Greetings. I wrote the following report a few months ago but now realize i never posted it. Since writing, the gun has performed flawlessly having had approx 500 rounds through it. I added the grip plug which I like very much and hope to eventually lay hands on a quality holster. Money is hard to come by lately and I'm selling off many things but this Steyr has proven to be a great value and if it comes down to it, everything else can go except this Steyr and a couple shotguns. Lance ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My new Steyr M9 arrived from CDNN as expected. Included were the three 10 round and one 14 round mags and CDNN threw in a nifty pair of designer shooting glasses as a bonus. A couple years ago while still internally debating whether or not to order the Steyr, they had sent three Steyr Pistols iron-on patches as a bonus in an unrelated order. A self-fulfilling prophesy perhaps? Anyway, the gun looks new and the plastic case is very nice, with real hinge pins and die-cut foam inserts. Pretty classy and expensive with a protective white cardboard sleeve with printed stock description and serial number. Frame, slide and barrel all have the same serial number, 0336XX. Frame is inscribed GZS, Baldwin, IL as are a couple papers glued into the manual covering the previous distributors name. I immediately check the trigger and yes, the trigger safety has the pin in the center so I breathe my first sigh of relief. Slide to frame fit is very tight and being a machine tool man from long ago, I appreciate a good dovetail anything that is intended to slide accurately. This is a nicely made piece and the machining is first rate. The feed ramp is precisely milled and polished. Perhaps I'm getting a bit carried away because THIS is my first new gun. My Tanfoglio EAA Witness 45 was newish once but looked nothing like this inside when I got it a few years ago. There is a big gap between the frame and slide with no dust cover between which is interesting if not disconcerting. Gun feels top heavy and a bit slippery til I insert a loaded magazine and play with it a bit. Actually feels better the more its handled. It's just different perhaps from what I'm used to. The plastic frame has a few swirls in the finish and parting lines from the molding process but this isn't a new Nikon F5 camera, it's a firearm rather than the cudgel the Nikon can serve as in the trenches of journalistic or artistic rigors. Looking over the manual we try out the key lock which seems to work well. The push up safety is a nice feature if you want to use it and doesn't seem to get in the way or accidently engage (yet) if you don't. The take down lever is fantastic. No pin to pull and worry about misplacing. The slide comes off easily despite it being a tight fit. Nice. The barrel and spring come out for cleaning. The frame and modular cocking/firing mechanisms are seemingly well designed and appear easy to maintain. The chamber is low relative to the slide with a short, stout crook of an extractor and the pin for the much-appreciated loaded chamber indicator is plainly evident. Cleaning off old, dried residue is easy and oiling the slide "ways" a snap. Speaking of snaps, when the slide is assembled to the frame again and pulled back, the take down lever sharply snaps back into lock and we are good to go. This IS a nice gun and CDNN's firesale pricing has to be too good to be true... I load the mags with UMC yellow box 115gr MC and dig out a couple cheap padded cloth holsters I used to pack a Colt Defender regularly. The Uncle Mike's #15 is a reasonably good fit but mine has no extra mag pouch sewn into it so opted for the well-worn Soft Armor by Mil-Tech Compak (#30-OFF Glock 26+27) which is a bit loose but has the mag pouch. (A few strong stitches below the trigger guard area would tighten it right up.) We're headed out to shoot and have some fun anyway so the other two mags are in either pants pockets. This gun sticking out of any holster is begging for a grip plug so I make a mental note to order one asap. I tape up a target and try shooting from several distances and easily go through my first 44 rounds without a hitch and with reasonable accuracy. My eyes are about ready for tri-focals anyway and the new sighting system isn't all that much different than the 3 dots on my Witness. I'm hitting low and to the left so will work on that as I progress next time out. This is a great gun with light recoil and is very manageable despite a trigger pull a bit heavier than hoped for. Next time out we finish off the last of the yellow box and load white box Winchester FMJ bulk stuff from WalMart. Again, operation is flawless with perhaps one spent shell casing hitting my person. White box seems to have more power in general but is dirtier to shoot. Accuracy has improved but I've got a lot of concentrated study ahead of me if I want to avail myself of what this tight handful of a gun is capable of. So far, so good. Heading into town today and will pick up more ammo and have at it again. This gun feels so right. Steyrile (Now that it's official, can I change my user name to Steyrilized?)
I'm not sure we want the steyralised- ouch! Other than that, nice post. OOoo that might be a good line for an add- You've been Steyralised, but not meaning the Steyr owner.
Nice Range Report! I agree 110% with your observations and like that you mentioned that LCI (Loaded Chamber Indicator) I think that is one hell of a safety feature.
I agree 110% with your observations and like that you mentioned that LCI (Loaded Chamber Indicator) I think that is one hell of a safety feature. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The ability to quickly run one's thumb across the back of the slide and know whether or not there's a round in the chamber is very reassuring. Lance
True, however I think I speak for many when I say that I always treat a handgun as if the chamber is always loaded, unless upon a visual inspection for cleaning and what not. However, the LCI is a extra reassuring feature, but I personally could go without it. However very nice post. I am about to buy a M9. Have you shot Glocks? How does the trigger on the Steyr compare? I have heard nothing but good things about the trigger, however in your post you seemed a little unhappy.
True, however I think I speak for many when I say that I always treat a handgun as if the chamber is always loaded, unless upon a visual inspection for cleaning and what not. However, the LCI is a extra reassuring feature, but I personally could go without it. However very nice post. I am about to buy a M9. Have you shot Glocks? How does the trigger on the Steyr compare? I have heard nothing but good things about the trigger, however in your post you seemed a little unhappy. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hello, I shot my LEO neighbor's Glock several years ago when first getting acquainted with handguns. I went with a Colt Defender as my first purchase followed by a Tanfoglio 45, both of which require a bit less force to fire. I'm not complaining but the additional Steyr trigger pull may cause my hand to move or jerk a little as I fire it. I'm getting better but as stated in original range report, I was a little surprised, that's all. I love this gun and wouldn't mind getting an M40 or M40A1 next if I have the cash. My M9 has proven to shoot flawlessly so far and I recommend it to everyone without reserve or hesitation. It's comforting to know Steyr is here in the US now and parts/service are available should I ever need them. All the best, Lance
I agree 100% that a weapon should always be treated as if it was loaded, but I loved being able to use my Steyr M40 as a prime example of how firearms like Steyr Mannlicher really do make a serious effort to ensure that their firearms are safe. I've always been a huge fan of the drop manual trigger safety because I like that children and even criminals would more than likely be unable to operate the weapon right away. The built in key lock is also a very nice feature that I think Steyr added to the M-series.
Thank you for the follow up response. I just bought a M9 and am now anxiously awaiting it in the mail.
