STI Guardian .45 ACP

The Guardian is an aptly named pistol.  If I were in the executive or VIP protection business this is the type of pistol I would want to carry; a compact, easy to shoot single action pistol, with the comfortable and familiar 1911 ergonomics and chambered for the hard hitting .45 ACP.  In fact maybe I'd carry two of them.  The appearance of the pistol also befits someone guarding a VIP with its deep richly blackened alloy frame topped off with a matte finished stainless steel slide whose sides have been nicely polished.  The slide also contains a section of generously cut rear cocking serrations; thankfully there are no abysmal front cocking serrations breaking up the sleek lines of the slide.  The package is complete with a set of beautiful cocobolo grips combining checkering along with sweeping smoothly finished sections that swirl into the STI logo in the center.  This is a very handsome pistol.

The Guardian is 7.5 inches in length, weighs 32.4 ounces, has a skeletonized trigger that breaks cleanly at 5.9 pounds and sports a 3.9 inch fully supported ramped bull barrel.  As such there is no barrel bushing and unfortunately that means that the pistol contains a full length guide rod.  STI has branded this design the "Recoil Master" guide rod which is a multi-springed contraption that reduces muzzle flip and recoil.  Honestly, I cannot tell how much recoil it reduces but I can tell you it makes the pistol difficult to break down and reassemble.  To disassemble you must retract the slide and the push down on the cylinder surrounding the guide rod that contains the interior set of springs.  While holding the retracted cylinder back, you clip a plastic collar over the rod between the retracted cylinder and the tip of the guide rod.  This holds the spring in it's retracted state allowing you the ability to slip the entire Recoil Master guide rod out of the slide. This is difficult to do and my plastic collar was too long requiring me to file it down a bit until it could be properly deployed.

Atop the slide sits a nice set of 3 dot sights Tactical Adjustable Sights.  The sights are a low-profile Novak-type configuration, designed to eliminate the chances of them snagging upon being drawn from concealment.  I was slightly surprised to see that they did not have a "racking shelf" cut into the rear sight which would allow an injured shooter to hook the rear sight on a belt, table edge, etc. in order to rack the slide one-handed.  Sometimes I wonder how necessary the racking shelf actually is.  If I am carrying with a round in the chamber I won't need to retract the slide in order to ready the pistol to shoot.

STI is known for making competition pistols on the 1911 platform and as such they know how to make an accurate and reliable pistol.  Inaccuracy and unreliability will cost you points in a competition and could cost your life if you are faced with imminent danger.

During my time with this pistol I fired 650 rounds through it.  600 of them were Federal 230 grain FMJ ammunition.  The other 50 were  various brands of hollowpoint ammo to include Magtech 230 JHP, Federal Hydra Shok 230 grain hollowpoint +P, and Speer 230 grain Gold Dot hollowpoint.  There were no malfunctions

The target above was the first 12 rounds of Federal 230 Grain FMJ ammo fired at 21 feet.  While the rounds landed a little left of the point of aim, it is a great grouping with one shooter induced flier.  The target below was also shot at 21 feet.  By now I had worked with my grip and trigger finger placement and was able to post this grouping on a smaller four inch target and much more centered.

The target below was fired at 30 feet with the hot Hydra Shok 230 grain + P ammo.

And this target was shot with Speer Gold Dot Hollow Point 230 grain ammunition.

The STI Guardian is a serious pistol; it is a serious performer and seriously handsome.  A side benefit is its 6 + 1 capacity which will pass muster with the ridiculous magazine restrictions being proposed by various federal and state governments.

Stop the Left-Wing Media Madness

I am so sick of the news media and left-wing, gun grabbing politicians railing on about how "the influential NRA" is causing republican senators and representatives to block the so called "common sense" anti-gun efforts.  I've got new for them...it's the voice of the people.  As great as the NRA is the NRA membership alone would not be enough to cause any politician to alter their course.  There are millions of people not in the NRA who are also making their voices heard.

Also, I want the President to stop saying that "70% of NRA members support his common sense proposals".  Sorry, Mr. Pres...I just don't believe you!

Lastly, I also want Joe Biden to stop giving self-defense advice.  Did you hear the latest where he told women they don't need an AR for home defense.  He told them to get a double barreled shotgun.  He went on to say he's often told his wife if she hears someone trying to break into their mansion she should go into their closet, unlock the cabinet, grab the shotgun, load it, go out on the balcony and fire two rounds to scare the person away.  Yeah, that might work in his secluded estate out in the woods with the latest security technology to alert her, but try that in an urban or suburban environment where most of the public lives.  First of all our apartments and small homes will not provide the adequate buffer to give us time to go to the closet, unlock the cabinet, load, etc.  When the front door comes crashing in it's go time and you'd better be ready.  Secondly, opening the window and cranking off a couple of rounds is a violation of the law and may cause you to have your firearms confiscated and wind up with a stiff fine and possibly some jail time.  Great advice, Mr. Vice-President.  

Obama's administration: doing for the second amendment the same thing they've done for the economy.

"Shooter's Guide to Handguns" by Grant Cunningham

I just received my copy of Grant Cunningham's new book "Shooter's Guide to Handguns" published by Gun Digest.  This is a book that every shooter needs to have in their personal library.  And I am not saying this because Grant is a frequent contributor on the Gun Nation Podcast I am saying it because it is true.  The advantage of having this work at your fingertips is that Grant is a highly accomplished gunsmith and he is able communicate his valuable insights in layman's language.  His photos, although all in black & white, are large close-up shots that illustrate each point he is making.  There are many books on shooting and handguns written by instructors and operators but this publication is coming from an instructor and gunsmith and the gunsmith's perspective on shooting is rare.  For instance do you know the difference between conventional grooved rifling and polygonal rifling?  Have you ever tried to explain that to someone?  I have and it wasn't easy!  It's on page 93 in Grant's book and it is easily understandable.  

Grant also demonstrates, through written description and sharp close up photographs, the lost art of ejecting shell casings from your revolver and reloading it.  You get the correct technique for both right handed and left handed shooters and this is something that I see people struggling with on just about each trip to the range.  

There are two chapters where I found Grant's information to be particularly invaluable and worth the price of the book alone (currently a paltry $13.28 on Amazon).  The first invaluable chapter is on cleaning and maintenance.  It would be great if each gun shop had a gunsmith available to show you the finer points of cleaning and maintaining the handgun when you purchased it.  That's is no longer impractical once you have Grant's book.  You will learn exactly how to properly clean and maintain your barrel and exactly where to put lubrication on your semi-automatic pistol  and revolver.  Most of us put lubrication where it seems logical to do so.  Now you will see exactly where to put that drop of oil via Grant's close-up photographs.  

The second chapter that is indispensable to me addresses purchasing a used handgun.  If a gun shop has a gunsmith onsite they will usually, but not always, have the gun smith give a used handgun a brief inspection before it goes into the display counter.  However the majority of used guns that are traded-in, sold to the dealer, or put on consignment go on display without much oversight.  I have looked at used guns that were extremely dirty, had a cracks in the frame or barrel, and I was once very interested in a light-weight Smith & Wesson Model 12 with a two inch barrel...until I noticed that the forcing cone had been filed right down flush with the frame.  Becoming familiar with the information in this chapter is the next best thing to having a gunsmith go with you when you shop for a used pistol.  

At $13.28 this book is less expensive than one box of centerfire handgun ammunition but it will last you a heck of a lot longer with a greater benefit.  Buy one less box this weekend and order or download this book.  You'll be glad you did!