Help me choose - M&P40 or Steyr M40-A1

Island Gun Nut

Island Gun Nut

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So, I received my first gun on the weekend, NP29. Very happy, and I can already see my paychecks putting holes in paper targets.

The 9mm is great, enough snap that It's going to teach me alot, and so far I'm doing good. However I'd like to get into IPSC eventually, and I've heard .40 is the way to go because It can be loaded to the major power factor, and it cycles faster than .45. Even though I plan to reload by the time I get into IPSC, It's also cheaper.

I've eliminated CZ because from what I've heard and see, they're quite large and I have small/medium hands. I guess you could say Average size hands for 5'10, but short fat fingers. I also am not a huge fan of their appearance, maybe it's the external slide rails, I don't know.

The M&P looks like a real solid gun, and it's a great deal in my mind (although I would have liked to buy it before July 15th and gotten the Range Bag and 2 mags, but oh well). Besides for the Mag breaking issue, I think it'd be a great gun to start me out in standard division. I see them around for $600-650 new. I'd guess that at somepoint someone will probably come along with an all metal Mag for them?

The M40-A1 just puts a smile on my face. It looks so perfect to hold onto, and from what I've read, most people say it is. Ghostie's review really got me interested. The super low bore-axis, smallish grip, rail, better feeling trigger then the Glock, which I was interested in initially. The M-A1's go for $750 from what I can see, so a little more pricey. I've read they're dead accurate, but that's due to the all around tight fit of the components, which in turn means you better keep it clean or you might see some jams. That doesn't bother me too much, and I'm sure in time it improves. The other thing I've heard is that there's and issue with triggers breaking?

I won't be making my purchase for a litle while, but I thought now would be a good time to bring in the CGN collective knowledge to help me make a choice.

Thanks in advance for any input,
 
Hey brother, Mind to let me know where you got the NP29? I am interest to get one as well. As for the M-A1, I was once very keen to get one but because of different story about feeding problems and have me back off. But the gun just feel so great on hand. M&P is the best bang of buck right now. Haven't heard any feeding and performance problems.

Trigun
 
Wouldn't you be using either gun in Production devision? So no major points with .40... ;) For IPSC I'd go with 9mm for sure. I relaod and have a few nines and zero .40's; I like reloading for one caliber and then pick what gun I want to shoot the ammo in :)

Now, I used to have Steyr M9-A1 and now own M&P 9...:cool: I think each gun has it's own pros and cons; I don't like the slide finish on Steyr but I would say it has a better slide to frame fit and polymer frame seems nicer as well. Steyr is also easier to filed strip...

M&P has a good slide finish, but the pins in the frame make it look kinda cheap, also the rails on a Steyr are steel and can be removed from the frame in a couple of seconds (which you can't do with M&P) and I don't think the rails are steel on M&P and definetely don't looks as good.

But I like the Novak sights on M&P WAY better than the Steyr sights. Also to me M&P just looks and feels better and I would say it's more reliable as well.
 
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For me it came down to the same two choices, except in 9mm. I ended up going with the M&P 9 and have been extremely happy! I may still purchase a Steyr in the future (once SWMBO lets me, that is).

As for the range bag/magazine promo, as S&W was so kind as to highlight for me when they returned my redemption form: "Offer is valid in U.S.A."
 
k22236821 said:
As for the range bag/magazine promo, as S&W was so kind as to highlight for me when they returned my redemption form: "Offer is valid in U.S.A."
Click to expand...

Can't wait for them to return mine..........oh, well, you don't ask, you don't get.:redface:

I recently bought a M&P 9 but I've shot a M&P 40. I think these pistols are a very good value. The Novak sights are the cat's meow like IM has said.
 
Hmm, I was chatting with the local guy here about IPSC, and he was saying that for Production you have to use a DA/SA gun in 9mm, so maybe what he was saying is you can't use a 1911, and my best bet would be to get a 1911 in .40 and go standard because they are the prefered platform for IPSC?

I won't be competitive at first, just having fun and getting a feel for things, so maybe a 9mm would be ok. It could be that he was saying that in regards to the fact that my NP29 can't be used in Production, and would be a minor power factor in Standard. I don't know, I'm very new to the IPSC thing, and I got fed alot of info that day.:redface:

Trigun - I found my NP29 Used (500 rounds) on the EE for $450 shipped, with nice Pachmayr Wrap around grips. "Gripper" I think they're called.

Thanks for everyone input so far, the M&P is really seeming to shine with it's overall great value.
 
Get the M&P..the Steyr is '###ier', but too many potential issues...
Re: IPSC....consider Production, using 9MM, with a Para LDA trigger model.
I have a LTD LDA model in stainless...accurate, minimal recoil, and reliable.
 
I have a M&P40 and I just LOVE it!!!!....I have not handled the Steyr so I cant really make a comment about it.....but as for the S&W....I entered a pistol shoot with it and got third place.....only 2 days after I bought it!!!!
 
I don't have an M&P, so I really can't say that much about them, but I do have a Steyr - although it is 9mm.

The Steyr is - for lack of a less nerdy sounding word - very "neat". O.k., sure the sights are weird, and it looks different, but there is something about this gun that just makes you want to shoot it.

I don't know if I would be satisfied having the Steyr M-A1 as my one and only handgun, but I sure do like to take it to the range. When I go to the range (every weekend) I usually take my USP, one of either my P22 or SIG Mosquito (to get in the cheap rounds) and one other gun - sometimes another pistol, sometimes a long gun. If it is a pistol, lately it is usually the Steyr. I just love shooting this thing - and I have actually gotten a hell of a lot better with over the past year. I don't know if I've mastered the "trap sights" or anything, but I have come a hell of a long way with this gun, to the point where it's groupings now rival my best grouping with my other guns... almost.

I had the odd failure to feed when it was very new, but not a one since around Christmas time 06. It really seems to be have gotten over it's initial issues. A "fully supported" chamber is not necessary for 9, but's a probably not a bad idea on a .40. The Steyr is pretty tight, but it does work itself in at some point.

About the trigger issue... I haven't heard of this yet, and I am quite dubious. I've shot mine a lot and have suffered no such problems. Keep in mind that the M-A1 trigger is the same as the "M" trigger - and these guns have been around for about a decade now. There is no big systematic failure of the triggers on these models. If anyone is saying that, then they have an agenda other than informing you about the realities of this firearm. The best source of info on something like this would be www. steyrclub.com. There are TONS of M, S, M-A1 and S-A1 owners there. If there is an issue with the gun, they'll be talking about it.

Would I compete with an M-A1? No, but I won't be selling mine either. I'll keep taking it to the range and shooting it. There is just something about this gun that I love. And I'm not the only one (again, see steyrclub).

some pics of mine:
Steyr_rightside_small.jpg

Steyr_leftside_small.jpg
 
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ghostie what ammo do you shoot in your Steyr? have you tried home made reloads?

btw this gun can be very accurate indeed; with a shoulder stock I made for the gun it was ridiculously accurate (in a good way)!
 
I've tried commercial reloads, and those work fine. I find that the gun works better the hotter and heavier the ammo. Mostly I have used factory 115gr. FMJ, but only because that is generally what I have had around. 147gr. is better for this gun. Hot ammo like those Remington +P JHP's were good with this gun too.

I agree that the gun itself is very accurate, and the trigger is short and crisp, so that is not a big deal vis-a-vis a standard single action trigger (Steyr trigger is way better than GLOCK IMHO). I think it is the sights. Sometimes it is deadly accurate, sometimes no so much... I think it is because the sight picture is quite imprecise. Other people have have the opposite conclusion, finding 3-dot sights imprecise vis the trapazoid sights. Not me though.

I still love this gun though. I can't imagine getting rid of it. I keep talking about getting 3-dot night sights for it, but then I always put that on the backburner because I like the unique character of the gun as it is - and I can shoot 3 to 4 inch groups pretty consistently at 10 yards - and that's about all you can ask for from a "combat" type handgun anyway.
 
Thanks for everybody's input here, really appreciated.

Can someone clarify for me how the Production, and Standard divisions work?

I'm new to all this stuff. My NP29 is single action only, like all 1911's. When a gun is DA/SA does that mean that the first shot is double, then the rest are single? Or does it mean you just have the option of firing a double action shot if you'd like to?

Does the striker fired Glock have a different first pull? How about the Steyr?
 
Glock, M&P, Steyr are DAO so the pull is always the same...

DA/SA are just like revolvers BUT after the first shot the slide cocks the hammer for you (so only the first shot is DA), if you don't decock DA/SA gun after loading it will be SA from shot 1...
 
Ok, that's kinda what I thought, however I didn't realize that all these pistols were talking about were DAO. I'll probably have to fire one to answer my questions, but can you really feel the hammer cocking back from the force of the trigger?
 
M&P and Steyr don't have hammers! they are striker fired guns.

Edit: if you're talking about DA/SA first shot than yes (just like a toy cap revolver)
 
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Haha, yeh I knew that :redface: two posts up I said "striker fired Glock". I just said hammer cause I was visualizing the trigger actually cocking something back. Thanks for your help IM_Lugger.

The only thing holding me back on the M&P really is the overall look. I mean, it's not ugly, but I just prefer the Steyr. I wish I could hold them both, because my liking of the looks has to do with how comfortable it looks to hold on to. However the 3 backstraps of the M&P do a great job I'm sure.
 
The first time I saw the M&P on the internet and I thought It was the gun that I want. Until I saw the gun in person and I back off. Not the gun is ugly but the beaver tail just kinda odd to me.

Trigun
 
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