Steyr Mannlicher S40A1 Range Report

[misterlarry]

Picked up my new S40A1 on Friday and gave it a cleaning and lube, although it was absolutely spotless both inside and out from the factory.

Below is a stock image.



A buddy and I put 250 rounds through it on Saturday with zero issues (150 x 165 gr RNFP from Freedom Munitions and 100 x 180 gr FMJ re-man from Selway Armory).

First photo is of the "trapezoidal sight picture" (not perfect alignment as it is tough to look through a camera and line the sights up too, but it gives the general idea).



All the reviews that I had seen pretty much said the same things.

1) Sights take a little getting used to - True. The farther the front sight is away from your eyes, the better. I found a full extension isosceles stance and grip to be the best. The triangle shape is extremely fast to pick and acquire the target with. Concentrate on the front sight and the rear sight lines up intuitively.
2) Very high quality construction & workmanship - True.
3) Very low perceived recoil and muzzle flip - True. This is easily the best shooting large caliber pistol that I have ever shot. It just does not bounce around. Bore axis is very low in your hand and I think the forward cant of the grip does make a positive difference. My buddy said it felt like shooting a .22 LR to him.
4) Difficult not to shoot the pistol quickly - True. See above. This is the first pistol that I've ever really been able to shoot accurate controlled pairs with. I am now really tempted to get into IDPA. The trigger is great for weight (guessing below 5 lbs) and travel is very short but the reset is barely noticeable which can be a problem for some people.
5) Very easy to field strip & clean - True.

The second photo is 15 shots from the ready position (1 x 5 rd mag then 1 x 10 rd mag) at 7 yards in under 10 seconds. Now that is not blazingly fast but it is certainly fast for me.



All in all, this is going to be my new daily carry weapon. It is the same overall size as my Ruger SR9C, only just slightly wider and carries the same magazine capacity in .40 S&W. A fair price on one will run about the same as the SR9C. This gun does not have all the same features necessarily as the SR9C but is certainly a better value to me than any comparable Gen 4 Glock on the market imho. Extra Steyr magazines are available for less than $30 each, although holster selection is currently small compared to what is available for other pistols. Right now, I am using a Remora RFT #6 which fits perfectly.

It's a great shooter. Love it!

[Beiruty]

That's a very interesting-looking little pistol; first thing I noticed was the very low bore-axis, so it was good to hear that it doesn't muzzle-flip much. I'm going to have to borrow one and smoke up the pipe some.

The next generation of this pistol is the Caracal-F. Sweet shooter, Low bore axis too. Here is a picture:

[varko]

I’ve had my S9A1 for a few years now. I love shooting that gun and have had no problems whatsoever. For my hand, it has the best ergonomics of anything out there aside from a 1911. I use it for my church carry gun.

[Pecos]

I have been reading reviews about both of these guns posted (Steyr Mannlicher S40A1 & Caracal-F)
They semm to be greats weapons I like the looks of the Caracal-F.

[misterlarry]

I purchased this IWB for the Steyr. The leather is a little lighter weight than I would prefer but the Kydex is very closely molded and secures the pistol well. I still use the Remora during the week when I am going to work but on the weekends, I carry full time and am using this IWB holster.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IWB-Kydex-Leath ... OU:US:3160" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[maverick2076]

I'd love to get an S9A1. I had an M40 once upon a time, and I wish I had never gotten rid of it.