TexasCHLforum.com

"randomoutburst" wrote:

STI has given me great customer service in the past (and I've posted about it!) so I've already contacted them about getting it repaired. David with STI said that abuse and accidents are not covered BUT because I was honest and told him it broke when I dropped it, that he would try to see what they could do to help me out. I'm going to give him a call on Monday to see what can be done.

That would be a good idea, it can't hurt to see what they say.

Although, now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just order a non-MIM part to replace it and have my local gunsmith do it himself. I don't know. Hmmm.

That might be an excellent option for you. Depending upon the extent to which STI is willing to go...on the repair. IF the cost to have it repaired by STI approaches what you could have it done for locally (include the cost of shipping), then I'd definitely swap out non MIM parts.

I agree; I would not expect the safety to just break off like that. I've dropped it once before onto carpet while at home practicing drawing (and it was empty, I promise!) so obviously that didn't do much damage. Tile is a horrible surface on which to have a drop, but I was surprised that it broke from a 2 foot drop.

That really wasn't much of a drop, but as you state..TILE is an unforgiving surface to land on. Undoubtedly...the pistol made a "two point" landing on the thumb safety and Beavertail. Still...I would expect it to hold up.

And don't worry, if I have to put the gun on the floor in the future I WILL make a TP bed for it. ;)

Its just one of those unfortunate things. Yours is not the first problem I've heard of when making a bathroom stop. I wear a shoulder rig...so its never a problem for me, but something to be dealt with for other modes of carry.

Thanks for sharing your story and bringing to our attention the need to safely store your firearm under those conditions.

I hope your repair works out well for you.


Flint.

"The Annoyed Man" wrote:

Does STI use MIM parts?

Yes. And before even getting down to your post...that was my first thought.
On the STI, most likely the Thumb Safety, Slide Stop and Grip Safety are MIM.

From the STI site:

Q. Does STI use any MIM parts?
A. Yes. We, like most manufacturers, do but not in any of the "critical" stress or wear components. Our good friend Bob Serva of Fusion Firearms has graciously allowed us to quote his response to this question.

http://www.stiguns.com/FAQ-MIM.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BTW, there's MIM, and there's MIM. I've used a MIM part off of a Kimber to replace the broken MIM part in a Taurus, and the Taurus part broke at about 6 months, and the Kimber part is still in there 2 years later.)

That is true. I'm not a big fan of MIM because the process to produce reliable MIM parts are full of "IF/AND"S". There are zero MIM parts on my carry gun....but I concede MIM parts can be suitable IF/WHEN properly manufactured.

Is it possible that your particular gun was assembled to looser tolerances than called for by specification? I would be interested to know if STI will stand behind their product.

STI has a good reputation...but they are no longer a "custom" gun maker. Some of their models are made in Slovakia, others in the Philippines (the Trojan I believe), all others in Georgetown, TX.

STI warranty does not cover items subject to normal wear or "abuse".