Steyr M357 Personal Review:

New 357 Sig Caliber Pistol

GSI is no longer the importer for Steyr firearms. The new U.S. importer of Steyr pistols might become www.dsarms.com, although U.S. Steyr pistol support might lag until 2003. Let's hope Steyr gets it together.

A Few Interesting Quotes:

Here's what some Steyr pistol owners have said at the Steyr Talk Forum:

Bdog: I took a friend with me shooting and he has only shot handguns a couple of times in his life. I let him shoot my Steyr and my Glock 23. He liked the Steyr much better, saying it had less recoil, was easier to aim, and felt better in his hand. He was also considerably more accurate with the Steyr. I just thought I would mention this since I feel it is an unbiased opinion since he has never shot a Glock or Steyr before, and could not even identify them.

IDPAguy: I really can't tell much difference in recoil or muzzle flip between the M40 and M357. There is a noticeable difference between the G32 and the M357, and there is a difference between the HK USP357c and the M357. The M357 is just more controllable due to the excellent ergonomics. That doesn't mean I'll be parting with my Glock or HK anytime soon but IMHO the M357 is the most comfortable 357 I have ever shot. You can shoot that gun all day long and you would think you are shooting a 9mm if it wasn't for the noise.

M40fan: I am left handed and have been shooting my new Steyr lately. Have NO problems whatsoever. The magazine control is easily hit with your firing hand index finger (I prefer this, as it forces your trigger finger away from the trigger during reloads). Great, comfortable gun for us lefties!

Skevlar: Have had a low ser. # M40 since early Spring and am also LH. Certainly more ambi than a Glock, etc. Finger safety is mirror ambi, slide lock easy to operate when pushing back slide with only R hand. Easy to reach underneath & hit it with either middle or index finger. Much better oval & angled mag release, very easily hit with trigger finger, than Glocks. FWIW find even on pistols with reversible mag button for LH actually prefer it on the L side now.

Here's a few short quotes from well known Gun magazine writers:

Handguns: 2001 Buyer's Guide: This is the first article that tested the old and new trigger systems, which is great for showing how the Steyr has matured during the last year. In the same article, Rob Garrett also reviewed the SW99 and the Glock 17. It's a pretty good article. But I wish he had used a Glock 19 to equally match the barrel lengths with the other two brands. Anyway, here's a short quote:

"When designing the M series, Steyr made a special commitment to safety and appears to have been ahead of the current political climate. All the shooters remarked how the Steyr recoiled directly to the rear and had almost no muzzle flip. A trip to the range confirmed that the new trigger was not only an improvement, but is one of the best triggers I have ever felt on a polymer pistol."

In "Shooting Times: Handgun Buyer's Guide 2001", Dick Metcalf stated, "At the shooting bench, the trapezoidal sight picture proved very easy to keep consistent, and the pistol experienced not a single stoppage or malfunction of any kind. This pistol, as I said before, is extremely comfortable to shoot, is very reliable, and turns in a good defensive-type accuracy. And it sure doesn't want for safety features!"

In the October 2000 issue of "Guns & Weapons", Wiley Clapp stated, "In my opinion, the Steyr M pistol has come closer to an ideal shape for a combat autopistol than anyone has ever done before". He then mentioned that at the 1999 Shot Show, "The assembled gun writers were clearly impressed with the pistol's ingenious design and superior shape".

In the October 1999 issue of "Handguns", David W. Arnold stated in his "Road Testing the Steyr M9" article, "I am more than satisfied that the pistol is inherently accurate".

Quick History

I've tested three M40's (from the earliest to the latest model updates), and now have my first M357. The Steyr M9 is also available. At the next Shot Show, Steyr may be showing a prototype .45 as well. One source stated that the Steyr .45 will use standard 1911 style 8 round magazines. And of course, the Steyr S series (small subcompact) pistols are rolling out. Lastly, Steyr has made a high quality name for itself with their rifles and shotguns.

A lot of people mistakenly think the Steyr pistol is like a Glock, Walther P99, or Sigma. Therefore, at the end of this review is a list of features that make the Steyr M a unique, standout pistol. I will admit up front that I also really like the Sigpro and the Glock 31, which rounds out my top three choices. One thing that Steyr, SigArms, and Glock all have in common is that they each support the 357 Sig caliber in a full lineup of pistols. I would like to see other companies like Beretta and HK support more than one 357 Sig offering.

Regarding Blast:

A lot of people think they will have a better chance of saving their ears by not firing a loud magnum round. What some people don't realize is that you can easily get permanent hearing damage even from a little .22. If you get permanent hearing damage, it doesn't matter if it was caused from a .22 or a .44 Magnum. The result is the same.

I'm cross posting a decibel chart and some sound info that's in another article at my site.

The 357 Sig has sometimes been accused of having too much blast. Well, it depends. 357 Sig blast and flash is certainly less severe than a typical 357 Magnum revolver. Blast and flash can be controlled with various powders, flash inhibitors, and other components. A heavier bullet and/or a slower velocity can lower the noise level to the same level as other standard duty calibers.

I shot a Ruger .22 pistol, and then I immediately fired a Steyr M357 with a light powered 357 Sig round, followed immediately by a full power 357 Sig round. As everyone expected, the .22 was the quietest. The light 357 Sig round was equivalent in sound to a typical "standard" 9mm Luger round. The full power 357 Sig round was the loudest of all. The 357 Sig can simply speak with authority if you want it to.

When I shoot, or when I listen to others shoot "hot" supersonic rounds in .40 S&W, +P+ 9mm, or +.45 ACP, the blast sounds fairly similar to a 357 Sig. And the flash is nowhere near what occurs in a 357 magnum revolver. As far as I'm concerned, all duty calibers are too noisy.

With recent advances in electronic ear protection, it's really a moot point. You can even have electronic ear inserts made. Unless you just have a split second to respond to a threat, use electronic ears with your gun, whether you're a Law Abiding Citizen, or a Law Enforcement Officer. Besides, electronic ears help you hear normal sounds even better, while muffling out the loud noise.

Here's a short list of Environmental Noise decibel ratings:

The decibel scale is a logarithmic scale, not a linear one. Each increase of 3 dB corresponds to sound that has twice as much energy (measured in pascals). Each 10 dB increase corresponds to a 10-fold increase in energy.

Loudness is a subjective thing. People might perceive a particular sound to be twice as loud when there is actually a 10-fold increase in energy. Most people cannot perceive differences in loudness of less than 3 dB.

Let's assume you have excellent electronic ear protection with an NRR rating of 29 dB. Let's use the quietest .22 caliber pistol, which has a noise level of 152 dB. Subtracting 29 from 152 still leaves you at a noise level of 123 --- Hearing damage is possible at 85 dB. Like I said, all the calibers are too noisy.

So why do some of us still have excellent hearing after shooting for so many years? Because, gunfire is a complex, short-lived sound wave, and it doesn't travel as well through hearing protection as pure sustained tones do. The NRR rating on ear protection might actually be higher than the nominal 29 dB rating, in regards to gunfire. Yet, for "continuous" noise, the NRR rating may be reduced by as much as 50% of the nominal 29 dB rating.

So there you have it. Clear as mud.

Steyr M357, Glock 32, & Cougar 8357:

I really like the Glock 357's a lot. The Steyr M and the Glock 32 are almost exactly the same size. When I compared the perceived recoil between the Glock 32 and the M357, the M357 appeared to be more pleasant to shoot.

For compact 7" by 5" pistols in the less than thirty-ounce category, I'd say the Steyr M357 has the least muzzle flip, the softest felt recoil, and the best short-stroke short-reset trigger of the bunch. On the other hand, if you add another five ounces or so to the pistol weight, and cut 4/10" off the barrel length, the excellently manufactured Beretta Cougar 8357 is definitely the softest shooting 357 Sig caliber pistol around, based on several sources. Although, the bullet velocities will also be slower because of that shorter 3.6" Cougar barrel.

Steyr and Glock Trigger Systems:

Glock shooters like myself had to get used to the 1/8" trigger pull of the Steyr pistol (about half the trigger pull length of a Glock). With the Glock, you can hear and feel the safe-action trigger system click point when letting the trigger out part way. When you get to this click point, you can pull the trigger again, without letting the trigger all the way out. Glock beginners often let the trigger all the way out before pulling the trigger, and are not aware of this capability.

Now, with the Steyr pistol, even if you let the trigger all the way out, the trigger is still in the same position as the halfway click point on a Glock. Therefore, the Steyr pistol can be easier to learn since you do not have to be trained to let the trigger part way out as with Glocks. The new Steyr trigger is also silky smooth and easy to control for accurate shooting.

Rounds Fired:

During a 2.5 day shooting spree at the gun range, I fired 1100 rounds of 357 Sig ammo. I cleaned the pistol each evening and examined it. Everything held together great.

.40 S&W and 357 Sig Magazines:

I could not find any difference in the two magazines except with the caliber stamp. Both types of magazines work fine with the 357 Sig ammo.

I know some of you might be disappointed. But I will not be doing a comparison between the M40 and M357. I already know my M40 works good. I'll let GSI and Steyr work out the compatibility issues between barrels, etc.

Recoil Spring:

While I like the ability to shoot light powered and full power loads, I would like to have a slightly heavier spring when shooting a steady diet of full power rounds. I might have to talk to Wolff Springs. Maybe Steyr can offer two recoil spring weights? I really like my pistol to be able to go into full battery in the 12 o'clock test. That's holding the pistol straight up, pulling the trigger, racking the slide back and then letting it ease forward very slowly. I like it to go into full battery in this 12 o'clock position. If not, you slowly move your forearm from 12 o'clock position down to 9 o'clock. The slide has to hit full battery by 9 o'clock, otherwise it's time to get another recoil spring. A lot of my Glocks have acted the exact same way as my M357, by going into battery at aprox. 10 o'clock. Frankly, I say stronger is better.

Another quick test: When holding the muzzle straight up, slowly pull the slide back a 1/4" and let it slide forward on its own. It will not go all the way forward. But if you move it back an inch and let it slam forward with the force of the recoil spring, it hits full battery perfectly.

I mentioned that I like a strong recoil spring. But it has to be balanced with the mechanics of the pistol design. Also, a stronger spring can actually cause bullet setback as it hits the feedramp with too much force. I'm very sensitive to this since I shoot the 357 Sig and have experimented with it a great deal.

Sticky slide at 1/4":

Some people have complained that the slide sticks if you "slowly" pull it back about 1/4" when a round is chambered. Apparently, some people check for a cartridge in the chamber with this technique. No. The correct way is to feel or look at the load indicator pin at the back of the slide. And you can even look through a drill hole from the top of the slide to see a round if one is chambered.

Interestingly enough, as soon as the slide hits this 1/4" sticky point, the load indicator registers empty. Up until the 1/4" point, the slide will return to full battery easily. I have pulled the trigger in this 1/4" state (don't you try this)!!! I performed this test 10 times in a row and found that it's virtually impossible to fire the pistol. Sometimes there is an extremely light primer strike at the edge of the primer. Obviously, letting the normal, full force of the recoil spring work during actual firing poses no problem of going into full battery.

Folks, use the pistol as it's supposed to be used, and it will work fine. And when you holster your autopistol, support the back of the slide with your thumb to make sure the slide stays in position; I learned this a long time ago. Common sense.

Break-in Period:

When I first started shooting the M357, the slide action felt a little tight. I did get a couple light primer strikes during the first few hundred rounds. This might have been caused from primers not being fully seated during my reloading, which has occasionally happened (blushing).

At any rate, the pistol broke in nicely and is quite fluid during a slide rack, otherwise, I would have sent it to GSI to fix. By the way, Steyr purposely manufactures a tight slide to frame fit (no sideways wobble), to enhance shooting accuracy.

I took the M357 to The Place To Shoot indoor range and ran into a Glock armorer and also a professional firearms instructor. In fact, you might have seen his picture in the Annual Glock Magazine a couple years ago when he helped test the Glocks 29 & 30. I let him examine the Steyr M357 for the first time. He said it felt great. And when he pulled the trigger, he said, "I have to shoot this pistol now". So he proceeded to make a 1" pattern and was very impressed. I took the gun apart so he could examine the parts, the slide action, etc. And he really likes it a lot.

Accuracy:

I'll leave doing a full accuracy test with a Ransom Bench Rest to someone else. The reason for my accuracy testing was simply to make sure the bullets were flying true so I would not damage my chronograph. I drew a little circle about 3" in diameter on the target. At approximately 21 feet, they all made their mark without a problem. In fact, the 125 grain Gold Dot bullets combined with AA#9 powder, always had less than 1" patterns. The M357 is very accurate, especially for a midsized compact pistol.

I also fired some factory ammo: Blazer, Speer Gold Dots, and Winchester TMJ. These loadings were also quite accurate.

The new 5 lb. trigger combined with the tip of the front triangular front sight greatly aids accuracy shooting, at least for me. Regular three-dot sights are available as well. Not everyone likes the standard SIG dotted-I sights either. So flexibility is a good thing.

Brass Ejection:

Brass ejection was satisfactory. I did not get brass ejecting into my face. The brass landed to the right within an eight foot diameter.

Chamber Support:

After firing some full power ammo, I measured the diameter of the brass. Depending on the ammo, the brass stretched between .429 - .431. So if you reload and shoot full power loads, your brass will not last as long. Be sure to check all fired brass before reloading it, and throw away anything that does not look good enough for 40,000 psi! It's best to use new brass for full power loads anyway.

One thing is clear about the Steyr M357 chamber! Based on my experience, the Steyr chamber is slightly looser than a SIG barrel, but it also has the best overall chamber support that I've seen in a pistol. If you insert a cartridge you will see that the case is completely covered by the barrel to avoid causing a bulge with high pressure rounds. The Steyr M357 does not have the usual weak point that other autopistols have, which is exposing unsupported brass in the 6 o'clock chamber opening position, where the feeding ramp joins the chamber.

I had the pleasure to communicate with Fritz Aigner, the man who put Bubit's design into reality. Fritz said that every M357 is checked with 2 high pressure cartridges (3965 bar) according to the Austrian proof house standards. And to date, there has never been a bulge in the brass.

Here's the SAMMI chamber allowances for the 357 Sig:

.4275 min .4315 max at the rear of the chamber

.4254 min .4294 max at .600 forward in the chamber (mid front)

.4250 min .4254 max at .6626 forward in the chamber (at the neck edge)

Chronograph Charts:

Please visit the reloading section at my web site, which is listed at the bottom of this article, if you wish to view detailed velocity statistics.  

The Steyr M357 can easily push bullets from 952 fps to over 1453 fps (light powered standard 9mm performance, up to magnum 9mm performance).

Reloading:

By the way, even though the SAAMI specs state that the 357 Sig cartridge headspaces on the case mouth, it can be treated as a small rifle cartridge that headspaces on the shoulder. The case length and the shoulder are both important! If you would like detailed reloading and headspace information, then read the following articles:

http://www.HandGunInfo.com/Archive/www.Pete-357.com/357.safety.reload.htm 

          357 Sig Safety & Reloading

http://www.realguns.com/archives/001.htm

357 Sig Headspace Article

In Summary:

Obviously, I do not have the absolute word on the M357 since I have only had it a short time. I can say that it is holding together very well. So far, it has gobbled up 1100 rounds from a 9mm standard velocity of 952 fps up to a loud mouthed steroid- powered, magnum 1453 fps. This is flexibility folks. The Steyr pistol series continues to mature and expand its offerings. The Steyr M pistols are selling at similar prices as the Glocks.

I've shot the M357 outdoors in the cold, in the rain, etc. I've shot it indoors. I've shot 200 rounds as fast as I could pull the trigger after loading 4 magazines for each fast firing sequence. I've shot the M357 at various angles and hand holds: two handed, strong hand only, passive hand only. I've done speed drills from the holster and mag pouches. I've run around my little IPSC pit shooting at various targets. It's been holding up as well as some of the other great pistols I've owned and tested.

Combination of Features making the Steyr M Series an excellent pistol line:

1.     The Steyr has a fully-supported chamber to better protect those that shoot factory ammunition and/or reloaded ammunition. Since there is no extra exposed brass in the 6 o'clock position like most other pistols, the pressures are evenly distributed throughout the entire brass, instead of concentrating on the usual weak point where the feed ramp joins the chamber.

2.     The Steyr barrel chamber has much thicker walls compared to a standard Glock barrel, for added strength.

3.     The Steyr has a very low bore axis, which produces minimal muzzle flip and less felt recoil. The Steyr slide is only 18 millimeters high compared to Glock's 22 millimeters.

4.     The Steyr employs a dull Black Oxide Tenifer Finish, which is somewhat similar to the Glock. I find it interesting that both Steyr and Glock are headquartered in Austria.

5.     The Steyr has an ambidextrous manual safety that is completely out of the way if you choose not to use it. And it can not be activated accidentally like a typical side mounted safety lever. The Steyr can be loaded and unloaded while the manual safety is active, for extra safety. There are several rifles with the manual safety in the same general location as the Steyr pistol, such as the M-1 Garand, the M-14 or Springfield Armory M-1A rifle, or the Ruger Mini-14 or Mini-30.

6.     The Steyr has three passive safeties in order to carry the pistol safely without a manual safety if desired --- similar to a Glock. Trigger Safety --- trigger can not be pulled unless the shooter's finger is in full contact with the front surface of the trigger. Drop Safety --- prevents inadvertent firing if accidentally dropped. Firing Pin Safety --- blocks striker movement unless trigger is pressed.

7.     The Steyr has an integrated limited access lock for added storage safety at home and during transportation. The slide can be racked, but the trigger can not be pulled and the pistol can not be disassembled while the lock is active. The police version uses the typical handcuff key to access the lock. The civilian version uses a two-pronged key. Obviously, this feature is not meant for fast access speed drills.

8.     Another safety: The disconnect keeps the pistol from firing unless the slide is fully in battery.

9.     Another safety: The muzzle load indicator lets you know if a round is chambered or not, by sight or feel.

10. The Steyr has an accessory mount for light attachments, etc. It's quite distinctive since there are two rectangular cut outs on each side of the frame.

11. The Steyr is essentially a steel pistol that has a stronger design because of its all-steel internal frame, which is then wrapped in a very strong outer polymer frame. On the other hand, other polymer pistols from Glock, H & K, and Walther, insert the metal slide rails directly into the polymer.

12. The Steyr is very easy to disassemble --- somewhat similar to a classic SIG.

13. The Steyr has an excellent short, crisp, fast reset trigger --- somewhat similar to a Glock, although the Steyr trigger has a shorter trigger travel of only 1/8". The Steyr trigger feels like a heavy 5 lb. single action trigger.

14. The Steyr trigger pull defaults to 5 lbs. as of August 2000 and has a consistent, smooth feel to it. The trigger is adjustable at the factory and at GSI.

15. The Steyr trigger area is angled 10 degrees downward in such a way that people with small or large hands can easily reach the trigger and control the pistol.

16. The Steyr trigger guard is large so it's very easy to access the trigger with gloves.

17. The Steyr uses sturdy steel sights.

18. The Steyr triangular trapezoid sights aid in exceptionally fast sight acquisition. Using the tip of the triangle produces excellent accuracy. Traditional 3-dot sights are also available.

19. The Steyr has a longer sight radius than other 7" by 5" pistols in its class.

20. The Steyr barrel length is a generous 4" while some other pistol brands have shorter barrels in this 7" by 5" size arena.

21. The Steyr barrel has hammer forged standard rifling for greater flexibility of bullet usage.

22. The Steyr easily passes the 12 O'clock recoil spring test, providing excellent slide action.

23. The Steyr 111 degree grip angle is very user friendly and aides in natural point shooting and accuracy.

24. The Steyr magazine release is rounded and easy for lefties to operate without hurting their finger.

25. The Steyr uses high quality all-steel magazines that are easy to load.

26. My Steyr M357 can handle extra long 357 Sig cartridges in the chamber and in the magazine. I've tested rounds as long as 1.165" (1.140" is the SAAMI max). This can be useful for lowering pressure and felt recoil in certain applications.

27. The Steyr takes advantage of incorporating rounded edges throughout the pistol.

28. The sturdy slide stop is generously angled at 30 degrees so it can be easily operated.

29. The slide to frame fit is tight to enhance accuracy.

30. The Steyr manufacturing plant has finely honed their pistol assembly line to produce highly precisioned pistols, to alleviate some issues that a few early pistols had.

31. The U.S. GSI Service Department is absolutely first rate and is a model example for others to follow.

32. The M357 has passed the usual Steyr 10,000 round torture test. It held up great.

33. The M (medium) series will be complimented with the new S (small) series and the Steyr .45 should make a debut in 2001.

34. The Steyr M357 has the least muzzle flip, and is the softest shooting 357 Sig caliber pistol on the market, in the less than thirty ounces category.