STI Single-Stack Pistols

     Introduced in early 2006, the Lawman was originally a design of the ill-fated Lone Star Guns Company.  Most STI designs are meant for competition, but the Lawman is designed to be a service pistol.  It is still, however, a premium-quality 1911-type pistol like virtually all STI weapons.  Finish is in a deep black corrosion-resistant material, applied by “physical vapor deposition,” which leads to a very hard, yet smooth semi-gloss finish.  The grip plates are cocobolo and smooth (gravel-finished wooden grip plates are an option), with both the front and backstrap checkered.  The hammer is a relieved loop-type Commander hammer, and the trigger skeletonized aluminum.  The Lawman uses Novak Lo-Mount adjustable 3-dot sights, and these are dovetailed in and may be replaced with others if desired.  The top of the slide is flat, with a master line to help with quick pointing.  The slide has standard 1911-type cocking serrations at the rear; front cocking serrations are an option.  The magazine well is only barely beveled, and in fact magazines are a tight fit.  Unfortunately, due to a problem with excess chamber depth, unburned powder tends to blow back a little towards the shooter through the ejection port.  This is a shame, because the Lawman is otherwise extremely well-built, looks great, is resistant to wear, and displays excellent accuracy.  The Lawman is no longer produced.

     As with almost all of STI’s pistols, the Legacy is a premium-quality 1911-type pistol.  Though primarily distinguishable from a standard 1911-type pistol by its exceptional quality and good looks, the Legacy is also known for its accuracy.  The grip plates are of the cocobolo-type, smooth-finished and polished to a shine.  The rest of the Legacy is finished in polished deep black, using a process called by STI “physical vapor deposition,” which makes the Legacy’s finish very hard and resistant to corrosion, scratches, and blemishing.  The Legacy is an all-steel pistol.  The Legacy has one set of cocking serrations at the rear, in the standard M-1911A1 style.  The slide is a flattop type with a master line running the length; mounted at the rear is an STI Tactical Adjustable Rear Sight, which is low-profile and virtually snag-free.  The front sight blade is dovetailed into the slide, allowing for limited adjustment or exchanging with other front sight types at the shooter’s option.  The bushing is match quality, the hammer of the Commander-type, the trigger skeletonized, the safety ambidextrous, and the beavertail of the high-ride type.  There does appear to be a problem with the slide stop in brand new Legacies – it tends to make the pistol jam (usually by hanging up on the magazine) until the weapon is fully “shot in.”  The recoil spring is regarded as being a bit strong, something that putting enough rounds through the weapon also solves.  The Legacy is no longer produced.

     The Trojan is designed for IPSC, USPSA, IDPS, or SSSA competitions right out of the box – and is also a ready self-defense pistol. It is built on essentially the same frame and slide as the Legacy, and the controls are extended. The barrel is ramped and fitted with a match-quality bushing. It has a commander-type hammer, a STI match-quality trigger system, an STI S-7 sear, and a titanium strut.  It is a little step up from the Legacy.

     The Rogue is a compact 1911-type pistol chambered in 9mm and quite small at only 6.5 inches total length and a barrel of only 3 inches.  It is STI’s lightest pistol.  STI calls the slide “slenderized,” and it has rear cocking serrations and a single cocking groove at the front of the slide.  The sights are very low profile, and consist of a simple notch-type sight at the rear and a low blade up front; these sights are integral to the slide.  The frame is aluminum alloy, while the slide is carbon steel.  Grip plates are smooth wood, with a stippled frontstrap.  The grip safety has a bump on it to ensure engagement in the shooter’s grip.  The controls are in the customary 1911-type positions; the beavertail appears to be larger than normal, but this is because of the small size of the Rogue.  The 3-inch barrel is a modified coned barrel with no bushing.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Only the Legacy exists in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

STI Double-Stack Pistols

     Notes: The SteelMaster is a “race gun” – a match pistol designed for competitions where the shooters are timed, usually while they are moving and some of the targets are moving as well.  Such a pistol needs to be light in weight, but not have a lot of recoil.  They are usually highly accurized and have the ability to accept many custom features.  The SteelMaster is such a weapon; it was designed for shooters who needed a shorter, lighter weapon; is uses a 4.15-inch barrel tipped with a Trubor muzzle brake.  The barrel itself is also by Trubor, and is designed to stop misalignment of the bore and any optics mounted or the normal sights.  The slide has cocking grooves at the front and back of the slide; the front grooves cut completely through the slide, lightening it.  A special removable bracket is mounted on the slide; this allows for the use of a MIL-STD-1913 rail that does not interfere with the SteelMaster’s ejection port.  (The SteelMaster itself does not have any provision for iron sights.)  The cost of the SteelMaster below includes a C-More low-magnification reflex sight with a blast shield.  The grip is of wrap-around polymer with checkering, and is designed to encourage a high grip on the pistol; the frontstrap is also checkered.  The aluminum magazine well is funneled and controls are ambidextrous.

     STI’s Tactical pistol is a 1911-type pistol with several modern touches.  The Tactical uses high-capacity double-stack magazines, and comes in three calibers and two barrel lengths (both of bull weight).  The frame is aluminum alloy or carbon steel, with a molded-in accessory rail complying with MIL-STD-1913 specifications.  The front strap is checkered, as are the grip plates and mainspring housing.  The magazine well is beveled to ease reloading.  The trigger is made from carbon fiber, and is neither too hard in pull nor too light; it is also adjustable for overtravel.  The grip safety is beavertailed and the thumb safety is extended.  Designed as a combat pistol, the Tactical has fixed sights, though they are dovetailed so that they can be replaced if desired.  The slide finish is flat black and non-reflective.  The feed ramp is integral with the barrel to increase structural integrity as well as reliability.

     A variant of the Tactical, known as the Duty One, uses a carbon steel frame and single-stack magazines.  The Duty One has a somewhat fancier fit and finish, including rosewood grip panels.  It is otherwise the same as the steel-framed Tactical 5.0, except for the weight.

     The Eagle is essentially a Tactical with a polymer frame, a skeletonized trigger of carbon fiber, and loop hammer.  The grip frame retains its width, though magazine capacity becomes larger (resulting in a longer grip).  The Eagle retains the scalloped cocking grips, and the slide and working parts remain steel.

     STI is known for producing pistols using an old-style base, but modern design and manufacturing methods.  The V.I.P. is perhaps the best known of those pistols; it is based on the 1911 design, but is more compact, with a barrel length of 3.9 inches.  The pistol uses double-stack magazines that are not much wider than single-stack magazines, and the grip is also not much wider.  The grip is full length, and is made in two pieces, with the upper portion made of light alloy and the lower portion is of polymer, as is the trigger guard.  The trigger is full-sized and skeletonized.  The entire outline is very smooth, broken only by the sights which alloy for quick target acquisition. 

     The V.I.P. went out of production for a short time, but came back in 2008.  When it came back, the .38 Super and .357 SiG chamberings were no longer offered.  The V.I.P. returned in versions with frames in both 7075 aluminum alloy and 4140 Maxxell steel alloy, and a stainless steel or carbon steel slide; both versions are heavier than their earlier counterparts.  This is partially because the grips now hold double-stack magazines.  It now has scalloped-type cocking grooves, a dovetailed front sight, a Heinie rear sight.  The grip safety has a bump to ensure positive engagement.  The barrel, while the same length, is now a bull barrel with a ramped chamber.  The trigger guard may be squared or rounded, and the trigger guard is skeletonized aluminum.  Both versions shoot the same in game terms, though there is a weight and price difference.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: None of these pistols exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Storm Lake 1911

     Notes: Not really a complete pistol, the “Storm Lake 1911” is actually the result of a kit which converts virtually any 1911-type pistol to fire .400 Cor-Bon ammunition.  The kit consists of a new barrel, bushing, link, and link pin.  The results are a bit mixed; the kit is supposed to be a drop-in kit, but in practice (sometimes) machining of the chamber mouth and feed ramp are necessary for optimum performance.  (This problem usually happens when one gets an old kit from the time when Storm Lake was under its previous management; new kits generally don’t have this problem.)  If this machining is necessary, the pistol may never be able to be converted back to .45 ACP again.  In addition, some tests suggest that to fire the .400 Cor-Bon cartridge, the kit should also come with buffer and stronger recoil spring.  However, the conversion is generally reliable, if not perfect.  The stats below are for a Storm Lake kit in an average 1911-type pistol.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This conversion kit does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Strayer-Voigt Infinity

     Notes: Perhaps one of the most deluxe variants of the M-1911A1 you will find.  Versions of the Infinity come in 8 calibers (with others available upon request) and can have frames made of steel, stainless steel, light alloy, titanium alloy, or composite.  They all have a beveled magazine well and an extra large magazine well to accommodate large-capacity magazines.  The trigger has an adjustable trigger stop, and can be interchanged for triggers in nine different shapes and four colors.  The weapon can be changed between calibers by merely changing the barrel, magazine, and the cartridge case claw. 

     The basic Infinity also has a Bo-Mar micrometer rear sight or a Novak combat rear sight.  The front sight may be a standard type, one with a fiberoptic inlay, or one with a tritium inlay.  The grip safety is extended, as is the safety.  The safety may be had in one-sided or ambidextrous design.  The buyer may also have a choice of six different magazine releases.

     The Infinity Gold is an even more deluxe version of the Infinity; it has a gold-plated bolt and barrel-bushing.  The frame is always composite on the Infinity Gold, but it is available in a rainbow of colors.  There is a rail underneath the frame that can be used for accessories such as lights, laser aiming modules, etc.

Strayer-Voigt Infinity Concealed Carry Compensator/Short Combat

     Notes: These are versions of the Infinity that have all the basic features, but have a shorter barrel, and the safety is always ambidextrous.  The standard caliber in which Strayer-Voigt makes these pistols is .45 ACP, with a steel frame, but other chamberings are available upon request.  The two versions are the Infinity Concealed Carry Compensator, which has a ported barrel, and the Short Combat, which does not.

Strayer-Voight Infinity Match

     Notes: This is basically a match-quality M-1911-type pistol with Strayer-Voight’s special touches.  The Frame may be blued steel, stainless steel, light alloy, or polymer composite.  The rear sight is a Bo-Mar micrometer adjustable sight.  The grip safety is extended into an extra-long beavertail.  The Infinity Match has the Infinity’s interchangeable trigger system, and the pistol is available in a large number of calibers.  The barrel is match-quality. 

Strayer-Voigt Infinity Racegun

     Notes: This is an Infinity pistol converted into a “race gun,” a weapon designed for competitions where the shooters primarily work while firing on the move or from short halts, often with nothing more than quick peeks from behind cover.  As such, the Infinity Racegun has a number of extra frills that normal pistols do not have: a large muzzle brake, a mount for sights that is not affected by the cycling of the slide, as well as things found on other Infinity guns, such as an ambidextrous safety, interchangeable triggers, an extended beavertail and grip safety, beveled magazine well, and an enlarged ejection port.  The frame is of a polymer composite, but between the muzzle brake, extended barrel, and sight mount, it is actually much heavier than other Infinity-series pistols.

Strayer-Voigt Infinity Stock/Stock Modified

     Notes: As might be indicated by the name, this is a more or less standard sort of pistol, built for competitions where “stock” pistols are required, but the pistols that are employed may be quite well-made.  As such, the Infinity Stock has a heavy Scheumann barrel, and has an interchangeable trigger system.  The magazine well is beveled.  The safety may be on either side or ambidextrous, as required.  If the buyer wishes, this pistol may be bought with either 4 or six ports in the barrel to help fight recoil; in this case, the weapon is known as the Stock Modified.  The Infinity Stock and Stock Modified have a composite frame.

     The Infinity Target Master is essentially an Infinity Stock with a Bo-Mar micrometer adjustable rear sight.  It is identical to the Infinity Stock for game purposes.

Sundance A-25/Boa/Laser-25

     Notes: These three pistols are virtually identical, being small .25 caliber pocket pistols.  The basic model is the A-25; the Boa adds a grip safety; and the Laser-25 adds a small laser aiming unit in front of the trigger guard (which only looks large in relation to the pistol’s tiny size) that is activated by the grip safety.  They may be finished in black Teflon or chrome.  The A-25 and Boa are identical for game purposes.