 10 rounds so if you load them up it may change everything. I will try them this weekend and see how they do fully loaded. Thanks, Eric