Steyr handguns
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bannockburn
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I'm going to guess you're referring to the C-A1, S-A1, M-A1, or L-A1 pistol series. I have an older M9 and I bought it because I liked the ergonomic feel of the grip frame, the unique trapezoidal sights, and the manual safety built in above the trigger guard. It's been a decent shooter for me with a better feel to it than your comparable Glock.
ScarLata
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HankB
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They're pretty uncommon . . . about all I can say is that the salesman at one large sporting goods store told me he was unhappy with his because the integral lock kept locking itself when he was on the range, and the American distributor told him it was going back to Austria for warranty repair so he was going to be without it for a couple of months.
Other than that, he called it ". . . a good shooter . . . "
Other than that, he called it ". . . a good shooter . . . "
JHansenAK47
Member
They are nice shooters. The Trapezoid sights are either a deal maker or breaker. The gun shot well but it was the trap sights that really enabled me to shoot nice tight groups. They aren't for everyone though but they do have the more common three dot setup on the night sight version.
snooperman
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The design of this gun is such that many shooters have a problem with the extreme over-hang of the slide in the grip area. It raps the thumb knuckle enough when shooting due to the recoil and makes the knuckle sore.
I've got a first generation and have had no problems with it. Steyr was a little slow in getting a customer support network setup in the US, and I think that hurt their initial image, not to mention that most people just see them as a modified Glock.
They have very little muzzle flip and a short reset, so are fast shooters.
CDNN has plenty of M magazines. The S magazines are harder to find and more expensive, but you can use M magazines in an S pistol if you don't mind the magazine sticking out an inch or so underneath the grip.
They have very little muzzle flip and a short reset, so are fast shooters.
CDNN has plenty of M magazines. The S magazines are harder to find and more expensive, but you can use M magazines in an S pistol if you don't mind the magazine sticking out an inch or so underneath the grip.
fanchisimo
Member
My friend had a Steyr, I can't remember which model, but it had the trapezoidal sights and I could not get the hang of them. It was a good shooting pistol and I grouped fine with it, they were just a few inches high. That probably was me not knowing the sights, though.
Steyrs are extremely underrated. I like glocks and own multiple. However, I have to say that on a balance I like my steyrs more. My only regret with respect to steyrs is not buying a used S9 that I eyed for a while.
The low bore axis and grip design that allows a good high grip makes for a soft shooter and fast splits. I think the trigger on even the old Ms was better than a factory glock or M&P trigger and the newest MA1 guns have a better trigger still. The grip is more comfortable to me than a glock grip. Although the M9 grip is too slick for my likely and benefits from stippling. The MA1 is better in that it has more texture but I will say I like the shape slightly less.
Steyrs sucks at marketing but makes good guns. Most people simply don't even know that they should be considering one. I had very little interest in my first steyr and initially passed on it without even giving it any serious consideration. A year later I'd read some positive reviews and the seller still had the gun and it was cheap. I picked it up and have never regretted it. I've had multiple people who were unaware of the M series guns pick one up after shooting mine.
It really is a shame that when Bubbits pitched these pistols to glock to be the 4th gen glock that glock passed on them.
The biggest knock against the steyr is simply that it is not super common and thus neither are parts, mags, holsters etc. You can find what you need but its not like getting stuff for a glock or M&P.
Steyr and walther are two brands that should be vastly more popular than they are IMHO.
The low bore axis and grip design that allows a good high grip makes for a soft shooter and fast splits. I think the trigger on even the old Ms was better than a factory glock or M&P trigger and the newest MA1 guns have a better trigger still. The grip is more comfortable to me than a glock grip. Although the M9 grip is too slick for my likely and benefits from stippling. The MA1 is better in that it has more texture but I will say I like the shape slightly less.
Steyrs sucks at marketing but makes good guns. Most people simply don't even know that they should be considering one. I had very little interest in my first steyr and initially passed on it without even giving it any serious consideration. A year later I'd read some positive reviews and the seller still had the gun and it was cheap. I picked it up and have never regretted it. I've had multiple people who were unaware of the M series guns pick one up after shooting mine.
It really is a shame that when Bubbits pitched these pistols to glock to be the 4th gen glock that glock passed on them.
The biggest knock against the steyr is simply that it is not super common and thus neither are parts, mags, holsters etc. You can find what you need but its not like getting stuff for a glock or M&P.
Steyr and walther are two brands that should be vastly more popular than they are IMHO.
I have the original M40 with the 3 dot night sights and passed my M9 on down to my Brother for a good price. His has the triangle/trap sights. Both are great shooters and plenty accurate enough, not to mention very reliable.
The safety is in an unusual spot, this coupled with the triangle/trap sights is what initially sold me on the gun.
Both are unique designs that are very functional.
The M40 and the M9 have probably the best striker fired trigger I've ever shot, fairly light with a nice reset.
The loaded round indicator even leaves a cool little signature on the spent shell casing that can tell you how many times your cases have been loaded.
The only really negative thing I can think of against the Steyr M series is the proprietary rail design.
If you're not a big fan of hanging a light or bayonet on your handgun then your good to go.
The safety is in an unusual spot, this coupled with the triangle/trap sights is what initially sold me on the gun.
Both are unique designs that are very functional.
The M40 and the M9 have probably the best striker fired trigger I've ever shot, fairly light with a nice reset.
The loaded round indicator even leaves a cool little signature on the spent shell casing that can tell you how many times your cases have been loaded.
The only really negative thing I can think of against the Steyr M series is the proprietary rail design.
If you're not a big fan of hanging a light or bayonet on your handgun then your good to go.
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krupparms
Member
I have a M40 that I picked up right after they came out. I put about 600 rd.s thru it & then put it up. It was reliable & accurate. It has the triangle /trap sights . It is a nice shooting gun & will see more use if I choose to use the .40S&W as my carry gun.
bannockburn
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Girodin
Second the notion on magazines and holsters not being readily available, especially for the older M series. Took some doing but I finally got my spare magazines that were supposed to come with the gun (as per the owners manual). I also eventually tracked down more spare magazines at CDNN some time back. For a holster I found a guy at one of the local gun shows who had his Kydex holster making equipment right there at his table. Saw him on Saturday and brought my gun back on Sunday for him to make me one. Turned out great and have been very pleased with it.
Second the notion on magazines and holsters not being readily available, especially for the older M series. Took some doing but I finally got my spare magazines that were supposed to come with the gun (as per the owners manual). I also eventually tracked down more spare magazines at CDNN some time back. For a holster I found a guy at one of the local gun shows who had his Kydex holster making equipment right there at his table. Saw him on Saturday and brought my gun back on Sunday for him to make me one. Turned out great and have been very pleased with it.
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My cousin has a 1st-gen M40 that he prefers over his Glocks and thus serves as his primary home defense pistol. In over 10 years of ownership, he doesn't recall it ever having a malfunction.
It has the trapezoidal sights which really aren't bad at all. The ergonomics are good and the trigger is a smidge better than a standard Glock trigger. The only real knock I can give the M40 is that the slide is even wider and blockier than a Glock slide.
It has the trapezoidal sights which really aren't bad at all. The ergonomics are good and the trigger is a smidge better than a standard Glock trigger. The only real knock I can give the M40 is that the slide is even wider and blockier than a Glock slide.
krupparms
Member
I would have to agree that this pistol is a good bargain that not many know about. I paid less than $400 for a reliable & accurate pistol, from a company that has been around for years & has good C.S. if you need it! I also have had trouble finding holsters for it. But found mags from CDNN with no problem. Mine came with 2 hi-cap mags for it. I do like the sights & wish they were tritium though. It has a very comfortable grip that works well for me. I have not seen any information or write ups about it. Glad to know others like it also.
I have been shooting Steyrs for years since the GB back in the Eighties. The M/MA1 and S/SA1 are, as has been already said, underrated. One feature that I especially appreciate is that they are modular in that slides and frames are interchangeable between calibers and the older and newer versions. Mags are also interchangeable with the same mags fitting in both the older and new version. The only downside is that extra barrels are rare. I was very fortunate to score a 357 SIG for my M40A1. Owning an M9 and a M40A1 with an extra 357 barrel I have the ability to "build" something like six different guns.
WVsig
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They were a good deal when you could get one for under $300. That said my S40 suffered frame damage due and it took Steyr over 9 months to replace it. I also had a M9 whose safety mechanism above the trigger in the frame would engage itself. I also owned a S9 which was fine but with the issues with the other 2 guns prompted me to sell it. The others were also sold with full disclosure.
They were soft shooting guns with an interesting set of sights and a nice trigger. Unfortunately at the time they had ZERO market support and IMHO it is not much better today. They missed their window of opportunity. They could have been the improved Glock but there is so much tactical plastic now that they have no real place in the market.
They were liquidated at a sub $300 price point twice in 3 years by CDNN. At that price they were worth the risk but at todays $500 price point there are way better options out their with real manufacturer and accessory support.
I would pass YMMV
They were soft shooting guns with an interesting set of sights and a nice trigger. Unfortunately at the time they had ZERO market support and IMHO it is not much better today. They missed their window of opportunity. They could have been the improved Glock but there is so much tactical plastic now that they have no real place in the market.
They were liquidated at a sub $300 price point twice in 3 years by CDNN. At that price they were worth the risk but at todays $500 price point there are way better options out their with real manufacturer and accessory support.
I would pass YMMV
I have never had trouble buying mags and bought even my 17 round mags for less than what I paid for glock mags. For holsters Raven Concealment makes an MA1 holster. They used to make one for the M series guns, I don't know if they still do. If one has the internet one can get stuff for the gun. I even picked up a factory threaded barrel for suppressed shooting. However, parts and accessories are not nearly as ubiquitous as those for the glock and M&P. If you can accept that the steyr is a pretty good gun IME.
I would still like to get an S gun.
In all honesty though I look forward to getting my hands on the new HK VP9. It may well be the new king of the polymer striker guns.
I would still like to get an S gun.
In all honesty though I look forward to getting my hands on the new HK VP9. It may well be the new king of the polymer striker guns.
the count
Member
Got a new Steyr M9 2 years ago for only $419 as there was some larger order to the middle east (or so the story goes) that went sour. Excellent gun. Underrated.
There's no way Glock would have put their name on this gun as designed, let alone have it replace their current models. It's significantly more complicated/expensive to assemble and maintain. Also, as I understand it, this gun doesn't have a striker block safety, at all. There has already been one recall for potential firing without pressing the trigger.
This is still way better than Bubitt's latest endeavor. Last I heard, all the "Glock-but-with-better-ergos" Caracal pistols were recalled with no fix. You turn in your gun, and you receive a completely different model in return. The investors must have lost their shirts.
Glock isn't going to take any chances with liability while they're sitting on piles of cash.
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EvilGenius
Member
I recently sold my S9-A1 to Cabelas (gave me a surprisingly good deal on it too).
I had it for a year and put roughly ~700rds through it.
It never failed to fire except for once when it tried to feed a funky looking 9mm reload that I don't fault the gun for. I liked everything about it on paper and I thought it was the perfect size for a do all pistol. However, I had a few issues.
1) The grip angle. Slow fire at paper and it was great. But on a fast draw, like shooting in a competition it was extremely difficult to keep from pointing the front sight high and missing the targets. Not really the guns fault, but something to take into consideration.
2) Extractor/ejector issues. Like I said mine never failed when firing the gun. It fed everything. But no matter how hard and fast nor slow and soft I racked the slide to eject a round. It would never eject. It would just sort of tumble back into the action. So I either had to remove the mag and jiggle the round out or always clear the gun upside down.
3) Sear/trigger/design issues? I personally feel it's a design issue (the lack of a block safety as mentioned above). I found that when shooting relatively slow. It was fine, but get into a fast fire situation (I.E. multiple targets very close) and the striker tends to slip off of the sear when the trigger is in a certain area before the reset. I don't know if it's a sear issue, or if the lack of a striker block combined with harmonic vibrations in the striker spring allows it to "bounce" and come off the sear unintentionally. I had mine BRRRAAAAPPP at the end of an IDPA event and spit out about 4 rounds on one pull. Afterwards if I held the trigger in a certain spot and racked the slide back I could feel the sear trip every 2-3 times. Everyone said it was a worn sear (even SAI), but I certainly hope the sear wasn't worn out after only ~600-700 rounds! I did a cursory search online and found I wasn't the only one to experience this and others had experienced it with guns they had already sent in to have the issue fixed. Take it with a grain of salt. I think they have some issues to work out.
I'm back to carrying my 5" RIA 1911, which I tend to shoot a bit better.
I had it for a year and put roughly ~700rds through it.
It never failed to fire except for once when it tried to feed a funky looking 9mm reload that I don't fault the gun for. I liked everything about it on paper and I thought it was the perfect size for a do all pistol. However, I had a few issues.
1) The grip angle. Slow fire at paper and it was great. But on a fast draw, like shooting in a competition it was extremely difficult to keep from pointing the front sight high and missing the targets. Not really the guns fault, but something to take into consideration.
2) Extractor/ejector issues. Like I said mine never failed when firing the gun. It fed everything. But no matter how hard and fast nor slow and soft I racked the slide to eject a round. It would never eject. It would just sort of tumble back into the action. So I either had to remove the mag and jiggle the round out or always clear the gun upside down.
3) Sear/trigger/design issues? I personally feel it's a design issue (the lack of a block safety as mentioned above). I found that when shooting relatively slow. It was fine, but get into a fast fire situation (I.E. multiple targets very close) and the striker tends to slip off of the sear when the trigger is in a certain area before the reset. I don't know if it's a sear issue, or if the lack of a striker block combined with harmonic vibrations in the striker spring allows it to "bounce" and come off the sear unintentionally. I had mine BRRRAAAAPPP at the end of an IDPA event and spit out about 4 rounds on one pull. Afterwards if I held the trigger in a certain spot and racked the slide back I could feel the sear trip every 2-3 times. Everyone said it was a worn sear (even SAI), but I certainly hope the sear wasn't worn out after only ~600-700 rounds! I did a cursory search online and found I wasn't the only one to experience this and others had experienced it with guns they had already sent in to have the issue fixed. Take it with a grain of salt. I think they have some issues to work out.
I'm back to carrying my 5" RIA 1911, which I tend to shoot a bit better.
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krupparms
Member
I dug mine out of storage today & am thinking about taking it out to shoot. May have to wait for some rain! I will also hunt down some more mag.s for it. A good friend just started loading for .40S&W as he started carrying a XD 40 . So ammunition is no problem eather. I will check on that holster mentioned. I had forgotten how well this fits in your hand! This will be fun!
silicosys4
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Steyr handguns are very underrated.
I just watched two S40's sold at auction this evening, one for $185, the other for $215. Granted, they were without mags, but that's crazy.
I almost bid but I already have an M40, and I'm moving this month so I can't really afford to spend the money even if it was a smoking deal.
http://www.gunauction.com/buy/12886001
I'm very happy with my M40. It has several features that are an improvement over the Glock design.
As compared to my gen3.5 G19
1. The internal frame of the Steyr is MUCH more solid and substantial than that of the Glock. No comparison.
2. The frame rails of the Steyr are shaped to provide a better frame/slide fit than the Glock
3. The Steyr has a much better trigger
4. The Steyr grip is much more ergonomic for me
5. The Steyr has regular rifling, much more cast bullet/reloading friendly than the Glocks polygonal rifling.
6. The Steyr M40 has much better chamber support than the early G22 and G23's
7. The Steyr has a better fit and finish than the glock.
8. The Steyr has a much lower bore axis than the Glock.
9. Steyr magazines are the prettiest magazines I've ever seen, and very solidly built. I just don't like the Glock plastic sleeved magazines.
Things I DON'T like about the Steyr vs. the Glock
The Steyr is heavier, and wider than the Glock
The Steyr sights are kind of a love it or hate it thing, they do take a bit of getting used to.
Glock aftermarket support is way above the Steyr. No contest.
Glock products/magazines are much easier to find.
I just watched two S40's sold at auction this evening, one for $185, the other for $215. Granted, they were without mags, but that's crazy.
I almost bid but I already have an M40, and I'm moving this month so I can't really afford to spend the money even if it was a smoking deal.
http://www.gunauction.com/buy/12886001
I'm very happy with my M40. It has several features that are an improvement over the Glock design.
As compared to my gen3.5 G19
1. The internal frame of the Steyr is MUCH more solid and substantial than that of the Glock. No comparison.
2. The frame rails of the Steyr are shaped to provide a better frame/slide fit than the Glock
3. The Steyr has a much better trigger
4. The Steyr grip is much more ergonomic for me
5. The Steyr has regular rifling, much more cast bullet/reloading friendly than the Glocks polygonal rifling.
6. The Steyr M40 has much better chamber support than the early G22 and G23's
7. The Steyr has a better fit and finish than the glock.
8. The Steyr has a much lower bore axis than the Glock.
9. Steyr magazines are the prettiest magazines I've ever seen, and very solidly built. I just don't like the Glock plastic sleeved magazines.
Things I DON'T like about the Steyr vs. the Glock
The Steyr is heavier, and wider than the Glock
The Steyr sights are kind of a love it or hate it thing, they do take a bit of getting used to.
Glock aftermarket support is way above the Steyr. No contest.
Glock products/magazines are much easier to find.
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SlowFuse
Member
I only have experience with a friends M40 I enjoy shooting it though. I like the trapezoidal sights.
If you're in AL they're having a pretty good sale at their Bessemer location this weekend.
If you're in AL they're having a pretty good sale at their Bessemer location this weekend.
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