I recently journeyed to Georgetown to return our test and review STI Guardian 2011. STI marketing maven Jens Krogh took receipt of the four-and-a-half star firearm and escorted me on my second tour of the Texas factory. Not much has changed — yet. STI’s new owners are due to take over any day now; they plan to update STI’s DOS-based machinery, increase production and expand the gunmaker’s reach into retail. I asked Jens about recent reports of a firearms sales slump . . .
“It’s an election year,” Jens said, smiling enigmatically. “We’re anticipating another surge. There’s always a bump during an election year.”
Meanwhile, virtually all of STI’s guns are on back order by an average of eight months. Bottom line: they’re doing very, very well.
And why not? STI’s DVC pistols are still the de facto standard for IPSIC competition. Their new DVC3-Gun is a hit. TTAG’s getting one to test, as well as a HEX Tactical SS (single-stack) 1911.
“Our 1911’s go through the same meticulous build and quality control processes as our higher-priced race guns,” Krogh crowed. “They deserve some attention.”
But don’t get to thinking that STI wants TTAG to sugar-coat our review of their T&E guns. “Just call it like you see it,” Jens insisted. As if we’d do anything else. But one thing’s for certain: if STI’s doing this well at the top end of the market, mainstream media reports of a firearms industry slump are, at the least, greatly exaggerated.