STI/SVI is the way to go. I have a Rock Island that works well, but I’ve put a lot of work into it (changed out virtually all of the internal parts).
I have to disagree. I know some experts in the field say this but I have been running a STI Edge in 40sw for the last few years with close to 10K through it at this point. The only issue I had was I had to replace the plastic mainspring housing with a metal one because I wore the top of it out with the grip safety. Its done so well if it had a light rail I would use it as a duty gun.
Pat
Alaskapopo, the 40s (and 38 super) are more reliable than the 45s. The transition to single stack in the mag is less abrup and the round is presented higher.
I know many, many shooters that have run well tuned and mantained STI/SVI guns in IPSC with excellent reliability. We are talking less than 1 stoppage in 5000 (sometimes much, much more) or otherwise they would not be used. The shooters keep the guns well serviced but in a sandy, windy day with hundreds of rounds shot they do get dirty, and the mags are routinely dropped into the ground.
But the plastic frame/steel rails interface is rather weak for a service pistol, long time ago I spoke about it with Sandy Strayer (the one who invented this frame) and he said he was toying with the idea of making a sturdier version. Never came up.
For a service hi-cap gun there are far cheaper and easier to mantain, ready out of the box pistols to use.
SVI now has an alloy framed version.
In the last decade or so, every reasonably sized LE and military organization that I am aware of that has tried to adopt a double stack 1911 pattern pistol, including .40 STI’s, has dropped them within about 12-18 mo as a result of reliability and durability issues…
I’ve been shooting in competition for a few years now, both USPSA and IDPA. A lot of shooters use the STI/SVI guns with good effect, but if you question them you find that it took some tinkering and patience to get them to run well. Mags are expensive and require work as well. I like my guns to work as advertised right away, I just don’t have the patience for a fussy gun.
STI makes high-quality range guns. Para makes shit that would be better explained if it had an importation mark from a 3rd World country.
There is no “Hi-cap” 1911 I’d trust my life to.
I would not trust they guns when stock. Mine was gone over by Dawson Precision. Nor would I recommend them for general issue to a large agency. However I have no problem with them on an individual level for people willing to put in the extra work to stay on top of the maintance.
Pat
I had a Para P-16 .40 about 10 years ago and it ran like a champ. I used reloads and never had any performance issues. I sold it right before my daughter was born to help cover child related costs and now that I want to get back into a 1911, I am very disappointed to see Para’s Q/A has dropped. I will still keep my eye open for an older Para from the same time frame as the one I had.
I would love a STI Tactical 5.0 in .40SW but they are not Mass-compliant.
Sorry, good catch, I had Para on the brain. Armscor makes the spartans slide, frame, and barrel.:alcoholic:
If you want a double-stack that actually works, I would recommend the following:
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Save your pennies. The STI 2011 is almost certainly the preferred base gun here, but it will need some remedial attention from someone that knows these models well.
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Call/PM Mr. Smith (Joe B.) at Superior Firearms. He is one of the (very) few individuals I’ve met that has the knowledge and skill to make a 2011 a viable defensive tool. My own preference still runs toward the single-stack guns, but Joe has a long track record of proving that he can make the 2011s run.
AC
Doc nailed it!
No one mentioned Les Baer’s double stacks. Anyone have any experience?
Mags, mags, mags. That freakin double stack to single stack transition is a killer. Less than clean mags and the dirt just screws things up.
At the 1911 Centennial Class I attended last month Larry and Ken said about the same thing. My experience from USPSA Matches were the Para needed to be rebuilt and the magazines needed to be more tapered at the top than the factory magazines were. People were even using STI Mags in their Paras. Like TrioFijo posted the STIs’ seem to work better in 38Super and .40S&W as the transition was less abrupt.
The STI 2011 is the gun, but it does need to have someone that knows their way around them to make it a reliable gun.
As others mentioned, STI has a lot of experience there and good stuff for the $$$. For range, competing, etc, I’d consider a double stack, but I’d never carry one for SD/CCW and risk my life on one.
There’s tons of good double stack guns deigned from the start to be double stack/high cap guns.
The true BTDT 1911 types (Yam et al) gives thumbs down to double stack 1911 for duty/SD and as a rule, when they speak I listen.
The Para double stack I shot was a POS jam O matic, but that’s n = 1 granted.