Steyr M9 Question

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

RightIsRight

Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2003
Messages
149
Location
Socialist Republik of NJ
Today, at the range, I noticed that if I really slam a loaded mag. home, the slide drops. It does not drop when I slam an empty mag in.

Is it supposed to do that? Is this newb missing something here?

:eek:
 
My M40 occasionaly does the same thing.

When I first got it I posted this exact same question on TFL and everyone assured me its okay.

Some think it may be a "feature" others tell me that their autos do the same thing sometimes (not just Steyrs).
 
Trust me it is supposed to do that.

Think about if you were getting shot at and you dropped your empty mag to put in a full mag. If you slam it in hard enough the slide automatically goes forward so you are prepared to start shooting right away. You don't have to pull the slide back to make it chamber a round, and you don't have to pull the slide release. Steyr guns are supposed to auto close the slide and feed the first round. I practice reloads in this manner, but normally when I am shooting I don't slap the mags in that hard.
 
It's probably the top round popping up out of the mag a little bit and hitting the slide release. I doubt it's intentional, but I don't see any real safety problem with it since the the only time you should be banging mags in that hard is in a combat situation anyway. Or, I guess, if you're trying to make it drop the slide to look all cool and "tactical" :p

PS, sturmruger, if you're so sure it's supposed to do that, show a source for the claim. It's not like the slide release takes, well, any time at all to tap, so a design like that would just be an invitation to drop the pistol. If you're in a panic, maybe not holding the gun as carefully as you could because someone is currently trying to kill you, and you ram a mag in hard, and it automatically drops the slide, it could shift the gun in your hand enough to drop it or lose a remotely proper grip, and thus maybe get you killed. I for one don't believe for a moment that they designed that in. It just seems to happen with some guns. But please, feel free to show proof that I'm wrong.
 
Me Expert

TreeSquid, how many Steyr Pistols do have?.........My guess is at the most One. I have three and they all function the same.

What is nice about the way Steyr designed this pistol is a normal amount of pressure will not activate the slide release. You have to really jam it in for the insertion of the mag to activate the slide release and make the pistol automatically chamber the first round.

If you would like to see something off the official Steyr Website to support my claim I will see what I can do. I love the Steyr gun, but their website leaves allot to be desired for so I might not be able to find any good supporting documentation.
 
Well looking at page 20 of my M40 manual, it shows how to reload the pistol after emptying the magazine. It says to remove the empty mag, insert a fresh one and EITHER press slide catch lever down with firing hand to release slide ... OR Pull slide rearward and release it. It doesn't say anything about slamming a mag home to make the slide drop.


I imagine many pistols do this, but I'm not convinced its a design "feature" (even though its kinda cool).


If anyone here knows Wilhelm Bubits and wants to email him, that would settle things pretty quickly :p
 
Thank You Zund for checking the manual. Unfortunetly it does not help my case much.:D Maybe it got lost in the translation somewhere. I could have sworn that I read an article somewhere and it listed that mag insertion slide release as a feature. I am sure we will get some other Steyr owners to chime in on this one.
 
I have several 1911's that do the same thing. I'd just be aware of it and not worry about it too much.

I did email Wilhelm Bubits about a year ago and told him how much I liked the Steyr M9. About a month later he emailed me back thanking me and said he was working on a new design for a "well known" gun manufacturer. So far I haven'y heard anymore about a new Bubits gun. Anybody else hear/read anything about a new Bulbits gun??




nero45acp
 
Nothing unusual. My Glock 21 does it to me all the time.

One less step to worry about if one ever has the misfortune to be in a firefight long enough to need a reload.
 
The pistol is not "designed" to do this. No pistol is "designed" to do this.

Some do because because the shock of slaming a mag in causes the slide to release.

It will also release if you lock it back and give the bottom of the grip a smack with your hand or bump the pistol on something.
 
So far, the only posts that I have read from Cornbread2 about the Steyrs have been negative. Perhaps he had a bad experience with them or perhaps he just has a bone to pick with the design, but my experiences with both of my Steyrs have been nothing but positive.

And yes...they are safe. ;)
 
The slide can't drop if you insert an empty mag.

To whoever it may consern.

My posts on Steyrs are the truth and nothing but the truth. The only "opinions" I offer are that I like the way they shoot and the only "feelings" I offer is that I like the way they "feel" in my hand.

When I state that they are a single action pistol that is not opinion. It is FACT.

When I state they do not have a slide mounted firing pin lock or ANYTHING else to prevent the fall of the striker if the sear failed to hold it that is FACT not opinion.

I have never even once said the Steyr is not reliable. I have never said they were not accurate.

I have never even said I don't like them.

I stated the FACT that they are not as safe as most other modern designs because of their lack of the same internal safety system that is found on almost every other carry gun.

If you disagree with any of these FACTS please feel free to PROVE me wrong.
 
cornbread2,
I already have. Do a search here and on TheFiringLine and you can read my (and TwoBlink's) rebuttals. We have argued this until we were blue in the face -- I don't wish to do it again.

You are right that the Steyr does not have a plunger-style firing pin block. However, the gun, by nature of its design, will not fire in the manner that you predict. Oh, and the sear moves back, and then down, when the trigger is pulled...double action. ;)
 
I'm happy to hear all of you are happy w/ your Steyrs.....I've agonized over a new pistol to augment my trusty SIG and have all but decided on an M9.
 
The striker is held FULLY to the rear by the sear.

The trigger pull releses the striker allowing it to fall.

SINGLE ACTION.

On older Steyr pistols the trigger pull did pull the striker about 2mm more to the rear before letting it go. Much like the single action trigger pull on a CZ or AR-15. Still single action.

The newer ones have NO VISIBLE rearward movement with the trigger pull.

SINGLE ACTION.

There can be NO other way to describe it.

It is there for ANYONE to see if they just look. You can see into the rear of the pistol between the frame and slide.

You can see the striker as it held FULLY to the rear by the sear. You can clearly see it fall forward with the trigger pull.

Single action. No ifs and or buts.
 
Maybe you got a broken one as both my 93XX and 162XX Steyrs have rearward movement of the sear with the trigger pull. ;) To see it, though, you have to apply forward pressure on the sear just as the sear catch on the firing pin would when the slide is released forward. If you do this, you will note rearward sear movement by about 1mm, followed by the downward movement of the sear (~1.5mm downward) that actually releases the firing pin.

BTW, the BATF lists the Steyr as a DAO weapon... :p
 
Cornbread is right. It's a single action. During firing, the striker assembly is dragged back an additional .050" only to drop the 'trapdoor' off the forward support. This does not add appreciably to the striker energy, it had been fully cocked by the last cycle of the slide.
 
Can't you guys find something else to argue about? I see this same crap every time some one makes a steyr post.
 
We argue about this because at least a few of us that understand how the Steyr works KNOW that it's design allows the possibility of an AD.

It is clearly seen IF you understand the design.

If one has a Steyr that is exactly in spec and it is not worn then one may carry it for a lifetime and never have a problem.

But one that is out of spec or worn or both is capable of firing WITHOUT A TRIGGER PULL. This is FACT.

I HAVE PERSONALY SEEN IT HAPPEN and from reading a few other peoples posts on other boards I am not the only one that has seen it happen.


Now I don't believe everything I read on the internet but I know enough about the design of the Steyr to know it is possible so I can't call them liars.

If they made claims that a few other guns were having ADs all the time I would call them on it because most other designs are highly unlikely to fire without a trigger pull.

The Steyr's design make it a very real possibility.

I don't make these claims because I have some weird personal issue with the Steyr pistol. I post this because I may prevent the death of some innocent person.

Now you people have been told the TRUTH and what you do with it is up to you. I really can't see any advantage that the Steyr holds over other designs that makes up for it's safety issues.

This is the last time I will bring up the subject on this board. If If someone asks about it will give any info I have but I will never again start this conversation because I am just wasting my time. It is apparent that this is lost on people that don't even know the basic difference between SA and DA. How are these people capable of knowing if their Steyr is in spec or not. How can they say they understand the design and make an educated opinion about it's safety?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

S
  • Locked
Steyr M9 Grip question
Replies
8
Views
913
Cortland
C
M
  • Locked
What pistols do this?
2
Replies
46
Views
2K
Big Gay Al
B
D
  • Locked
Glock slam-mag question
Replies
12
Views
1K
arinvolvo
A
O
  • Locked
Question for the Glock "Experts"
Replies
7
Views
496
Joe D
J
K
  • Locked
Steyr M9 questions... Old model Vs. New model
Replies
4
Views
668
ainokea
A
Back
Top