Questions for LS9 owners, former owners...

[FreeMe]

I've been considering an LS9 for quite some time. I'm thinking of getting either that or the Springfield EMP to take over the role of my K9 in the near future. I can't actually look at an LS9, since there is no STI dealer in my area and no one I know owns one. I have looked at the specs - but have some questions...

Why is it that STI chooses not to make the slide lock on the empty mag? Given that it isn't a good idea to drop the slide of a 1911 on an empty chamber, doesn't this cause problems with the gun (barrel feet?)?

How difficult is it to find good holsters for this gun? How expensive are the mags?

How reliable has the LS9 been out of the box? Any other issues I should be aware of?

Thanks, in advance...

[xMetal]

I would also be quite interested in this topic, as the LS9 is on my list of potential next purchases. Info seems slim on this model though.

[Ken Birdsell]

Greetings guy's, I own and shoot five STI firearms, from expensive race gun's to the VIP my personal carry gun. I have owned a LS9 as some of my friends. All of us with various law enforcement agancies.

The LS-9 is APOS A piece of ?

One of the biggest mistakes STI has ever made. Gun looks and feels great but it is not, let me repeat NOT A 1911. It is designed completely different and will tear up with much more use the 150 to 200 rounds through it. The 9mm is the best one if you just have to have it and does not self destruct as quick as the 40 mm.

If your only interested in looks and feel its an expenisve trot line weight, but do not bet your life on it.

DISCLAMER:

The opinion stated above is only mine, there may be someone still allive who has another oponion.

Hope this helps.

[xMetal]

well that certainly what I was expecting, considering the reputation of STI. Can you be more specific about the "self-destruction"? While I don't doubt your experience, I find it rather amazing that any modern gun would simply fail to work after 200 rounds. Even my $200 Bersa manged that without much fuss, and they are nowhere near the quality of a company like STI...

Did yours and your friends all tend to go in teh same way? Was that recently, or at the introduction of it? Just curious, and thanks for your input!

[FreeMe]

Huh - between this and the general lack of response - I'm inclined to just keep using my K9 for carry and forget about a similar-size 1911-style platform. At least I know my K9 works...

[xMetal]

sorry, my previous message should have read: that certainly wasn't what I was expecting.

Yeah, the troops aren't exactly cheering from the hilltops over this model. Maybe it's not quite as great as their other guns would lead you to suspect. Oh well...

[mo' guns]

I currently own a LS9 that I purchased used several months ago. Initially the hammer felt like it had slack in it. It turned out that someone had shortened the main spring. I called STI and they sent me a new main spring, on the house. I ordered a couple of extra magazines from Dawson Precision but I can't remember how much they were. I have shot the gun with the new spring and it works pretty good. I have not yet put enough rounds through it to put it on my hip but it has worked well for me so far. I hope that helps a little.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e74/moguns/1911s/guns172.jpg

Mo'

[xMetal]

thanks Mo. In all the research I've done on all the guns I have, there are always the lemons, but what needs to be figured out is if those lemons are true aberrations or signs that something is wrong with the design.

It's a great looking gun, I hope yours continues to work well.

[MacEntyre]

I had an LS9 that spent more time at STI than in my possession. They finally got it running right, and I sold it.

The slide won't lock back because they grind off a bit of the slide stop so it won't catch on the follower. They never were able to make it lock back consistently, so they disabled the feature. (That's what they explained to me.)

Another LS9 I knew of had a serious problem... in certain circumstances, the gun would fire when you ENGAGED the thumb safety. Not good... turned out to be a quality problem, with one part over cut, and another under cut.

I liked the STI LS9 during the little time I was able to carry it, though.

[redronin]

i currently own an STI LS9 among others. when i bought it way back in 2001, i was not informed that the slide won't lock back. i encountered the problem and informed STI about it. they just sent me new mag followers (the one with dimples) for the 3 mags i have. never had a problem with the slide since.

accuracy and reliability was never a problem with the new followers in place.

holsters, i got my IWB holsters from Alessi Leather.

[MacEntyre]

STI ...just sent me new mag followers ...never had a problem with the slide since.
If LSI had responded to my request that way, I would still have one today!

I asked three times (each time I sent the pistol to them) and they just didn't do anything about it.

[Quixote]

I own two STI BLS9 pistols (the Commander sized variant) and haven't had a single problem with either of them. Both run great and digest every 9mm ammo I've tried so far. Of course that being said, they discontinued making the BLS9 in 2005 or 2006... :butthead: