The partnership of trainer Chris Costa and handgun maker STI International seems to be going well. The pair has introduced their latest handgun collaboration – the V.I.P. STI states the Costa V.I.P. is modeled after their own similar non-Costa V.I.P., but …. “upgraded with new finishes, under rail, new stippled grip, and tritium sights”

The new double-stack handgun is offered with a standard ambidextrous safety, “treebark” stippled grips, contoured trigger guard, and a longer sight radius with a 4.15 bull barrel. Magazine capacity is STI’s standard 120mm magazines (15 for 9mm, 9 for .45), but the handgun can, of course, take the longer mags for those wanting a higher-capacity reload on them.  Recoil is handled well through STI’s “Recoil Master” spring system.

Finishes are the usual high-quality choices, this time opting for black on the likely concealed carry handgun. The majority of the parts are DLC PVD coated in black. For those not familiar with the acronyms, “Diamond-Like Carbon Physical Vapor Deposition”, which in the Diamond Like Carbon form is extremely robust. DLC is hard, abrasion resistance, and corrosion resistant, making it an excellent finish for weapons that are likely to be handled often.

The STI International Costa V.I.P. is available in both 9mm and .45 ACP with no mention of other potentially forthcoming calibers. Retail is set at $2,599.

*Author’s note – few high-quality photos were available. Those pictured in the gallery are from a lucky customer who had an early model and sold it on 1911addicts.com