need advise!

definitely not common occurence as i have an s40 with countless thousands of rounds through it.

is it broken and not functioning, or is it broken but still running fine? steyr is just gearing up for parts, but s parts are unlikely to be had for a while yet as they haven't released the new s series gun. jack ash may be able to help you with a new guide rod. this is very unusual.

i have torn one ragged hole at 15 and 20 yards with my s40. 25 yards opens up to a couple of inches. to tell you the truth, i'm pretty impressed with the s40 at 50 yards. my s40 is much more accurate than my m9.

mine prefers 165 grain. cci blaser brass is it's preferred brand.

it sprays hydroshocks like a shotgun, but will write your name with ranger sxt.

lots of people swear by 155 grain, but i've never tried any. my s40 doesn't like any kind of 180 grain anything.

i hate to say it but you may find that reloading isn't worth the trouble. the steyr imho is very very accurate for a defense oriented auto pistol. you can get more accurate guns, but they often start at $1000 before the gun smith starts working.

i have seen steyrs shoot the same bullet hole out to 15 yards and tear one ragged hole at 20. for me that's plenty of accuracy. if the guy is farther than 25 yards away i can probably run for it and reassess if he closes the distance.

i would say try different 165 grain ammo. something will shoot well. we do have one member who is all about reloading and makes a valid point that he always shoots the same round he carries, and his carry rounds cost less than cheapy target rounds. well done, but i can't justify it for my needs.

i see what your saying about the cost.

i practice a lot with a spring airsoft pistol, (don't laugh, it actually groups nice to ten yards). then i do some with a green gas air soft pistol, then i dry fire the steyr.

even though the recoil is obviously much more pronounced, i can see a difference in my shooting when i do it.

plus i can practice at home whenever i want.