Steyr Evo 10 as first pistol?

[sunbeam]

Hi Guys,

This is my first post on this forum, so please be gentle :-) LOL.

I've been shooting air weapons for well over 20 years in the UK, I was a member of a club for a while and shot in a club comp or two. That club folded a few years back, but I've just joined a small bore club this week, I'm also on the list for a place in the local HFT club for the new season this year.

I mainly shoot rife, but had a Gamo Compact for a few years to shoot 10m target in my garage on my own. When I was at the small bore club last week, I had a go on their 10m pistol range as well. I've decided I'd like to shoot both the live .22 Small bore and air .177 10m pistol. (I know the .22 rimfire needs a fire arm certificate, I'm doing it with the club under their supervision, it'll take 6 months if they are happy with me).

I've been researching the 10m pistol side of things and decided I may as well get a good gun so I can't blame the tools :-) I intend to enter comps with live .22 rimfire and I'd also like to do the same with the pistol.

Is there any reason why I shouldn't buy a Steyr Evo 10? I know it's not cheap, but from what I've read, they are just about the best, hold their value and easy to sell if I need to move it on for any reason. It would be the standard length.

Thanks.

[oldcaster]

I bought an LP5 a long time ago and think it is a great pistol. I have fired an LP10 with one of the newer triggers but not as new as the electronic. The LP10 trigger was certainly better than my LP5 which I would guess had to be different because it was a semi auto model. It has lasted a long time with no problems and I am sure the new models with electronic triggers are excellent. My only drawback is that I have a pump to charge the cylinder and now that I am getting old, it is hard to pump up. Fortunately I have grandkids. If you buy one, check to see which pellets are the most accurate in your individual gun because I did not get the best results with the most expensive pellets. With the right ones it is incredibly accurate. Since it is a semi auto I was able to put it in a vise between blocks of wood and just pull the trigger to fire it without any movement and a five shot group at 10 meters is so good that you cannot tell that all the pellets went through the same hole. In other words, maybe a 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch. center to center. I have not even replaced any seals because it has never leaked even if left on the gun for months with a full charge.

[ChipEck]

I have a few air pistols, but my Evo 10e has the best trigger. I would not hesitate, I would buy the Evo.

Chip

[sunbeam]

Thank you for your replies. I thought you'd all tell me to buy something cheap rather than very good to 'save' money! (a false economy).

I have a huge divers bottle to fill from as I use it to fill my Air Arms S400 MPR-FT (an awesome rifle). So hand pumping is not going to be an issue, plus the Evo 10 comes with two bottles. So I guess I'll not be filling anything at the club, all the inconvenient filling can be done at home :-)

Thanks.

[sparky]

While I would agree that buying a top notch gun like the Steyr LP10 EVO at the beginning isn't a bad idea, you might want to try out some different guns and decide which one you like. Might want to also take a look at the LP10 (I don't think the EVO really added much worthwhile), the Morini 162ei, Pardini K12, Walther LP400 or LP500, MatchGuns MGH1, etc.

[oldcaster]

I thought when I bought my LP5 that it was quite expensive. Almost $1000. A good thing I bought it when I did and certainly don't regret it. Sunbeam, is your name connected to the Sunbeam Tiger. I have a Mark II.

[sunbeam]

Oldcaster,
It's actually Chrysler Sunbeam TI :-)
I'm a member of the ASOC, Corgi made a model of MY exact car :-)
Glad you noticed my name.

[TenMetrePeter]

Go for the best you can afford. Gamo Compact is best left in the garage!. I started with that then a czech Chameleon before settling on a "proper pistol " FWB P34 that lasted me 16 years. I wasted time and money on economy guns.
If you are in UK avoid multishot versions as some comps do not allow them.
I have Air Arms S400 10m Precision which is half power version of your FT. Very happy with it once I modified the stock a bit.

[Rover]

Many will tell you to buy the latest whizbang. There is nothing wrong with that idea if the money for one means nothing to you.

Unfortunately, the latest stuff offers little or nothing over a couple of generation ago in terms of performance or accuracy.

I think you'd find an old Steyr LP1, even in CO2, would be more than adequate for anything you wanted to do.

For saving even more money, you could even go with a SSP that requires absolutely NO accessories. It will also shoot as good as anything else out there.

But, if the latest toy is what you MUST have, go for it.

Let the foaming mouths commence!

[sunbeam]

Thank you for the replies.

I've had a good chat with the NSRA shop as they seem to be the cheapest place by far to buy the pistol. The postage and local gun shop collection comes in at £35. The NSRA shop said the Steyr would be the 'no brainer' option as it out sells all other pistols in their shop and the service and parts back up is the best. I'm not in a position to try lots of pistols before I buy, but I'm told the only thing that really sets them apart is the grip. I am a professional model maker and trained cabinet maker. I have the skill to make a stock from scratch if it came to it! I adjusted my Gamo Compact grip years ago to perfection and mimicked the original stippling and finish to the point you'd never know I worked on it! So with that in mind, I 'think' I'm OK to buy the Evo10 blind??

I'm now just trying to decide if it would be worth driving to the NSRA shop and collecting in person. I live close to the Severn Bridge in South Wales UK, so the NSRA shop is a 4 hour round trip (240miles) about £30 in fuel. They sell all the extras I'd want, so I could do a one stop shop.

Should I go there or just mail order?

Thanks.

[TenMetrePeter]

Are you not snowed-in??
The shop is well worth the trip. It is the holy land of British shooting and you can try before you buy. How many 10m precision gun shops do we have in the UK anyway? 2, 3?

(Translation for our hosts. Shop = Store)

[sunbeam]

LOL :-)

I am indeed snowed in today :-(
I am meant to be in a show today in London earning my living !!
I think you are right, it's an easy drive. I'll just chill along and spend some time floating about the shop :-)
I didn't know it was a leading shop, they were VERY helpful when I rang them today.

I have read that the recoil absorber, and regulator are not very good in these pistols, is this something I should be thinking about?
I guess all pistols have plus and minus points!

Thanks for the help.

[sunbeam]

Hi Guys,

I'm going to make a call tomorrow to the NRSA shop, but before I do, some people have suggested some other pistols to think about:-

Morini 162ei,
Pardini K12,
Walther LP400,
Walther LP500,
MatchGuns MGH1,
Harrington Gat,

Talking to shops is in no way the best way to gather information for an informed purchasing decision. One thing that has been repeated in general by retailers is that Steyr is the most popular, best stocked, best supported in terms of spares and has one of the best customer relations as a brand.

I am sure most of the above points could also be applied to the above list of pistols as well. Unfortunately I'm not able to try a range of pistols before I buy and all products have good and not so good points, but on balance, is the Evo 10 as good as anything else, on balance?

I've read that the Steyr has had issues with recoil absorber and regulator. Are these issues real, should I be worrying about them and is there any after market people that can address these issues if they become an issue? Could I buy an overall better pistol, but just have to buy on top for example, a better rear sight (or similar). If the regulator on the Steyr has got an 'iffy' reg for example, would I be better buying something else that has a smaller part that needs to be up graded?

I'm sure you all get what I'm trying to say.
Any help would be great as it's always hard to buy unseen and info is hard to come by.
Thanks.

[David Levene]

Harrington Gat

Whoever suggested that must be trying to sell one. It is not a target gun.

[Rover]

May be his best choice.

Neglected to mention FWB 100, 102, 103; Pardini K58 & K60; Walther LPM1; and, last, but not least, FWB 65, 80, and 90.

[sunbeam]

Revised list :-

Morini 162ei,
Pardini K12,
Padroni K58,
Padroni K60,
Walther LMP1,
Walther LP400,
Walther LP500,
MatchGuns MGH1,
FWB 65,80,90,100,102,100,102,
Harrington Gat,

It doesn't really matter how long this list gets. The general question is still "Talking to shops is in no way the best way to gather information for an informed purchasing decision. One thing that has been repeated in general by retailers is that Steyr is the most popular, best stocked, best supported in terms of spares and has one of the best customer relations as a brand.

I am sure most of the above points could also be applied to the above list of pistols as well. Unfortunately I'm not able to try a range of pistols before I buy and all products have good and not so good points, but on balance, is the Evo 10 as good as anything else, on balance?

I've read that the Steyr has had issues with recoil absorber and regulator. Are these issues real, should I be worrying about them and is there any after market people that can address these issues if they become an issue? Could I buy an overall better pistol, but just have to buy on top for example, a better rear sight (or similar). If the regulator on the Steyr has got an 'iffy' reg for example, would I be better buying something else that has a smaller part that needs to be up graded?

I'm sure you all get what I'm trying to say.
Any help would be great as it's always hard to buy unseen and info is hard to come by.
Thanks."

[sunbeam]

OK Rover, I'll look into getting the Harrington Gat if that's the best one.

Thank you for the pointer :-)

[Rover]

OK Rover, I'll look into getting the Harrington Gat if that's the best one.

Thank you for the pointer :-)

Good thinking! Personally, I use a Steyr LP1, a Walther LPM1, and a SAM10. I don't see any difference in scores shot with those guns, but I shot my highest scores with a FWB90.

[sunbeam]

Hi,

I've had a bit of good luck with getting hold of a Harrington Gat this morning. I found one in a gun shop for £145 on line, the shop keeper told me it's in unused condition, totally mint and a bargain. The shop is having it sent over to my local gun shop. I should be able to collect it from there Thursday :-)

I've filled out a form for my closest pistol target club and will be going over there this weekend to start shooting.

Thank you for all your help Rover.

[Rover]

I hope you're kidding me.