Steyr S9 Range Report and review after 1500 rounds.
I recently posted a nearly identical review at packing.org, with positive feedback, so I thought I'd share it here.
The Steyr S series is the compact version of the M series, photo and synopsis of which can be viewed here:
http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg45-e.htm
Summary of my S9's strong points:
1) Reliability is very-good to excellent.
2) Well made; I suspect it will hold up well over time and use.
3) Very nice trigger.
4) Includes manual safety, trigger safety, and a separate key-lock safety.
5) Disassembly is super-easy (unlike my Ruger), but does require key.
Summary of my S9 "gripes":
1) With round chambered, slide lockup to home is not as strong as I'd like.
2) Break-in required (to get bluing off frame rails, and to reduce brass shavings).
3) Grip is a bit too thick for my taste (most other people like the grip; I favor thin grips)
4) I need to use both hands to reliably activate the mag release to drop an empty mag.
DISCUSSION POINTS:
1) With round chambered, slide lockup to home is not as strong as I'd like.
By this I mean the following: if you have a round chambered, and push/bump/slap the slide back a bit, it will not return home, and the pistol will not fire. This means that if anything touches the front of the slide (such as your attacker, or dropping the pistol, or bumping the front) you might not be able to fire until you push the slide back home (or a quick flip of the wrist will ‘shake’ it back home). What you get is a "click" and a dented primer, thankfully without detonation.
Weak slide lock-to-home may be an issue for other striker-fired pistols as well. Note the Springfield HS2000/XD:
http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg48-e.htm
The "front of the spring guide rod projects slightly forward from the front of the slide; Springfield advertising literature calls this a "muzzle protector", but the original text of patent WO02059539, published in August 01, 2002 and granted to the Croatian design team, describes the reason for this feature as to "enable firing the bullet when the pistol is pushed towards someone's back". This is "necessary" because HS2000, as almost any other modern pistol, has a disconnector safety that does not permit the release of the striker if the slide is not fully closed and locked to the barrel, and such situation can be easily encountered in circumstances described in the quote."
2) Break-in is required to reduce excess friction and brass shaving.
I believe that a pistol should function well as shipped. But the S9 really has improved with use (no more failure to fire after the first 300 rounds, and only 1 failure to eject in the last 600 rounds I put through it).
The slide on the S9 has very little play on the frame rails. This is a source of friction when the pistol is new esp b/c there is bluing on the frame rails. This wears down with use, giving less friction; hence, better lock-up; and hence, less FTF between shots. Hopefully, they are not bluing the frame rails on the new MA1.
The next source of excess friction comes from the sharp rails on the underside of slide, which ride over the brass of your rounds, producing shavings. After beak-in, you can see where the blue tennifer has worn off these inner slide rails. You can also see the groves in the brass if you hand-cycle a few rounds through. Shavings are less now, but it takes a long time to polish steel using brass.....
3) Reliability Summary.
First 600 rounds (shared between my wife and I): 3 failure to fire (FTF); approx ?3 failure to eject (FTE).
Next 600 rounds (I shot these): 1 FTE.
Next 300 rounds (my wife shot these): 3 FTE’s, spaced evenly apart.
FTE has been traced to extractor problems by other owners. Several SteyrClub.com members have definitively solved all FTE problems by replacing the extractor spring with a stiffer spring (original fix proposed by IDPA steyr), or adding a 1911 plunger spring. The extractor must also be kept clean; I disassembled and cleaned my extractor for the first time today. If this does not result in improvement, I’ll add the 1911 spring. SEE:
http://www.steyrclub.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=7
for the full repair and reliability history of the 90,000 round Steyr M9,
and
http://www.steyrclub.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=1374
for more discussion on extractor springs.
Even after 1500 rounds, the slide will still stick if bumped back (only when a round is chambered), and I don’t think this is going away anytime soon. FTF due to slide not being fully home no longer occurs at the range. But this could occur in self-defense scenarios if the slide is bumped (however unlikely). In this case, a quick flip of the wrist will shake the slide back home.
4) Manual safety is nice to have.
We all have our reasons. Not too many striker-fired pistols have this feature.
Conclusion:
Among the pistols we own (Ruger P94 DAO, Walther PPK/S, and Steyr S9), my wife and I like the S9 the best. Reliability is better than 99% as is, and will likely improve with better extractor maintenance. See the summary of strong points listed above.
Although the S9 is no longer in production, the second-generation Steyr MA1 is, and similar issues may be relevant. Furthermore, I believe the new grip looks even more ergonomic.
Hope this is helpful,
John
I recently posted a nearly identical review at packing.org, with positive feedback, so I thought I'd share it here.
The Steyr S series is the compact version of the M series, photo and synopsis of which can be viewed here:
http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg45-e.htm
Summary of my S9's strong points:
1) Reliability is very-good to excellent.
2) Well made; I suspect it will hold up well over time and use.
3) Very nice trigger.
4) Includes manual safety, trigger safety, and a separate key-lock safety.
5) Disassembly is super-easy (unlike my Ruger), but does require key.
Summary of my S9 "gripes":
1) With round chambered, slide lockup to home is not as strong as I'd like.
2) Break-in required (to get bluing off frame rails, and to reduce brass shavings).
3) Grip is a bit too thick for my taste (most other people like the grip; I favor thin grips)
4) I need to use both hands to reliably activate the mag release to drop an empty mag.
DISCUSSION POINTS:
1) With round chambered, slide lockup to home is not as strong as I'd like.
By this I mean the following: if you have a round chambered, and push/bump/slap the slide back a bit, it will not return home, and the pistol will not fire. This means that if anything touches the front of the slide (such as your attacker, or dropping the pistol, or bumping the front) you might not be able to fire until you push the slide back home (or a quick flip of the wrist will ‘shake’ it back home). What you get is a "click" and a dented primer, thankfully without detonation.
Weak slide lock-to-home may be an issue for other striker-fired pistols as well. Note the Springfield HS2000/XD:
http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg48-e.htm
The "front of the spring guide rod projects slightly forward from the front of the slide; Springfield advertising literature calls this a "muzzle protector", but the original text of patent WO02059539, published in August 01, 2002 and granted to the Croatian design team, describes the reason for this feature as to "enable firing the bullet when the pistol is pushed towards someone's back". This is "necessary" because HS2000, as almost any other modern pistol, has a disconnector safety that does not permit the release of the striker if the slide is not fully closed and locked to the barrel, and such situation can be easily encountered in circumstances described in the quote."
2) Break-in is required to reduce excess friction and brass shaving.
I believe that a pistol should function well as shipped. But the S9 really has improved with use (no more failure to fire after the first 300 rounds, and only 1 failure to eject in the last 600 rounds I put through it).
The slide on the S9 has very little play on the frame rails. This is a source of friction when the pistol is new esp b/c there is bluing on the frame rails. This wears down with use, giving less friction; hence, better lock-up; and hence, less FTF between shots. Hopefully, they are not bluing the frame rails on the new MA1.
The next source of excess friction comes from the sharp rails on the underside of slide, which ride over the brass of your rounds, producing shavings. After beak-in, you can see where the blue tennifer has worn off these inner slide rails. You can also see the groves in the brass if you hand-cycle a few rounds through. Shavings are less now, but it takes a long time to polish steel using brass.....
3) Reliability Summary.
First 600 rounds (shared between my wife and I): 3 failure to fire (FTF); approx ?3 failure to eject (FTE).
Next 600 rounds (I shot these): 1 FTE.
Next 300 rounds (my wife shot these): 3 FTE’s, spaced evenly apart.
FTE has been traced to extractor problems by other owners. Several SteyrClub.com members have definitively solved all FTE problems by replacing the extractor spring with a stiffer spring (original fix proposed by IDPA steyr), or adding a 1911 plunger spring. The extractor must also be kept clean; I disassembled and cleaned my extractor for the first time today. If this does not result in improvement, I’ll add the 1911 spring. SEE:
http://www.steyrclub.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=7
for the full repair and reliability history of the 90,000 round Steyr M9,
and
http://www.steyrclub.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=1374
for more discussion on extractor springs.
Even after 1500 rounds, the slide will still stick if bumped back (only when a round is chambered), and I don’t think this is going away anytime soon. FTF due to slide not being fully home no longer occurs at the range. But this could occur in self-defense scenarios if the slide is bumped (however unlikely). In this case, a quick flip of the wrist will shake the slide back home.
4) Manual safety is nice to have.
We all have our reasons. Not too many striker-fired pistols have this feature.
Conclusion:
Among the pistols we own (Ruger P94 DAO, Walther PPK/S, and Steyr S9), my wife and I like the S9 the best. Reliability is better than 99% as is, and will likely improve with better extractor maintenance. See the summary of strong points listed above.
Although the S9 is no longer in production, the second-generation Steyr MA1 is, and similar issues may be relevant. Furthermore, I believe the new grip looks even more ergonomic.
Hope this is helpful,
John
