I picked up a STI Perfect 10 out of their first production run. In fact, this pistol's serial number is on the first CNC batch. While most people avoid "first edition" models, I ran to the chance to try out one of my favorite calibers in my favorite frame.
Stats:
Maker - STI International (STI International, Inc.)
Model - Perfect 10
Frame - STI 2011 Double Stack Full Length Tactical
Caliber - 10mm Auto
Barrel Length - 6"
Capacity - 13 + 1
Sights - Adjustable Target
The gun is built on a modular STI 2011 double-stack frame with a steel subframe, slide, and a polymer grip. It has a large aluminum magwell which certainly aids in finding the hole, further making reloads that much easier with the double stack layout.
The slide is a long slide model with effective slide serations at the front and rear which houses the 6" long bushingless bull barrel. Like all 2011's the barrel ramp is hand polished to a mirror finish to aid feeding.
Other features include a "hi-ride" grip safety and an ambidextrous safety.
Something unique over most 1911s out there is the two-piece full length guide rod setup. It sits in a machined sleeve and disassembles with an allen wrench for take-down.
STI incorporated a complete tactical assessory rail to the Perfect 10 with numerous cut-outs for adjusting placement of lights, bayonets, or if you wanted to get fancy it's probably long enough to install an M203. There's so much real estate on this rail that you'll probably be charged property taxes on it.
Enough of the talk and on to the part that counts... How does it shoot?
That is a 4 shot group shot standing at 25 Yards. I don't ever claim to be the best shot in the world, but this damn thing is accurate, moreso than anything I've ever owned.
At 7 Yards this 5 shot group was small enough to be mostly covered by a dime.
The extra sight radius certainly helps, along with the added weight of the long slide. The trigger is approx. 3.75 - 4.00 lbs. with a very clean break, a hair lighter than my Eagle 5.0 but with the same STI crispness. Absolutely no creep in this trigger, but it does have some pre-travel by 1911 standards. The trigger has adjustable over-travel which makes rapid firing a simple affair.
Felt recoil was on par with a .40 S&W chambering which is no surprise. The weight tames the 10mm round down to it's lesser sibling which lets you deliver a .40 caliber bullet on target with over 600 lb. ft. of juice with excellent control. I was able, suprisingly, to place shots in the same vacinity with double taps.