CocoBolo Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I just bought an almost new Sti Edge in 40. My old Edge is in good condition. It is equipped as follows. Bull Barrel, Adjustable Sights, Fiber Optic Front Sight, Tungsten Guide Rod (heavy), 13 lb Variable recoil Spring, Dawson Ice Mag Well, 1.75 lb trigger, extended mag release with Brazos Button. Are there other things I should do to this gun to make it into the ultimate limited gun? Mods I am considering: Remove the fat from the slide, lighten the slide. How much and who should I get to do it? All mods should be functional, it don't matter what it looks like, and lets think outside the wallet, we will worry about the cost later. The gun has always run 100% and is more accurate than I will ever be, and lets pretend that I have the ability to shoot the gun at its full potential. Thanks in advance for your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UW Mitch Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Since you're in TX, can you leave it with Benny for a while? He will perform an metamophorsis on it ~Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerTrace Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 It sounds like a very nice pistol already. But, you are only a couple hours from Triangle Shooting Sports (aka Benny Hill) so you ought to drive to Corpus and visit with Benny. He will most likely take care of all your issues for a reasonable price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dapribek Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I'd probably recommend an Aftec extractor, thumb shield ambidextrous safties and a flat trigger. Bedell Custom in Lancaster, NY. has done this work on my STI. Dan does incredible work and you couldn't go wrong having him work on your gun. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted July 1, 2009 Author Share Posted July 1, 2009 Benny Hill seems to have a following, I certainly want to keep that option open. A aftec would come under reliability, but is a worth while since it will be in the shop anyway. It has ambi safety the sdt STI ones however the high ride ones could make the gun easier to shoot. Bedell is more known for 9 mm open guns, I don't think I have seen one of his Spitfire's at a match. Good Input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Cut the dust cover off, put in an aluminum guide rod, fit a 6" slide and bushing barrel, lighten the slide and the frame, and you will be getting close to the ultimate Limited gun. Benny is a great guy and so is Dan Bedell. There are a BUNCH of his guns around here, Open and Limited, and they are superb. There are a bunch of good smiths, enough to make it hard to choose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 You will find the gun shoots MUCH better if you break it in with ~150,000 rounds in practice. The difference in the way it shoots will be amazing to you.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 You will find the gun shoots MUCH better if you break it in with ~150,000 rounds in practice. The difference in the way it shoots will be amazing to you.... Merlin - That Jerry M down in Lousiana the Revolver guy told me 250,000 rounds then I would know enough to ask questions. Since I started shooting pistol < 2 years ago, I have probably shot 20,000 rounds. The gun actually shoots very nice, and I have put about 10,000 rounds thru it, and my guess is it has about 50,000 on it. Its an old Edge has the Eagle on it from the days when STI was in Austin. The almost new Edge I picked up that had only Dawson's test shots thru it shoots just about as good as that old gun. I'm going to keep an Open mind about the 6" gun, that HSmith commented on. I passed on a Benny Fat Free because it had a bull barrel and I think the new trend is to lighter slides and less moving weight which includes the barrel. Thanks for the reminder, practice is the true way to being a better shooter. Dry Fire 15 minutes a day, every day and you will get better every weeks. If the gun made that much difference I would be faster with an open gun, no I'm definately faster with a limited gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Orr Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 If you saw a Benny Fat Free with a bull barrel it was an older gun as he very much favors the bushing gun and has for quite some time.... Several Really good smiths on this Forum make variations of the 6" "Fat Free" and any one of them will do you very nicely for sure. Look at the several threads that feature 6" guns and you will see some very fine pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgunz11 Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 This is what Matt Cheely and I did to make my Edge the "ultimate Limited gun". I could not be any happier with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wkj4567 Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I have an Edge in .40 S&W also. You could have it hard chromed, have the grip stippled, grip safety pinned and slide stop filed so it doesn't lock back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1911jerry Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 (edited) Ron, I have a Benny Hill 6 inch Fat Free in 40SW and a 9MM top end. I would be glad to let you shoot it so you can judge for your self. As for your edge, you could have the barrel slabbed on the sides or fluted. Both look dead sexy. Jerry Edited July 2, 2009 by 1911jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 (edited) 1911Jerry I'm just going to take you up on that offer. I'll be at the AASA 3-Gun Saturday with our old friend Ted Bonnet. If you don't mind I'll use my loads and mags. By the way did you get those mags un-tuned so the gun will run? Let's recap the mods that have made the list: Aftec Extractor Lightening the Slide - Possible Sexy cuts and patterns. Just what an old man needs to be sexy. High Ride wide Ambi Safety Stipple the Grip - Cactus Pattern you just can't turn it loose. Hard Chrome - Make it durable and more sexy. Paint Grip - If were going to be sexy lets do it right. Alum Guide Rod - Weight reduction. Cut the Dust Cover length down PIN Grip Safety On the question of stretching it to a 6" er, you need to reverse the question to come to the right answer. Would you consider a 4" gun? The answer on that one would be a unanimous no. So obviously longer without adding weight would be a plus. The mags are tuned so it doesn't lock back. We may be on the way to designing a whole new gun, but its starting to get interesting. Edited July 2, 2009 by CocoBolo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UW Mitch Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I shot my STI 4.15 Tactical in L10 one month - just to make sure the gun ran well. It ran, I just shot it worse than anything else. I would say having taken 6 months off shooting was part of it, but also the short sight radius diminished my ability to find the sights quickly. ~Mitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike cyrwus Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 You will find the gun shoots MUCH better if you break it in with ~150,000 rounds in practice. The difference in the way it shoots will be amazing to you.... Now thats the ultimate!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokshwn Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 You will find the gun shoots MUCH better if you break it in with ~150,000 rounds in practice. The difference in the way it shoots will be amazing to you.... Merlin, Take your logic and be gone.....we all know ultimate gun performance comes from the checkbook, not from practice...sheesh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tk4 Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 Try the aluminum guide rod compared to the tungsten before you chop off the dust cover. It is not the trend, but some of us prefer the extra frame weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted July 6, 2009 Author Share Posted July 6, 2009 Add to the list 1 ea 22 round mag from Emanuel Bragg. No ultimate limite gun could be complete without the ultimate mag. At $175.00 it isn't cheap but pony up with 23 rounds now that could make or break a stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 Add to the list 1 ea 22 round mag from Emanuel Bragg. No ultimate limite gun could be complete without the ultimate mag.At $175.00 it isn't cheap but pony up with 23 rounds now that could make or break a stage. -------------------------------------------- 1.2.1 General Courses of Fire: 1.2.1.1 “Short Courses” must not require more than 8 rounds to complete and no more than 2 shooting locations. 1.2.1.2 “Medium Courses” must not require more than 16 rounds to complete and no more than 3 shooting locations. Course design and construction must not require more than 8 scoring hits from any single location or view, nor allow a competitor to shoot all targets in the course of fire from any single location or view. 1.2.1.3 “Long Courses” in Level III or higher matches must not require more than 32 rounds to complete. Course design and construction must not require more than 8 scoring hits from any single location or view, nor allow a competitor to shoot all targets in the course of fire from any single location or view. ---------------------------------------------- You are still going to have to reload for a long course, and practice will help with the medium. I'll take 20+1 for approx $100 all day long. 2 rounds ain't worth $75, it only for bragging rights. Practice your reloads, time well spent. Quoting SA Friday "Dry Firing and Practicing Sucks. Embrace the Suck." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Anderson Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 You are still going to have to reload for a long course, and practice will help with the medium. I'll take 20+1 for approx $100 all day long. 2 rounds ain't worth $75, it only for bragging rights. Practice your reloads, time well spent. Quoting SA Friday "Dry Firing and Practicing Sucks. Embrace the Suck." That's not necessarily true. A long course is any course longer than a medium course. It doesn't have to be 32 rounds. I've seen a lot of 20, 21, 22, and 23 rounds stages at Nationals. I won a stage at a Multi Gun Nats a few years ago using a 24 round Minor 9mm. It was a 24 round hose fest where you could shoot the whole time. As far as a 6 inch being better than a 5 beause someone wouldn't use a 4 inch. That is not quite accurate. By that logic a 7, 8, or maybe 9 inch gun would be preferable. The choice of a a 6 inch gun has a lot more to do with the individual competitor choice. There are still a lot of world class GM's that don't use a 6 inch gun. There are lots of threads on the advantages and disadvantages of a 6 inch gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dvc40jim Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 I think it all begins and ends with the grip! Then again I'm a little jaded when it comes to the grips. When you decide you want to tweak the way the gun sits in your hand we can help, if you want to do that paint thing we can help there as well. Lots of guys on here can tell you what a change the grip can make to an already great feeling gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 I'm not sold on the 6in. gun. I've paid attention a few times to some solid B and A (maybe Master) class shooters and the guns looked like wet noodles in their hands during recoil. No way they were at an advantage. If there is a potential gain, it is in the single digits percentage wise...and a lower percentage at that. The shooter still needs to REALLY do the work. I've find it interesting, the trend toward cutting back the dust cover (on 5in guns) to shed weight. I get the logic on transition speed, but it's a hard for me to buy. Over the years, I have watched guys with heavy guns transitions and haven't found them lacking. These guys execute well, so they are REALLY doing the work. I've never really been an advocate of the >20 round mags. My belief has always been that you gotta have 18, 19 or 20...for sure (target arrays are maxed at 8 rounds, you want to get through 2 arrays with rounds to spare). But...there are stages out there that make 22+1 nice. I shot a 20 round stage at the Area 8 match last year with Manny. I used 21 to get through (ran to empty in Production). Manny used 23 to get through it. (there was space to reload in that one) Here is a video of a 20 round stage...without much room to reload...where Manny's extra rounds came in handy (2 make-up shots): [correction: after watching the video again...and not going off memory ...that looks like a 22 round stage, no make-ups...with little room to reload] Even the best benefit from having insurance rounds from time to time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-ManBart Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 The mags are tuned so it doesn't lock back. We may be on the way to designing a whole new gun, but its starting to get interesting. On Saturday I watched three or four people run their guns dry on a high round count stage. In each case they got the "click, uh-oh" and then reload. All but one forgot to rack the slide after the reload adding even more time. Sure would have been a lot easier to feel the slide lock back, slap a reload in and go. It's funny but I haven't seen a slide lock back prematurely in ages....and I've yet to see an ejector broken off from too forceful of a reload, but I sure see lots of guns go "click". Nobody worries about those issues with for SS, L-10 or Production so I don't see why they suddenly become a big deal with a Limited or Open rig. At this point, with so many changes, I'd bet your close to the breakpoint where just having a gun built from scratch would be cheaper and maybe more likely to find a smith willing to do the work. R, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harmon Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 i agree with FLex on the 6 inch gun. I have never really been able to shoot them as well as the 5 inch guns. My STI is a 5 inch short dust cover with a bushing barrel and steel guide rod. I shoot my glock better than the STI... my advise would to be put a new barrel in it....after you wear the one in it out. Harmon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted July 6, 2009 Share Posted July 6, 2009 I submit that you guys haven't shot the right 6" gun yet. They come in more than one flavor just like 5" guns.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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