At SHOT Show’s Range Day I went hands-on with the new STK100 from Armscor, a GLOCK-17-sized, striker-fired pistol with a nicely sculpted aluminum frame.
The STK100 felt great in my hands and I really enjoyed shooting it.
One unique aspect of the STK100 is its use of a clamshell design — two halves bolted together — for the frame rather than being machined from a single piece. This certainly makes it easier to create internal features and helps Armscor hit a $599 MSRP.
If you didn’t know the STK100’s frame was a left side and a right side bolted together, you might never notice. Machining and fit are really good, so while there’s a very fine, visible seam if you look closely enough, it isn’t something that’s felt.
On the range, the STK100 shot really well for me. I’ve shot some other aluminum-frame pistols that are GLOCK parts-compatible (and I’m assuming from the look of the STK100 that it is, but I don’t actually know that for sure at this point…though it does accept GLOCK 17 magazines) and they all had snappier recoil or at least more felt recoil in the hand than an equivalent, polymer-frame pistol.
For whatever reason that wasn’t my experience with the STK100, which shot flat, soft, and smooth for me. Its ergonomics and grip angle are solid, and the beavertail is great.
I’m not entirely convinced that there’s a huge market for a striker-fired, aluminum-framed, duty-sized pistol in the U.S., but the STK100 certainly seems like a great option for fans of modern striker guns who still prefer the solid feel of a metal frame over polymer.
Well, I can’t speak for others, but it certainly appeals to me.
Proprietary mags?
Is this Filipino or outsourced to the Asia Minor sultanate? It seems very nice…
Made in the Philippines.
Two-sided clamshell design bolted together…how KelTec’ish of them. Snide comments aside, it looks pretty good. Wonder if it is a Glock grip angle or a 1911 grip angle…inquiring minds want to know.
Duh…Clicked on photo to enlarge…1911 grip angle.
10 round capacity is a no-go for me.
that the compliance model. website states 17rd capacity.
Is this split frame forged, billet, or investment cast?
yes.
Yes?🙄
https://blog.mrt-castings.co.uk/blog/the-difference-between-cast-forged-and-billet
There’s a significant difference between them.
for sure.
it’s just that i looked at ten sites including their’s and could find no specific mention.
we need fotay to research (hangs head, defeated).
Didn’t want to see anyone hang their head. It’s all good.
This gun is at a price point that makes it a viable option for first time gun buyers.
Frame material durability needs to be disclose by the manufacturer/distributor/or “comprehensive” reviewer.
……”he focuses on comprehensive gun & gear reviews. Jeremy strives to collect objective data whenever possible”….
Everyone can’t attend Shot Show. Those who do need to ask the obvious questions “whenever possible”, and then forward the info to the gun community.
Truth About Guns?…….🤔 What a concept.
This is not a review. It’s a SHOT Show quick hit. All of the known information is in the link to Armscor’s site and on that one-pager posted as the last photo.
That said, there’s about a 99.8% likelihood that the frame halves are made by CNC machining them from slabs of aluminum. What you’d call “billet.” It’s a question that went unasked, because the chance of it being anything else is so extremely low. If it were forged it would cost more and they’d be loudly marketing that it’s forged. If it were cast, it wouldn’t look like it does and it would probably not be a clamshell design.
Thank you.
I’m hoping it’s anything but a casting.
We have a few new shooters coming out to the range this weekend, will mention this handgun for consideration.
Probably made from aluminum once intended for Nikon riflescopes…Nonetheless it says capacity is 10 rd. and no mention if Glock mags, etc. work. Without the slide removed and no view of the mag well the only thing I see going on is the aluminum frame. Definitely should be a hands on purchase. Not a bad gun just nowhere near enough to back bench my beloved Sar9s.
On the rock island website it lists the capacity as 17…. Would benefit from a dedicated hogue grip .sleeve
Yet another Glock Clone.
It reminds me of the Smith and Wesson Smegma. Misspelling intentional.
clever
Under $400 all over gunbroker. 17 round mag(singular). Why oh why does any gunmaker offer only 1 magazine? Except for an AR it can be he!! to get some mags…
– I’m not entirely convinced that there’s a huge market for a striker-fired, aluminum-framed, duty-sized pistol in the U.S.
Yeah, you might look around a bit more. Icarus Precision can but barely keep up with demand. And they only make them for two models, P320’s, & P365’s. Usually while being OoS on several sub-types at any given point in time.
Sig itself is making aluminum framed P320s
Mischief Machine is making both steel & Al, although only for P365’s so far.
There are a handful of companies that sell diapers designed for chickens. Just because a company decides to make a product doesn’t mean there’s a huge market for that product. Filling a niche can be lucrative.
It’s interesting to see the direction RIA has been going of late. The new revolver lines are decidedly a step up from the M200/M206 models, and now they’re offering a competitively priced Glock-ish clone.
BTW, I’d like to see a 22 TCM conversion for this new pistol.
Yeah the 22 tcm would be fun, except would be the same magazine capacity as the 9mm. As for the new wheelgun offerings, they’re priced right up there with the S&W and Ruger guns, would need a steep discount from list to garner a lot of interest.
I’d be more enthusiastic if they’d restrained the compulsion to do RMR cuts and TaCtI-kEwL sPeEd HoLeZ in the slide, that serve no function and have the potential to admit foreign matter. If they wanted to tacti-kewl the gun, they should have put a threaded barrel in it.
As for magazines, multiple sources are claiming that it uses Glock 17 pattern mags, but I have yet to see one in the wild, so I really don’t know.
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