Thoughts on the STEYR S9-A1 Compact 9mm?? Anyone Own and Carry One?

[MUHerd]

Hey all,

I was nosing around on YouTube and watching some videos of carry sized 9mm pistols. Nothing in particular, just compact and sub-compact sizes in 9mm. I came upon the STEYR S9-A1 in 9mm. It has a 3.6 inch barrel, 9mm at 10+1, 1.2" width and weighs right at 27 ounces.

I haven't seen one of these at all in any of my local shops, but that could be because I am not going to the right ones. Heck, here in the Houston area there's a gun shop about ever 1/2 mile. Anyway, I have read just a few threads about it over the last year or so and a couple YT videos that I watched really praised it with regards to its ergonomics and how great it felt in the hand and while carrying. It looks to be just a shade from the G19 and the G26, maybe right between the 2. It is heavier than both though.

I'd like to know what you all think of this pistol. Do you own one and if so, do you carry it? Would you own one....why or why not?

If you have any experience or thoughts on this pistol how about posting and sharing them with everyone else? Heck, you never know, this could be the perfect carry pistol to replace my Glock 19 that I've been searching for.

Lets hear your thoughts please.

Thanks for your time.
MUHerd

[Rich@CCC]

Take this as from where it's coming. I'm not a gamer and I don't rely on my pistol daily. I'm a fair shot and have a good bit of experience with many different hand guns but no one is gonna worry about me winning any competitions.

I had an M9-A1 for quite a while. The trapezoid sights took a little getting used to but once I had the knack, they were as good or better than any other sight system I've seen. The grip on the M9-A1 was a bit slick, I used a Hogue HandAll sleeve on mine. The ergos were great for me and the trigger was good out of the box. One of the nicer striker fired triggers I had shot at that time.

There isn't a lot after market support but there are several quality holster makers that support them, myself included.</shameless plug>

I traded mine off when I was moving away from 9mm to .45acp and wish I hadn't now. I'd definitely buy one again if I had the extra cash.

[psalms144.1]

I haven't fired a Steyr pistol in a decade and a half, but used to own a Steyr M9 back in the day. I found the grip shape and angle to work very well for my Glock-attuned hands. Trigger was typical striker fired, but subjectively "nicer" than the Glock. Accuracy was fine.

The sights, as stated above, work well once you're used to them. However, I really don't like serious carry of any kind of platform that's very specific WRT manual of arms, aiming, etc - one of the reasons why I don't carry my P7M8 or 1911s for serious use any more.

And, like any "snowflake" pistol, finding parts and accessories (especially sights) is going to be a significant challenge.

All in all it's a decent pistol, wish it had gained more traction and acceptance, but, it didn't. If you're into obscure but usable defense pistols, it might be a good choice.

[modrecoil]

I guess you can consider me a bit of a Steyr nerd. I have 4, including an S9-A1. I carried it for approximately a year and I trained and competed with its big brother (L9) for a few months. My opinion, for what it's worth:

Good: The "flattest" shooting 9mm I own. Very low bore axis, muzzle flip, and felt recoil. Grip/stock is very ergonomic and locks your hand in there like no other pistol I've handled. Easy to shoot fast. Very good factory trigger. Points naturally for me and trapezoid sights align quickly and intuitively. Shoot it consistently better than my G19. More aftermarket parts and holsters have become available in the last few years (Custom Carry Concepts, Crossbreed, Blade-tech, Vedder Hoslters, etc.). More traditional sights are also available, but still a paltry selection compared to Glocks. My L9 wears TruGlo TFX Pros: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C7XCD7A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Easy to maintain and service. Subframe is easily removable and modular (like Sig P250, P320). Very good trigger lock mechanism, if you need it.

Bad: Pet peeve: Magazine capacity. Only 10rd mags available, even though factory S9 mag could easily fit 2-3 more rounds with a different base plate. You can use M9 (15) or L9 (17) mags but they're not flush and there's no adapter. S9 is 2oz heavier than G19 and more importantly for CC, the slide is wider. Not much but enough to notice, especially with IWB holsters. Replacement parts are not widely available and have to be ordered directly from Steyr Arms. Fortunately, Steyr doesn't gouge you for them and responsiveness and customer service is good once you can get the right person on the phone. There seems to be one dude in AL that has handled most of these requests personally for many years now (Hi, Jeff). Aftermarket parts are rare. If you want a different trigger, for example, you're SOL. No interchangeable grip panels available. Grip texture is a little slick and can benefit from Talon Grips or similar. Some of the older models had QA issues and even now, triggers from gun to gun are more variable than I'd like. Extraction is not as positive as I'd like (chambered rounds dribble down the mag well upon clearing and live fire extraction can be occasionally erratic[similar to many G19 Gen4s]).