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Old November 11, 2008, 07:10 PM   #1
Texas1911
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Review of STI's Polymer Pistol

http://www.texasguntalk.com/forums/h...sti-gp6-8.html

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Old November 11, 2008, 09:51 PM   #2
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Not a single comment?
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Old November 11, 2008, 09:59 PM   #3
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nice! good price too
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Old November 11, 2008, 10:08 PM   #4
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Why don't you post the review here vs. linking to another site? You might get more comments.
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Old November 11, 2008, 10:40 PM   #5
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How much does it cost? It looks good if what you report is true. I hope it's durable and reliable. That way people can quit purchasing cheap pistols and actually own a decent low cost weapon.
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Old November 11, 2008, 11:07 PM   #6
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The market price will be around $600 - 650.

What I report is my personal opinion. I don't work for STI, nor have they paid me anything for the review. I just thought it'd be fun to try something new out.
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Old November 12, 2008, 09:35 AM   #7
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I really don't see it being succesful at that price range. There are a lot of very good guns in the $600 range.
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Old November 12, 2008, 10:30 AM   #8
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The target market for that kind of a pistol, (DA/SA, rotating barrel, 17+1 capacity, about a pound and a half weight) is already in the Beretta PX-4's wheelhouse.

Only with the Beretta, you get a more attractive pistol, (or at least subdued markings), three caliber choices, user changeable back straps, more spare parts and gun smithing options, better aftermarket support for holsters, night sights, etcetera, and likely a better resale market due to carrying a household name in the industry.

All for at least $50-100.00 less. That's a big premium for frame mounted safeties on a pistol that looks harder to conceal due to being a half inch longer and sporting an old school squared off trigger guard.

So the rebadged Slovak pistol is novel, but that's about it.
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Old November 12, 2008, 10:50 AM   #9
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It looks like a CZ or one of the many clones to me.

I would rather see a single stack polymer full size 1911 weighing about 25 oz.
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Old November 12, 2008, 11:41 AM   #10
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I'm at a loss as to what the target market segment is supposed to be.

If the trigger is as good as indicated USPSA Production Division folks might be interested but that can't be a huge number.

It won't just be competing with other spin-barrels, it's in the pit with a bunch of other polymer 9mm semi-autos. For those of us that don't own a polymer 9mm, what does this have that a Glock, XD, M&P, PX etc., doesn't?

STI generally displays some pretty astute marketing but I'm not seeing what the "angle" is with this example. Assuming a street price of 590.00 it's higher than XD, Glock and M&P by varying degrees and about on par with PX-4s.

Does the Grand Power have a built-in base with the target crowd?
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Old November 12, 2008, 02:48 PM   #11
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One thing the internet is going to have issues with is that we are so open to choices, but the vast majority of the market looks for things like external safeties (which the XD, M&P, and Glock do not have), balance, ergonomics, etc.

I've handed people Glocks or XDs enough times and heard them say they feel cheap, or they feel unbalanced, or they are afraid they are going to break it. The perception is quite different from the internet. We see a Glock and we see a polymer workhorse. It's OK that it doesn't have a supermatch trigger because we can modify it, or we know it's going to eat anything and run till the barrel melts out of the frame.

If the GP6 can offer that to them over the other choices, then it will sell. I can say that the GP6 is dissimilar in feel to a Glock or XD.

It's the same thing as the XD. It was a pistol from Croatia that was adopted for the US market. It's just a hair different from a Glock, but it's enough that it created it's own niche that grew into a larger community.
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Old November 12, 2008, 03:22 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas1911
vast majority of the market looks for things like external safeties (which the XD, M&P, and Glock do not have)


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Old November 12, 2008, 04:21 PM   #13
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Thanks for posting the review, or at least a link to it. While the gun may not take a large market share (or it may, who know), it is always interesting to me to learn about new/different guns from first hand accounts. That's part of the reason I frequent sites like the Firing Line.

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Old November 12, 2008, 04:31 PM   #14
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If the GP6 can offer that to them over the other choices, then it will sell. I can say that the GP6 is dissimilar in feel to a Glock or XD.

It's the same thing as the XD. It was a pistol from Croatia that was adopted for the US market. It's just a hair different from a Glock, but it's enough that it created it's own niche that grew into a larger community.
I hope they do well. If the Wikipedia entry on the Grand Power is to be believed, STI is buying 100,000 of the things in an unstated time frame.

Not exactly something that will have S&W / Glock etc looking over their shoulders about but far from chump change.

It'd be nice if it slipped into its own niche - it'd cut down on the inevitable "versus" threads.

Here's hoping its sales numbers are closer to the XD's than the AR-24's.
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Old November 12, 2008, 05:15 PM   #15
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Look, another XD variant that will take 20 months to get to market after they advertise it!
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Old November 12, 2008, 05:28 PM   #16
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I've seen and held the XD45 with thumb safety at Bud's gun shop. If they'd put the thumb safety on the compact/sub-compact models I'd be all over it.
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Old November 12, 2008, 05:35 PM   #17
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Not impressed at all, especially for the price.

7lb trigger, poor aesthetics, rough production (look at the rear face of the trigger), and it looks like it was made in some 3rd world country.

It looks to be accurate, and being STI it is no doubt reliable, but it looks more like a rough prototype rather than a production finished pistol. It needs a LOT of refinement before most people will plunk down more than $350 for it.
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Old November 12, 2008, 05:37 PM   #18
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Look, another XD variant that will take 20 months to get to market after they advertise it!
Perhaps so, but STI lives in a house of glass when it comes to that sort of thing.

I have a Texican.
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Old November 12, 2008, 06:10 PM   #19
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What class? Production USPSA? Isn't that what the gun is designed for? I coulda sworn it was. Sti makes some of the finest pistols in the world today. I prefer the 2011 framed pistols to most, but they make a great 1911 too. I don't agree with the asthetics, perhaps it will grow on me. I dunno. I'll have to shoot one at a match. Looks really accurate. That's a good start....
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Old November 12, 2008, 11:45 PM   #20
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One thing it has over Beretta is the external controls are on the frame not the slide.

Too many good firearms on the market in the $600 range. Change the roll marks.
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Old November 13, 2008, 12:32 AM   #21
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If it gets much over $600, you're getting up close to the H&K price range... I'll take the H&K! I paid just over $700 OTD for the my NIB P2000.
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Old November 13, 2008, 02:22 AM   #22
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I've seen and held the XD45 with thumb safety at Bud's gun shop. If they'd put the thumb safety on the compact/sub-compact models I'd be all over it.
Me, too, but I e-mailed them and they said "no dice."
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Old November 13, 2008, 02:26 AM   #23
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At first glance it seems nice, but I don't like the safety, hammer, grip, etc. Looks too much like a CZ. Nothing against CZ, the only thing I don't like about them is the looks. Seems like a really nice gun besides that. Just my $.02
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Old November 15, 2008, 02:06 AM   #24
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got to play with one in the store..
ugly gun..but points well..and has a good grip size..feels similar to an SP01.
trigger pull is smooth, a bit long, maybe 7#..single action is really nice for a factory gun, crisp, felt like 3# and reset is really short; really short.
mag release works from both sides. wish it were a little bigger but I could reach it and work it with either my thumb or trigger finger. regular CZ mags did not work in it..didn't have an SP01 mag to try in it.
sights are basic three dot, front sight looks like it is made of plastic. they were useable..sure hope there will be options.

disassembly was a bit different..pull the triggerguard down, retract slide to the rear and lift off the frame. took me awhile to figure out how to reassemble, but guess once you get used to it, it would be easy.
the block in the frame seemed nicely made.
ambi thumb safety, even though pretty flat to the frame slide, was easy to operate.
comes with two mag.
price was like $580-$600

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Old November 15, 2008, 08:15 AM   #25
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STI wants to sell a pistol that can be used in the "Production" division.

Makes sense!
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