Something Special from STI International

There was a time, not so long ago, when serious gun carriers were carrying pretty stock 9mm Glock pistols. But those were boring. So the more adventurous (to say nothing of financially well-off) among that crew began pursuing greater performance from their carry plastic.

Aftermarket sights were always de rigueur, and aftermarket magazine and slide releases soon became allowable as well. Then came frame modifications, like grip reductions and finger groove-ectomies. Before long, nobody blinked at MRDS cuts, forward cocking serrations, lightening cuts in the slide in all manner of geometric shapes, and fluted barrels finished in gold-colored titanium nitride.

When you’re staring at a multi-kilobuck price tag on your custom carry Glock blaster, that kind of eliminates one of the major allures of the gun, which is its low price and essentially fungible nature.

If you’re looking for a carry gun that’s a cut above, that makes a statement, that says you’re a discerning individual who demands that bit of extra ability from your sidearm…well, once you get into that price range, why are you limiting yourself to exotically machined Glocks?

On the SHOT Show floor today we swung by the STI booth to see what they had in the way of new blasters to fill the same niche, and were introduced to a pair of guns at opposite ends of…well, both were pretty high-end, but one was much higher-end than the other.

STI's new entry-level 2011: The Hawk 5.0.

For the basic “I’m looking for something better than run-of-the-mill” crowd, this year STI is debuting the new Hawk 5.0. As the name implies, this is a full-size 5”-barrel gun built on their 2011 double-stack platform. It features fixed sights with a Dawson fiber front, a single-sided thumb safety, a matte blue finish, and it comes in any caliber you want so long as it’s 9x19mm. The MSRP of $1,499 includes a pair of 18-round 126mm magazines.

For someone looking to go all out, the newest defensive carry piece from STI makes a statement. Dubbed the “DVC Omni”, it sports lightening cuts in the slide, a true expansion chamber compensator on the muzzle end, suppressor-height tritium night sights, and a slide that is cut for an MRDS optic. The package includes four different adaptor plates to accommodate the most common options in slide-mounted mini red dots.

Shown here with no WML and the slide cover plate mounted, the DVC Omni is as feature-rich as they come.

Other thoughtful touches abound, from the ambi safeties to the cutouts in the low-profile magwell that aid in removing mags from the gun while clearing double-feed malfunctions.

Like the Hawk 5.0, the DVC Omni is only available in 9mm, and it also ships with two magazines. Unlike the Hawk, one of the two is a 126mm 18-rounder while the other is a 140mm 23-round magazine.

The MSRP of the feature-laden DVC Omni is $3,999. For that price, however, you get a pistol that lacks not a single feature.

NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOIL

For years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included).

Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.

You want this. Trust Us.