Yes, the vast bias in the medal tables at major internationals shows it is not just club shooters getting shiny kit syndrome.

Someone will doubtless shoot me down in flames, but as I see it, there is less room or need for variation in pistol than rifle for instance.

With a rifle, you've got to consider weight, butt length, foreend length and depth, different sight options, cheekpiece options, pistol grip adjustment, trigger, etc, etc. Some people do 3P, some are prone specialists. There's a need for a lot of different stock designs and configurations. You find the stock that fits you and your disciplines, and then get a good barrel and action to fit it.

With pistol, it's at arm's length. For a right-handed shooter, the left arm is irrelevant, unlike in rifle where it's very relevant. Whereas rifle has the list of above considerations, with pistol you're worried about:
- Accuracy
- Trigger
- Weight
- Grip

Now the manufacturer can control the first 3 of those, and realistically the grip ends up being a bespoke home-custom job with modelling putty. You simply don't need so much factory-made variation in design to accommodate different people.

Steyr, Morini, Walther and Pardini have got a reputation for getting the first two absolutely right, and offer their pistols in a variety of weights, so finding one that fits the shooter is not an issue.

Without wishing to cast aspersions on the other guns (Anschutz make a great gun - their rifles are world beaters, as do FWB and the others), you're paying for the knowledge that these guns are time-proven Olympic champions if you do your bit. You also know their service teams will be at every major match. Do Benelli and FAS send service teams to all the World Cups, etc? (I don't actually know... do they? I would imagine Steyr get to more pistol matches than Benelli, so we're talking about substantial after-sales support).
When you've spent 4 years of your life dedicated to training, you want to know that:
(1) Your gun isn't going to break halfway through the Olympic final
(2) If it does, there is an engineer from the manufacturer stood 10 yards away at the back of the range

Also, if your Steyr breaks, the guy next door to you, and the one next to him probably have the same gun, and the RO probably shoots one when he's not officiating! Why go with something less common when the popular and well-supported one works so well. You just pick the model that's weighted right for you, customise the grip and crack on.

It not a case that the uncommon ones are inaccurate or unreliable, it's just if you're competing at an international level, the difference between £300 and £800 as a long-term investment is not that great. You need the right tool for the job. You can look at a Steyr and go "That works brilliantly. I've seen it work brilliantly. I know it will continue to work brilliantly."

And yeah, sponsorship plays a part as well