Steyr handguns

I was able to handle an L9-A1 the other day.

I thought the grip was blocky and a little thick - it didn't fit me well. With the low bore axis and ability to grip the gun fairly high I was expecting a comfortable fit but the width of the grip, the gun just didn't feel good in my hands. A regular 9mm Glock feels more comfortable to me - so it was a bit of a disappointment.

I knew a guy with one and he liked the weird triangle sights it had on it, dont remember anything else about the gun.

One of my neighbors that I shoot with has an M9A1 and I've shot it a bit. He's had it for quite a while so it's probably a Gen3 model maybe even a 2. It feels a bit like a HiPoint pistol in my hands, not a fan of the overall feel but that is a personal opinion. The owner is a big Walther P38 fanatic and has quite a few of those he shoots regularly so maybe that's why he likes the odd feel of the M9A1 so much. For him he says it feels great and fits him perfectly. Reliability wise I've never seen it jam. I do remember it being tight when racking the slide, but I also remember him feeding it plain WWB and Federal Champion 115gr on several occasions with no issues. I also remember it having a wonderful trigger. In fact probably the most memorable thing that I will retain about shooting his M9A1 is that it had a great trigger, and that lends itself to it being an accurate shooter.

They're interesting pistols. I like the scifi styling, and they generally get good reviews. They were also one of the first polymer Glock alternatives.

It's a shame that Steyr doesn't really seem interested in selling them. I'd love to handle and shoot one sometime.

I have an older M9-A1 and it fits my hand quite well. The trapezoid sights are different, but you can always change out sights with more traditional options. Mine has an extremely short trigger reset and as much as it hurts to admit it, it's much more ergonomically comfortable than Glock. It's really a well designed handgun. The biggest downside is that Steyr sucks with marketing which is why Glock will always win any arguments over the Steyr. Still, it's a great handgun if it fits you well. I've had zero issues with mine.

ROCK6

It is a highly under rated gun IMHO. I love mine.

I have an M40-AI and an S9-A1. They are very high quality. The triggers are as good as it gets for a striker. The trapezoid sights are very precise and quick to acquire. As has been mentioned, they are not marketed well. Hickok did a review on the M9-A1.

The current models have some improvements over the early ones. The weird safety on the trigger guard is gone. There were issues with the extractors that have been corrected. The loaded chamber indicator has been eliminated, it interfered with trigger pull.
The few people that have shot one of mine either want one or bought one already.

I have an older M9 version and my experiences with it are pretty much the opposite of C0untZer0. Fits my hand like a glove and feels much more comfortable than the comparable Glock 17 that I have. The trapezoid sights take a little time to get use to but they do work well once you get them figured out an are quick and easy to acquire. Mine has the safety lever in the trigger guard; not crazy about the location but it's there if I want to use it. The trigger is a little bit heavier than some of my other striker fired guns but has a relatively short reset.

I agree with the comments about poor to nearly non-existent marketing on the part of Steyr with their guns. When I got mine I was missing the spare magazine (said right in the owner's manual that it was supposed to come with two magazines). Contacted the importer listed in the manual and they were no longer involved with the Steyr guns. They directed me to another importer who in turn told me to contact another company in regards to getting my spare magazine. Finally got it (I think I ended up dealing with CDNN), but shouldn't have had to jump through so many hoops in trying to get parts for a gun.

There are always some advertised on Gun Broker. I know several people that really like the handguns. I think that you can get either 3 dot or the triangular sights. They also have a model with threaded barrel. The couple times I shot one they did well.

I have three - S9, M9, and an M40. I find that I shoot them amazingly well (for me). The Austrian grip angle thing works for me apparently...

Slater said:

This brand is pretty much under the radar, and seems to be poorly advertised. Anyone with any positive/negative experiences with their recent products?

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Solid gun. I would get some spare mags if found for good price. Those are usually quite expensive when found.

Nice trigger, pretty extreme grip angle to me. Like a Glock but worse. It felt like I had to hold one like a fencing saber to get the front sights down. I think they're pretty neat, just not made for my hands.

I have no personal experience with them, but on the marketing, I see ad's for them in just about in every gun magazine I buy.

Always the same ad for the M9A1 and some funky looking SBR.

I have always wanted to try one of these guns out, but I have never seen one in a store. I may one day give in and just buy one online, but without getting to handle one first its pretty low on my list.

I'm glad to hear that they being advertised more. They are such nice shooting high quality guns.

It's the pricey, hipster version of the Glock. Those that own them seem to like them, but it seems few own them in the first place.

Cooldill said:

It's the pricey, hipster version of the Glock. Those that own them seem to like them, but it seems few own them in the first place.

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All three I've had I've found for less than a glock in similar condition. Prices on guns vary by region etc but my experience has been they can be found for the same or less than other common striker fired polymer guns. I'm not sure what is remotely "hipster" about them. I guess that's the kind of comment one leaves when he has never owned one (and likely never shot one) but really wants to say something anyways.

IMO the Steyr is at least equal to the glock, and comes with several features that sets it apart from the glock.
Much more ergonomic grip
Much beefier internal metal frame than the glock
Slide rails cut to increase accuracy
traditional rifling instead of polygonal
much lower bore axis
Much better trigger

However, my M40 is
Not as reliable as a glock
Not as easy to find parts for
Not as easy to find mags for
Not supported by any aftermarket goody makers.
harder to find holsters for

They are definitely a niche gun and usually go for much less money than they are worth, imo.
I picked mine up for less than $300 and I see them still going for that occasionally.

I find it comical that a small percentage of people can only like one gun at a time and everything else on the market is just wannabe garbage.
My thought is there is no gun that is perfect for everyone so more options to choose from is a good thing.