STI builds superb products, including the Spartan. I've shot several of them, and they were all what I think of as "STI guns." More importantly, when Dave Skinner at STI was putting the gun together, I went down to the factory in Texas and went through the gun with him a part at a time, with Dave explaining where each part was made and each assembled and how they were being held at every step to STI quality standards. He also went into detail on his and his engineers' involvement in setting up the Philippines' factory...Dave is one of the best pure manufacturing guys in the business (he's already made one fortune in manufacturing before he "retired" and bought STI).
All the $600-range 1911s (STI, Taurus, Para, Springfield) are truly better than they have any right to be...amazing to an old 1911 hand!
Michael B