Why in the world Steyr the "blacksheep" of the polymer handgun market?

[StrikeEagle]

I really don't like the back - looks very disproportional compared to the front.

Ya, it has Pinch-Butt...

 

[bannockburn]

I have an early M9 and I've been very happy with it. I originally thought the Walther P99 was the most ergonomic pistol that I ever handled; the M9 felt even better. The trigger is not as smooth as my Glock but it's still serviceable. I liked the trigger guard safety; seemed like a smart place to put it too. The trap sights do take some getting used to but I kind of like them on this gun. Why not very popular? Well when they finally did get to the dealer's shelves, instead of the high cap mags, they were stuck with the ten rounders. And after reading the manual I found out that there was supposed to be a spare mag with it; mine only came with one. The importer was no longer handling them; they sent me to another distibutor who eventually sent me one. So definitely the lack of product and service support has probably hurt sales, along with the obvious competition that other established manufacturers have in this particular segment of the gun market.

 

[doc2rn]

Either you love them or you hate them. I really like my shootin' my buddies, says he wants to trade for my PX4. I think I am getting the better end of the deal.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Either you love them or you hate them. I really like my shootin' my buddies, says he wants to trade for my PX4. I think I am getting the better end of the deal.

I would say so

I was handling one today, it was good feeling and sighting quick (in my paw),
interesting sights, one step ahead of all the others, they have been for years with the assault guns.

 

[Mr Kablammo]

I find the grip to be on the small side. The sights are OK. Accuracy is acceptable. The trigger is excellent, IMO. If you could get the Steyr trigger in an XD frame then you would have a superb gun. The problem is the too frequent double-feed. You have to hold the slide open, push the bullet back into the mag, and then finish clearing. I think rate of jamming is about 1-100. Yow!

 

[Snowdog]

The problem is the too frequent double-feed.

Not to sound like a spokesman for Steyr, but uh... what?
Double feed? Maybe with the specimen you've encountered, however I've never heard of such a thing from other Steyr owners I know. I had a EAA Witness that had a penchant for doing that, but I certainly wouldn't claim that particular issue was a problem "too frequent" of the breed overall, as this was the only Witness I had personal experience with. It's kind of a damning thing to say, by the way, without citing any sources.

I think rate of jamming is about 1-100. Yow!

If this is something you're experiencing with your Steyr, obviously your Steyr is in disrepair; send it in to remedy the problem. My Steyr's rate of jamming is about 0 in 3000 (approximately). My Steyr is one of the few handguns I've owned that has never "jammed" in any fashion.
I'd say these results are far more typical than those you've encountered. Seriously, if you have a Steyr with such issues, have it addressed. No one should ever accept a pistol that malfunctions once every 100 rounds; it's completely unacceptable by any standard.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Talking to the owner of the gunshop today he said when folks complain he allows them to shoot into the tank in back. Never has he experienced a problem with a Steyr.

He mentioned a person was having a problem and brought back a gun because it jammed. He took it into the back room and shot it, no problem.

Told the guy to get some lessons on how to shoot.

Gary

 

[jpwilly]

A few years ago you could get them at Davidsons online for around $300. A co worker of mine got one and we went to my range to shoot it. It was a terrific little pistol. No jams excellent accuracy! The sights were different but I liked them, everything doesn't have to be 3 dot sights you know. My Taurus automatics have the Heinie straight eights and I can shoot them as well as 3 dot sights.

 

[Dr. Peter Venkman]

Maybe it's because they sell .50 rifles to extremists who give it to insurgents who shoot our troops.

 

[Drifter721]

Glock already answered all the questions quite well, many years before the other poly clones started to show up.

 

[Mr Kablammo]

Do a search on the phrase "steyr and jamming". Read the threads with title ***Need Help***, and Streyr vs P95. Complaints about jams in each thread. There are also many compliments.

 

[Thunderbear]

Probably because half the world can't spell it, let alone pronounce it. Suits me fine, I'm a black sheep too.

 

[Harley Quinn]

ThunderBear
John Anderson Song says it all.



Black Sheep Lyrics

Artist(Band):John Anderson Review The Song (0)


My daddy was a brakeman on a highball traveling train
Mama she raised four little children and the family had a good name
And papa and mama wanted all for us they never had
Big brother little brother sister too none of them turned out half bad
Cept me I'm the black sheep of the family

Big brother went to college and became a doctor man
I guess he makes about a million dollars a year off the folks on insurance plan
He's got a big long Mercedes Benz and a house overlooking the town
He sits in his Jacuzzi and he watches the sun go down
And he feels real sorry for me I'm the black sheep of the family

Yeah I drive me a big ol' semi truck I'm makin' payments on a two room shack
My wife she waits on tables and at night she rubs my back
And I tell her what my papa said to my mama when he got off a highball train
Wake me up early be good to my dogs and teach my children to pray

Little sister married a banker yeah he owns a country club
He bought her a big ol' racing horse and a funny lookin' little dog
He buys her big rings and diamonds and a brand new Japanese yacht
They like to get together and talk about all the things they've got
But they never mention me I'm the black sheep of the family

Yeah I drive me a big ol' semi truck... etc...

I'm sayin' woman wake me up early be good to my dogs
And teach my children to pray


HQ

 

[Conqueror]

I had a M40A1 and I regret selling it every day. It was a fantastic weapon. Never jammed, never had any issues at all. Easy to clean, easy to own, easy to shoot. Great guns, if I ever find another I will buy it without hesitation.

 

[Browning]

Steyr GB pistol.

Too bad that the Steyr GB pistol never caught on.

When I was a kid a friend of my fathers had one and I loved it.

Now they're expensive and rare, which is too bad.

It was a great pistol.

I know that alot of people think of Aug's or the M40 when they think of Steyr, but I think of that GB.

http://www.remtek.com/arms/steyr/gb/gb.htm

http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg71-e.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steyr_GB

18 rounds of hand filling and comfortable 9mm goodness that was accurate as hell.

 

[patentmike]

"Marching to the beat of a different drummer for 100 years." might be a marketing slogan, if they had marketing.

 

[Plumber576]

Maybe it has something to do with Steyr selling .50 caliber firearms to Iran and being banned from US import?

 

[trueblue1776]

Maybe it has something to do with Steyr selling .50 caliber firearms to Iran and being banned from US import?

Do guns commit crimes on their own now?

 

[Plumber576]

Hey, I'm jsut saying that's why they might be a black sheep. Not meant to be a smart-ass remark, just an idea.

 

[Conqueror]

Maybe it has something to do with Steyr selling .50 caliber firearms to Iran and being banned from US import?

Steyr did nothing wrong. The sale was pre-approved by the Austrian government, and transactions between Austrian companies and Iran are not under the purview of US law. I've heard rumors about an import ban but seen nothing to substantiate the rumor; as far as I've been able to tell, Steyr merely had troubles with its US distributor, not our gov't.

 

[Plumber576]

I stand corrected, there is no definite ban I can find.

 

[mons meg]

Just found this thread...I'm with Snowdog. My M40 (original) malf rate is about 1 in 2500, and that was when my wife shot it and got a stovepipe when she limp wristed it. I've shot "white box" plinker ammo all the way up to some crazy Georgia Arms defense ammo through it. The GA stuff let me know it was there, but was still controllable.

I bought it to be my carry gun, and carry it is what I do. I had no problem finding holsters for it online...ended up getting a High Noon IWB that fits real nice.

When people ask about it, I tell them it's "More Glock than Glock"

 

[atblis]

Lack of Marketing

Steyr has had issues. I believe the basically went out of business not too long ago. Switched importers. etc. etc.

Also, Steyr didn't do the right things to get it in the public eye

See Glock, Springfield and the XD, etc.

Police don't issue them. That's good publicity they lack.

 

[10-Ring]

I was impressed w/ the Steyr I shot & was on the verge of buying one in 9mm but I think the lack of a dealer / service network plus a relatively unproven firearm was the deal killer for me.

 

[Noxx]

I've really been eyeballing the new Steyrs. They're inexpensive, the sights are.... easy to acquire, if a bit wonky, and they fit my hand pretty well despite my general dislike for polyguns.