talk me outa the trojan 5.0

[bomb dropper]

well i traded my last 1911 (springfield gi) off, so now i need a new one. i got into shooting uspsa and the gi's sights were killing me. so i thought the new range officer would fit the bill but now that im looking at the STI it seems that i may get a little more gun (for a little more $). my two biggies are that its a series 70 and fordged frame. i really like the front strap on the sti too.

I guess im just wondering how good of a company STI is. I already know how great springfield is so it would take someone on par with thier cs to earn my $$$.

thanks

 

[JTQ]

I believe the Trojan has a cast frame, not forged, but it does appear to be a good value and is consistently praised on many forums.

Mr. Camp has a review of the Trojan comparing it to the Legacy.
http://www.hipowersandhandguns.com/Comparing the STI Trojan and Legacy.htm

A couple of the big STI distributors.

Brazos Custom
http://www.brazoscustom.com/Home.htm

Dawson Precision
http://www.dawsonprecision.com/CategoryProductList.jsp?cat=FIREARMS:STI+Pistols:Trojan+/+Sentry

 

[bomb dropper]

well shoot, why dont they put cast frame in the description? all of the others say fordge frame. now thats got me thinking because the lowest price fordged sti is on line with the springfield trp

 

[JTQ]

I don't think you'd know any difference. The Trojan is often used as a high volume shooter.

 

[pittspilot]

I have a Spartan that I acquired when they first came out. Very good gun especially considering that I paid about $400 for a barely used copy. However, it started having some barrel bump about a year ago. STI paid shipping both ways and fixed it in about 5 days without any hassles. I was well pleased.

I would buy an STI without hesitation.

 

[xr1200]

STI trojan uses a forged frame and slide. The lower level spartan uses cast frame.

 

[pittspilot]

I was answering his question about STI's CS which I found to be good.

 

[bomb dropper]

thank you pilot thats the kinda stuff i like to here.

xr1200 where are you getting that info? im not calling you out but the link posted earlier to the review said that the trojan is cast but it may be wrong im just wondering.

 

[xr1200]

I looked at Steve Camps review and does say cast, also read all the other reviews on STI website and all the other reviews don't state what the frame is made from. So I don't know where you get the cast, information except for Camps review, may be right or wrong.

I bought the STI 9mm trojan last november and I remember personally calling STI and asking them what the frame was made from, the STI rep said it is a forged frame made in the USA, with the billet slide.

If they told me it was a cast frame I wouldn't have bought it. I would hate to think the STI rep was giving me a load of BS.

I'll call STI tommorow to confirm cast or forged.

 

[bomb dropper]

if you could do that id owe you a cold one. I wrote them an email a couple days ago but have not heard back from them. and Afghanistan isn't the best place to try to call back to the states from unless i want to call at 3:30 am my time

 

[xr1200]

Heres a link to brownells specs on bare STI frames, they offer cast $175 dealer and $235 forged, also listed is the best spec that you can get.

It would be nice if STI offered the Trojan with the forged frame as you can see dealer cost is only a $60 difference and thats with brownells profit, the actual cost between forged and cast is probably on a $15-$20.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=26593/Product/1911_AUTO_SINGLE_STACK_RECEIVER

 

[ants]

Cast or forged...

Better let xr1200 call to confirm. I absolutely HATE counting on the good people on the Internet to get current and correct information without confirmation, when we're talking about a 1000 dollar purchase.

Cast v. Forged for us shooters:
There is no difference between a bad cast and a bad forged frame.

There is no difference between an excellent cast and an excellent forged frame.

For instance, Caspian uses cast frames. Nothing wrong with them.


It's a matter of production quality.
The forged vs. cast thing is far to simplistic to use as a rule.

 

[xr1200]

Usually on order of strength. forged is the strongest, then billet and then cast.

A lot of ppl think that billet material is the strongest, but what it really depends on is how the piece of raw material was made, so if the piece of steel billet , was forged into a bar stock shape and then machined into the into the gun part it would be as strong as forged completed part etc or greater.

But if the piece of billet steel is a cast bar stock , then machined into the gun part, it will then not be as strong as the forged part.

 

[JTQ]

FN moved their Hi-Power to a cast frame because the forged frame was having trouble handling the .40 S&W round. The cast frames have held up well in the Hi-Power.

I've never read of any problems with the Trojan frame.

 

[xr1200]

Well got the word from STI waranty dept and the trojan does have a cast frame that is made in the USA, if you want a sti forged frame the sentry is the cheapest model to have one.

 

[tkcomer]

I have a Trojan in 9 MM and absolutely love the thing. Even the 45 guys love the way it shoots. I would assume the 45 version would be just as good. I got mine through Brazos Custom Gunworks.

 

[MidwestRookie]

Talk you out of the Trojan?

I would never...

If I had the extra ~$400 to spend, I would've taken the trojan over the spartan I just ordered in a heartbeat..

 

[JTQ]

xr1200 wrote,
...if you want a sti forged frame the sentry is the cheapest model to have one.

FYI, the STI Lawman has a forged frame and costs less than the Sentry.
http://www.stiguns.com/guns/Lawman/Lawman.php

 

[bomb dropper]

thank you xr1200. i was looking at the lawman as well

they trojan list for 999 and i was planing on getting different sights for it so it would have been up around 1100 anyway so the lawman at 1200 with the same style of sights that i want would be swingable.

i understand the cast vs fordge thing is about like the 9mm vs 45 thing. i just choose to have a fordged frame.

now i guess its down to deciding between dawson and brazos

 

[Moonclips]

No experience with Brazos but they have a good reputation. I have bought 3 of my 1911's from Dawson and have no complaints.

 

[Jed Carter]

My Trojan is a Forged frame, Spartan is the only cast steel frame currently in the STI line. I cannot talk you out of getting a Trojan, for the money it will function flawlessly, and out shoot anything in it's price class. I have the 9mm version of the Trojan 5.0 and it is a real shooter, 5 shot groups under an inch at 25 yards, Weaver stance. I have recently shot 100 round groups as small a 2.5" at 15 yards firing at 1 second intervals. This is my USPSA / IDPA pistol, you can throw 1K at another pistol or invest it in an STI. Get the Trojan!

 

[JTQ]

Jed Carter wrote,
My Trojan is a Forged frame, Spartan is the only cast steel frame currently in the STI line.

Jed, we've discussed this already don't take us back down the road, it was painful enough the first time. The Trojan has a cast frame.

xr1200 wrote,
Well got the word from STI waranty dept and the trojan does have a cast frame that is made in the USA,

 

[Viper]

Why talk you out of it - I have a new Escort 45 and I really like it.

 

[xr1200]

My confusion on the frames may have been from me calling and talking to many ppl and companies.

I remember now about my STI 9mm trojan choice for a 9mm and when you weigh in all the factors for someone wanting one of the best 9mm target 1911 for the money the trojan even with the cast frame is hard to beat.

I decided that the STI with the cast frame was the best buy, taking into account modern thinking like browning hi powers that all use cast frames now and they are superior in strength to the old T and C model forged frames.

So unless your going to shoot professional competition and will be firing 5000 + rounds a year thru the gun, I really doubt that any quality cast frame will fail the average week end shooter.

Choices were
1.Trojan average price $950, I paid $1025 from brazos with upgraded mag well housing and I installed a wilson alloy trigger, hated the cheap plastic one.
2. SW 1911 9mm was around $1375 - $1500
3. kimber 2 1911 9mm about $900 didn't care for swantz firing system
4. SA target 9mm about $875 -$1000, had a bad taste with SA 1911's and didn't want to buy another one, now if they would have had something like the Range Officer in 9mm, I might have chanced one.
5. So while trying to stay with in the $900-$1000 mark the STI trojan was the best way to go.

There are other choices like fusion, DW, and other higher end guns, but it the $1000 range the trojan is the way to go and keeping with a model 70 fire system.

 

[JTQ]

I think the Trojan is a good value and a solid pistol.

The pistol has been around for a while and is often used by competitors that routinely put bunches and bunches of rounds through their pistols.

If there was a problem with the STI Trojan cast frame we would have heard about it.