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Staccato C, my new favorite thing!

9K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  -ClayBuster- 
#1 · (Edited)
Got me a Staccato C, I did, yep.

STI is no stranger to this place, I have brought home a DVC Ltd, a Trojan 40, a pair of microscopic Ranger 1 .45’s, an Executive 40. It just happens.

For CCW I have stayed with 1911’s since the 1970’s, varying between a Colt ComCom, a Colt CCO, a Springfield EMP and a SiG938. All quite acceptable.

[To provide background, I also have a BUG or three: SW365pd, Kelatec 32, AMT DAO 45, a Kahr 40. Debate these choices as you may, these have all been trained to work reliably, they are microscopic, they make me feel all warm and fuzzy.]

I don’t select a CCW on the criteria of looks or if it is “a pleasure to shoot”. Functionality, size and most importantly- weight, that’s what I care about. Any machine has a working lifespan, a CCW firearm gives up some of it’s durability for weight reduction. Facts of life, but the Stac C is pretty. The finish is flawless. (It arrived at the same time as a $1400 Archon...that thing was just crude by comparison, the engraving alone!) But again, beauty is only skin deep...but ugly does goes all the way thru to the bone. The C is well done.

A CCW Gun? I buy it, shoot it a bit with round nose range ammo. I then test it once with a mag of +P zombie bullets. Clean it, load more PD ammo, strap it on. Clean it 2x a month, replace ammo every 6 months. Shoot it only with range ammo, one mag every couple months. Repeat. It’s not for range blasting, a proper CCW gun really isn’t designed to withstand heavy use. That trade off thing. It works? I’m good.

I’ve come to that level of shooting that this “limited use” is a supportable process. For some of my associates, I’ve counseled that they buy two of same same pistols- one for blasting and training, and one tested and carried.

I believe the Stacatto C is a very durable design. Time will tell, but I will not be that guy. Mine will last past my lifetime. I’ll now shoot it 50x a year. But...it feels like you could shoot the snot out of it, no less a beating than a Glock would require just to feel loved.

So now comes the newest releases from STI, the Staccato C & P. I can not deny I fit all criteria for “fan boy”. From my first one on, I was always impressed with the result of a simple phone call to the STI shop. Whatever I wanted or needed was easy breezy. Never a “it’s not working” issue, but odd requests like the arcane magazine for the Ranger 1, easy replacement parts like updated magazine followers, helping me out completing an STI that was donated for a VFW, always top notch company service.

The Stacatto arrived to my hands just one week after the factory test target was dated. It came in a (pictured) boil-and-eat plastic bag. These newer ballistic nylon cases are quite an upgrade over the former presentation.

The included IWB Kydex is quite sufficient, but I prefer leather. Very few craftsmen have this gun mold available, I found mine at Lobo Gun Leather for $140 and 7 weeks. Kydex could be problematic unless you got a local guy who can use your gat as a mold. These are never going to be “common” guns.

The Staccato C is a single stack. The duck quacks like a 1911, but I think they might call it a 2011, fiik. [STI builds rockiin’ good guns, their website and English skills? Not so much]. I skipped the P model for personal reasons: concealability is the key, a thinner single stack (C) is more better, and the higher capacity of the staggered mag P Model (a true 2011?), well, I just haven’t pissed that many people off - and my shot placement has been referred to as “adequate”...high praise from both Henk Iverson and John Farnham, but I digress. Every extra bullet weighs a half ounce. Hell, I don’t even carry a spare mag. Had four tries where I might have needed one but didn’t. I’m going with prior experience. Standard capacity for me, you can have the Stac P if you want more bangs.

It shoots just fine. Is it the very ergonomic curves in the plastic frame? Some kind of design voodoo with plastic/metal absorbing shock and recoil? Don’t know, don’t care, it works. Almost call it “soft” recoil. Look carefully at the finger cuts on the grips, look at the trigger guard. They’re on to something. [I believe that “gun fit” is a non-topic, but that’s another thread]

We’ve all read a lot of paid reviews for guns, this isn’t one. I fade out when they try to describe feelings and sensations. When they talk about shot groupings at 50’, my eyes roll back. For the majority of us, this STI SC shoots the same groups as my DVC or SiG X5 German. Who’s kidding who? They’re all more accurate than we are.

For CCW, I shoot at 4 meters out, several personal past real-life experiences have left an indelible impression. My std target is a 1:1 size face with the triangle zone. When I got my new STI, the only target I had was the below pictured paper with 1” black dots. Yes, a $1500 gun and MallWart bullets. That’s how I roll.

The Staccato C is my newest favorite thing...plus...I have learned to spell a new word.
 

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#2 ·
Good review. I have one as well, it’s a nice little piece.

But more importantly you have 2 Ranger I’s!!! That is not a common gun! I know, I have 4 of them. For those of you who are not familiar it’s a 3.9” barreled 45 with a Detonics Combat Master sized frame but with a working grip safety (unlike the CM). They are 1/4” shorter in grip than the Wilson Super Sentimel. They are great little guns and surprisingly accurate. They rarely come on the market.

I have one with Steve Owens right now. He’s going to convert it to a 9x23.

Tell me more about your rangers!
 
#4 ·
Review of the Staccato C 9mm gun for CCW

The 9mm cartridge is not a bad choice for a self defense cartridge when JHP profiles are used. However, I prefer a bit more velocity and use the .38super cartridge with my own custom reloads. My loads, using Speer Gold Dot 125 gr. JHP bullets, leave the muzzle at an average of 1,350 fps, which is like the power of a low end .357 magnum round.

We all know that shot placement is critical, so if a person can make very good hits on an aggressor in a self defense situation, with shots that disrupt the central nervous system, you may most likely win the fight if you have good speed to the first shot, regardless if it is a 9mm or larger caliber.

I built my own STI 2011 .38 super, using a Commander length (4.25" slide).
I use STI 126mm flush fit mags that hold 15+1 rounds in the gun, and carry one additional 126mm mag on my weak side hip with 16 rounds.

One never knows what type of self defense situation you may encounter. If there happens to be more than one "bad guy," I would rather have more ammo in the gun to avoid a reload if possible.....even though I can conduct very fast reloads..... :)

I have a very compact 1911 single stack with a 3.5" slide chambered in 38 super as well.....this gun hold 10+1 when carried cocked and locked. For my self defense gun builds, I am able to get very good and consistent barrel lock up, and the slide stop pin keeps good support against the barrel lower lug to provide optimal accuracy.....
 

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#6 ·
OP; Now that you've had that Staccato C for the better part of a year, how does it compare to your Springfield EMP 9mm?

I'd love to see a head-to-head between the Springfield EMP and the Staccato C, because the EMP is lighter, less expensive, and holds another round, while the STI pistol doesn't seem to bring anything really new to the 1911 compact arena.
 
#7 · (Edited)
OP; Now that you've had that Staccato C for the better part of a year, how does it compare to your Springfield EMP 9mm?
@fnbrowning The Springfield I had was a EMP40SW, meaning it is identical to the 9mm but one bang less, not an important thing...I bought the STI C single stack, after all. I note that some folks count bullets, not so much me.

full disclosure: I swapped the STI + $ for a pristine in the Kraft box Colt 1943 mfgr military. The EMP40 also went away during the Zombie Apocalypse buying frenzy.

So, I owned both. I carried both, each in very nice leather. I’d say buy the EMP. The onliest reason I bought the STI Stac C is because I liked my other STI’s so much. It wasn’t worth 2x$ that it cost.

Back to carrying a Walther PPS m1 40sw and a SW365pd.

Also parted company with the SiG 938. Good gun, just couldn’t get past the lack of heel safety. My issue, maybe not yours, but looking like a 1911 doesn’t make it so.

The EMP (vs STI) is my recommendation between the two 1911’s.

603923

here’s that SiG938....
603924
 
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