[Felonious Monk]

Hi all,

Those that own them seem to love them. There's just not many around at larger ranges to rent/try out. CDNN's got 'em at a good price right now, and I'm tempted...

People seem to rave so much about SA XD9/40's, and Glocks...
Is the Steyr flavor of Tupperware marginalized because they suck, because there's not that many of 'em around, or are they somewhat like the Bersa Thunder series, from the standpoint that they are good quality lesser-known weapons?

Reliability? Would you own one for CCW? Why?
Aftermarket stuff? Parts availablity?

I appreciate all who chime in on this.

Ben/FM

[Felonious Monk]

Oh, one other thing...grip feel for medium to small hands?

[spacemanspiff]

i bought my m9 and m40 from cdnn, both were great. spotty reliability with the m40, think it wasnt chambered properly, wouldnt go into battery with heavier bullets.
but the m9 was perfect, but like a dummy, a broke dummy, i sold both. wasnt able to feed .45acp, .40s&w, and 9mm at the same time, so i consolidated and went to only having a 45 and 22 pistol. still kicking myself over it.

i have medium hands with short stumpy fingers, and the grips were very easy to hold naturally. length of pull was about perfect. the bore axis was just right.
it felt better in my hands than any glock i've ever picked up.

its a good price, you cant go wrong with cdnn's price, only thing is spare magazines will be less than easy to track down.
once the cdnn supply dries up, everyone will be back to paying $500+ for the steyr pistols.

i'd say buy it, get a couple standard mags, and if you dont like it, someone here will buy it for what you got into it.

at one point, i wanted to have one of every steyr pistol, the m357sig, s9, s40, gb.

[Black Snowman]

I've only held them. Love the grip. Medium-large hands with average length fingers. Fits and points as well as the CZs for me. If CZs fit well, so should the Steyr. Like the sights. Some people don't. Not sure how good they are for speed but it's easy to tell if you're off.

[Ranger61]

I own 4 Steyrs: M40, S40, M357, M9. My absolute favorite is the S40 with night sights and 4 magazines. I have small hands and kind of short fingers and the XD and Glocks just don't feel as good or point as good for me. I was put off by the sights on the M40 which was the first one but took the plunge and liked them alot. I find the triangle sights are the quickest for me but I'm more accurate with conventional sights. Of course I have 23 years of shooting experience with conventional sights. ;) Parts and accessories are a problem until Steyr and who ever is importing them can get their act together. My advice is they are excellent guns but suffer from marketing and distribution problems. :scrutiny:

[Felonious Monk]

Thanks guys!
Spiff-- I should have specified, but you hit the bullseye. My hands are really average sized mitts, but with short stubby fingers.

I LOVE the feel of the CZ's. This may be a good buy for me.

Ranger61-- what's the diff between the M40 and S40?

Now I'm really torn between buying the 9mm and the 40... :uhoh:

[mons meg]

IIRC, the S(mall) series is 2cm shorter in length, and 1cm shorter in grip than the M(edium). 3.5 inch barrel instead of 4. 10 rounds of .40 instead of 12. Holsters made off of an M series mold will fit the S just fine. The S is discontinued, so grab one now if you think you want a slightly more concealable rig.

My M40 has been flawless except for the one time my wife shot it at the range and got a stovepipe...I suspect limp wristing, as it had been some time since she had shot a pistol. Recently got a couple of liberated LEO mags from CDNN, holster is on the way from Highnoon. This will be my carry piece once the CWP comes through.

Note to the short finger/larger palm crowd: I found the Pachmayr rubber slip on grip to fit me better than the Hogue; the Pachmayr doesn't have the palm swells. :)

Edit: The one gun I have held that did a Vulcan Mind Meld with my hand was my first pistol, the CZ-75B with Hogue wraparound grip. The Steyr fits nice, but no way you can top the CZ.

[BlkHawk73]

Been considering a Styer myself as a range plinker. I too hear little about them and see even less. For the price however...


People seem to rave so much about SA XD9/40's, and Glocks...
Is the Steyr flavor of Tupperware marginalized because they suck, because there's not that many of 'em around, or are they somewhat like the Bersa Thunder series, from the standpoint that they are good quality lesser-known weapons?

Remember, the XD was a lesser known when it was the HS2000. Popularity isn't always a sign of quality, just more marketing.

[Zundfolge]

I own both an M40 and an S40.

Both guns have been extremely reliable and my S40 is my daily carry piece.

Compared to the Glock I have found that the Steyrs have better triggers, better ergonomics and are slightly more accurate, and frankly they just feel better made.

The grips are not as bulky as a Glock, so medium to small handed folk won't feel like they are trying to shoot a 2x4 (this slimness also helps for CCW)

Is the Steyr flavor of Tupperware marginalized because they suck, because there's not that many of 'em around, or are they somewhat like the Bersa Thunder series, from the standpoint that they are good quality lesser-known weapons?
I believe they have been marginalized because of a few reasons (in no particular order)
There aren't many dealers that carry them
Steyr had some manufacturing and distribution problems early on (they went through a couple of importers and the factory they used to build the M and S series pistols was leased from BMW who decided they wanted it back so they had to find a new location and move)
The sights are a "love-it-or-hate-it" kind of thing (I happen to love them) ... Wayne Novak is quoted as saying "What idiot designed these sights?" when he saw the first Steyr M's at the SHOT show.
Early in the production there was a recall because of a problem with the trigger ... owners of early pistols could send them back for the upgrade (which I understand dropped the trigger pull from 10-12lbs down to about 6-8lbs and made the triggers crisper and shorter) There is some dispute over whether there was a safety issue with the older trigger.
All Steyr M&S Pistols are "post ban" so back when the AWB existed there was no such thing as a "pre-ban" mag available (this is for the most part a moot point now, but it did contribute to some people's lack of enthusiasm for them)
CDNN and Davidson's have been selling the Steyrs for so darn cheap that many people think "you get what you pay for" ... I'd say that right now the Steyr M and S pistols are one of the best deals in firearms ... but don't expect that to last.


what's the diff between the M40 and S40?
The S40 is basically an M40 with about half an inch shaved off the front of the slide and half an inch shaved off the magwell.

That half an inch shorter grip is a WORLD of difference.

Nice thing is, since the controls line up to exactly the same spot they both shoot alike, and they can both use the same holsters (only you have a little empty bit on the muzzle end when packing an S in an M holster)

I've CCW'd both my M and my S ... I should have bought a couple more S40s when I could still find them :banghead:

Considering the current pricing (and the fact that the pricing and availability of these great guns will probably change by summer) I say go get one and if you don't like it you will probably be able to sell it at a profit in a few months.

The S has been discontinued (because the guys at Steyr don't think there's enough of a size difference between the S and the M to make both ... obviously these guys don't CCW IWB 24/7) and the M series has been replaced by the M-A1 ... which is not being sold at the killer prices you see the M's and S's going for. So now is the time if you're interested in a Steyr.

[WhoKnowsWho]

Be sure to post a range report if you get one! I always handle one when I see them at the show, and I like it, but can not make myself buy it to add to the pile.

[Ranger61]

Zundfolge is right about the .5 inch difference in the S40 and S9 makes much more difference than I thought it would. I got the M40 first, liked it, then the M9 and M357 and didn't get a S series because I thought the difference was minimal but I decided that since I had all the M series I might just as well try a S series and bought the S40. After taking it to the range the first time, I fell in love with my S40. The gun was designed by one of the designers of the Glock who felt that he could make some improvements in the design. Glock declined to manufacture it so he went to Steyr, who liked the design and decided to produce it. One of the big differences in my opinion is that the grip of the Steyr is steel with plastic molded around it. Steyr has considerable experience with manufacturing gun parts for the AUG and their bolt action rifles using this method. Because of this different manufacturing method the grip of the pistol is much more rigid feeling which contributes to the very solid feel of the gun. Some people feel that they are more like steel guns wrapped in plastic. I second the recommendation that you buy one now and even if it doesn't work for you, you'll be able to sell it without much trouble. And I still need a S9 to complete my collection. :)

[Flashpoint]

Well everone seems to have covered the subject pretty well, but I'll chime in for good measure.

I started out with a M40 - Loved it. It went bang every time I pulled the trigger, and it carried better than my P239. I really like the trigger, kinda like a slightly heavy 1911. The ergos are great and it point very well for me.

I traded the M40 for a S40 - I orinally wanted a S40 but you couldn't get them when I bought my M40, the size difference does make it easier to carry. They are a very good gun for the price - kinda like the Bersa but even more so.