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

[Snowdog]

I’m having difficulty understanding why Steyr is having such a hard time catching the attention of US consumers. Flipping through my CDNN catalog this morning, I found them offering the Steyr MA1 9mm or .40S&W for $349 NIB.
Last year I purchased the previous model M40 and still love the pistol. The ergonomics are possibly the best I’ve experienced in any handgun and it’s proved itself accurate and 100% reliable.
With the loaded-chamber indicator, accessory rail, trigger safety, manual safety (albeit a bit unorthodox, yet effective), rapid target acquisition sites (trapezoidal, again a bit unorthodox, yet effective) and other features, it's not lacking sophistication. With the cut rifling, it can also be fired with lead bullets without the polygonal-barrel controversy. It's also built like a tank (yet weighs a little under 30oz unloaded).

Seriously, if I were forced to choose between an M40 or a Glock 22 or 23 for duty or defense, I wouldn't hesitate to choose the Steyr.
I'm seriously considering the purchase of this updated Steyr simply due to the price.

Does anyone know there aren’t more Steyr owners out there? Is it the lack of advertising? Lack of customer service (I’ve never had to contact them)? Lack of accessories such as molded holsters? There must be some reason.
Does anyone know of any US agencies or PD departments that tot Steyrs?


I suppose the argument can be made that they’re ugly… but the same can be said of Glocks and XDs.

 

[fletcher]

Does anyone know there aren’t more Steyr owners out there? Is it the lack of advertising?

My guess would be a combination of style (it's not a very good looking gun IMO) and that local gun stores just don't seem to carry them for whatever reason. I've never seen one in person, not even at a gun show. Lack of advertising is probably another big reason.

 

[Black Majik]

If Steyr is the black sheep of the polymer market... the SIG Pro is it's brother. For some reason, both don't do well compared to the more popular polymer guns.

 

[WuzYoungOnceToo]

My guess would be a combination of style (it's not a very good looking gun IMO)...

Really?

What do you find less attractive about this gun compared with other more popular polymer frame pistols? As far as aesthetics go, I'd say it has a more interesting look than any Glock I've ever seen.

 

[Devonai]

If they offered three-dot sights as an option I would take the pistol more seriously. $349 is a good deal, though.

 

[fletcher]

What do you find less attractive about this gun compared with other more polymer frame pistols?

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

 

[Silvanus]

Same as with the P99. A lot of people don't even know they exist. My guess is that it's the lack of (good) marketing.

looks very disproportional compared to the front.

I agree, that bothers me a lot. And I like the look of Glocks and Walthers...

 

[Snowdog]

Ugly, maybe... but it's definitely more of an "interestingly ugly" than a "repulsively ugly".

Yep, $349 is a steal in my book!
I believe I actually will buy the MA1 now that I've thought about it. I see they've done away with the manual safety, but that's not a significant concern for me. Besides, Glock doesn't have a manual safety and appears to have done just fine without one. It was a somewhat useful feature though.

The lack of girth in the rear seriously allows your hand to get a high grip, reducing the snappy recoil of the hotter .40S&W varieties to feel downright mild in comparison to other .40S&W handguns I have or have fired. I'm sure the distribution of weight also helps (the slide is massively stout, nothing delicate here). Besides, the aesthetics are quite deceiving; the pistol fits me like a glove... the ergonomics were definitely considered (and perhaps a focal point) during this handgun's creation. One should handle a Steyr to fully understand what I mean.

Did I mention they're tanks? I would imagine the way these handguns are made, they must have an incredibly lengthy service life.

 

[kirkcdl]

Complete lack of factory support in the US is the problem.Go to a Glock match,there's a factory gunsmith there that will completely rebuild your Glock if it needs it,for free.Try to simply locate a Steyr factory smith in the US.

That said,I owned and (regretfully) sold a model S40,and I currently own a model M40 which I'll never sell.It's one of my favorite guns.

Now if I can only find another S40 that the seller isn't trying to make a house payment from the sale of...:banghead:

Devonai,the Trapezoids do take some practice,but after a couple hundred rounds you'll be much faster at rapid-fire and follow-up shots than any 3-dot setup on the market.The sights look ugly,for sure,but they work the best once you're accustomed to them...I wish they were available on the market for some of my other guns.A tritium version would be sweet...

Snowdog,are you a Steyrclub.com member??

 

[Browning]

It's probably a combination of poor marketing and poor advertising.

Steyr doesn't advertise much, so people don't know about them, so gun stores don't stock them, so people don't buy them and as a result they haven't ever really been popular. Most of the people that I know haven't ever heard of them. With all the popular firearms out there the way that they got started at first with a new gun was to advertise the crap out of it and to basically give stuff away for free to gun writers so that they'd write about it.

That would be my guess anyway as there's nothing wrong with their guns.

 

[Warren]

I've fired one, it was an inaccurate jam-o-matic POS.

 

[armtpo]

I owned a steyr M9 and regrettable traded it in to the factory for a new model m40a1. The original 9mm I found to be very accurate after I took those horrible trapezoid sights off in favor of 3 dot. Also, the 9mm versions were known to be, and acknowledged by the factory, problamatic. The new model 40 cal just didnt shoot as nice, feel as good, and they gave me new factory night sights that were dim and didnt lend to accuracy instead of switching out with my own. I honestly did enjoy shooting the original m9 with safety when it ran smooth but then again it was always a toss up on how it would run. I sold the m40a1 shortly after receiving it.

 

[Snowdog]

I've fired one, it was an inaccurate jam-o-matic POS.

Funny you say that, I can say the same thing about the only Glock 20 I've fired... it wouldn't feed more than 3 rounds without feed issues. I was seriously put off with the model and felt it was garbage. I have since learned what the vast majority of G20s are absolutely reliable.

Obviously the G20 I fired was a lemon (which all manufacturers pump out... all manufacturers, bar none).

Obviously, the Steyr you fired was also a lemon.

Snowdog,are you a Steyrclub.com member

No, I didn't know that site existed. I'll check it out. Thanks!

 

[Mortech]

I love the trap sights on my M357 , their biggest problem is having a stable customer support outlet here in the states . Even mags weren't that hard to find (I just bought and used the 40S&W ones).

 

[tinygnat219]

Maybe it's the fact that they don't have a large presence here in the US, or they just don't do any effective marketing unlike Springfield and the Croatian XD.

Who knows? Maybe they should look at Kel-Tec to do their marketing for them.

 

[Rustynuts]

That is one fugly gun in the pic!

 

[benEzra]

Part of it may stem from bad timing. Just after they introduced it initially, to a lot of favorable press in the gun magazines, the Steyr company was sold (IIRC) and importation was interrupted for at least a year. So that window of opportunity to capitalize on the "what's new" thing passed without them being able to establish much of a foothold.

I've read a lot of good things about the design, and the low bore axis reportedly makes it very shootable and controllable. I think the sighting concept also makes sense, though it's hard to say for sure without actually shooting one.

 

[Ala Dan]

As has been written before, Steyr cannot keep a U.S. importer~!

Recently, GSI in Trussville (AL) was a Steyr importer; but now, Steyr is long
gone from their inventory. This could be in part due too the fact that the
owner of Steyr in Austria has [or had?] cancer? At least that is a very loud
rumor that has been circulating for quite sometime.

 

[Moonclip]

Sigmas get little respect also except for the low asking price which makes them more prevalent than I think they would be on their own merits. I recently picked up a used sw9ve for $100 and even at that price point I'm not too impressed.

Steyr seems to have a knack for producing unorthodox handgun designs like the GB.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Cheap Not really.

http://www.steyrarms.com/index.php?id=208

They are known for the rifle (assault) side of it, more than pistol.

 

[Snowdog]

I'm sure that's the MSRP, not what they typically go for on the shelves... though if they were better known, I can see them being sold for those prices; they're very well made. It seems whenever CDNN gets a shipment, they consitantly go for less than $350, regardless of the model. My M40 was around $329 when I puchased it about 18 months ago. The current MA1 models CDNN is offering in either .40S&W or 9mm is still $349 (or $339 if you'd like to purchase 3 or more ).

 

[HammerBite]

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

I agree that it doesn't look pretty, but it does allow you to grip the gun a lot higher, which is generally considered to be a good thing.

Also notice the trigger finger clearance cut in the frame and the trigger angle. Everything seems to indicate a high grip.

 

[Eyesac]

Who knows, maybe I'll check one out for the next pistol...

 

[Harley Quinn]

I agree that it doesn't look pretty, but it does allow you to grip the gun a lot higher, which is generally considered to be a good thing.

Also notice the trigger finger clearance cut in the frame and the trigger angle. Everything seems to indicate a high grip.

Some may not like that particular feel of shooting, it comes straight back into the hand and not as much rise at the muzzle.

Some complain their elbow hurts after shooting that type of recoil gun.

These are not the heavy recoil pistols as revolvers are and especially the TC and the rifle cartridges they are known for, those who don't understand exercise to improve ones strength, need to partake of it.
Helps in shooting quite a bit, strong grip is good, squeeze a ball, it will help. Squeeze leaving the index finger out of it.

Then squeeze the index and the thumb at the same time.

 

[trueblue1776]

WuzYoungOnceToo-

I agree, that is a fine looking gun, I hadn't seen the new models yet. I haven't wanted a new pistol in a while, I think I do now.