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in my search for some of the best 9mm's i could get my hands on, i came upon the steyr m9-a1. at only $350 i wasn't expecting very much...
i've had glocks, m&p's, h&k's, sigs, rugers, kimber's, even sti's, etc.... some are as good, none are better.
i've spent over $1500+ on pistols that have no business even being mentioned in the company of these guns... steyr is an austrian company that clearly is after glock's territory, and at the same time built to a standard meant to compete with h&k... and IMHO they've built a better mousetrap.
you know how cool/futuristic and smart/efficiant bull-pup assault rifles are?... steyr had the AUG on battlefields in 1977, they've got a pretty storied history and reputation for making forward-thinking top notch firearms.
[on a side note: the best name in knives (microtech) has been building AUG's for the last couple years when steyr's been having import issues... i know an aug's an aug and not a pistol, but it speaks to the quality of design that a company like microtech would reproduce one of their designs.]
this gun has probably one of the BEST TRIGGER'S YOU CAN GET ON A STRIKER-FIRED GUN, period. it's better than just about every da/sa out there too, while the M&P is the closest in pull and break (while heavier and less crisp), the steyr has a better reset, nearly beats a classic sa 1911.
to explain and for example, a typical glock is 50% pre-cocked before you pull the trigger and has 1/4" or more of travel before it breaks and goes bang, some are mushy, some are not... stock is around 5.5lbs. the steyr is about 75% pre-cocked before you pull the trigger and only has maybe, and i do mean maybe 1/8" of travel before a crisp break and it goes bang, no mush whatsoever, and at 5lbs or under out of the box the pull is already lighter than usual. shoot one, you'll see what i mean.
on par with or beats the h&k's i've had in quality, feels as good in the hand as "backstrap tuneable" guns like m&p's (real close to the m&p medium grip) and the like, shoots lights out, just a great freakin' gun....
due to steyr's US importers dropping the ball, and failure at marketing, they can be had for very little, these are/were made to be $700 guns competing toe to toe against h&k's and built and finished to seem worth every penny, and they are, believe it...
EATS ANYTHING, JUST GOES BANG! FMJ, JHP, DOESN't CARE!
if you're the type who is into h&k quality with glock reliability, this may be your next pistol... the suprise is (at least for now...) that you can probably afford one even if you're working the drive thru!
CDNN bought all the stock currently in the USA and is selling them for peanuts ($350 or so). when their stock dries up, us steyr will start importing them again with better support, and the prices will jump up.... don't sleep!
tenifer finish lasts forever just like a glock, fully supported chamber (better than a glock), steel sub-frame inside polymer... the plastic is only a handle and mag holder (you could actually fire a round without using the frame) so stresses or no stresses on the polymer don't matter or have any effect on the operation of the gun (again, better than the glock).
don't misunderstand, i LOVE the way glocks perform (and UNTIL/BEFORE the steyr thought if you could only own ONE pistol it should be a G19), but i, like many, have always felt HATE towards the way they feel and wished they'd had a better trigger...
i use the glock as comparison since they are first-cousin close, and most would agree if you could only have one pistol if aliens invaded or zombies attacked they'd take a glock.
scary accurate, works every time reliable, i'd feel just fine with the steyr.
...the steyr m9-a1 is basically an updated glock g19 (almost lawsuit close inside actually), similar in operation and size and dimensions EXCEPT the steyr's slide release is much better, it has an awesome/better/more-ergonomic grip, a WAY BETTER trigger, and strange sights that look weird at first but actually perform great (especially for fast shooting like idpa... "normal" 3 dots are available).
this review is of the most recent incarnation the M-A1, the earlier versions had teething issues that have been worked out. people on steyrclub.com have been reporting thousands of rounds without failure (more than a few at over 10,000 w/o issue). to date, i'm up to a little over 2500 w/o a single failure (UPDATE: over 4000 rounds w/o a single issue (including even 500 wolf)! ...still looks new!).
it's also been reported that some that have been sitting in their boxes in warehouses for a long time need the extractor's thoroughly cleaned and lubed for proper function, so an initial inspection and cleaning is recommended. lots of info over at steyrclub.com about them.
almost forgot... i'd be remiss if i didn't mention in the laundry list of what's great about this pistol is that the steep grip angle of 111 degrees is fantastic..., due to it's grip angle making it the closest modern handgun to the revered classic german luger (renowned for it's accuracy), and the fact that it has the lowest bore axis currently available in any handgun, recoil is almost boring (nearer to a .22 than a 9mm)... it has the least muzzle rise of ANY handgun i've ever shot and in turn i've experienced the most accurate double-taps and follow up shots ever in my 10+ years of shooting handguns... if you're looking at 9mm's, had everything or a newbie, or just have $350 to play with, you owe it to yourself to try one...
ONE THING: due to the fact that Steyr USA is such a small operation when compared to S&W or Glock, don't expect parts support to be as easy or on par with those guys... while most have reported about the best service ever from a manufacturer, seems parts can be scarce at times (due to import problems)... good news is they rarely break. just something to consider if it's to be your ONLY gun... and the only reason i give it a 9 and not a 10.
THE FOLLOWING WAS TAKEN FROM A REVIEW BY "SMORES" ORIGINALLY POSTED ON MDSHOOTERS.COM ...shows mush of what i've discussed... decide for yourself if you can get more gun for the money... i doubt it.
Glock v. Steyr - note the dust cover on the Steyr. I have noticed the dust cover on a lot of Glocks tends to be "bent" upwards toward the muzzle, giving the rail a warped appearance. On my 17 I can actually bend the front edge a little bit without much effort. The polymer on the Steyr is much more solid and doesn't bend at all.
Slide rails. Notice the dinky little stamped steel slide rails on the Glock, silver in color. I know this thing is durable, but come on! Compare to the Steyr, the slide rails are both about 2x longer than the Glock's rails. Also, note where the polymer frame has 2 rectangular sections before the front slide rails - the steel starts there, and goes all the way back to the back strap of the pistol. The entire thing is a thick sub-assembly of milled steel.
Another view of the slide rails/steel sub-assembly:
Also, notice how the Steyr has the slide rails cut at 45* angles:
Steyr sights - line up the white triangle between the 2 white slashes:
Glock sights - drop the ball in the bucket:
Difference in grip pattern:
Note how the recoil springs are both captured, using plastic guide rods, with a flat spring. Also, the barrels are very similar:
Front of slide:
Slide markings on Glock:
Slide markings on Steyr:
Top profile (also w/ CZ-75B) - note the notch in the barrel hood to allow for inspection of the chamber.
Top profile from the rear. Note the LCI on the back of the Steyr slide below the sight. It is flush now, since the chamber is empty:
Rating: 9
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Tennessee Gun Owners
