Sorry I missed posting last night, but Dad and I were busy manning the USPSA booth so there wasn’t much to write about. However I did manage to arrange a tour of a maker of frangible and lead-free ammo, as well as being invited to a match shot entirely with frangible/lead free ammo.

Guns galore!

Today Dad and I , as well as Jim Meade (Dad’s recently retired predecessor as president of the St. George USPSA club), walked the floor wearing many hats. One of which was as the president of a USPSA club trying to find prize table swag for this year’s Utah State USPSA championship, as well as the 2012 Area 1 USPSA championship, both of which may be held in St. George. Another was as a gun blogger arranging factory tours of interesting companies. One more was as a software developer looking for a sponsor for a mobile phone application for USPSA scoring.

Not as much success as prize table hunters as we were walking the bottom floor where not a lot of competition products reside. However we had more success finding companies interested in a mobile app, and I also arranged a few factory tours. We also toured the Big Hall where all the major manufacturers such a Glock and Remington reside. We didn’t get much time to walk that floor, and Jim had to get home, so we spent most of our time ogling some good-looking guns.   

We also ran into Staff Sergeant Travis Tomasie at the Para Ordnance booth. SSG Tomasie is a member of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit and taught at the MGM Targets/AMU Junior Shooters Camp. SSG Tomasie is leaving the Army after a long and happy career and will be shooting for Para when his enlistment runs out. The SSG is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, as well as being the defending IPSC World Limited Champion.

At the STI booth, a few new products for 2011. One of many is the STI GI. It’s pretty much STI’s version of a Mil-Spec 1911 design 100 years old. None of the fancy features such as adjustable sights, beavertail grip safeties, extended thumb safeties and the like. Just a plain, no-frills “Retro” A1 style .45 ACP single stack.

STI also introduced their 100 year commemorative addition 1911s. I say 1911s as in plural. STI’s commemorative piece is a boxed pair of pistols representing where the 1911 started at as a military sidearm, and where it is now as a contemporary classic that’s still widely used after 100 years. Representing the old military design is the aforementioned GI single stack, the only difference being some gold scrollwork on the slide proclaiming it to be the 100th anniversary commemorative.

Representing the combined improvement of 100 years is a special addition STI Legend double stack in .40 S&W. Unlike the GI, the Legend is a very classy looking handgun, while not being so over-the-top as to make you not want to shoot it. All the metal parts have been hard-chromed, a white grip with a custom inlay has been added, as has some gold scrollwork on the slide. It’s a gun I’d have no problem with putting a few hundred rounds through at a match, then taking home and presenting over the fireplace. Additionally, the serial numbers of both guns match, the GI’s serial number being STI 1911 02 (example), and the Legend’s being STI 2011 02. Also included in the box set is an STI challenge coin and a brass plaque. The MSRP for the set will be in the $3500.00 range, not a bad price for two high-end 1911s such as these, not to mention the collector’s value.

Rabbit Boyett , STI’s marketing director, tells me that the color of the felt lining will be red instead of green. Opinions? Post a comment!

Also new at the STI booth is a prototype 4-inch 2011 chambered for Fiocci’s 7mm Penna handgun cartridge. The 7mm Penna is kind of like FN’s 5.7x28mm round in that it’s a very light (as light as 15 grain!) bullet going at extremely high velocities.

The STI gunsmith that built it said he was loading 25 rounds into a 140mm long magazine that in a .40 would only hold 19.  The handgun they built around it differed from most guns in that it has a fixed barrel that does not move with the slide. I’m not sure if that’s to accommodate the size of the 7mm penna or if it’s just to be different, but I found that interesting. Apparently it kicks more than a regular 1911 with a “tilt-up” barrel, but I don’t know why.

It’s getting late and I have to get up early tomorrow, so I have to wrap this post up. I’ll have more pictures and cool guns this time tomorrow.