STI Factory Edge

[s1nn3d]

I've been a lurker in this forum for quite sometime. Last november 07 I purchased my factory edge in 40 at a gunshow. Mine is equivalent to almost $3073 (discounted price) and I'm from the PI. Bought a couple of boxes of factory ammo to break in the pistol. FTF's after FTF's!!! I thought it could be the mag since it only came with 1pc 126mm. Stopped shooting, went to the store and purchased another STI 140mm mag and went back to the range. Same numbers of FTF.

Felt so embarassed since most of the shooters are looking at my pistol(which they know i paid big time) is consistently jamming. I was told that I may be limbwristing, went to the range and had a friend test mine, same! He lend me his slidetop which was tuned...same ftf's. Bought another 140mm.... same ftf's. Funny that some local shooters in the range are sporting a not so known brand of pistol and theirs run 100%

Borrowed, my friend's slidetop and mag and it digested 200 rounds without malf. My buddy sold one of his mag to me (the one that worked fine) I filed the slidestop so that the next round won't hit it. Now I already have several 140 mm mag purchased from different sti resellers, some are great and most are junk.

Sti 140mag would cost $163 here in our country. It's just so disappointing that there are no chance for us to get Howard's, Bob's and Dave's mags here. BTW, my mags has been replaced by the store several times and one would work but is binding with the grip and will not fall, some won't sit properly with the mag catch (unless you really slam it)Recoil master is also showing some sign of wear (take note not even a thousand round). I also changed the spring to ISMI and still the same. I tried SPS, it's binding even when empty. SVI tubes are not locally available.

Being very new to the sport, I thought getting a good gun would somehow fasten my learning phase since I will just need to concentrate shooting. I spent almost $4k with the pistol and mags that never worked. I hope none of you guys experience the same. How i wish that i can move on and start shooting.

[G-ManBart]

The problems you're seeing are usually ammo related, rather than mag or slide stop problems. Most stock Edges won't run with factory ammo because it's too short. If you load long (like 1.80-1.20") those problems go away in large part. Getting the ejector and extractor (put an AFTEC in it and forget about it) set up right will take care of most of the other problems.

I bought and Edge, had Dawson do the supertune, then got rid of the Recoilmaster, later did my own trigger job and added an AFTEC. I can almost always take an untuned STI tube, put a Grams spring/follower kit in it, and a Dawson or Grams basepad and get a mag that runs 100%. It even seems to run Winchester White Box 100% as well.

Edit to add: my Recoilmaster was also beating up the reverse plug, so I put a standard STI guide rod in it with an ISMI 12.5lb spring...much smoother feeling.

Edited March 10, 2008 by G-ManBart

[DonT]

Oh where to begin...

I'll start and let others take over other wise this will be too long. It is more than likely your mags. Just because they are new means nothing. Most of the time they must be tuned in some sort of way or another. The reason the other guns run and yours don't is because their off the shelf production guns are loose. They are made that way so they will run. They are not going to be as accurate as your gun. You bought a thorobred. It's tight, the tolerances are tight, and it needs to be broke in (about 1000rds.) I have one also and it's a great.

My advise would be, don't do anything to the gun until you tune the mags. I believe when you tune the mags and you get some rounds thru the gun all will be fine. Can you ship all of your mags to HSmith? If not, Dawson sells a do-it-yourself mag tuning kit complete with instructions and everything you need to do it yourself

[el pres]

I got one, 12k through it now and I never had a problem that was "not" ammo related.

Ammo loaded to 1.185, **most important is to "chamber check" all the ammo !!!** (ammo finicky!!)

STI mags with dawson basepads and Grams follower kits, self tuned,

Added AFTEC at about 6k but that was a problem that I caused, not something that needed to be changed,

Other then that its stock and runs flawless. Really try to diagnose were the stoppedge happens. Stop and look

where the round is. Is it stuck on the ramp, did it miss the chamber, does it not want to close all the way ??

Oh ya, I'm still running the same Recoil Master !!

Edited March 10, 2008 by DIRTY CHAMBER

[pevadijk]

I had some problems with my mags and since I live in The Netherlands, mag tuning is something that you need to do yourself.

But with this info from the STI site: http://www.stiguns.com/cart/aboutmags.html and Grams 'guts' and a Dawson basepad I got them to work!

BTW, my feed lips were very wide and after I got that fixed (with smooth pliers and a hard rubber hammer) most of my problems seem to have disappeared.

But if I knew from the start that my STI would have cost that much money (about 2500 euro's, which is $3500+) I wouldn't have bought it.......althought I love shooting it.

[HI5-O]

Heck, even my Dawson Practical Advantage (.40) has a hard time feeding factory rounds. Long loaded rounds work perfect.

[Johann the Horrible]

Even my .45 that never malfunctioned stopped feeding my short rounds a week before Nationals! Just think the consternation, the ultimate in dependability suddenly refuses to feed the rounds that you have specially loaded for your first Level 3. My kinetic bullet puller has never been this busy.

[ahtsay]

I also have an STi Edge. When it was new, my problem was FTE. I brought the gun to a smith and he tuned my extractor. After that the gun was flawless. I'm currently running STi mags with ISMI springs, and SV red followers. So far so good. I have a new SV mag with the same internals, and you really need to tune your magcatch or else it will bind if you press it hard during a match. I have been experimenting with the SV mag and so far the problem is seating the mag during a match. It does tend to fall out unless you really give it a solid smack. If you need help, pm me and I'll try my best to see what I can do for you. I'm also here in the Philippines.

[G-ManBart]

I also have an STi Edge. When it was new, my problem was FTE. I brought the gun to a smith and he tuned my extractor. After that the gun was flawless. I'm currently running STi mags with ISMI springs, and SV red followers. So far so good. I have a new SV mag with the same internals, and you really need to tune your magcatch or else it will bind if you press it hard during a match. I have been experimenting with the SV mag and so far the problem is seating the mag during a match. It does tend to fall out unless you really give it a solid smack. If you need help, pm me and I'll try my best to see what I can do for you. I'm also here in the Philippines.

The notch for the mag catch isn't in exactly the same place on STI and SV tubes (at least sometimes anyway). If you get a small file and remove some metal from the top of the notch in the mag body (just a little at a time) as well as a little from the front section, you'll quickly get to where it will seat like your STI mags. File a little, try seating it and repeat until it works properly. R,

[ahtsay]

I also have an STi Edge. When it was new, my problem was FTE. I brought the gun to a smith and he tuned my extractor. After that the gun was flawless. I'm currently running STi mags with ISMI springs, and SV red followers. So far so good. I have a new SV mag with the same internals, and you really need to tune your magcatch or else it will bind if you press it hard during a match. I have been experimenting with the SV mag and so far the problem is seating the mag during a match. It does tend to fall out unless you really give it a solid smack. If you need help, pm me and I'll try my best to see what I can do for you. I'm also here in the Philippines.

The notch for the mag catch isn't in exactly the same place on STI and SV tubes (at least sometimes anyway). If you get a small file and remove some metal from the top of the notch in the mag body (just a little at a time) as well as a little from the front section, you'll quickly get to where it will seat like your STI mags. File a little, try seating it and repeat until it works properly. R,

Thanks G-Man. Hmm...I only have 1(one) SV mag, I'm kinda scared to do what you just described. I'm worried if I ruin it, I'll be out of an 18 reloadable When you say "top of the notch", you mean the hole where the mag catch "hooks" on to the mag correct?