Sabatti ST-18

The History of Sabatti

Sabatti’s history can be traced back to the early 18th century’s Val Trompia, a region in northern Italy that is historically well known for metalworking and arms manufacturing. We know of one Lodovico Sabatti working there as a gunsmith in the early 1700s, in the city of Gardone Val Trompia. He was regarded as an excellent barrel maker and a flintlock pistol maker, skills that later became somewhat of a trademark for the Sabatti family.

In the first half 1800s, a man by the name of Giuseppe Sabatti gained considerable fame as one of the best Damascus steel barrel manufacturers ever, thus further contributing to Sabatti’s rising influence in the craft. In fact, it was throughout the 19th century when several members of the Sabatti family became respected practitioners of the trade, some of whom opened their own workshops, while others joined forces with other gunsmiths to open companies, many of which are still in operation today. Sabatti members also played an important role as gunsmiths in the turbulent years of Italian unification.

After a seeming decline of the Sabatti family in the first half of the 20th century, Antonio Sabatti entered a partnership with Giuseppe Tanfoglio to form a new company almost immediately after World War II (in 1946). Their joint company was named SATA (Sabatti and Tanfoglio), and it reinvigorated the Italian gun manufacturing business. They first put all their efforts into manufacturing high-quality hunting shotguns and rifles, but in 1956 they also introduced their first pistols for personal defense.

The partnership ended in 1960 with Giuseppe founding Tanfoglio while Antonio’s sons set up their own company, which until 1990 operated under the name FIAS (Fabbrica Italiana Armi Sabatti). They seemingly split SATA down the middle – Tanfoglio specialized in hand pistols only while Sabatti to this day remains a well-respected manufacturer of hunting shotguns and rifles. And just like in the past, the quality of the barrels and actions are still Sabatti’s main strengths. They even patented a new Multi-Radial Rifling (MRR) system which extends the life cycle of the rifle’s barrel, and due to the lack of traditional sharp corners, it prevents excessive bore fouling. MRR system thus increases the overall quality of barrels, making Sabatti rifles, such as Sabatti Urban Sniper, Saphire, Saphire E.R., or ST-18, a great pick.

Sabatti ST-18 Rifle Review

Sabatti ST-18 is a bolt action rifle purposefully designed to excel at target shooting and long-distance engagements. It is a product of Sabatti’s fruitful collaboration with BCM Europearms, and it is a testament to the Sabatti’s devotion to making a shift from producing hunting rifles only and instead establishing itself in the tactical field as well. The ST-18 was first presented in 2019 at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas and has since gained a considerable reputation.

Sabatti ST-18 in 6.5 Creedmoor

Figure 1: Sabatti ST-18 in 6.5 Creedmoor (Source: https://www.deltamike.co.nz/product/sabatti-st-18/)

At the heart of the ST-18 is a sturdy free-floating “Blizzard” action that is connected to the stock on two points, using a front and a rear interface that keep it “suspended” within the stock itself to minimize the effect of vibrations on the rifle’s accuracy. The action hosts a steel bolt with a 60-degrees throw and 3 locking lugs for safety purposes. ST-18 also features an improved extractor design that doesn’t move with the post-shot expansion of the case’s base, making the rifle even safer to use. But perhaps the most distinctive feature of the ST-18 is its modernly designed chassis that is machined from a solid block of Ergal 55. It is designed in a way that it cuts down on weight while also retaining all the sturdiness and reliability.

ST-18 comes with a pre-installed Picatinny rail for the maximum number of mounting possibilities, and it also features an M-Lok handguard that allows for even more versatility. A KeyMod handguard is available as optional. The 2-positions safety catch is found on the right side of the rifle behind the bolt handle, while the catch to remove the polymer 7-round AICS magazine is located on the outside of the trigger guard. The rifle’s three-lever Match trigger has a pull weight of 600 g (1.3 lbs).

ST-18 boasts the Sabatti’s in-house cold-hammer-forged barrel with a 22 mm (0.86-inch) diameter. The barrel comes with a removable muzzle brake, and it is available in three different lengths: 510, 610, and 660 mm (20/24/26-inch). Sabatti also made use of their patented Multi-Radial Rifling (MRR) system which is quickly becoming the standard in long-distance shooting and has a proven record of increasing the barrel’s accuracy and longevity.

The rifle ends in a skeletal M4-style collapsible buttstock made of a fiberglass-reinforced techno-polymer, and it comes with an adjustable cheek rest, a recoil pad, and a spacer to adjust the length of pull. It folds to the right side, which makes the transportation of the gun easier.

Sabatti ST-18 Calibers

Sabatti ST-18 can be chambered for:

6 mm Creedmoor
6.5x47 Lapua
6.5 Creedmoor
.308 Win.

Sabatti ST-18 Variants

It seems like there are no variants other than the standard model of ST-18 currently on the market. Should you have any additional information regarding ST-18 variants, please contact us. We will gladly accept your help and expand our database accordingly.

Sabatti ST-18’s receiver comes with a pre-installed Picatinny rail which offers a high number of mounting possibilities.

The receiver and bolt of Sabatti ST-18 with a visible mounting surface

Figure 2: The receiver and bolt of Sabatti ST-18 with a visible mounting surface (Source: https://www.sabatti.it/en/product/st-18)

Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Sabatti ST-18

Rifles That Have Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Sabatti ST-18

The necessary condition for rifles to have one-piece mounts interchangeable is that the mounting surfaces of these rifles match in every dimension. Since Sabatti ST-18 comes with a pre-installed Picatinny rail, all of the one-piece scope mounts suitable for Picatinny will fit on the ST-18, too.

There’s even less dilemma around the interchangeability of two-piece mounts since they don’t have to meet any of the length requirements. Therefore, any two-piece scope mount that fits on a Picatinny rail will also fit on the Sabatti ST-18.

Should you have any additional information regarding possible mount matches, please contact us. We will gladly accept your help and expand our database accordingly.

Best Scope Mounts for Sabatti ST-18

Fixed Scope Mounts for Sabatti ST-18

ERA-TAC specializes in producing high-quality scope mounts intended for tactical applications. Therefore this 30 mm ERA-TAC Ultralight one-piece scope mount is our top recommendation for a fixed scope mount for Sabatti ST-18. It is made of aluminum and comes with a 10-year warranty.

Detachable Repeatable Mounts for Sabatti ST-18

When it comes to flexibility, detachable repeatable scope mounts are the way to go. Being able to easily attach and detach an optic without any tools and retaining zero at the same time can be a great advantage. If this is what you’re looking for, you might want to consider this aluminum INNOMOUNT scope mounting solution of German quality for your Sabatti ST-18.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu