WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2021   ■   PUBLISHING

RIA’s STK100 “Metal Wundernine” Tops November GUNS

Armscor/Rock Island Armory (RIA) already knows how to build guns out of metal; they’ve been doing it for decades. So when it came time to enter the striker-fired market, RIA President Martin Tuason naturally envisioned a gun crafted from a metal (rather than plastic) frame. The result, the STK100, is featured on the cover of Nov. GUNS.

The 9mm STK100’s innovative “clamshell” frame of CNC-machined aluminum alloy, featuring grasping surfaces and purpose-built elements, is all held together with strategically placed screws. Perhaps most important, the grip angle is identical to a 1911. A high beavertail allows a much higher grip to effectively combat recoil issues. “This combination of the stiffer alloy frame, innovative grip design, grip angle and the beavertail element means the STK100 sits low in the hand and handles like a Formula 1 racecar hugs the track. It’s fast to get on-target — and easy to keep there as you shoot,” lends Roy Huntington.

“Once every month or so, I overhear a shooter opine a .22-caliber pistol is ‘just a toy,’ or ‘not even a real gun,’ notes Clayton Walker in “The .22 Pistol — A Must-Have For The Serious Handgunner.” The notion makes him apoplectic for several reasons; one of which is it’s dismissive of a .22’s ability to develop excellent shooting habits that translate to innumerable other platforms. He adds, “No breed of gun is a better teaching tool or so dang fun.”

A Franklin Armory BSFIII M4 rifle in 5.56 NATO tops November’s Firearms Package Giveaway. Features include a BFSIII Binary Trigger, a 16" LTW Contour barrel with a 1:7" twist, 15" FST handguard/upper, low-profile gas block and more. The winner will also receive a pair of Payload performance sunglasses from Leupold and a Pentagon FX fixed knife from SOG Knives. This package is valued at nearly $1,500. Readers are encouraged to enter the free drawing at GunsMagazine.com/giveaways.

Also inside GUNS November, the Handguns column takes a cue from Goldilocks when it comes to finding the sweet spot for CCW. Be it revolver, 1911 or GLOCK, Massad Ayoob advises, “the middle ground, sometimes, is the most solid ground.” Jeff “Tank” Hoover honors the 500 S&W with the title of “World’s Heavyweight Champion.” According to Tank, the magnificent cartridge’s reputation goes unchallenged performance-wise. Many readers will find Editor Brent T. Wheat’s “Ritual of Panic” preparing for hunting season achingly familiar, as GUNS Insider reveals the annual (self-inflicted) mayhem ahead of deer day.

Discover more at GunsMagazine.com, including FMG Digital Editor Serena Juchnowski’s “Spiders, Sighters And Shenanigans: Reports From Camp Perry.” Purchase the Nov. issue or order a digital subscription at www.fmgpubs.com. Kindle and digital versions are also available.

CONTACT: BRENT WHEAT

ED@GUNSMAGAZINE.COM