Steyr LP10 Compact - Do they exist?

[Hombre]

Do these actually exist in the UK?

Lots of retailers advertising with a range of prices but nobody actually has them in stock.
After lots of phone calls the only option seems to be to buy to order blind with heavy non returnable deposit up front.

There are some things I would consider doing that with and up to a certain price point but not for something so personal as far as fitting and overall suitability is concerned. With eight grips available how does one know what is required for that crucial fit? And it seems to be - take what you are given when it comes to grip, wood grain/colour. At £1400 I don't think so. As for trying one - well seems you can forget it. Function isn't the only factor either, pride of ownership also is a big aspect of this for me at least.

I suspect that this is the situation with many upmarket guns especially match pistols but it's incredibly frustrating not being able to give your money away. I've pretty much given up on the idea as the marketing of this type of pistol in this country seems such a shambles. No wonder the second hand market is so strong.

Any seasoned shooters/owners/anybody out there got any constructive comments? I understand all the commercial reasons why availability is so poor but that doesn't help manufacturers to sell or would-be purchasers to buy.

Bottom line - is it possible to handle/shoot and order what you know to be the correct gun for you and know that you will receive exactly that without traversing the country on a bunch of maybees?

Seems a reasonable enough expectation to me. But perhaps in 2012 this is no longer the case.

All personal experiences, suggestions and comments gladly received.

Hombre

[john_almighty]

try out the normal LP10 to see if you like the tool. Then try out the LP2 and LP2 Compact to see the difference in weight and feel and to get the grip size right. and that should help you be 90% sure of what the LP10 Compact will feel like.

[The Doctor]

Do these actually exist in the UK?

Lots of retailers advertising with a range of prices but nobody actually has them in stock.
After lots of phone calls the only option seems to be to buy to order blind with heavy non returnable deposit up front.

There are some things I would consider doing that with and up to a certain price point but not for something so personal as far as fitting and overall suitability is concerned. With eight grips available how does one know what is required for that crucial fit? And it seems to be - take what you are given when it comes to grip, wood grain/colour. At £1400 I don't think so. As for trying one - well seems you can forget it. Function isn't the only factor either, pride of ownership also is a big aspect of this for me at least.

I suspect that this is the situation with many upmarket guns especially match pistols but it's incredibly frustrating not being able to give your money away. I've pretty much given up on the idea as the marketing of this type of pistol in this country seems such a shambles. No wonder the second hand market is so strong.

Any seasoned shooters/owners/anybody out there got any constructive comments? I understand all the commercial reasons why availability is so poor but that doesn't help manufacturers to sell or would-be purchasers to buy.

Bottom line - is it possible to handle/shoot and order what you know to be the correct gun for you and know that you will receive exactly that without traversing the country on a bunch of maybees?

Seems a reasonable enough expectation to me. But perhaps in 2012 this is no longer the case.

All personal experiences, suggestions and comments gladly received.

Hombre

Have you tried getting in touch with Harry Preston - the Official Importer for steyr ??

Lee

[zooma]

You are "spot-on" with your comments about the marketing for Steyr being a shambles in the UK, and £1400 is a lot to hand-out without being able to see the gun or have the oportunity to see the grip and the wood colour and grain etc.

Most of your concerns can be addressed by getting to your nearest good pistol club as (despite the problems you correctly identify) the Steyr pistols are very popular so you should be able to shoot an LP10 at least. This will let you see what size the grip is (most are medium) and make a judgement about that particular concern.

The importer for Steyr in the UK just seems to work from his home, so there is no proper "showroom" as such for Steyr in the UK that you could visit and see the full range on display , but you could try calling him and try to make an appointment to go and see him, where this apparent dissadvantage could become a positive if you can try the pistol for fit - and maybe even get to shoot it?

You would need to make the journey to see him in York, but check first to see if he has an LP10 compact in stock in the colour you would like to buy ( silver or black) and that he has the size range of grips in stock to make sure you can try the pistol with the correct grip.

Unusually for a UK distributor, he does actually sell direct to the customer ( as well as supplying the shops) so if you made the trip you could at least see and try before you buy

[Hombre]

Many thanks for the comments of those who have responded thus far.

I should add a few points here which were not included in the original post as it was long enough as it was I thought.

Yes, I have shot an LP10 which belongs to a friend of mine but I felt that it was too heavy for me in my advancing years and would be an unwise purchase
for 60 shot sessions. It was this experience which put me on the trail of the Compact version.
I have also shot the LP2 Compact which I did not like but which further encouraged me to find out more about the LP10 Compact.

Yes I have contacted the UK importer Harry Preston who - in fairness - suggested that a trip to Wolverhampton on a particular weekend may provide the opportunity to try one belonging to a friend of his.
He also confirmed that few if any retailers stocked them because of the cost and that he himself did not have one available for demonstration. Or in stock it would seem.
As it transpired I was unable to make the Wolverhampton trip and to be honest would have been loathe to do so.

I both thanked HP for his suggestion and asked further questions regarding his stock of guns, grips, grip size to suit my hand measurement and the 'to order' availability situation and price.
As yet no response and given the time lapse none expected.

Hopefully, that completes the picture. My apologies to those who have made suggestions based around these missing details.

So, short of a trip to York (no chance) it appears that the only option for not just me but anybody who would like one of these guns is to pay yer money and take yer chance.
Not an attractive proposition or am I being just too fussy here?

Again - do these guns exist in the UK, anybody out there managed to buy one and if so from whence did it come and what do you think of it?

For me the "moment" is rapidly passing. If I'm going to invest in a product/brand both financially and emotionally I want to feel welcomed, assisted, confident. Doesn't look like it's going to happen here.
I don't doubt the quality of the guns but how on earth do these things get sold?

Thanks again to those who took the time - it really is much appreciated.

Hombre

[The Doctor]

Many thanks for the comments of those who have responded thus far.

I should add a few points here which were not included in the original post as it was long enough as it was I thought.

Yes, I have shot an LP10 which belongs to a friend of mine but I felt that it was too heavy for me in my advancing years and would be an unwise purchase
for 60 shot sessions. It was this experience which put me on the trail of the Compact version.
I have also shot the LP2 Compact which I did not like but which further encouraged me to find out more about the LP10 Compact.

Yes I have contacted the UK importer Harry Preston who - in fairness - suggested that a trip to Wolverhampton on a particular weekend may provide the opportunity to try one belonging to a friend of his.
He also confirmed that few if any retailers stocked them because of the cost and that he himself did not have one available for demonstration. Or in stock it would seem.
As it transpired I was unable to make the Wolverhampton trip and to be honest would have been loathe to do so.

I both thanked HP for his suggestion and asked further questions regarding his stock of guns, grips, grip size to suit my hand measurement and the 'to order' availability situation and price.
As yet no response and given the time lapse none expected.

Hopefully, that completes the picture. My apologies to those who have made suggestions based around these missing details.

So, short of a trip to York (no chance) it appears that the only option for not just me but anybody who would like one of these guns is to pay yer money and take yer chance.
Not an attractive proposition or am I being just too fussy here?

Again - do these guns exist in the UK, anybody out there managed to buy one and if so from whence did it come and what do you think of it?

For me the "moment" is rapidly passing. If I'm going to invest in a product/brand both financially and emotionally I want to feel welcomed, assisted, confident. Doesn't look like it's going to happen here.
I don't doubt the quality of the guns but how on earth do these things get sold?

Thanks again to those who took the time - it really is much appreciated.

Hombre

The friend to which Harry refers is me I would assume - sadly I have just sold my compact but to allay your fears - I shot a full size 10 for 6 years, both mechanical and electronic - I had alway toyed with the idea of a short and at the start of the year I decided to go for it - first comp I did a PB in my second shoot (567 ex 600) - the compact is pointable, balanced more effectively and suffers no ill effects from the shorter length - as for grips, chances are you will end up butchering the one you buy to fit so don't worry too much about the size (within reason).

No one other than Harry will have a compact and if you ring a shop they will ring him for availability

Anything else let me know if I can help

Lee

[zooma]

I both thanked HP for his suggestion and asked further questions regarding his stock of guns, grips, grip size to suit my hand measurement and the 'to order' availability situation and price.
As yet no response and given the time lapse none expected.
If I'm going to invest in a product/brand both financially and emotionally I want to feel welcomed, assisted, confident. Doesn't look like it's going to happen here.
Hombre[/QUOTE]


I have picked out the parts of your posting that also apply directly to me - ie no response and waiting for replies that I have now given up with.........and feeling welcomed, assisted, confident - nothing here I can relate to either.

But I like the Steyr brand and so I had to put up with it and continue to do so.

My route to any sort of reliable communication and service is through my good local gunsmith (who also feels very much the same about most of the points you have raised).

He earns his money by making sure everything is OK for me, and since the price of buying direct or buying from my local gunsmith is exactly the same the choice is a "no-brainer" for me.

Maybe it would be best for you to find the most local gunsmith to yourself that you think you can trust and work with ( as I have done) and ask if he can order an LP10 Compact for you, (but given the problems you have described) ask if he will accept a handling charge ( but not your full hefty deposit) if the unseen pistol is unsuitable when it arrives.

Alternatively - many gunsmiths actively support local gun clubs and may be able to find a club member who actually owns an LP10 Compact that you could get to see. If you like it then the only thing you will not be able to see or have any say in ( when you order "blind") will be the colour and grain of the wood on the grip.

[Kutuzov0856]

m.weinzerl@steyr-sport.com

[RobinC]

Just to repeat what Lee and Bob have said, Harry is the only real route, a shop will order from him.

The market in this country is tiny for these things and no one is likely to hold one in stock. Yes they do exist, if you want one Harry will get one for you. Regarding your replies, hmmmm? yes he is not the most organised and he does operate from home, but he is very helpfull and a knowlegable enthusiast, he is highly regarded by the Steyr factory and it was him who suggested to them the idea of building compacts as the first ones were specials built by him. Talk to him, he is likely to be able to borrow a compact for you to try if you ring him, and he has access to a range not far from his house
Harry will also have a selection of grips, its not as easy as a straight measurement, if you are mid way, its a choice of for example a medium closed up or a small fully out, I bought both mine from Harry (and Norfolks a long drive from Yorkshire!), I found that on my LP2 a small fully out was best and then a little subtle work to get the best fit, yet on my LP50e, it was a medium closed up that fitted best, you will only get that from Harry.
He also had several diffent grips in the same size and I prefered dark wood.

As for compacts persue, its preference whether you like them, if you are an experienced pistol shooter you will probably shoot well with either compact or standard size, if you are of light build you will probably prefer the compact but they are not just for girls, young lads Ladies, or old men, a compact does ballance well, very well actualy and I personaly prefer them because of this, and most people after they've tried one also prefer them, but not everyone! Our club which has a high pistol standard is loaded with Steyr compacts, LP2's, LP50's, LP50e's, but no 10's, The people using them range from old farts to national team members and a British champion.
Harry is your best bet unless you can find a club where some one has one.
Good shooting
Robin

[Hombre]

Again a big thank you to all you guys for the info, background and lowdown on this somewhat frustrating
endeavour. It's helped put a slightly different perspective on things - at least I now know for sure that these guns are not easy to come by for a variety of reasons.

I have to say that I still find the whole process somewhat bizarre given the reputation of the brand and the high profile it enjoys as far as titles won on the international and world stage. I know a wee bit about marketing and distribution and know that I would go about selling these guns in a quite different way but that's another story altogether. In modern parlance - it is what it is - so I have to play by the rules in place or leave the field.

I will think on it for a little longer and depending on circumstances may well get back in touch with HP or a local dealer if I can find one I feel I can trust to provide that much talked about but rarely delivered thing called service...

Thanks again to all of you - a contentious subject handled with graciousness and integrity by all.
A real pleasure to have found this site and such knowledgable people.

Doubtless I will have more questions on other subjects to test your wisdom!

Hombre
Ps- Lee, having shot those scores and liking the gun so much why did you sell it?

[RobinC]

Hombre
Don't confuse efficiency with service, Harry will jump through hoops to help people, he's a real nice guy and his knowledge on shooting and Steyrs is second to none, just he forgets to anwers e mails some times.
We would use no one else for Steyr, and I've been to the factory in Austria, they are allso a very small outfit of enthusiasts.
I run Mercedes cars, their marketing and showrooms are superb, their cars are great, but their real customer service is skin deep, rubbish and a rip off, with guns, the people I deal with are enthusiasts, genuine, and become friends and the real service I get is great.
We love it but this is a very small sport in this country, the market is tiny, target guns are imported in ones not hundreds.
Do you belong to a club? In an active one you will find out much more about the various guns and preferences.
Good shooting and the best of Luck.
Robin

[zooma]

Has anyone shot both the LP2 Compact and the LP10 Compact?

I would really like to know what the comparison was like.

The LP2 Compact really is very light - almost a strange sensation - even after shooting an LP2 a few minutes earlier.

Perhaps the LP10 Compact would feel a little less strange and may even be more stable?

[RobinC]

Bob
I've got an LP50e compact which is very similar to the LP10 compact, and it feels very similar to my LP2 compact!
We have loads of LP2 compacts in our club, most people including myself really can't believe how ballanced they are, and then they think what if they were a bit heavier? Would they be even more stable? So we add the barrel weight, try it every where, muzzle, middle, and right back. And you can guess what the result is?
Yep, we all then took them off again!
It just one of the classic ideas that just works, its the Caterham sports car of the shooting world!
Good shooting
Robin

[zooma]

Bob
I've got an LP50e compact which is very similar to the LP10 compact, and it feels very similar to my LP2 compact!
We have loads of LP2 compacts in our club, most people including myself really can't believe how ballanced they are, and then they think what if they were a bit heavier? Would they be even more stable? So we add the barrel weight, try it every where, muzzle, middle, and right back. And you can guess what the result is?
Yep, we all then took them off again!
It just one of the classic ideas that just works, its the Caterham sports car of the shooting world!
Good shooting
Robin

Understood.

Maybe Hombre should test the LP10 Compact as soon as possible - if he did not like the LP2 Compact, then he may not like the LP10 variant either.