One company that’s building a history of its own is Rock Island Armory and it rounds out our “Meat and Potatoes” part of the review with the new STK100. Bucking the polymer trend, RIA decided to go with an aluminum frame for the 9mm, striker-fired STK100. Company reps posit that aluminum is sturdier than polymer and the extra bit of weight also helps mitigate recoil. And rather than go with standard grip panels, which add extra girth, the company elected to machine the “grips” into the frame itself. Subtle texturing on the sides and serrations in the front and back help the shooter lock in the STK100 during fire.
The STK100 utilizes a 4.5-inch barrel that is housed within a slide that sports lightening cuts on top and on both sides as well. The slide also features an optics cut for the user to mount their red-dot, but the serrated rear sight is lost when a red-dot is installed. It’s part of the cover plate. The front sight is a simple but effective white-dot post.
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With an MSRP of $599, the STK100 was the second least expensive pistol in our test group, so it didn’t have all the bells and whistles like ambidextrous controls. But it does incorporate a Picatinny rail for accessories and it ships with two 17-round, Glock-style, Korean-made magazines. The magazines aren’t the only Glock influence either. The trigger pull on the STK100 was the most Glock-like of the bunch. It was a little gritty at first but cleaned up very nicely after about the first hundred rounds were fired through it. The resulting trigger pull averaged 5.7 pounds at the break.
Little touches that added to the STK100’s ease of use was the generously sized triggerguard for gloved fingers and the design of the slide stop. While it was a little small, it did include a lip that stuck out just enough to get good contact for confident engagement. All in all, the STK100 is a quality pistol for the money, especially for those who prefer a metal frame over a polymer one. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for something that stands apart from the crowd.
