I've been looking at one of these pistols in the LGS, and am intrigued.  It certainly is a homely little thing, but here ergonomics would trump a walnut and blued steel mindset.

Anybody have any experience with these pistols, and would you call it a buy or a pass?

Buy one and tell us about it so I can live vicariously through you. I have been eying one for some time too.

If you like the Glock grip angle, get one.

If you hate the Glock grip angle, don't.

I don't like the angle, and I don't like the sights either. But the trigger is much better than a Glock.

I picked up a M9A1 a while back to try. Liked it so much I bought a C9A1 as well. Like them much better than the CZ P10C I had. I carry the C9A1 now.

I'd get a L9A1 if I found a threaded one at an extremely good price. I try to stick to smaller sized carry guns rather than larger ones.

If the local shop is a Steyr dealer and the gun is new, there's a $50 rebate on them until the end of December.

ETA: My thread about Steyrs.

Here...

If it helps Steyr has a 50 dollar rebate on them right now.  I love the Steyr design and have been itching for one for some time.  Word is they're a higher quality cousin to Glock with a lower price point, and they're really nice guns.  Only downside is that holster selection can be sketchy, but there are plenty to choose from.  I have a L9-A1 on the way!

Edit:  oops someone above already mentioned the rebate.

The serial number is in the plastic grip frame.  The trigger and slide rails are on a removeable FCS pack, like the SIG 320 - except the FCS pack isn't the serialized part.

If I may ask, why a C9?  As I understand it the C, M, and L are all pretty much the same gun with 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5 inch slides and barrels respectively.  In my experience concealment is hardest with a longer grip, not the slide/barrel so I have never understood the point of a shorter slide/barrel and full sized grip especially since you're giving up almost a quarter of the barrel length.

Pros
High quality
Good trigger
Very fast follow up shots
Reliable with carry loads
Better grip design than Glock

Cons
Wider slide than any other 9
Stovepipes occasionally with light loads
Almost no holsters for the L size

I liked the L9 enough that I bought a second one and then two M9s.

Attached File

Never fired one, only held them and felt like a lightweight USP to me. I love Steyr rifles and if I had the extra $ I'd probably get one and run it through several boxes to see if I loved it or didn't.
The dealer and a guy next to me were talking up the Steyr's merits but I knew nothing about the gun at the time other than, surprise they make pistols too!

Bought it for $299, hence the C9A1 in addition to the M9A1. I carry that one because it's a bit smaller in length than the M9A1. Couldn't pass it up for the price. It's the most recent model as well.

One day I hope to find the S9A1 at a good price and maybe a threaded L9A1.

You don't need it, walk away.  





There, how's that?

See?  That kind of tough love is why we come to ARFCOM.

Actually, I find the width of the pistol kind of deal-breaking.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/handguns/Well-I-did-it-Steyr-M9A1-came-home-with-me/36-176512/

Could not find one local to shoot or hold so I bought one online and hoped for the best. It’s a fine gun. I got the L since it will only really be for range as my hiking gun is still my first love mk25. It’s fun and I really like the sights. Bought some replacements but haven’t put them on as the stock ones are great. I will say most of my rounds down range are coming from 1911 style grip angles so when I draw it I have to move back down a bit but that’s me not the gun.

It's wider than any other 9mm I own except for the Beretta APX.  Actually, they can both share the same holster, tell you the truth.

Can't help talk you out of it but theres a guy on gunbroker who has 5 of them for 399.99 each.

STEYR L9
Width: 1.2 in.

GLOCK G19
Width: 1.18 in.

They're as wide as a G19.  


Edit:  APX is 1.3 inches wide.

Maybe at their widest point, they approach the same dimensions.   However, the Steyr and APX, especially the slide, is far wider than the G19 and they are fat throughout, where the Glock may have a wide point around the thumbrest or something.  

ETA to add pic (not mine)

Attached File

Point taken.  I still think it's a non-issue though, 1.2 inch at its widest even across the entire pistol is still pretty thin, but I guess some might be bothered by an extra .1 inch here and there when carrying IWB.

Moot point for me anyhow, I got the L9 as I intend to carry OWB anyway.  

Do it. love me C9

I don't like the grip angle on a Glock or the stupid hump. I have handled the Steyr in gun shops and for some reason it feel good in the hand whereas a Glock doesn't.

It is Rosie O'Donnell butt crack ugly though.

I may break down and buy one just for something different from my normal handguns.

I had an M40A1 for a long time. Put 4k thorough it and I think it had one malfunction that whole time. Sold it to fund a G23 which I hated and sold. Now I want an L9A1 but have literally never seen one. If I see one out for a good price I'll buy.

Been shooting a 9mm L since March, 100% reloads through it so far. General comments:

-Gun sits very low in the hand. Low bore axis is a good thing.
-Low profile slide (height). This allows the pistol to sit lower in the hand.
-Low mass slide. I need to throw them on a scale, but the slide of the G17-sized L seems to weigh about the same as a G19 slide.
-Steep grip angle. It is steeper than the Glock; your wrist angles downward more with the Steyr. This is noticeable if you go back and forth.
-Trigger pull is relatively light.
-Trigger pull has a few stages of creep when pulling it slowly.
-Trigger reset is not very tactile nor audible. The reset point becomes easier to detect with more familiarity of the gun, but there's no loud click and snap feeling.
-Magazine well is a small workspace. No bevels or chute to work with here; it's a trade-off for the very narrow grip.
-Trapezoid sights have a tendency to result in high POI, as you automatically want the front sight triangle to rise out of the rear trapezoid. Training issue.
-Barrel seems to unlock late in the slide cycle, which in theory means the bullet is well clear of the muzzle before the barrel tilts and the sight picture is disrupted.
-Loaded chamber indicator (looks like a second firing pin on the breech) nicks up the brass rim pretty good and I have to toss the brass after a couple firings.

The combination of the low bore axis, extreme grip angle, and relatively low mass slide result in a pistol that has very little muzzle flip and begs to be shot fast. If you try to shoot it with a slow, deliberate pull as you would a target pistol, the trigger doesn't seem so refined.

There's too many reasons for me to never give up the G19, but on the range I'd rather be shooting the Steyr, and I have.

I believe the Steyr S/C/M/L family is a real-deal evolution of handguns, employing solid principles that make for a flat shooter with quick follow-up. I have never felt this way about any other polymer pistol, and I've tried most of em.

Found a new l9a1 threaded bbl for 445 bringing it down to 395 after rebate. Good price or normal pricing?

I've had a m357a1 for a couple years now and really like it. Never handled an l series yet.

That sounds good but it's hard to say. One thing I've noticed is that Steyr pricing seems to be all over the map. I believe that there was a couple of threaded L9A1s on gunbroker for just a little less a while back but I'm not even sure they would qualify for the rebate.

A quick search of gun.deals.com (the old slickguns) shows that is a good price especially since it's the threaded version.

My vote goes to that being s normal price at around 450 with the rebate it turns into a good price in my opinion. I have found the l9 nib from 450-500. Used they get cheaper but there isn’t a whole lot in the used market, must be a good pistol or something

maleante, I was going to write you asking about these guns, since you're the Steyr guy!

In the two threads I've found this evening the Steyr pistols have been compared to the APX which I love to death. I seem to be the only one out of three of us that can hit a 2"x4" sticker.

In fact, it almost made me think maybe I should just stay beretta. The size isn't noticeable to me at all so I'm not concerned about the wide slide.

I will try to find a rental locally.