Anyone have experience with Steyr pistols?

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lonewolf1981

New member
I've become strangely drawn to their M357 pistol and wanted to know from those who have one how they have functioned? The M357 seems to be retailing in the 800 and 900 range(the m9 being much cheaper) which is hefty imo. So for those with trigger time on them (in any caliber), how are they?
 
I picked up a L9A1 TB recently. So far it seems to be pretty good.

Quickly compared to a Glock 17 and Walther PPQ

Better ergos and feels more comfortable in the hand than other.
Trigger is a little better than the glock not as good as the ppq.
Points more like the glock than the ppq
The slide fit and finish is very good, the polymer frame not quite as good as the others
More front heavy than the others which I like.
Trigger guard could have been undercut a little more
 
I have an older M9, from back when PW Arms was the importer and Steyr didn't have a US footprint of its own. It had some extraction issues from time to time, and even though Steyr America was under no obligation to honor the PW-era warranty, they sent me a new extractor, which was one of the improvements made to the new(er) M-series guns. Mine started behaving better even without the replacement extractor, so who knows what the deal was? In any case, I probably have close to 2000 rounds through it.

I love the "trapezoid" sights and ergonomics of my Steyr. It does tend to be erratic in where it ejects spent brass, but that's about my only complaint. I shoot it more accurately than other semi-auto handguns I own, and find the recoil to be pretty mild.
 
I had the M9 and M40, bought them when CDNN had them for like $350 each. They were my first pistols I had for carrying, and I preferred the M9. I was fairly new to the shooting sports, and if I had the chance again, I would like to obtain another Steyr pistol in 9mm.

Triggers were ok, nothing to write home about.
Sights were definitely unusual, and thats really why I want to retry one, now that I know a whole lot more about sight picture and focusing, I think I would enjoy shooting with the trapezoids.

The M9 functioned flawlessly. The M40 seemed to have a really tight chamber, and fmj ammo that had heavier bullets (165 gr and higher) tended to not want to go fully into battery. Defensive ammo performed just fine.

Some say they have a hard time finding holsters, but I found that High Noon Holsters had good options for the Steyr pistols. I am sure there are a handful other outfits that also can make them.

Eventually, I settled on carrying a Kimber TLE instead, and to help fund that purchase I sold off both Steyr pistols to a gun shop. Nearly recouped my investment in them as well, the shop gave me $300 each on them.
 
I have an M357A1 and M9A1. I think the M is probably the best platform for the 357 SIG cartridge because of how flat shooting it is. The guns in general are great, in my opinion, with good triggers, excellent accuracy, and I love the natural pointability thanks to the grip angle. My newer ones haven't had any reliability issues so far.
 
My experience is with the original M9 and M40 variants. They are well-made pistols with good ergonomics (point well), but seem a little big and chunky compared to competing pistols like the Glock 17/19, M&P, and Walther P99/PPQ. Accessories are tougher to find as well (though everything is available on the internet these days). The trigger is better than a Glock trigger, but a far cry from the Walthers.
 
lifesizepotato said:
I have an M357A1 and M9A1. I think the M is probably the best platform for the 357 SIG cartridge because of how flat shooting it is. The guns in general are great, in my opinion, with good triggers, excellent accuracy, and I love the natural pointability thanks to the grip angle. My newer ones haven't had any reliability issues so far.
Click to expand...
@lifesizepotato, Your review vid is what has me considering the Steyr, love your chanel BTW. Any new videos coming soon?
 
If you get one, make sure it's a -A1 version. This is the latest model with all the updates.
I have a Steyr L9-A1 and I put it and the M series as one of the best striker fired models currently available. I know several other guys with current manufactured models. They all are 100% reliable and have exceptional accuracy as a group. A buddy of mine has a M40-A1 which is one of the most accurate hand guns I've shot. From the couple hundred people who have held my L9-A1, none have disliked the grip. A few have not like the grip angle which is like a Glock. The trigger is also one of the best in it's class even though the trigger reset could have a more tactical sound and feel.
It's balance, bore height, and slightly forward grip all add to very light recoil/muzzle flip. It has a unique look to it with it's thicker dust cover. It breaks down pretty easy and has an internal chassis similar to the Sig 320's. The trapezoidal sight are different and some love them while others don't like them at all. I don't mind them and have no issues going between them and the three dots on my other guns. I think they are under rated models.
 
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