My patience is running out.

[zenbiker]

Originally Posted by Johngun

check out fusionfirearms.com. He builds really nice ones in a short time. see some on this forum under manufacturers.

Ha! I waited almost a year for my Fusion. The quality is OK but not quite up to my expectations for the price paid.

[Matt_B_67]

I spoke on the phone with STI and was told my pistol would ship on Tuesday so we'll see what happens. If I don't get a tracking # by end of business on Wednesday, I'll wait until Friday to call again.

Just to be clear, I don't mind waiting whether it be 16 weeks or 16 months but when it's due, it better be coming in very soon. I just don't have patience for folks that promise one thing and do another. I used up all of the lot of patience when I had some other custom work done for another hobby.

Heck, I contacted SA about a custom 1911 and was told 10-15 months. If I decide to get another Springer, I'll decide if I want to wait that long. If I do, I'll wait.

[GLI45]

Originally Posted by RippSpeed

off topic

why did you go aluminum frame ???

I'm buying the Tactical 4.0 as another carry pistol and the aluminum frame knocks off a few ounces. That makes it lighter than my current carry, the Guardian. I called STI and arranged to go to their facility and see both the Tac 3.0 and 4.0 and really liked the aluminum version.

[richpetrone]

During my early days of USPSA shooting, I had a compensated .45 built from a custom builder that took over a year. By the time I got the gun, the equipment race had switched everyone to using a compensated .38super with ten round mags so the gun was effectively outdated!

I recently tested my new STI Eagle with 5" Bar Sto fully ramped barrel in .40S&W. It shoots under 1" at 25 yds with good loads (found a geat load), and I am very pleased with the gun. It took me all of four days to build, which includes adding a spray and bake finish from Brownells. I ordered the frame and parts through an STI gun dealer, and because of the delays from STI, it took me about 9 weeks just to get the parts before I could build the gun.

[Matt_B_67]

Received a pic via text today showing the custom serial @, red grip, blued frame and unblued slide. It's been test fired and is off to get the slide blued. It's expected to leave on Wednesday (cross my fingers) which means it should be at my LGS for the weekend.

[richpetrone]

Glad to hear you may be nearing the end of your over due and long wait. Nothing is more frustrating than to be told an expected arrival date that keeps getting pushed back due to "unforseen delays."

I hope the bluing bath goes well and you have your gun soon!

[Matt_B_67]

Originally Posted by richpetrone

Glad to hear you may be nearing the end of your over due and long wait. Nothing is more frustrating than to be told an expected arrival date that keeps getting pushed back due to "unforseen delays."

I hope the bluing bath goes well and you have your gun soon!

Thank you. To be blunt, I want to get this one out of the way so I can order another STI, albeit a stock (not custom) one.

[Matt_B_67]

Well, the wait is (almost) over. It's at my LGS but I need to wait until tomorrow to pick up. I may go "visit" it today but I won't be posting pics until it's complete (getting some Duracoat work).

[richpetrone]

Please show us pics once you get the gun back, and let us know if it shoots as good as you hope it will!

I want to get this one out of the way so I can order another STI, albeit a stock (not custom) one.

Hopefully, a stock gun, in-stock through a dealer or local GS, and NO WAIT!
Good Luck!

[2MoreChains]

Originally Posted by Matt_B_67

Well, the wait is (almost) over. It's at my LGS but I need to wait until tomorrow to pick up. I may go "visit" it today but I won't be posting pics until it's complete (getting some Duracoat work).

Just a suggestion, but you might want to shoot it a bunch before getting it refinished. Who knows, you might want to do some mods to it, change something, get rid of a sharp corner... It would suck if it affected your new finish.

[SealeTM]

I guess Im an unreasonable guy. In this day and time I feel if companies are that far behind, they may want to consider hiring some unemployed Americans to help out.

[epj]

A lot of companies would like to do just that if they could find qualified employees.

[PeterGunn]

Originally Posted by SealeTM

I guess Im an unreasonable guy. In this day and time I feel if companies are that far behind, they may want to consider hiring some unemployed Americans to help out.

ummmmm... I don't think you can just walk outside and hire a qualified gunsmith. There are even lotsa folks who consider themselves a gunsmith that don't meet the criterion for a first class manufacturing operation like STI.

[mikeg1005]

Originally Posted by SealeTM

I guess Im an unreasonable guy. In this day and time I feel if companies are that far behind, they may want to consider hiring some unemployed Americans to help out.

The guy asked for a "custom" serial number and ordered the gun through a non-STI dealer... While they might be running behind, the main reason this gun too so long is because of those two factors, specific serial number and a low priority dealer.

I can bet you if it was ordered through a place like Dawson Precision, it would be a far shorter wait.

It makes complete sense to keep your best selling suppliers well stocked, thats were the money comes from, not from the "one timer" at a LGS.


MIke.

[Matt_B_67]

Originally Posted by mikeg1005

The guy asked for a "custom" serial number and ordered the gun through a non-STI dealer... While they might be running behind, the main reason this gun too so long is because of those two factors, specific serial number and a low priority dealer.

I can bet you if it was ordered through a place like Dawson Precision, it would be a far shorter wait.

It makes complete sense to keep your best selling suppliers well stocked, thats were the money comes from, not from the "one timer" at a LGS.

You are incorrect about the dealer I ordered it from being the issue. I asked STI that specific question and was explicitly told that was not relevant to the wait time.

[SealeTM]

Originally Posted by PeterGunn

ummmmm... I don't think you can just walk outside and hire a qualified gunsmith. There are even lotsa folks who consider themselves a gunsmith that don't meet the criterion for a first class manufacturing operation like STI.

Couldnt agree more with that statement. There are however a lot of talented unemployed "gun guys" (for lack of a better description) who would jump at the chance to apprentice. I've dealt with more than my fair share and was a close friend to one I consider top tier. These skills have to be honed somewhere.

The initial comment kinda came from the every day issue that no matter what you're looking for, its a long wait. It also referred to the numerous other post of long wait times, not just to the OP nor to STI. I shoot/buy/own STI and have for many years.

Carry on.

[KyJim]

It may not even be training time of new employees. If STI is running pretty close to full capacity, they might also have to invest in new machinery. That sort of investment is significant. Then you get the issue of employee training. I recall reading somewhere that one of the other good 1911 manufacturers (maybe Baer) said it took a couple of years to fully train an employee.

[PeterGunn]

Originally Posted by SealeTM

Couldnt agree more with that statement. There are however a lot of talented unemployed "gun guys" (for lack of a better description) who would jump at the chance to apprentice. I've dealt with more than my fair share and was a close friend to one I consider top tier. These skills have to be honed somewhere.

The initial comment kinda came from the every day issue that no matter what you're looking for, its a long wait. It also referred to the numerous other post of long wait times, not just to the OP nor to STI. I shoot/buy/own STI and have for many years.

Carry on.

I'm not dissing your point, SealeTM. It just seems like ya gotta be already trained to get a job like that. CNC literate and a metallurgy knowledge just to mention a brief smattering. Talented and unemployed sounds a bit oxymoron-ish to me but I do agree there are guys that could go to work there or for another manufacturer, given the opportunity. I guess they need better door knocking / potential employment presentation training.

Is your EDC an STI? Any race guns?

[SealeTM]

Originally Posted by PeterGunn

I'm not dissing your point, SealeTM. It just seems like ya gotta be already trained to get a job like that. CNC literate and a metallurgy knowledge just to mention a brief smattering. Talented and unemployed sounds a bit oxymoron-ish to me but I do agree there are guys that could go to work there or for another manufacturer, given the opportunity. I guess they need better door knocking / potential employment presentation training.

Is your EDC an STI? Any race guns?

Not to jack the thread hopefully, but I interview and hire a lot of people. It seems HR is strictly interested in finding me "qualified, experienced people." Although this is fine, I'd personally prefer traits such as "high work ethic, (doesn't look drowsy through the interview) motivated, (has a family and wants to work). Such things as that. BTW, IME, I'd rather hire a blonde menstruating monkey than someone with "engineer" in their resume....you can't tell those guys anything!!!

EDC-Kimber Compact. I've only shot STI/Briley guns since the 90's in IPSC, etc.

[GLI45]

Hey guys, before it's decided that STI is the answer to the national unemployment problem I thought I would mention that they are expanding. I've visited their Georgetown facility several times over the past three years (most recently this past Feb.) and was surprised to see the growth on my last visit. It would seem that their new expanded lines for the Spartan, Lawman, and Tactical are proving quite popular and they also have expanded their available options. Frankly, as the owner of a quite a few STI pistols I'm glad they aren't just cranking them out as fast as possible. The quality, hand fitting, accuracy, etc...is what I love about their guns. I don't want them to turn into Kimber.

By the way, I'm halfway through a 16 week wait on a new Tactical 4.0 with all the bells and whistles.

[Matt_B_67]

I wouldn't want their production rate to diminish their quality but I would like them to be reasonably close when giving estimates for ship dates. Heck, err on the side of over estimating.

[G27RR]

GLI45 is right. They have expanded and occupy two buildings now instead of one, have tripled the number of CNC machines from a few years back and they had hiring notices out as recently as this year. They are expanding prudently without taking on unnecessary debt. I toured their facilities last August and live very close to them. I was told all of their new Haas machines are completely paid for. They have added wire EDM equipement, too. They are taking time to do things the right way, unlike some manufacturers who grow and start putting out junk.

They also run the cleanest manufacturing floor I've visited. They have very good attential to detail and doing things right. This was the dirtiest spot in there:



A couple of their new machines:




To the OP, looking forward to seeing your new gun.

[G27RR]

PS - the 6" guns also take longer to fulfill on order because they can't fit as many at one time into their CNC machines. They can run 16 at once for 5" and under, but only half that of the long slides because the blanks would run into each other. At the ends. The photo below shows 16 slides being readied. (I think these were for 1911s, but it's a similar procedure)



2011 frames in progress:


Here are the machining stages a 2011 frame goes through:


This frame is considered 60% of a completed firearm:


Pressing 2011 magazines:


2011 magazine halves in the bin, welded mag in the hand.

[KyJim]

Great posts with all the pictures, G27RR. I always like looking at the inside of a company's production facility.

I'd personally prefer traits such as "high work ethic, (doesn't look drowsy through the interview) motivated, (has a family and wants to work).

My wife is a white collar worker for a manufacturing facility that just hired some new employees. One of them fell asleep during HR orientation and did it again later in the day in her specific job orientation. They told her not to come back.

[G27RR]

A few more...

The test firing building - they fire into a bullet trap, with an earthen backstop. They were using it so I couldn't get any pictures inside (through the door on the far right).


A customer's order ready to move down the production line.


Racks of slides in mid-production...


Sears and hammers in mid-production...



Wire EDM process