steyr 9mm models vs glock 9mm models

charlesc · March 14, 2014, 04:55 PM

how do you rate steyr 9mm models to glock 9mm models in full size and in compact sizes?
thanks

WVsig · March 14, 2014, 04:58 PM

Great trigger great ergos..... terrible company.

I have owned 3 Steyrs and 1 Glock. I currently only own 1 Glock.

charlesc · March 14, 2014, 05:01 PM

terrible company you say? is customer service not good? parts/magazines availability any good? holsters easily available?

TunnelRat · March 14, 2014, 06:54 PM

I've never owned one, though recently I certainly have been interested. I've never heard Steyr described as terrible before. Supposedly the cs lately has been pretty good. They did have some QC issues with the first production pistols and availability became an issue when Steyr left the US market for a bit.

chris in va · March 14, 2014, 08:28 PM

I fired one a few years ago. It was...weird. The grip angle was even more severe than the glock and it had unusual sights. That's all I can contribute.

Fishbed77 · March 14, 2014, 10:08 PM

I've never heard Steyr called a "terrible company" before. Please elaborate.

My cousin has a 1st-gen M-series pistol. He much prefers it to his Glocks. I've handled it a bit, and the ergos definitely feel better, but is has a chunky slide that makes a Glock look svelte. I haven't shot it, but he claims that it's never malfunctioned since he's had it.

Mosin44az · March 15, 2014, 02:08 AM

Have you tried a Steyr on for size? The grip angle is more extreme and it tucked my hand right up against and underneath the deep grip tang which I am certain will thus dig into the web of my hand on recoil, though admittedly I don't remember this from the example I fired a number of years ago. And as noted, the sights are weird.

hodaka · March 15, 2014, 06:07 AM

I've owned a Gen 2 Glock 17 since 1990 or so. I've owned a Steyr S1-A1 (compact) since December. I can shoot the Steyr much more accurately, even with the shorter barrel. The Steyr's trigger is very much superior. Not even close in that department. The grip is much better, at least in my hand, and although the sights take some getting use to, they are much better for fast target acquisition. Both are reliable, both are easy to strip and clean. As previously mentioned, the slide on the Steyr is even blockier than a Glock. My next 9mm will probably be the longer slide Steyr. I like them. The only problem is aftermarket items such as holsters. I bought a Kydex for a Sig and used a heat gun to make it fit the Steyr. Kydex is surprisingly easy to mold.

PS - I've run at least 500 rounds through mine since January without a single malfunction. I only shoot reloads.

TunnelRat · March 15, 2014, 07:55 AM

If you don't like the sights there are aftermarket ones with typical 3 dot setup.

Worc · March 15, 2014, 11:58 PM

Full size and compact would mean the Steyr M9-A1 and L9-A1 vs the 19 and 17 respectively. I think of the current Steyr’s as Glock Generation 10’s considering their rate of change through the forth now. They both had the same designer working on them.

The Glock's will undoubtedly always be vastly more popular/more parts availability over the Steyr models. While the have either the same grip angle or an extremely close one, they feel vastly different. The M9-A1’s grip in longer than the 19’s which I like a lot better. They are one of the best non adjustable grips on the market. To me and everyone else that I know that’s shot and held the Steyr’s make comments on how well the grip feels. Glock’s, not so much. The Steyr models also give you a more beavertail effect with a deeper grip. Their slide locks/releases are similar in size and shape. Because of the grip location of the Steyr, they tend to work a lot better when I use them. The location and shape of the magazine release is something that I like a ton better of the Steyr over Glock’s. The Steyr’s have a slightly lower bore axis and balance with a little more weight forward. These attributes lend to the guns very low muzzle flip. Of the half dozen M-A1’s that I have actually shot, all of them have been very accurate. I can’t say that’s a generalization I would be able to use to describe the Glock’s. On the L9-A1 there are the additional front serrations and a loaded chamber indicator on the back that the M9-A1 does not have.

Triggers are not even close between the two brands. The Steyr’s has less take up, is smoother, less pull weight all the way through, and breaks much cleaner than the Glock’s. Resets are pretty similar in length, but the Glock is much more tactile than the Steyr’s. I hear many lay claim that the Walther PPQ has the best out of the box factory polymer striker trigger. Having shot the M-A1’s and PPQ’s side by side, I would say that they are equals overall. The Steyr’s has the same advantage over the PPQ as it does over the Glock’s to a lesser extent except the both break very clean. The PPQ’s reset is both shorter and more tactile. Combine both and you’d have a trigger that rivals pretty much any after market trigger and a worked trigger.

The Steyr M’s are on their third generation. Some of their second’s had issues on models that were unauthorized imports from the Northwest. They were guns of mixed parts and often times did not have matching serial numbers. At first Steyr USA refused to do warranty work on those models. They have since changed that stance. The latest models have a pin under the rear sights and don’t suffer from the same issues. I’ve never had a reliability issue with the Steyr’s that I have shot, granted it’s more than likely not as many as 500 rounds combined.

The sights take me about a magazine to remember how to line them up to my liking. I’ve been thinking of picking up a L9-A1. I work with the sights for a while to see if they are as easy to use as the more traditional 3 dots when picking up and firing the gun and a period of time not using it. If I were unable to, I’d replace the sights.

Mosin44az · March 17, 2014, 01:43 AM

I know Bubits worked for Glock, but haven't seen any actual evidence that he worked on the original Glock design. The Steyr and Caracal, yes.

WVsig · March 17, 2014, 08:08 AM

Quote:

I've never heard Steyr called a "terrible company" before. Please elaborate.

Steyr has been in an out of the US market place several times in the last decade. They have IIRC lost or go rid of their importer 3 times in the last 10 years. Each time leading to a break in their ability to get parts or warranty service. Various versions of the pistols have been blown out by CDNN on multiple occasions.

The original Steyr S & M models had reliability issues with the safety mechanism located in the trigger guard area. The spring would fail and the cause the safety to engage. This feature was dropped from later models.

I had a frame damage on my S40 and it took over 1 year to replace the pistol when they were between importers and then they refused to send it to me directly causing me to pay a transfer fee on the replacement pistol after continually misquoting ATF regulations.

Many of these issues have said to have been cleared up when Steyr created their own importer Steyr USA but to be honest have my ordeals and hearing about the ordeals others had I sold all of my Steyrs and have not looked at them again.

The biggest problem is that Steyr is a horrible marketing company and does not seem to understand the US pistol market. They botched the importation of the AUG so many times that once they finally got them moving they had to gut the price because the clones had beat them to the market. Then there was the who Sabre issue, once again poorly chosen business partners.

They also IMHO missed the boat on the timing of the Pistols. They could have made in-roads 10 years ago but today in a crowded poly marketplace in the US they simply do not bring enough to the table for there to be enough aftermarket support to the line. Why get a Steyr when you can get a PPQ, Glock or M&P. They were worth considering when they sold for $299 but at $500 there are better choices. Even after establishing Steyr USA there is always talk about them leaving the US market which would leave existing pistols with less support then they currently have.

Which is a shame because they are nice shooting pistols. They are a love hate type of gun. You either love the extreme grip angle and the sights or you can't get past them. They trigger is great and as others have stated much better than Glock.

Skans · March 17, 2014, 02:46 PM

Steyr GB - an ingeniously simple gun way ahead of its time.

thedudeabides · March 17, 2014, 07:27 PM

It has a LOW BORE AXIS!!!!

Most people aren't too thrilled with buying one for two reasons
1) weird, extreme grip angle
2) Steyr has had spotty presence in the US over the years, so every time they go away parts, CS, and warranty vaporizes

I had an L-A1 for a while. It worked fine.

Worc · March 17, 2014, 09:12 PM

Why I’m considering a L9-A1 is because of the excellent feel of the grip, great trigger characteristics, very good accuracy, reliability, balance, quality, and lower than average muzzle flip.

Sure there are other striker fired models out the. I put the PPQ as the only striker equal or slightly better right now. Both have some small advantages over the other. One of my buddies that bought his first hand gun ended up with a M40-A1. It was one of about a dozen models I recommend looking at, including Glock, M&P, etc. Looks to me that they are offering models that the American shooting public is looking for at competitive prices. I’ve not heard of any thoughts of pulling out of the states now that they are getting more established here. In terms of service, I already pointed out that they took a big step by servicing those models that were imported from the Northwest. Again those were older models and not the newer models which are the ones I’ve fired.

Bart Noir · March 18, 2014, 02:10 PM

Worc, you keep saying this.

I live in the Northwest USA. I look around, and see nothing that can be cause for pejorative remarks. Heck, we gave you Starbucks coffee and Boeing aircraft and lots and lots of apples

Really what do you mean?

And I have owned the early Steyr pistols in both 9mm and .40 S&W. I liked the sights and liked the safety above the trigger. They felt great in my hand and the recoil was nice in that the muzzle didn't flip up all that much. I wish I had hung onto the 9mm but in the end, I just don't like that grip angle.

Bart Noir

Worc · March 18, 2014, 07:49 PM

Starbucks is a gift!

There were a number of M9-A1’s that came into an importer out of OR or WA (I think WA) that were cobbled together with mixed parts (generations) and had mismatched serial numbers. Some of them had issues, where the Steyr USA imports had far less. Steyr USA at first had a stance of not servicing those models imported into the Northwest, but decided to do so.

The Steyr’s grip angle is the same as a Glock’s or extremely close. The grip is far more comfortable on the Steyr and provides more of a beaver tail. Next time I get a chance, I’ll try to measure their angles. I like the Steyr’s new style grip better than their older one which was not too bad though

9mmhpfan · March 18, 2014, 11:36 PM

The gentleman who designed the Steyr line of pistols, was also a demo shooter for Glock at the time. He offered Glock a chance to use his design but was told they did not fit the direction Glock was heading to a pistol manufacturer. He was at the time this happened an Austrian Police Officer and Customs Enforcement Agent. He made the design changes on what he thought a combat pistol should have been. He stated in an issue of Handguns Magazine back in the mid to late 1990's that he had tried so many handguns and found fault with them all. Glock ,Sig, and HK to name a few that he felt they all fell short of the perfect handgun that a combat shooter needed. His friend who was a gunshop owner finally fed up with his complaining told him that if he could build a better handgun then he should do it and right then and there the Steyr M concept was born. As stated before Steyr handguns are a love hate thing, I happen to love them myself. While the slide maybe thicker than a Glock 17/19 it is that extra weight that helps keep muzzle flip under control which was one of the issues that the designer was trying to cure. He choose the 111 degree grip angle from the Luger pistol because the Luger had the reputation of being the most naturally pointing pistol ever made.( some of course will argue against that point) The grip is slim and even a woman with small hands has little trouble getting a good purchase grip on a Steyr. The same cannot be said for the stock Glock 17/19 family. If you want a slimmer grip you must either purchase the Gen 4 which some don't trust them because of early reliability issues( the same song which was sung when stery had reliability issues, how the wheel does turn.) Or you must send your Glock in for aftermarket work to have a grip reduction done to it. Glock has better aftermarket support however Steyr is improving slowly in that area with each passing year. Both are good weapon systems which fit the profiles they were designed to serve. A close combat weapon which can deliver multiple rounds of fire. If you were limited to just one Glock or Steyr I would say you have an equal chance of survival. Using a Steyr would not doom you to defeat and using a Glock would not ensure you a spot in the winner's circle, always remember that it is the warrior and not his weapon that wins the fight.

WVsig · March 19, 2014, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Sure there are other striker fired models out the. I put the PPQ as the only striker equal or slightly better right now. Both have some small advantages over the other. One of my buddies that bought his first hand gun ended up with a M40-A1. It was one of about a dozen models I recommend looking at, including Glock, M&P, etc. Looks to me that they are offering models that the American shooting public is looking for at competitive prices. I’ve not heard of any thoughts of pulling out of the states now that they are getting more established here. In terms of service, I already pointed out that they took a big step by servicing those models that were imported from the Northwest. Again those were older models and not the newer models which are the ones I’ve fired.

There were a number of M9-A1’s that came into an importer out of OR or WA (I think WA) that were cobbled together with mixed parts (generations) and had mismatched serial numbers. Some of them had issues, where the Steyr USA imports had far less. Steyr USA at first had a stance of not servicing those models imported into the Northwest, but decided to do so.

This is not the genesis of the Steyr pistols reliability or support issues. It goes back way longer than that. Do the research. They did not lose their importer once but multiple times. IIRC it was over parts availability and sales volume which was simply not there. Each and every generation except the current one has been liquidated at $300 a pistol or less by CDNN. At that price they sold but at $500+ they do not move against other pistols out there. The last time right as they were launching the redesigned pistols. Which lead to the miss-match serial number issues that you keep bring up.

Steyr USA helps this but again after they redesigned the pistol line it took much longer than it should have for them to start selling pistols. They lost any momentum that they might have had. Again this does not make them bad pistols it just makes them what they are. I see a post about them every now and then but almost never see them in shops. I would not say that they are getting more established. I cannot imagine that they are selling enough to support their US operations. I might be wrong but I think they are hanging on my a thread. LOL

If you end up getting one post a range report.....

Bart Noir · March 19, 2014, 06:36 PM

This link will tell more about those "Northwest" imports. And thanks to Worc for bringing this up.

Steyr Frankenpistol review

Bart Noir

Worc · March 19, 2014, 07:55 PM

Frankenpistol, I like it! Well, not to own one.

The most recent rash of issues a few years ago were in fact the majority of the Northwest imported models. The current models have much better track records.

No doubt Steyr lost any momentum they gained when they pulled out. Chalk it up the tough lessons learned and their support of the NW imports is a big step in the right direction. I think they are established now and gain ground each passing day. There are a few LGS that carry some Steyr’s and they can’t seem to keep them on their shelves. Just the other day I was in one near my work and they had a L9-A1 that was already sold. I got to fondle it for a little while. It’s the first L model I got to hold, and I liked it. That store owner also owns a couple older models himself and says he likes them. I also know six others that have current M-A1’s and I have shot them all. Our GM Gun World has some Steyr’s as well. They also seem to be getting a little more ink lately in some of the gun rags. They pretty much echo what I’ve been saying.

If I do end up getting one, it won’t be for a month or two as I have a lot going on a little time to shoot much. Maybe in that time I’ll talk my self out of one, but I highly doubt it. I will surely post a range report along with some pictures and maybe some stats and comparisons to some other models.

March 14, 2014, 04:55 PM	#1
charlesc Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2013 Posts: 128	steyr 9mm models vs glock 9mm models how do you rate steyr 9mm models to glock 9mm models in full size and in compact sizes? thanks

March 14, 2014, 04:58 PM	#2
WVsig Senior Member Join Date: June 30, 2010 Location: NC Posts: 5,309	Great trigger great ergos..... terrible company. I have owned 3 Steyrs and 1 Glock. I currently only own 1 Glock. __________________ -The right to be left alone is the most comprehensive of rights, and the right most valued by free people.-Louis Brandeis -Its a tool box... I don't care you put the tools in for the job that's all... -Sam from Ronin -It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. -Aristotle

March 14, 2014, 06:54 PM	#4
TunnelRat Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 12,212	I've never owned one, though recently I certainly have been interested. I've never heard Steyr described as terrible before. Supposedly the cs lately has been pretty good. They did have some QC issues with the first production pistols and availability became an issue when Steyr left the US market for a bit. __________________ Know the status of your weapon Keep your muzzle oriented so that no one will be hurt if the firearm discharges Keep your finger off the trigger until you have an adequate sight picture Maintain situational awareness

March 17, 2014, 07:27 PM	#14
thedudeabides Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2012 Posts: 1,031	It has a LOW BORE AXIS!!!! Most people aren't too thrilled with buying one for two reasons 1) weird, extreme grip angle 2) Steyr has had spotty presence in the US over the years, so every time they go away parts, CS, and warranty vaporizes I had an L-A1 for a while. It worked fine. __________________ OK, so not all plastic guns are bad

March 18, 2014, 02:10 PM	#16
Bart Noir Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2000 Location: Puget Sound, USA Posts: 2,215	"imported from the Northwest" Worc, you keep saying this. I live in the Northwest USA. I look around, and see nothing that can be cause for pejorative remarks. Heck, we gave you Starbucks coffee and Boeing aircraft and lots and lots of apples Really what do you mean? And I have owned the early Steyr pistols in both 9mm and .40 S&W. I liked the sights and liked the safety above the trigger. They felt great in my hand and the recoil was nice in that the muzzle didn't flip up all that much. I wish I had hung onto the 9mm but in the end, I just don't like that grip angle. Bart Noir __________________ Be of good cheer and mindful of your gun muzzle!

March 14, 2014, 05:01 PM	#3
charlesc Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2013 Posts: 128	terrible company you say? is customer service not good? parts/magazines availability any good? holsters easily available?

March 14, 2014, 08:28 PM	#5
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	I fired one a few years ago. It was...weird. The grip angle was even more severe than the glock and it had unusual sights. That's all I can contribute.

March 14, 2014, 10:08 PM	#6
Fishbed77 Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2010 Posts: 4,862	I've never heard Steyr called a "terrible company" before. Please elaborate. My cousin has a 1st-gen M-series pistol. He much prefers it to his Glocks. I've handled it a bit, and the ergos definitely feel better, but is has a chunky slide that makes a Glock look svelte. I haven't shot it, but he claims that it's never malfunctioned since he's had it.

March 15, 2014, 02:08 AM	#7
Mosin44az Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2006 Posts: 2,585	Have you tried a Steyr on for size? The grip angle is more extreme and it tucked my hand right up against and underneath the deep grip tang which I am certain will thus dig into the web of my hand on recoil, though admittedly I don't remember this from the example I fired a number of years ago. And as noted, the sights are weird.

March 15, 2014, 06:07 AM	#8
hodaka Senior Member Join Date: April 23, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,010	I've owned a Gen 2 Glock 17 since 1990 or so. I've owned a Steyr S1-A1 (compact) since December. I can shoot the Steyr much more accurately, even with the shorter barrel. The Steyr's trigger is very much superior. Not even close in that department. The grip is much better, at least in my hand, and although the sights take some getting use to, they are much better for fast target acquisition. Both are reliable, both are easy to strip and clean. As previously mentioned, the slide on the Steyr is even blockier than a Glock. My next 9mm will probably be the longer slide Steyr. I like them. The only problem is aftermarket items such as holsters. I bought a Kydex for a Sig and used a heat gun to make it fit the Steyr. Kydex is surprisingly easy to mold. PS - I've run at least 500 rounds through mine since January without a single malfunction. I only shoot reloads.

March 15, 2014, 07:55 AM	#9
TunnelRat Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 12,212	If you don't like the sights there are aftermarket ones with typical 3 dot setup.

March 15, 2014, 11:58 PM	#10
Worc Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2013 Location: Michigan Posts: 641	Full size and compact would mean the Steyr M9-A1 and L9-A1 vs the 19 and 17 respectively. I think of the current Steyr’s as Glock Generation 10’s considering their rate of change through the forth now. They both had the same designer working on them. The Glock's will undoubtedly always be vastly more popular/more parts availability over the Steyr models. While the have either the same grip angle or an extremely close one, they feel vastly different. The M9-A1’s grip in longer than the 19’s which I like a lot better. They are one of the best non adjustable grips on the market. To me and everyone else that I know that’s shot and held the Steyr’s make comments on how well the grip feels. Glock’s, not so much. The Steyr models also give you a more beavertail effect with a deeper grip. Their slide locks/releases are similar in size and shape. Because of the grip location of the Steyr, they tend to work a lot better when I use them. The location and shape of the magazine release is something that I like a ton better of the Steyr over Glock’s. The Steyr’s have a slightly lower bore axis and balance with a little more weight forward. These attributes lend to the guns very low muzzle flip. Of the half dozen M-A1’s that I have actually shot, all of them have been very accurate. I can’t say that’s a generalization I would be able to use to describe the Glock’s. On the L9-A1 there are the additional front serrations and a loaded chamber indicator on the back that the M9-A1 does not have. Triggers are not even close between the two brands. The Steyr’s has less take up, is smoother, less pull weight all the way through, and breaks much cleaner than the Glock’s. Resets are pretty similar in length, but the Glock is much more tactile than the Steyr’s. I hear many lay claim that the Walther PPQ has the best out of the box factory polymer striker trigger. Having shot the M-A1’s and PPQ’s side by side, I would say that they are equals overall. The Steyr’s has the same advantage over the PPQ as it does over the Glock’s to a lesser extent except the both break very clean. The PPQ’s reset is both shorter and more tactile. Combine both and you’d have a trigger that rivals pretty much any after market trigger and a worked trigger. The Steyr M’s are on their third generation. Some of their second’s had issues on models that were unauthorized imports from the Northwest. They were guns of mixed parts and often times did not have matching serial numbers. At first Steyr USA refused to do warranty work on those models. They have since changed that stance. The latest models have a pin under the rear sights and don’t suffer from the same issues. I’ve never had a reliability issue with the Steyr’s that I have shot, granted it’s more than likely not as many as 500 rounds combined. The sights take me about a magazine to remember how to line them up to my liking. I’ve been thinking of picking up a L9-A1. I work with the sights for a while to see if they are as easy to use as the more traditional 3 dots when picking up and firing the gun and a period of time not using it. If I were unable to, I’d replace the sights.

March 17, 2014, 01:43 AM	#11
Mosin44az Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2006 Posts: 2,585	I know Bubits worked for Glock, but haven't seen any actual evidence that he worked on the original Glock design. The Steyr and Caracal, yes.

March 17, 2014, 02:46 PM	#13
Skans Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2008 Posts: 11,132	Steyr GB - an ingeniously simple gun way ahead of its time.

March 17, 2014, 09:12 PM	#15
Worc Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2013 Location: Michigan Posts: 641	Why I’m considering a L9-A1 is because of the excellent feel of the grip, great trigger characteristics, very good accuracy, reliability, balance, quality, and lower than average muzzle flip. Sure there are other striker fired models out the. I put the PPQ as the only striker equal or slightly better right now. Both have some small advantages over the other. One of my buddies that bought his first hand gun ended up with a M40-A1. It was one of about a dozen models I recommend looking at, including Glock, M&P, etc. Looks to me that they are offering models that the American shooting public is looking for at competitive prices. I’ve not heard of any thoughts of pulling out of the states now that they are getting more established here. In terms of service, I already pointed out that they took a big step by servicing those models that were imported from the Northwest. Again those were older models and not the newer models which are the ones I’ve fired.

March 18, 2014, 07:49 PM	#17
Worc Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2013 Location: Michigan Posts: 641	Starbucks is a gift! There were a number of M9-A1’s that came into an importer out of OR or WA (I think WA) that were cobbled together with mixed parts (generations) and had mismatched serial numbers. Some of them had issues, where the Steyr USA imports had far less. Steyr USA at first had a stance of not servicing those models imported into the Northwest, but decided to do so. The Steyr’s grip angle is the same as a Glock’s or extremely close. The grip is far more comfortable on the Steyr and provides more of a beaver tail. Next time I get a chance, I’ll try to measure their angles. I like the Steyr’s new style grip better than their older one which was not too bad though

March 18, 2014, 11:36 PM	#18
9mmhpfan Member Join Date: May 16, 2007 Posts: 86	The gentleman who designed the Steyr line of pistols, was also a demo shooter for Glock at the time. He offered Glock a chance to use his design but was told they did not fit the direction Glock was heading to a pistol manufacturer. He was at the time this happened an Austrian Police Officer and Customs Enforcement Agent. He made the design changes on what he thought a combat pistol should have been. He stated in an issue of Handguns Magazine back in the mid to late 1990's that he had tried so many handguns and found fault with them all. Glock ,Sig, and HK to name a few that he felt they all fell short of the perfect handgun that a combat shooter needed. His friend who was a gunshop owner finally fed up with his complaining told him that if he could build a better handgun then he should do it and right then and there the Steyr M concept was born. As stated before Steyr handguns are a love hate thing, I happen to love them myself. While the slide maybe thicker than a Glock 17/19 it is that extra weight that helps keep muzzle flip under control which was one of the issues that the designer was trying to cure. He choose the 111 degree grip angle from the Luger pistol because the Luger had the reputation of being the most naturally pointing pistol ever made.( some of course will argue against that point) The grip is slim and even a woman with small hands has little trouble getting a good purchase grip on a Steyr. The same cannot be said for the stock Glock 17/19 family. If you want a slimmer grip you must either purchase the Gen 4 which some don't trust them because of early reliability issues( the same song which was sung when stery had reliability issues, how the wheel does turn.) Or you must send your Glock in for aftermarket work to have a grip reduction done to it. Glock has better aftermarket support however Steyr is improving slowly in that area with each passing year. Both are good weapon systems which fit the profiles they were designed to serve. A close combat weapon which can deliver multiple rounds of fire. If you were limited to just one Glock or Steyr I would say you have an equal chance of survival. Using a Steyr would not doom you to defeat and using a Glock would not ensure you a spot in the winner's circle, always remember that it is the warrior and not his weapon that wins the fight.

March 19, 2014, 06:36 PM	#20
Bart Noir Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2000 Location: Puget Sound, USA Posts: 2,215	This link will tell more about those "Northwest" imports. And thanks to Worc for bringing this up. Steyr Frankenpistol review Bart Noir __________________ Be of good cheer and mindful of your gun muzzle!

March 19, 2014, 07:55 PM	#21
Worc Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2013 Location: Michigan Posts: 641	Frankenpistol, I like it! Well, not to own one. The most recent rash of issues a few years ago were in fact the majority of the Northwest imported models. The current models have much better track records. No doubt Steyr lost any momentum they gained when they pulled out. Chalk it up the tough lessons learned and their support of the NW imports is a big step in the right direction. I think they are established now and gain ground each passing day. There are a few LGS that carry some Steyr’s and they can’t seem to keep them on their shelves. Just the other day I was in one near my work and they had a L9-A1 that was already sold. I got to fondle it for a little while. It’s the first L model I got to hold, and I liked it. That store owner also owns a couple older models himself and says he likes them. I also know six others that have current M-A1’s and I have shot them all. Our GM Gun World has some Steyr’s as well. They also seem to be getting a little more ink lately in some of the gun rags. They pretty much echo what I’ve been saying. If I do end up getting one, it won’t be for a month or two as I have a lot going on a little time to shoot much. Maybe in that time I’ll talk my self out of one, but I highly doubt it. I will surely post a range report along with some pictures and maybe some stats and comparisons to some other models.