STI’s Tactical 4.15 may have evolved from the battle-hardened 1911, but it takes the platform to the next generation.
Back in the early 1980s, when the U.S.
Army set out to find a successor for the Colt 1911A1,
there were a lot of shooting periodicals claiming the
(then 60-year-old) war-horse was old and outdated—a fossil
in dire need of being mothballed. Many opinions were to
the contrary, however, and close to 30 years later, the
argument rages on. Its opponent, the double-action auto,
has grown in popularity during that time—but so has the
1911. The folks at STI have unearthed an all new specimen
in this epic debate by improving the design and offering
improvements worthy of a Holocene-era shooter.
Top: STI Tactical 4.15’s full-length dust cover not only adds extra space for mounting a dedicated light source, the extra weight under the barrel reduces perceived recoil.
Lower: Features on the handgun include a flat-top slide, a low-profile Heine rear sight, an ambidextrous thumb safety and a high-ride, beavertail grip safety.
STI has been building custom 1911s designed
for competition and self-defense for several decades. While
its slogan, “The Continuing Evolution of the 1911,” clearly
defines STI’s passion, the company’s 2011, Tactical 4.15
embodies it. STI also produces a 5-inch variant, the Tactical
5.0, which features front-cocking serrations on the slide
and adjustable sights. Aside from that, the pistols are
virtually the same. However, unlike other polymer-gripped
competition 1911s, this one, as the name suggests, wasn’t
designed with fun in mind.
Simply put, the Tactical 4.15 is a marriage of
features between a custom 1911 and a high-capacity race gun. Company
President Dave Skinner took the Edge 5.0, and modified it without
sacrificing the accuracy and reliability people have come to expect
from STI. The result was a short, high-capacity pistol, which functions
well in either defensive or offensive applications.
At the heart of the Tactical’s design
is its patented polymer grip and modular steel frame,
which allows for more ammunition without the added bulk
of oversized grip circumference or a magazine protruding
past the frame. It also features an aluminum magwell to
aid in lightning-fast reloads. That’s not all that sets
this pistol apart from other 1911s. It’s loaded with features
designed for the person who has personal protection in
mind. It has a full-length dust cover with an integral
Picatinny rail, which proves beneficial for two reasons.
First, the rail accepts a variety of lights and other
accessories—making it suitable for civilian and law enforcement
use. Second, lengthening the dust cover adds extra weight
under the front of the pistol. That weight, in conjunction
with the bull barrel, serves to reduce muzzle flip. The
Tactical 4.15 also contains STI’s RecoilMaster, a special
guide rod assembly designed to reduce felt recoil by use
of dual springs, which also helps return the muzzle to
point of aim faster than conventional springs.
With the addition of a flashlight, the Tactical
makes a suitable household guardian. Its beveled magazine
well offers the shooter carbine-like capacity without
the need to grab an extra magazine or switch to a larger
firearm. While this may not appear a critical consideration to
everyone, when startled from sleep the odds of a homeowner
remembering to grab an extra magazine are greatly reduced. Add the
elderly or physically disabled, whose non-shooting hand
may be busy helping them get out of bed, and the pistol’s extra
ammunition capacity is a real asset.
Similarly, the STI Tactical 4.15 proves just as beneficial
for law enforcement applications, such as an entry gun for
a SWAT point man—a term that often refers to the first officer
deployed into potentially hostile environments. The job calls
for someone who is highly mobile, fast-reacting and capable
of doing more communicating than neutralizing suspects. Given
that mobility can be just as important as firepower, a handgun
such as the STI Tactical 4.15 is suitable for this task.
Although the sights on the STI Tactical 4.15 are devoid of dots or tritium vials, target acquisition was sure and fast. Both the front and rear sights have serrations to reduce glare and are dovetailed into the slide. The author conducted testing in low-light conditions and didn’t find the lack of high-visibility sights to be a drawback.
Overall, I found the pistol a real pleasure
to shoot. Recoil was noticeably reduced by STI’s dual-spring
system, making double taps a breeze. The high-ride grip safety
has a beaver-tail configuration and adds to the ergonomics of
the grip while all but eliminating the chance of hammer bite.
Its lower portion has a memory bump to aid in positive sear disengagement.
Similar to the grip, the trigger shoe is also polymer. Sporting
a long, narrow, skeletonized shoe, the Tactical’s pull was
crisp and pleasant, measuring slightly more than 4 pounds with
minimal take-up. The pistol also comes with an ambidextrous
thumb safety.
Unlike many other slides, the Tactical
has a flat top, along with prominent and easy to access
rear cocking serrations. Front and rear dovetails contain
STI’s fixed, low-profile sights; sadly they were devoid
of any dots or tritium vials. The 2011 pistols contain
fully supported, ramped bull barrels. The absence of a
bushing contributes to its accuracy due to there being
one less moving part surrounding the muzzle, while the
built-in feed ramp enhances reliability.
When shooting the STI Tactical 4.15 part of me
wanted to try and tap into the gun’s competitive roots—to see
just how tight this pseudo-race gun would perform while establishing
a good baseline. At 25 yards the pistol displayed great accuracy
by shooting a 3-inch group from a bench rest with Hornady
230-grain FMJ.
According to law enforcement statics, between
70 to 80 percent of shootings occur in low-light conditions. With
that in mind, I decided to incorporate darkness into my test parameters
by mounting an Insight Technology M6 Tactical Illuminator.
Why the laser, you ask? Much like lights, lasers are used
by civilians and law enforcement as an alternative firearm-sighting
tool. They allow accurate shooting in low-light environments
when traditional iron sights may not be visible. Lasers
also enable the user to stay focused on the threat instead of
having to transition to their iron sights prior to shooting.
Lastly, lasers can serve as a universal translator. Threats have
been know to see the error of their ways and reconsider their
actions once that red dot appears on their body—defusing the situation
and bringing it to a happy close.
Top: Skeletonized components, such as the hammer and trigger lend themselves to the Tactical’s smooth trigger pull, while the lowered ejection port aids in reliability.
Middle: The STI’s unique slide serrations add sufficient purchase when working the action, even with gloves. Serrations at the back of the sight help reduce glare and the manual safety is generous enough to work, even in a potentially stressful situation.
Lower: The aluminum magwell helps with quick reloads. For those shooters with large hands, it can also be used as a makeshift palm rest. It’s just one of the many features that STI has brought from its roots in competitive shooting that are perfect for self-defense applications.
I chose to use a laser sight because I believe
the STI Tactical would make a great home-defense pistol—especially
for those less mobile like me. A laser sight is ideal in this
instance because aging eyes typically see better at a distance
than up close. Therefore, the dot should be more visible than
a traditional sight picture. To mimic low-light conditions, I
turned off all but one row of lights several yards behind me.
The end result produced an abundance of darkness and silhouette
downrange, and the only way to clearly see my target was to employ
the M6 system.
For the remainder of the accuracy test, I decided
to shoot at 7 yards—the typical distance most deadly encounters
occur. This 1911 proved more reliable than relic. I fired three
different brands of ammunition in a variety of bullet weights
ranging from MagSafe 68-grain, pre-fragmented hollow points to
Hornady 230-grain hardball. I chose to include MagSafe in this
test because of its claims regarding reduced ricochet and overpenetration—two
major concerns in relation to home defense. The bullets
are so light because unlike conventional lead-core ammunition,
MagSafe uses a mixture of large lead shot and epoxy. The
company’s 68-grain Super Swat is designed for reduced wall penetration;
the rounds break up inside household drywall.
Interestingly, the wide range of bullet weights
did not induce any malfunctions during testing. While I felt a
difference between the various loads, STI’s RecoilMaster system
worked well to soften the action. Group sizes ranged from 7⁄8
to 2 inches—not bad for low-light shooting. More important, these
results say a lot about the Tactical’s accuracy and overall
reliability. Surprisingly, my vision wasn’t affected by
muzzle blast as I anticipated. Regardless, I’m certain the pistol
would have shot just as well, if not better, under normal
lighting conditions.
To meet the present demand for the high-capacity plastic handgun
market in the Polymerithic Period, the folks at STI gave the
1911 a facelift. Whether the 97-year-old war-horse needed
it is quite open to debate. Regardless, that ever-present,
legendary reliability shined from first round to finish. Call
it what you may, the STI Tactical is a handgun of Darwinian
scale and embodies the true sense of Natural Selection in
1911 evolution.
A Light Addition
The Insight Technology M6 Tactical
Laser Illuminator is designed for civilian or law enforcement
use in a situation where the need for both red and white
light may be needed. It is a small, but multifunctional,
device comprised of chemical-resistant polymer and a tempered
glass lens for easy cleaning. The M6 is equipped with a
visible aiming laser and a white focusable illuminator and
is capable of being attached to any firearm with a Picatinny
rail. Powered by two 3-volt lithium batteries, its halogen
lamp boasts a powerful output of 80 to 90 lumens. The M6’s
laser can cast its intense beam 50 meters in daylight, and
more than 700 meters at night. A 4-position master switch
on the back of the unit sets the illumination mode. The
choices are: laser, light, both laser and light or power
off. With a weight of 3.3 ounces including batteries, it
is a light addition for a light addition.
—BB
Tapping Into STI’s Roots
“I shoot an STI because of the innovative, forward-thinking
design,” said Heide Kaser, who has participated in United
States Practical Shooting Association matches (USPSA)
for 8 years. She typically shoots in Open Class matches,
with a compensated 5-inch STI in .38 Super. However, she
occasionally competes in Limited Class, using an STI Tactical
model in .40 S&W. Kaser, who is an NRA Office of Advancement
program officer said, “The folks at STI are shooters.
Their designers know what shooters are looking for when
it comes to performance, and thanks to their high-quality
machining, STI guns have a tighter slide-to-frame fit,
which gives the shooter greater accuracy
and reliability.
“Customers don’t have to settle for a ready-made model
either, like with other companies. STI builds custom guns
to a buyer’s exact specifications, and has a responsive
repair shop,” Kaser said, “They have outstanding customer
service too.” Kaser has earned her share of awards. She
won High Lady in the Rocky Mountain 3-gun match at NRA’s
Whittington Center last September, using her STI in the
handgun phase.
—BB
