STI International - Guns & Ammo Sept. 2002

There's no shortage of chopped 1911s on the market, but in many cases their weaknesses in the area of "shootability" often outweigh any perceived carry advantages attributable to abbreviated dimensions. To be honest, I don't have to pack them daily, but i do have to shoot them frequently. So I'm often less than ecstatic over mini-big bore autos, no matter how user-friendly they're purported to be.

But every once in awhile, one comes along that forces me to jettison my bias in favor of 1911s built to Browning's original specs. And STI's Ranger is one. Of course, the Ranger is-first and foremost-a carry gun. It's been thoroughly dehorned, has a high-rise grip safety, Commander-style hammer and etended beavertaiL The upshot? It's pretty near impossible for anyone with anything remotely resembling standard-issue hands to get hammer bit".

It's also an all-steel pistol-brushed stainless top, blued bottom. No alloys or polymers, yet with a substantial 10-ounce weight reduction from a standard-issue 1911-partially a byproduct of the Range 3.9-inch barrel length. Afthough that-plus its 4.5-inch height-definitely puts it in the "chopped" category, my test gun proved a remarkably comfortable launching pad for a variety of loads, which included Black Hills 200-grain Wcs, Federal Hydra-Shok Personal Defense 1 65-grain JHPs, Winchester Supreme 230-grain SXT JHPs, Winchester/USA 230-grain hardball and Cor-Bon's thumping 23~grain Plus-P JHPs.

Of these loads, only the Cor-Bon stuff made me miss the extra 10 ounces and longer grip of a full-size 1911. But that's understandable, considering that those 230-grain JHPs clocked at an average muzzle velocity of 892 fps from the Ranger's short barrel!

The .45's black, easy-to-aquire, low-profile sights include a Novak-style rear (top) and a dovetail blade front (right).	The STI Ranger features a high-rise grip safety and a skeletonized trigger.

This group was fired at 25 yards from a sand-bagged rest using Winchester/USA 230-grain hardball.	The Ranger's all-steel construction, dehorned exterior and excellent grips made for a comfortable shooting combination - even with Plus-P 230-grain loads.

The pistol's thin rosewood stocks were surprisingly comfortable, but that foreshortened grip pretty much placed my pinkie finger around the leading edge of the six-round magazine's base plate. A slightly extended synthetic bumper would've been nice, but again, that lack of "wraparound room" certainly wasn't bad enough to radically affect the several groups I fired.

The trigger was excellent-a very crisp, consistent 3-1/2 pounds. Much of the Rangers appeal is attributable to its excellent, low-profile sights-a Novak-style rear and dovetailed front blade. Both are black to contrast with the stainless top and the resulting combination is very easy to acquire quickly. Other features include a skeletonized trigger and enlarged ejection port.

CHRONOGRAPH RESULTS*
BRAND / LOAD	AVERAGE VELOCITY	EXTREME SPREAD	STANDARD DEVIATION
Black Hills 200-gr. SWC	797 fps	41 fps	17 fps
Federal 165-gr. JHP	879 fps	33 fps	14 fps
Cor-Bon 230-gr. JHP +P	892 fps	131 fps	52 fps
Win. Supreme 230-gr. SXT JHP	806 fps	31 fps	12 fps
Win./USA 230-gr. FMJ	692 fps	125 fps	53 fps
*Average of five shots at 12 feet using a Competition Electronics Pro-Chrono.

My shooting was done at 25 yards from a sandbagged rest, obviously the distance and method being unlike the conditions for which the STI Ranger was designed. Still, the results were impressive indeed. Maybe not match-grade, but certainly in the upper echelon of combat .45s. Five-shot groups with the relatively inexpensive Wnchester/USA 230-grain hardball averaged 1-3/4 inches. The 165-grain Federal Hydra-Shok JHPs produced four-shot clusters averaging two inches even, but usually with an inexplicable fifth-shot flyer that pushed things out to 3-1/2 inches. Remanufactured "blue box" Black Hills 200-grain SWCs-which have achieved a well-deserved reputation-averaged 2-1/4 inches. The hot Cor-Bons ran around four inches, and while that might not seem impressive, it translates to all you'd ever need for most any defensive emergency.

I did have a few malfunctions with the Ranger, which I'm pretty sure can be blamed on one of the two magazines supplied-it seemed a bit weak with lips that had been dinged a bit All in all, I've got to say that chopped 45d really aren't my cup of te~ but the STI Ranger is as good a specimen as I've seen. It's a lot more comfortable and accurate than it needs to be. And at well under a grand, it's a good pretty buy.

-Payton Miller