Steyr M40 Peronal Review

[petej88]

Steyr M40 Compared to Glock 23

A Short Steyr History:
----------------------

Wilhelm Bubits is the mastermind of the Steyr pistol. He's a hobby shooter
who at one time worked for Glock, and was also a uniformed officer and
later a plainclothes officer.

Basically, Bubits was always critiquing pistols and finally decided to become
a designer, so he could build what he envisioned. He actually offered his
patents to Glock and was told that his designs did not follow their
"philosophy" of design.

So, Bubits ended up with Steyr Mannlicher, another Austrian arms maker,
in 1997. A key player to bring Bubits' dream into reality was Steyr's
engineer, Fridrich Aigner. After two years and a lot of research and
development, the pistol has been christened.

Steyr Mannlicher has been making quality firearms since 1864. Ayoob sums
up Steyr's history well when he said that Steyr is a daring company that
boldly goes where no gun manufacturer has gone before, and has been
successful doing it.

For example: The Steyr Professional with it Cycolac stock was introduced
25 years ago and has changed the face of riflery, proving the superiority
of the synthetic stock. And the Steyr AUG was the first extremely successful
tactical rifle. Instead of just a custom-make of jeff Cooper's Scout Rifle,
Steyr dared to actually manufacture it. And all, including Ayoob, who shot
it has marveled at its execution.

So, with Steyr's two years of expensive development of the M series pistol
line, I'm expecting to see an excellent new product that will not have to
bow down to the competition.

The Steyr M (Medium) Series:
----------------------------

My Steyr Owner's Manual lists three M models: the M40, M9, and the M357.
I was told by Steyr's exclusive US importer, GSI, that the M357 will be out
sometime in 2000. You can contact GSI at www.GSIfirearms.com or call
205 655-8299.

There are plans to also expand the line into the "S" Small series and also
a "L" Large series for calibers like the .45 ACP.

Comparing a Steyr M with a Glock:
---------------------------------

1. The Steyr was born as a .40 S&W pistol and then the 9mm version was
developed. The Glock was born as a 9mm and then modified into the now
famous Glock 22 and 23 .40 S&W models.

2. The barrel chamber is as close to fully supported as any auto I've seen.
In the six-o'clock chamber opening, you see virtually "no" exposed brass. I
kid you not! This is truly amazing, especially since the rounds feed
perfectly.

The fired brass in a Steyr pistol is not over expanded and bulged like
in a typical Glock .40. The diameter of the Steyr fired brass measures around
.427 -.429 for full power loads. The Glock .40 can expand brass as much
as .431-.433, which is a huge difference. In other words, the Steyr M
series is very hobby/sports/reloader/agency friendly. It should give a little
extra confidence to anyone who carries a .40 caliber pistol. Fully supported
"is" better.

3. Conventional rifling is used in the barrel, for those that choose to
use lead. Bubits has stated that for the cost of being able to use lead
and be "handload compatible", there is no more than a 3 percent to 4 percent
loss in velocity.

4. The Steyr, like the Glock, has a safety on the trigger. If the
trigger gets bumped from various angles, the trigger will not release.
You need to put a positive finger pull simultaneously on the trigger and
the trigger safety for the gun to fire. This is an important safety feature
that some people just don't get.

The Steyr trigger is true double-action since the trigger continues to
cock the striker throughout the stroke until it is released. The Steyr
trigger does not feel like the typical double-action trigger at all. It has
a short stroke action with a very short reset, for very fast and accurate
double taps. The Steyr trigger is a standard 4.8 lbs and can be varied for
special needs by law enforcement, etc.

The trigger guard is angled 10 degrees downward, leaving room for a manual
safety. The trigger angle also allows for a higher finger placement.

In my opinion, the short, clean, stroke of the Steyr trigger feels superior
to the mushier Glock trigger. I even grabbed a Glock armorer at my shooting
range so he could test fire the Steyr. He agreed that the Steyr trigger felt
better and the perceived recoil was less. But he told me not to tell anyone

5. The front of the large trigger guard is serrated for those that like
to use this feature.

6. The take-down lever is quite easy to use. You simply press in the
integrated lock slightly and then the take-down lever can be swung
down easily so the slide can be removed. When the slide is reinserted onto
the frame, the take-down lever automatically pops into place. Very clean.

A person unaccustomed to a Steyr may very well think the take-down lever
is the manual safety, especially with the bold "S" and "F" markings adjacent
to it. This could give the owner just enough time to take control of the
situation during an emergency. With the manual safety on, this situation
could get downright confusing for a perpetrator.

7. The grip has one finger groove that should fit almost all hand sizes.
The grip angle is 111 degrees, providing optimum natural point-shooting of
the pistol and helping to decrease felt recoil. Along with this, the upper
rear of the grip frame is dished out, somewhat similar to the Beretta guns.
This allows the web of the hand to get in a little tighter and also makes
reaching the trigger easier.

8. The magazine release is well placed on the side of the frame so
it's easy to reach for a right or left handed person. When the pistol is
laying on it's side, the magazine release button is out of the way so it
won't release accidentally.

9. Steyr magazines are steel and drop-free, made by Mec-Gar. Since the
double-column magazine is tapered, it fits easily into the beveled magazine
well. The bottom of the magazine well has room to pull out a magazine should
that ever be necessary.

10. The Steyr accessory mount on the frame, for light mounts, etc,
has two rectangular cut-outs on each side of the frame, instead of the
typical rail. These recessed slots allow the mount to have a positive
attachment, with no movement whatsoever.

11. The slide is super hard with a tenifer finish. The grasping grooves
are well spaced, giving the shooter an excellent, comfortable, grasping
contact when operating the slide. When you rack the slide, it is very smooth.

The Steyr slide is only 18 ml high compared to the Glock's 22 ml.

12. The slide stop has a generous 30 degree angle making it very easy
to manipulate. The owner's manual states that the strong slide stop can be
used to release the slide, if you prefer not to rack the slide.

13. The slide rails are not molded into the polymer frame like a Glock and
other polymer brands. The Steyr is essentially a steel pistol, wrapped in
polymer. All the mechanical parts function on the steel sub-assembly, and
the lock bridge is much "stronger".

It's interesting to note that the rails are cut at a 45 degree angle.
This allows the slide and barrel to ride about 1/8" lower than existing
pistols with rails cut at 90 degrees. The Steyr bore axis is about 5mm
lower than a Glock. As a result, there is less muzzle flip and felt recoil.
I can attest to this fact after firing a Steyr M40 side-by-side with
a Glock 23.

14. The standard Steyr comes with fast sight acquisition triangular-
trapezoid sights. They can easily be swapped for traditional sights or
night sights. The standard front and rear sights are steel, unlike the Glock
which uses plastic sights (the front Glock sight is especially fragile).

The Steyr has a sight radius of 6.22", compared to a comparable sized
glock 23 with 6.02".

15. There is a loaded chamber indicator in the back of the slide that
can be seen or felt.

16. When I looked inside of the Steyr, I was pleased to see how strong and
beefed up all the parts are. This is one tough gun.

17. The Steyr pistol has a manual safety for those that are concerned about
retention issues. You can use it or not. Glock does not offer this option.

17a. The Steyr has three reset action safeties so it can be carried safely
without using the manual safety, if desired. Along with the 3 reset action
safeties and the manual safety, there is an integrated lock (for storage
purposes), giving the Steyr an impressive total of 5 safeties!

17b. The integrated lock is next to the take-down lever, located on the side
of the frame, and comes with two keys. The police version uses a handcuff
key. When it's locked, you cannot pull the trigger or take the pistol apart,
but you can load and unload the pistol.

17c. I really like the Steyr manual safety because you don't have to worry
about toggling it on and off accidentally. And it's basically invisible if
you choose not to use it. During a scuffle, or an operator slide rack error,
or if the pistol skids across the floor, a typical manual safety on the
side of a slide or frame can sometimes be toggled unknowingly. A Steyr
manual safety system is less likely to be affected by these same
scenarios.

17d. Steyr employs a very different technique to both activate or
de-activate the manual safety:

To activate the manual safety, you pull down on a small lever on each
side of the frame. Interestingly, these two levers are in the same basic
position as the Glock take-down levers and they are protected by a
slightly recessed polymer molding. This action lowers a small safety bar
from the "top" of the trigger guard.

You would normally activate the safety with your supporting hand. If for
some reason you choose not to use your supporting hand, you can simply
move the thumb to the other side of the frame, and slightly shift your
grip with the lower three fingers and the thumb to maintain control of
the pistol. Then, you can pull the levers down "easily" with your
trigger finger and your thumb. It's a lot easier to do than to explain.
At any rate, most combat/defensive type shooting has both hands on the gun
most of the time anyway, so this is not a big deal.

When the manual safety is on, you can still rack the slide to load and
unload the pistol. In fact the Owner's Manual recommends having the safety
on during the loading stage.

To release the safety, you simply press "up" against the safety bar with
your trigger finger, which is a distinctively different action than
pulling the finger back to fire the pistol. Once you're trained with
releasing the Steyr manual safety to fire mode, it's just as "easy and fast"
as toggling the more traditional manual safety with your thumb.

18. Steyr has selected Galco and Safariland to make holsters, along with
their own polymer holster. Others are sure to follow.

19. Steyr did a great job on the M Series Owner's Manual. The manual provides
all the necessary safety and pistol information, as well as some excellent
pictures. There is even an attachment which quotes some important Federal
Laws.

20. Specifications, from my Owner's Manual:
-------------------------------------------

Length/slide: 6.97"
Height: 5.35"
Width: 1.18"
Sight radius: 6.22"
Barrel length: 4.00"
Barrel rifling: RH, 6 groove
Trigger system: Reset Action System
Trigger pull: 4.8 lbs.
Trigger travel: .16"
5 safeties:
3 reset action safeties: Trigger, Drop, and Firing Pin Safeties
1 Manual Safety
1 Integrated lock with two keys
1 Loaded chamber indicator

caliber M40 M9 M357
magazine capacity 10 10 10 2 commercial mags in gun box
Law Enforcement 12 14 12 3 police mags in gun box
Weight (without mag.) 23.87 23.17 24.45
Weight of empty mag. 2.97 2.97 2.97

Steyr M40 retail price: $669
I bought mine for: $569 (prices fall when the "new" rush is over)

21. Chronograph Data for the Steyr M9 (from Handguns, Oct '99):
Note: (M40 stats are unavailable at this time)
---------------------------------------------------------------

Group Size

Cor-Bon 90 gr jhp +P 2.0 1515
Black Hills 115 gr jhp 2.4 1201
Federal 115 gr jhp 2.3 1147
Hornady 115 gr jhp 1.6 1122
Remington 115 gr jhp +P 1.8 1222
Federal 124 gr nyclad ball 2.3 1116
Federal 124 gr jhp hydra-shok 1.8 1103
Hornady 124 gr jhp xtp 1.6 1058
Norma 124 gr jhp moly-coated +P 1.2 1185
Cor-Bon 125 gr jhp +P 1.4 1226

*Average is the average of five five-shot groups rounded to the nearest 1/10".


In Summary:
-----------

The Steyr M40 is a nice looking pistol that's about the same size
as a Glock 19, 23, 32. All the edges of the Steyr have been rounded.
It's the most comfortable .40 caliber light weight pistol I've ever
held and shot. Regarding felt recoil, some people have claimed that the
Steyr M9 (9mm version) feels more like a pellet gun than a 9mm pistol.

Obviously, the Steyr M series is a new kid on the block and has to prove
itself to agencies by surviving various torture tests. From what I've
seen with my own Steyr M40, this is probably a moot point.

One amazing thing about the Glock design, besides its market share, is
that it only has 34 parts, compared to 53 Steyr pistol parts. Of course,
the Steyr has more functionality built into it, and Steyr even lists the
Pistol Box as 1 part; obviously, Steyr is not trying for a 'least parts'
record From what I've seen, the Steyr M Series is made to last. Having
'less parts' is not always better in the grand scheme of things.

The Glock is not without its own limitations. As long as you use
known, tested "factory" ammo in a well maintained Glock, the unsupported
.40S&W chamber will most likely serve you well. But a lot of people shoot
remanufactured ammo and reloads and even lead through their Glocks all the
time, exacerbating this problem.

Dean Speir has compiled a large database of Glock kB!'s (kabooms; case
failures) from Glocks. Some of his most recent material can be viewed on
the Calibers Web site, at greent.com/40Page. I also wrote a related
article called, "You Say kB! and I say Case Failure", located at www.glockmeister.com and on www.recguns/XN.html.

The new Steyr M40 with its fully supported chamber, is safer to shoot
in a wider range of shooting disciplines than a standard Glock .40 S&W.
And the Steyr feeds at least as reliably as a Glock due to some fantastic
engineering.

In the Steyr Safety condition 1, with its trigger safety, drop safety, and
firing pin safety, it is just as safe to carry as a Glock. The Steyr is
also "easy to use" just like a Glock. Even the trigger mechanism
feels fairly similar to a Glock, although it is not quite as mushy as a
Glock trigger.

The Steyr Safety condition 2 is activated when using the manual safety.
Glock does not have this capability. For those that want a retention
safeguard of some kind, this is an important consideration. The manual
safety is completely invisible if you choose not to use it.

The Steyr Safety condition 3 (the integrated lock) is also unique to this
model. Glock does not have this capability. For those with children, etc,
this could be an important consideration. The gun cannot be taken apart
or fired when this mode is activated. The integrated lock is basically
unnoticeable since it blends into the pistol so nicely.

Whether you are pro-gun, anti-gun, or somewhere in between, safety of
firearms should never be taken lightly.

I just can't help but end this personal review with a quote from Massad
Ayoob, regarding the new Steyr M Series pistols, who quoted William
Shakespeare, "Something wicked cool this way comes".


Addendum (Steyr Magazine Articles, etc that I referenced):
----------------------------------------------------------

Combat Handguns; Dec '99; "New Steyr M9/M40" by Paul Johnson.
Combat 2000 Annual; Display until April 30, 2000; "The Steyr M: Wicked Cool"
by Massad Ayoob.
Guns; Oct '99; "Steyr M9" by Massad Ayoob.
Handguns; Oct '99; "Road Testing the new Steyr M9" by Kerby C. Smith &
David W. Arnold. www.GSIfirearms.com; Home web page of the exclusive U.S. importer of Steyr
Mannlicher; 205-655-8299
Steyr Pistol Owner's Manual; buy a Steyr pistol to get one

Version 11.15-2.99

[Covert Mission]

Pete:

That's the most imformative post I can ever recall seeing here. THANKS.

I'm excited about this pistol... I've been having some nagging doubts about the Glock .40's, especially since I want to reload.

I can't wait to see one.

[tobeat1]

Pete:

Is the mag release ambi? I heard from a Steyr rep that the final production M40s would have switchable mag releases, sorta like SIG and Berretta.

------------------
"peace, love, joy, and happiness..."



[This message has been edited by tobeat1 (edited November 16, 1999).]

[Daniel Watters]

From the M40 I examined this weekend, the magazine release does not appear to be reversable. The pistol examined had an extremely short but extremely heavy trigger pull that will take some getting used to. It made a Glock NY+ trigger spring seem almost normal.

Another local shop reportedly has the new FN Forty-Nine. I'll have to take a look for comparison purposes.

[This message has been edited by Daniel Watters (edited November 16, 1999).]

[petej88]

I believe the new pistols hitting the streets now are a very mellow 4.8 lbs -- fairly light and crisp. You might have touched an earlier prototype which had much stiffer triggers.

Like the Glock, The Steyr trigger can have several different trigger pressures.

From looking at the mag release, it appears that they could make it ambi. But mine is on the left side, Although it's easy to use with my thumb or my left forefinger.

[Norsacan]

Hello All, New to the board and hate to rain on the Steyr parade. I sent Steyr a good review (from SWAT buddies) of their scout rifle a year ago and they emailed me back happy as clams. Thanked me sweetly etc. I was planning to purchase the "M" series 9mm when it became available. In the midst of some historical research I ran across the fact that from 1941-3 Steyr production was run at Mauthausen concentration camp, specifically at one of the sub-camps Grusen2.
Over a hundred thousand men, women and children were worked to death at Grusen2. Little is known of the camp (even though it was huge) because there are almost no known survivors. Steyr fudges over their history on their website and will not reply to any questions put to them pertaining to the companies WW2 history. I wouldn't take a gun from Steyr on a gold plate. Norsacan

[Spencer Stewart]

Hmmm, don't quite know what to think about your post Norsacan, except that a LOT of things have changed in the past fifty years. I don't agree with several acts commited in the wars, nor do I condone them. However, that is history and this is today. I suspect several people contain items from Japan in spite of their actions. Not to mention some of the more shameful times of our own history. It is unfortunate that they will not reply.

BTW, the Steyr sounds great. In the data above a M357 is mentioned. Would this be the 357 Sig? Also, any future plans for a 10mm?



------------------
Spencer Stewart

Adapt, Migrate, or Die

[petej88]

The terrible acts in WWII should never be forgotten. But obviously, the Steyr company has survived and is trying its best to be a good citizen today.

If Glock were making weapons during the war, I'm sure the Germans would have taken advantage of them and perverted their history as well.

Don't punish the grandson for what the grandfather did, especially if the grandson is a good person.

The Steyr 5 safety point pistol is one of the best, maybe the best on the market today.

Yes, that would be the 357 Sig that's coming out within a few months, by Steyr. If things go well, they will make big caliber version in .45. I haven't heard anything about a 10mm yet, however.

[RikWriter]

Somehow I doubt the people who ran Steyr in the 40s are still in charge.

[Norsacan]

My point was that Steyr NOW/TODAY has an aversion to the truth and makes a point of avoiding it, unlike many other German/Austrian/Japanese business entities that have made peace/come to terms with the past. The "M" series is most likely a very classy act. All their stuff is. I personally don't like a safety within the trigger guard. Seems a strange place to put it. Nuff said. Norsacan

[Covert Mission]

Norascan:

I understand your reaction to this information. I have friends who lost family in the Holocaust, and who would NEVER drive a German-made car. It's an emotional decision rather than an intellectual one, I think (as others have pointed out), but it's your decision, and one i respect.

I have another friend, a wonderful person, whose grandfather was a Nazi soldier. He has done a lot of soul-searching, and even did a magazine article on it, and is a very compassionate person.

God forbid we see another century like the 20th, with over 100 million murdered.

[Norsacan]

HI Covert Mission! I gotta wonder what mission you're on.. but if you overtly told me then by definition...no longer covert and most likely I'm toast before I can hit "enter." Regards to Mulder & Skulley (I always try to figure out what those big old autoloaders they are waving around are, I'm thinking they look either like ParaOrd or Browning HP's. The lighting is usually dark and dramatic when they are flashing the aforementioned artillery.) Appreciate your post. Norsacan

[Correia]

Thanks Pete for the informative post. I have been excited to see this gun for some time. I talked with some folks over at GSI via e-mail, the .45 is expected late in 2000.

I also asked if the magazines would be interchangable between the L, M, and S series in the same caliber. (like the Glock 17, and 19.) They told me that that information wasn't availible yet.

[Futo Inu]

Drool. Hmmmm, they may have out-Glocked the Glock. Thought the Walther P99 would, but it didn't. Time will tell. Sounds really good. I'm wondering:

1. What really is the trigger pull in pounds? I can live with 4.8 easily, anything up to 8 or so for a defense gun.
2. Is the "tenifer" finish the exact same as that on Glocks? That's one of the top 3 reasons I like Glocks.

[Covert Mission]

Norascan,

Alas, I'm not a "spook". I picked that name for my stealth Yahoo e-mail, and it stuck. So, If I tell you, you're safe!

Take care.

[Pilate]

Off topic, but since someone brought it up, the X-Files characters Mulder and Scully currently carry Sig P228's. Before that, it was Smith And Wessons (of some sort, I know nothing about Smith autos). And in the beginning, Fox carried a Sig P229 and Scully a Sig P230 (little "girl gun")... Good to see they finally figured out what the FBI actually issues (if in fact they still issue P228's).

I think the only reservation I will have about the Steyr will be the limitation of 10 round magazines... I can't see having a gun built large enough to accomodate 12 and 14 round mags with mere 10's... But then I usually carry a Sig P232 (little "girl gun").

Can someone point me to a place on the Web where I can see the M?

[Phillip]

Pilate,
The guns initially carried were a SIG 226 (Mulder) and a 230 (Scully). They went from those to Glocks, and then S&W .40's for a short while, and then back to SIGs, P 226. They have never carried 229's or 228's. The only time a character carried a 229 (in .40) that I can recall was Mr. X who specifically stated so when putting it in Mulder's face.
I guess this is a moot point since they rarely use them anyway.

I wanted a Walther P99 until I saw the Steyr M 40. I am just waiting to see how they hold up. Thanks for the review Pete.

[Spencer Stewart]

Here you go Pilate.

http://www.gsifirearms.com/



------------------
Spencer Stewart

Adapt, Migrate, or Die