Steyr M9 A1- Opinions Needed...
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3,113 Posts
Owned a couple for a while.. The aftermarket is really what's holding Stery back.. The make some quality firemarms, but they lack in getting promo out there!
I Owned a Stery C9 and a Stery M40 Compact. Both were sweet shooters, but at the end of the day.. My Glock, Canick TP9 Elites, and CZ P-10;s were sweeter shooters to me. I'd still buy one with confidence, but think hard before you do. You will be killed in resale if you want to trade later. Especially if it's in .40cal....
I Owned a Stery C9 and a Stery M40 Compact. Both were sweet shooters, but at the end of the day.. My Glock, Canick TP9 Elites, and CZ P-10;s were sweeter shooters to me. I'd still buy one with confidence, but think hard before you do. You will be killed in resale if you want to trade later. Especially if it's in .40cal....
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2,145 Posts
It’s solid, accurate and won’t shoot if you drop it. Trigger is JAPG (just another plastic gun), and it doesn’t really get much better with shooting (the thing is built like a tank so I guess you’d have to shoot it for years to see some change).
Steyr could have done a lot with this gun, but they ignored it and failed miserably at marketing it.
Good luck finding a holster you like. Alternate sights are available.
My suggestion is pick one up used, if and when you bump into one. Play with it then do as you wish.
Steyr could have done a lot with this gun, but they ignored it and failed miserably at marketing it.
Good luck finding a holster you like. Alternate sights are available.
My suggestion is pick one up used, if and when you bump into one. Play with it then do as you wish.
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975 Posts
Great gun, lousy marketing.
I have the S9A1 subcompact.
My main gripe is that the gun is so damn wide and blocky. Makes it difficult to IWB it. Otherwise it's a fine gun. Yes, the sights are unconventional and I won't be able to drill tight groups with it but I'll put rounds on target in short order with it.
Mags are expensive in comparison to the cheap price of the gun. Trigger pull and reset are light years ahead of Glock and most other plastic pistols. It ain't no well tuned Colt 1911, but it's decent.
My main gripe is that the gun is so damn wide and blocky. Makes it difficult to IWB it. Otherwise it's a fine gun. Yes, the sights are unconventional and I won't be able to drill tight groups with it but I'll put rounds on target in short order with it.
Mags are expensive in comparison to the cheap price of the gun. Trigger pull and reset are light years ahead of Glock and most other plastic pistols. It ain't no well tuned Colt 1911, but it's decent.
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584 Posts
I owned an S40 (non A1) for about ten years. Had a bit of trouble with it not wanting to return to battery for a bit, but after a break in period it worked out.
The following pros and cons were my experience only, and anecdotal. I should point out that I think that with proper distributor and aftermarket support, this would be a better gun than the Glock for most any application.
Pros: Accurate, lightweight, and I liked the sights. Felt recoil was much more manageable than comparably-sized Glock. That is kind of subjective, but I found it much more comfortable to shoot than my G22. Bore axis is VERY low.
Cons: Good luck finding a holster, especially if you are a lefty, as I am. I went with Customcarryconcepts.com, and had a kydex IWB holster made. Otherwise, couldn't find much, but mine wasn't an A1. YMMV.
As noted above, the slide is WIDE. Thicker than a Glock. Still concealable though. Trigger reset was a bit mushy on my gen-1, not as positive a "click" you get with many striker or hammer fired autos, but still manageable. The trigger pull itself was shorter, lighter and crisper than my Glock. I wanted a recoil buffer for my S40. Couldn't be found. Also, aftermarket recoil springs were difficult to get, I went straight to the distributor for spares. There was a guy on the Steyr Club forums named Big Taco. He was working on guide rods that would allow you to use aftermarket Glock springs, if you wanted to change your spring weight. People seemed very pleased with his work. Don't know if he is still doing that.
I really enjoyed the gun, but in the end, I needed something that didn't make me feel I was going on a quest to get ANY accessories. As a range gun, or a gun for a righty who can find holsters, it would be great. In the end, someone wanted it more than I, and I went back to my first love, K-frame S&Ws.
It should be noted that my experience was with a gen-1 gun in .40. I'd definitely take a look at the A1 in 9mm, especially at the current prices.
The following pros and cons were my experience only, and anecdotal. I should point out that I think that with proper distributor and aftermarket support, this would be a better gun than the Glock for most any application.
Pros: Accurate, lightweight, and I liked the sights. Felt recoil was much more manageable than comparably-sized Glock. That is kind of subjective, but I found it much more comfortable to shoot than my G22. Bore axis is VERY low.
Cons: Good luck finding a holster, especially if you are a lefty, as I am. I went with Customcarryconcepts.com, and had a kydex IWB holster made. Otherwise, couldn't find much, but mine wasn't an A1. YMMV.
As noted above, the slide is WIDE. Thicker than a Glock. Still concealable though. Trigger reset was a bit mushy on my gen-1, not as positive a "click" you get with many striker or hammer fired autos, but still manageable. The trigger pull itself was shorter, lighter and crisper than my Glock. I wanted a recoil buffer for my S40. Couldn't be found. Also, aftermarket recoil springs were difficult to get, I went straight to the distributor for spares. There was a guy on the Steyr Club forums named Big Taco. He was working on guide rods that would allow you to use aftermarket Glock springs, if you wanted to change your spring weight. People seemed very pleased with his work. Don't know if he is still doing that.
I really enjoyed the gun, but in the end, I needed something that didn't make me feel I was going on a quest to get ANY accessories. As a range gun, or a gun for a righty who can find holsters, it would be great. In the end, someone wanted it more than I, and I went back to my first love, K-frame S&Ws.
It should be noted that my experience was with a gen-1 gun in .40. I'd definitely take a look at the A1 in 9mm, especially at the current prices.
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6,488 Posts
Slugo, Steyr is the "other" Austrian pistol, often overlooked, but superior IMHO to Glock in many ways, most noteably in ergonomics.
I own four, three models in 9mm, and one in .40S&W.
In fact I just got my early model Steyr M40 shown below back from RCM, aka Rim Country Manufacturing, a manufacturer out in Arizona, with it's new .40S&W to .357SIG conversion barrel. I'd sent it to them for dimensional and testing purposes:
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All barrels have been test fired and the barrel mimics the same quality in workmanship, fit, and finish as the .40S&W to .357SIG barrel that I purchased from RCM for my HK P30 .40 earlier in the year. I have yet to test fire it but will be posting an update on SteyrClub and here after I do. It's now a two caliber gun.
I started the thread below over at SteyrClub back in April of this year in an effort to drum up support for a .357SIG conversion barrel for Steyr pistols chambered in .40S&W (Steyr had stopped offering their .357SIG models noting "lackluster sales" back in 2014), and the results worked out well, with over 275 replies and RCM ultimately producing conversion barrels which are now available directly from them for the Steyr pistol models S40A-1/C40-A1, M40/M40A-1, and L40A-1:
https://www.steyrclub.com/threads/a...conversion-for-your-40s-w-steyr-pistol.12066/
If you're interested direct any questions to: [email protected]
I own four, three models in 9mm, and one in .40S&W.
In fact I just got my early model Steyr M40 shown below back from RCM, aka Rim Country Manufacturing, a manufacturer out in Arizona, with it's new .40S&W to .357SIG conversion barrel. I'd sent it to them for dimensional and testing purposes:
All barrels have been test fired and the barrel mimics the same quality in workmanship, fit, and finish as the .40S&W to .357SIG barrel that I purchased from RCM for my HK P30 .40 earlier in the year. I have yet to test fire it but will be posting an update on SteyrClub and here after I do. It's now a two caliber gun.
I started the thread below over at SteyrClub back in April of this year in an effort to drum up support for a .357SIG conversion barrel for Steyr pistols chambered in .40S&W (Steyr had stopped offering their .357SIG models noting "lackluster sales" back in 2014), and the results worked out well, with over 275 replies and RCM ultimately producing conversion barrels which are now available directly from them for the Steyr pistol models S40A-1/C40-A1, M40/M40A-1, and L40A-1:
https://www.steyrclub.com/threads/a...conversion-for-your-40s-w-steyr-pistol.12066/
If you're interested direct any questions to: [email protected]
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3,446 Posts
Not unlike the Croatian-made P-2000 pistols (prior to SA slapping their name on the slide), they were a real bargain and you actually got more than you paid for....................................then.
I missed that early boat (price-wise) but I agree, there has been lackluster marketing (akin to Stoeger's Turkish-made Beretta clones and Daewoo's DP-51 series).
I missed that early boat (price-wise) but I agree, there has been lackluster marketing (akin to Stoeger's Turkish-made Beretta clones and Daewoo's DP-51 series).
Joined
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1,707 Posts
On my 4th Steyr bought a OD green M9-A1 a few weeks back.Had nothing but good luck through the years shooting them.They are an acquired taste in ways but are a great pistol overall.Can be tough to find holsters and other aftermarket parts and yes the marketing sucks.Magazines can be had cheap if you keep an eye out.https://www.gunbroker.com/item/730706632
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4,829 Posts
Here's my S9A1. It, like many plastic pistols, is interesting enough for me to own and play with but not interesting enough to buy a second one.
I don't care if a particular gun has great aftermarket support because I don't swap anything out other than grip panels if applicable (as in Hi-Power, 1911, CZ75). Or maybe if the sights are junky, easy to damage plastic sights. Otherwise, I run'em as a brung'em.
With this particular S9A1 model, Steyr missed the boat by not slimming down the slide and frame. Otherwise, it'd make for a great subcompact carry pistol.
I understand the economics of keeping the slides the same width because every other gun manufacturers do the same thing with their subcompacts. Which is a damn shame.
Here's my S9A1 with a custom made carbon fiber holster. Yes, carbon fiber. The holster is lined with leather to protect the gun. It's goofy (the holster that is) but funky like the gun.
The gun also functioned with aluminum cased ammo and at least Golden Saber JHPs. I don't recall shooting it with any other hollowpoints for function check.
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I don't care if a particular gun has great aftermarket support because I don't swap anything out other than grip panels if applicable (as in Hi-Power, 1911, CZ75). Or maybe if the sights are junky, easy to damage plastic sights. Otherwise, I run'em as a brung'em.
With this particular S9A1 model, Steyr missed the boat by not slimming down the slide and frame. Otherwise, it'd make for a great subcompact carry pistol.
I understand the economics of keeping the slides the same width because every other gun manufacturers do the same thing with their subcompacts. Which is a damn shame.
Here's my S9A1 with a custom made carbon fiber holster. Yes, carbon fiber. The holster is lined with leather to protect the gun. It's goofy (the holster that is) but funky like the gun.
The gun also functioned with aluminum cased ammo and at least Golden Saber JHPs. I don't recall shooting it with any other hollowpoints for function check.
Joined
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1,394 Posts
ThanSlugo, Steyr is the "other" Austrian pistol, often overlooked, but superior IMHO to Glock in many ways, most noteably in ergonomics.
I own four, three models in 9mm, and one in .40S&W.
In fact I just got my early model Steyr M40 shown below back from RCM, aka Rim Country Manufacturing, a manufacturer out in Arizona, with it's new .40S&W to .357SIG conversion barrel. I'd sent it to them for dimensional and testing purposes:
![]()
![]()
All barrels have been test fired and the barrel mimics the same quality in workmanship, fit, and finish as the .40S&W to .357SIG barrel that I purchased from RCM for my HK P30 .40 earlier in the year. I have yet to test fire it but will be posting an update on SteyrClub and here after I do. It's now a two caliber gun.
I started the thread below over at SteyrClub back in April of this year in an effort to drum up support for a .357SIG conversion barrel for Steyr pistols chambered in .40S&W (Steyr had stopped offering their .357SIG models noting "lackluster sales" back in 2014), and the results worked out well, with over 275 replies and RCM ultimately producing conversion barrels which are now available directly from them for the Steyr pistol models S40A-1/C40-A1, M40/M40A-1, and L40A-1:
https://www.steyrclub.com/threads/a...conversion-for-your-40s-w-steyr-pistol.12066/
If you're interested direct any questions to: [email protected]
Thank you for your excellent response!Slugo, Steyr is the "other" Austrian pistol, often overlooked, but superior IMHO to Glock in many ways, most noteably in ergonomics.
I own four, three models in 9mm, and one in .40S&W.
In fact I just got my early model Steyr M40 shown below back from RCM, aka Rim Country Manufacturing, a manufacturer out in Arizona, with it's new .40S&W to .357SIG conversion barrel. I'd sent it to them for dimensional and testing purposes:
![]()
![]()
All barrels have been test fired and the barrel mimics the same quality in workmanship, fit, and finish as the .40S&W to .357SIG barrel that I purchased from RCM for my HK P30 .40 earlier in the year. I have yet to test fire it but will be posting an update on SteyrClub and here after I do. It's now a two caliber gun.
I started the thread below over at SteyrClub back in April of this year in an effort to drum up support for a .357SIG conversion barrel for Steyr pistols chambered in .40S&W (Steyr had stopped offering their .357SIG models noting "lackluster sales" back in 2014), and the results worked out well, with over 275 replies and RCM ultimately producing conversion barrels which are now available directly from them for the Steyr pistol models S40A-1/C40-A1, M40/M40A-1, and L40A-1:
https://www.steyrclub.com/threads/a...conversion-for-your-40s-w-steyr-pistol.12066/
If you're interested direct any questions to: [email protected]
Joined
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6,488 Posts
Slugo, I forgot to mention that the Steyr pistols are modular, being years ahead of the SIG 320 that you and I are fond of. The only difference between the SIG and Steyr in regards to removing the modular trigger group is that the Steyr S, C, M, and L9/40/357-A1 series pistols require the added step of removing the safety lock just behind the takedown lever.
My first gen model M40 shown below has a safety that's not present on the newer -A1 models that also needs to be removed for the trigger group to come out of the frame. Neither step is any kind of deal breaker for me.
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They're great pistols, underrated and under-advertised.
My first gen model M40 shown below has a safety that's not present on the newer -A1 models that also needs to be removed for the trigger group to come out of the frame. Neither step is any kind of deal breaker for me.
They're great pistols, underrated and under-advertised.
Joined
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1,394 Posts
Thank you. sir. Most informative.Slugo, I forgot to mention that the Steyr pistols are modular, being years ahead of the SIG 320 that you and I are fond of. The only difference between the SIG and Steyr in regards to removing the modular trigger group is that the Steyr S, C, M, and L9/40/357-A1 series pistols require the added step of removing the safety lock just behind the takedown lever.
My first gen model M40 shown below has a safety that's not present on the newer -A1 models that also needs to be removed for the trigger group to come out of the frame. Neither step is any kind of deal breaker for me.
![]()
They're great pistols, underrated and under-advertised.
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