I have a couple of STIs; I'm not a huge fan of the name change. They don't seem to even show a single stack on their website anymore; or a gun without a rail.

 

I wasn't aware of the name change - do remember their past ownership changes however.....just checked their website - looks like they're focusing on the competition side of handgun shooting - yep, too bad they're not showing any single stackers and all their offerings are "racie/star trek looking" stuff that I'm not interested in - but, their decision - guess I got mine before "the change"

 

Nice pair of pistols, there.

Saw my first STI back in the (IIRC) mid-to-late 1990s. First such double-stack I had seen that captured my attention. In those days, they were focusing on "race" guns and custom rigs. As I recall, it was an early rendition of their VIP platform, but with a grip that was measurably taller than what became their later VIP model. Double-stack, of course. Big fat grip, but it was so aggressively checkered (in the composite of the grip) that it felt fabulous.

Acquired one STI, the compact Shadow .45ACP model. But it had some cycling issues. After a properly-fitted extractor and slide stop were installed, it ran like a top.

Of course, these days, the STIs are commanding stout prices. Don't see them much, around my area.

 

Pierre

Verry Nice! Give us a Range Report when you get back with some targets

03

 

will do Sniper but it'll be a while before I head to the Range - Wife is working 9 days straight over x-mas and n.y. and I don't enjoy going and shooting by myself - plus my targets don't really tell-the-tale of how my firearms perform anymore but I can say that my STIs all operate exceptionally well (weller than my abilities) - triggers are excellent on both the Elektras and they've got enough weight to make recoil not a problem.....I've also got an STi 4.0 Tactical in .40. 4.26" barrel, 8rd mags - hate to use the word "love" w/ref to firearms so I'll say that it's a joy to shoot - I compete it against my Glock 24 with it's 6" barrel (when I shoot .40) and the "winner for accuracy" goes back and forth between the two no matter the distance I shoot (which is up to 25yds (indoor range max))

sorry to hear about STI not offering any single stacks anymore - marketing decision

 

Pierre.

And unless you shoot at an indoor range! It is too D***** cold right now to even think about outside. Not only is it cold my Shooting Bench has about 3 inches of snow on it and with 25 mph wind gusts today. And it is snowing again in the Tennessee Hills! BRRRRR! We are having a heat wave today at 27 degrees vs the -1 the other day which is unusual here in Tennessee! By the way how are the boys in the barn doing? Is it getting warmer there? We are suposed to get up to 60s at the end of next week.

03

 

I don't envy you your present wx/temps - it's warming up here, somewhat - 'twas 34º this morning, vs the 10-20s we've been having and the last couple of days the sun's been out so the Boy are doing their "standing day-time naps" in the sun each day (and they're "fat and sassy").....our local WIs (weather idiots) are talkin' 70º temps on tuesday and thursday perhaps I can get out and auger a few post holes this week (tomorrow morning this is 'sposed to be cold again however)

bundle up and stay warm folks - Happy New Year

 

here's the STI 4.0 single stack Tactical that I've got - 4.26" barrel, 41.1oz, 8rds of .40 - a great shooter (I don't have a need for the rail, but.....):

 

German Federal Police carrying an HK P30 and a 'real' MP5. A Polizist pointed to the P30 (in his holster) in the Nuremberg Bahnhof, so maybe their handguns are now mostly whichever model of HK? The officer told me that the Sig P6 had been gone for years.

Every team of federal police I saw last October at Munich Airport (MUC) consisted of a young lady with a male partner.

This next video features "Bunny Hunter" cleaning a select-fire MP5. She is a friend of both Valerie ("50calVal") and her father Mark Serbu, who manufactures 50 bmg rifles etc near Tampa.

The MP5 which Michelle cleans belongs to Mark. Some of you are familiar with his custom gun business.

The German lady, Valerie and Michelle can be "easy on the eyes".👩

Country Girl Bunny Hunter field strips and cleans a full auto HK MP5 - Bing video

She fires a practice 40 mm grenade in the next video, in the Serbu plant.
It's about the guns, not the ladies----At 2:41 she posts a thank you to our Vietnam veterans, to the song "the Green Berets" by Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler.

A girl and a grenade launcher - Bing video

 

don't care much for the degree of "class" the videos present - I'm more of a Hickok45 type of guy - videos without the cameraman flipping off whomever or the presenter "kicking someone's a$$" - informative vids without the "cute".....

the M79 was a favorite of mine - a challenge to shoot indirectly accurately until ya got to know it - managed to scrounge one and some ammo at each re-qual

 

the M79 was a favorite of mine - a challenge to shoot indirectly accurately until ya got to know it - managed to scrounge one and some ammo at each re-qual

I was fond of the M79 as well but what I most enjoyed shooting was the M60. So much so that I have really considered buying one a couple of times over the years.

 

Lucky Pierre:
That very obnoxious cameraman is the creator of Serbu Arms, Mark Serbu.
I'm not defending any of his behavior, just adding this as info. He's kinda rude at times towards his very nice daughter Val. She is seen in a number of videos
(and she is a master gun builder)..

Michelle's appealing looks (at least for me) seemed to counteract that, and with my pair of PTR-91s, can sort of 'relate' to her cleaning techniques.

 

Laufer
I can definitely relate to her comment on the MP-5 weapon there being very dirty. We had 6 each MP-5 SDs on the Swat Team at the Metro PD. For those who do not know what and MP-5 SD is, simply MP 5's a Suppressor on them. Ours also had the Navy Triggers in them which is a quality trigger. But the point being with the Suppressor on them. And they took the best part of well over an hour to clean them. But I will say one thing they are a breeze to handle and shoot in Full or Semi-Auto. At the Phil Singleton law enforcement Auto Weapon School by Friday, we were ablet to write our initials on the Target in full auto mode! First, Middle and Last! Mine was RCC.

But as was mentioned regarding military weapons my favorites was my M-14 before they issued us Matty Mattel! M-16s
and my other favorite was the PIG known as the M-60. A couple of years ago when I was at the Knob Creek machine gun shoot in Kentucky at the Rifle Company's Both that I worked for. A guy in the booth behind us had a mint condition M-60 and as I "drooled" he said he would sell it for $45,000.00. If I had recently Won, the Lottery that PIG would have been mine!

03

 

Sniper03: Swat must have been very interesting.

Luckily paper towels seem to help clean most of my (pair of) PTR-91s' internals fairly quickly after using 60-100 rds., , using Ballistol and then some patches (+ short bit of toothbrush) for tighter areas of the bolt and bolt carrier..
Kinda awkward reaching to clean the right roller recess, and not much easier reaching the left side's recess.

Well, bought a 12 gauge shotgun cleaning brush months ago (put on rifle cleaning rod), but it doesn't seem practical because the wide bristles get quickly mangled/ stuck when pushing towards the breech.
I should try Youtube.

 

Laufer
Yes, it certainly was interesting, I spent 16.5 years on the Team.
Somone told me just the other day I should write about our experiences. Maybe someday!
Yes, your PTR 91 is a good weapon you will have to get some pictures and a range report the next time you get it to the range! I have a HK 93 - A3 - 5.56 NATO /223 that is also a good weapon.
The HK MP-5s without the suppressors were not as hard to clean. The ones with the Suppressors were hard to clean. Not so much "hard" as time consuming. The suppressors really trashed them out, especially when firing a lot of rounds during training.

03

 

Even if she is not welcome here, at least she has an original HK in ,223 , or HK clone (likely C-93).

"Europeans" use a comma instead of a period for decimals, ie 5,56 .

 

I'm guessing that there's not much restriction with ref to who's welcome here - just sayin' that the lack of couth helps define one's degree of sophistication

the original intent of the thread's title, "Eye Candy", was meant to have folks post pics of their BBQ handguns - perhaps I should have explained that more clearly in post #1

 

Ahhh, Sniper, I LOVE the M60!! In my Army days, I got to be a 60 gunner in one of my units. She's a hefty girl, but what a weapon! Agree, if I won the lotto, I;d seek one out, that's for sure!