Steyr GB: Ultimate Gun??

[The Rabbi]

I have seen a few of these around for sale. When I queried, the dealer said he had 1 extra mag for, yes, $70.
The idea of a reliable 9mm that can shlep 18 rounds in the mag is appealing. Has anyone ever had experience with one? What was your impression?
Thanks

 

[wasrjoe]

Friend has one. I've fired it several times, he talks about his love for it extensively. It has a fixed barrel, and as such the accuracy is very nice. It uses the same gas delay (is that what it's called?) system that the H&K P7 uses. It's big for a semi 9. However, because of this recoil is minimal. I haven't seen his burp once, he says it functions flawlessly. I have read on the internet that when Steyr licensed some to be produced in the US, the workmanship and/or materials were shoddy. May want to read up on that a little bit.

Hope I helped some.

 

[jed]

For what my view is worth. They could be sort of a cult type gun.
Repair work and accessories may be hard to get.

However, if it proved to be flawless, my comments may not make a difference. The guns alone had been deeply discounted. When I thought
about service and accessories, I passed on the deal. They were going in the mid 300 range here.

Also, in any brand you pay your money and take what you get!!

 

[Erich]

I fired one back in the late '80s - it was darn nice. They sure are pricey nowadays, though.

 

[mini14jac]

The idea of a reliable 9mm that can shlep 18 rounds in the mag is appealing.

I used to think I would never be one of those guys that always posted "Get a Glock.", but you just described the Glock 17.
And now mags can be found for <$20.

 

[jed]

I second the Glock notion. Plus there are many aftermarket accessories, gee haws and gim cracks for them. Holster selection is very good and
important in a carry gun. Also reliability is almost a given and if not
can be sent back to Glock to make it so.

 

[The Rabbi]

I used to think I would never be one of those guys that always posted "Get a Glock.", but you just described the Glock 17.

But then I would have a Glock. Ewwwwhh!!

I dont have one for the same reason I dont have a Timex watch. Yes, a timex will do everything a vintage Omega will do. Yes, it is cheaper to buy and has all kinds of gew-gaws available at any Wal-Mart. You can list all the positives (and there are many) but at the end of the day its still a Timex.

 

[Erich]

And if it breaks or you mess it up, you can buy another one for next to nothing. A Timex is a good tool, but it's not a pretty one (Omega). Or a fancy/high-tec one to impress your friends with (Suunto?). A Glock's the same way.

Now, Rabbi, if you want a pretty gun, get something engraved, not one of those Österreicher gas guns. I've got a friend who carries a lovely engraved nickled Chief's Special for that reason. (But he's got an SP-89 in case someone breaks into the house at night.)

If you're looking to impress your friends with a fancy gun . . . how many friends are you really thinking to impress? Because most just won't care. And, if you want to really impress the tech-ween gun guys, you want an HK P7 of some sort, not a Steyr GB. (Although I would certainly understand if you were reluctant to purchase a German gun . . . I know a lot of folks who feel that way about German guns, cars, coffee makers, etc.)

Anyway, the Steyrs are neat, but they didn't sell. And, while I certainly heard it proposed that they were the top-of-the-line Wündernine (I was managing a gun store at the time), that was a minority view (with most of hoi polloi championing SIG-Sauers, HKs or even, gasp, Glocks).

 

[HankB]

A version of the Steyr GB appeared some years back as the L.E.S. Rogak, produced in Morton Grove, IL. Reviews were less than glowing - one gun rag said the most dangerous thing about this jammamatic was the sharp edge on the magazine. One picture showed the pistol on a rock, and the reviewer holding another large rock over it . . . the caption said they felt the pistol could use a little "stoning."

How L.E.S. got the design is open to question - production Steyr pistols supposedly worked MUCH better.

But the design was discontinued as other designs were more reliable, particularly under harsh conditions.

 

[The Rabbi]

Erich,
I have NO, zero, problem buying German products. But thats another story.

I have a P-7 and love it. Great gun, fun to shoot, etc etc. Mags are high is maybe my biggest complaint.
I have 3 SIGs and feel the same way about them.
I dont buy guns to impress my friends. Heck, I dont even have any friends. I buy guns because I enjoy shooting them. Thats why I never get a "barbecue gun"--who wants to shoot a gun that decreases in value with every trigger pull?
I do not enjoy shooting Glocks. I dont like shooting USP's either. I think it is the polymer frame. the vibration feels very different from a steel or alloy frame. The Steyr M-9 was the only exception. I dont know why.

 

[gvass]

"It uses the same gas delay (is that what it's called?) system that the H&K P7 uses. "

NO!
Absolutely different system. The outer bushing of the barrel is expanding slightly.

The original AUSTRIAN GB was reliable with FMJ ammo, (as I also experienced with one example).

The gun is accurate, but very large to carry. No luck that the Glock became the winner on military tenders.

 

[Kingknives]

I owned a GB for years. Very accurate and reliable foir me , but it is a large (full size) gun.

The gun is gas delayed, but unlike the HK. There is a collar around the barrel about 1/3 the way back. the barrel bushing is long and sits around this collar. Thus, the barel is the piston and the bushing is the cylinder, it worked pretty well. They also made some bushings that had compensators built in also.

The Rogak was the percussor to the Gb and a POS. The Gb is well made and nicely finished for what I recall. I sold it for $400 way back when, and wish I had it now. :banghead:

Joe

 

[B36]

Needs wheels

Had and shot one many years ago--mags were cheep, had 8 but the gun was BIG, really needed wheels. Very accurate, shot all ammo I tried in it including all hps available at the time.

 

[oweno]

I've got one and my son has one too (a 2 GB family, I suppose, and a bit odd come to think of it).

They're fun to shoot, I take it to the range once in a while and fire off 19 quick rounds, drop the mag, insert a new one, and let off another 18. This usually gets a "What *is* that?" from a few people nearby and yes, the slide gets a tad warm.

Ours are accurate, reliable, and the perceived recoil is very, very light - especially when the mag is full.

btw, there's one on display in one of the Smithsonian museums - did well in the competition to replace the 1911A1 but was beat out, as we know, by the Beretta.

Owen

 

[armoredman]

A friend had one years ago, and loved it. I have no idea what happened to it. As for hi cap combat pistols, wait for the new CP SP01 with 18 round mag, coming out soon. CZs sponsored shooter has apparently gotten 19 rounds in his pistol....
Comes in two flavors, decocker or traditional....

 

[shoobe01]

I have always sorta loved the GB. The only reason I don't own one is the trigger. When a friend sold his, I was getting out of DA/SA guns, so let it go.

Anyway, lots of experience with his. The trigger is quite mediocre also. Even SA, its sorta heavy. Not unreasonable, not gritty, but just needless.

The Gas Brake (get it?) is conceptually the same as the HK. A blowback, braked by the gas pressure. So what if its around the barrel instead?

The mag is "neat" incarnate. Alternate feed! Like an SMG. Easiest to load pistol ever.

Its big, but not super big. Like, not even beretta big. Its a full-sized combat pistol, and is not particularly wide or chunky. Rather slick gun, actually, I think. Nicely finished, but the crinkle-coat on some bits freaks people out. It was designed to be a service pistol (lost to the G17) so has some of that sturdyness to it. Presumably it would have been extended to a large product line and slicked up more if adopted; the first glocks were odd and junky.

Very reliable. Very, very accurate.

Can be very hard to clean. Stay away from lead, just like in the P7. My friend went to a dremel to remove the leading at one point. The P7 comes with a gas scraper, so this is apparently not unusual for this operating method.


After Steyr stopped production, they sold rights to it. Maybe... Ruger sold it as the Pi18 or something, poorly and with extra uglies, for a while even. Then others. Then it died. Steyr does this in general, apparently. E.g. the TMP is gone, but Bruger + Thomet is selling a nice PIP'd version of it again.

 

[surfinUSA]

I believe SOF did an evaluation one of these years ago. The gun was nothing but a jam-o-matic. It got the worst review of any weapon I've ever read about in SOF. On the other hand I haven't read SOF in years.

 

[mrapathy2000]

LES Rogak a cheap knockoff. true Steyr GB's are nice guns. search gunbroker.com and auctionarms some up for auction starting at $500. magazines are rare. www.steyr-mannlicher.com email them see if they can service GB's anymore or if they have magazines. know anybody going to europe might want to have them search for mags to send back

 

[cslinger]

SIG P226 with 17 round flush fitting Mec-Gar magazines. That gives you 18 rounds of capacity in a reasonably priced gun with $23.00 magazines.

The gun and magazine should be as close to 100% reliable as a semi-auto can be and you are already familiar and enjoy shooting SIGs.

Chris