Steyr LP1P Pre-charged Air Pistol
For
those of you familiar with the
air guns used in Olympic style competition, the name Steyr is
known as one of the, if not the finest production facilities
in the world. The company has been manufacturing air pistols
that have been the gold standard since their introduction, and
more
medals have been won in international competition with them than
any otherfirm's offerings in the modern (CO2 and SCUBA) era.
The latest pistol in the product line for 10 meter competitors
does nothing more than raise the bar for the competition to strive
to reach. The LP1CP is going to bring home a lot of medals, and
make it's purchasers very happy
over the choice they made.
Steyr-Mannlicher is a company with a proud and storied history, steeped in
the tradition of fine European firearms manufacturers, and laced with old
world craftsmanship and attention to detail. They got their start in 1864 in
Oberletten, Austria and throughout the economic crisis of not one but two
post war de-armament policies, they have survived as a technological leader
in the field. From the earliest "Mannlicher System" repeating rifles,
through today's innovative SBS96 hunting rifle, Steyr has proven itself to
be one step ahead of their piers in design and production techniques. The
LP1CP is yet another member of the company's award winning design family.
For many years, the international 10 meter air pistol fraternity had made
the FWB Model 65 the pistol of choice at all levels of competition. This was
indeed a very accurate and functional gun, and with little challenge from
other firearms makers, FWB enjoyed almost two full decades of market
domination. But the shooters were looking to take their discipline to the
next level, and to do that, a new style of pistol was needed. One with the
accuracy and dependability of the early manually cocked pistols, but the
freedom of simply loading and firing using a pre-charged component as the
propellant, no work required by the competitor between shots. This would be
crucial to those elite, world-class shooters who where poised to set and
break records and bring home the gold from the upcoming 1988 Olympics - an
Olympics that would see the 10 meter air pistol competition as a medal sport
for the first time. The timing was right, and after many long months of R&D,
Steyr-Mannlicher AG released it's LP1 CO2 powered match pistol to the
public. It's initial success and subsequent acceptance by the shooting world
was staggering. At practically every competition you could choose to attend,
the line was populated by the new gun in increasing numbers. The sales
helped put Steyr on the top step of the competition ladder in the air gun
niche, what with the LG87 match air rifle now mirroring the pistol's climb
to the top.
Several years passed, with the LP1 as the king of the sport, with all the
Olympic and World Cup medals you could ever want as proof. But a new buzz
was going around about a more stable, lighter, and non-polluting propellent
for air guns that was going to further refine the sport and bring with it a
new high in technological advancement. Air. Yes, air guns powered by
pre-compressed air. The concept is as old as air guns themselves really, but
it had never been married to the precision arms used in competition before.
Steyr would not be the first company to come out with a "SCUBA" model match
air pistol, but they decided to be the company to come out with the best
model. This would be accomplished by taking what was already considered to
be the best match pistol on the planet, and modifying it's mechanism to work
with the new propellant. Along the way, other design modifications and
updates would be incorporated as well, and in the end, Steyr would release a
world beater, the new standard in pre-charged match air pistols. Sounds like
a tall order doesn't it. Well, in my humble opinion - they succeeded.
When one first views the Steyr LP1CP, they are immediately impressed with
the obvious quality of construction and it's clean design. The pistol is
assembled using only the finest materials and this is only reaffirmed upon
handling it. Certainly the most visible of differences between the new LP1
family and the first generation, is the inclusion of an integral compensator
in the muzzle. On earlier models, the barrel was not shrouded as it is now,
and a popular aftermarket accessory was the affixing of a compensator - such
as the Turbo-Comp offered by Nygord Precision Products out of Arizona.
Recognizing this trend in the shooting community to eliminate even the
slight "flip" of the barrel felt with the air pistol, Steyr invested months
of research and design to create their own system. It works flawlessly. Two
vent ports along the top of the barrel allow controlled venting of the
excess propellant in an upward and outward flow. When I fired the pistol for
the first time, I felt absolutely no detectable movement at the muzzle upon
firing. This type of stability gives the shooter the opportunity to develop
exceptional follow-through in their shooting cycle - an absolute necessity
if one wants to be competitive in any match.
The finish on the pistol is very nice, with some areas matte black, and
others a brushed natural aluminum. The test gun that I received was one of
the new color versions. At first I must admit, the blue and gold scheme took
me a bit by surprise (my father - former All-Navy Pistol Champion - loved
it). All of the frame and barrel surfaces were anodized blue, and the air
cylinder was anodized gold. The sights, of course, remained matte black, and
the loading/cocking mechanism was matte silver. I grew to like it over time,
and I think that shooters - and especially competitors - will enjoy the
freedom of personal expression that the various colors allow. The grips are
fine-grained walnut of orthopedic design. Steyr offers at least four
different sizes in both right and left hand models, so initial grip fit from
the factory is as good as one could hope for. I would undoubtedly need to do
some minor woodworking to get a perfect fit, but that is only to be
expected. In addition to the ubiquitous adjustable palm shelf, the entire
grip rotates on a fore and aft axis to the frame, allowing the shooter to
fine tune the fit of the pistol to their unique stance. As with any
adjustments and modifications with precision shooting equipment, taking
one's time and making changes one at a time is crucial. Otherwise, if you
change several items at the same time, you have no idea which changes
effected your performance. The LP1CP offers it's owner an almost endless
degree of flexibility. To cock the pistol, the loading gate is simply lifted
and brought back to it's stopping point. You will hear and feel a slight
click. At this point, the trigger mechanism is ready for either live or dry
firing. There is a small, black switch incorporated on the top of the
loading gate that operates the dry fire device. When it is switched into the
forward position, it stops the gate from fully closing. This in turn stops
the staging of air into the chamber for live fire. Because of this, Steyr's
design is one of the safest on the market. When dry firing, I was impressed
by the feel of the mechanical trigger. The trigger shoe is adjustable on
three axis, giving you exact placement for your finger. The mechanism itself
offers numerous adjustments including length of pull, first and second stage
weight, first and second stage travel, and release point. It has an
exceptionally crisp, positive break, and with its well machined surfaces and
flawless design, it should offer a lifetime of service. The sights are world
class, with fine adjustment, and positive detents during the rotation of the
elevation and windage knobs. The rear sight notch is variable width, and the
front sight channel accepts blades of different widths. This type of
sighting arrangement is becoming the standard for the best pistols, much to
the delight of shooters worldwide.
At present, all of the top models from the different manufacturers of air
pistol will yield single hole groups. The Steyr assures this by making it
possible for the owner to adjust the velocity of the LP1P with simple tools.
This feature gives the competitor the ability to fine tune the pistol to
specific pellets and atmospheric conditions (I would add, however, that
unless you are comfortable removing the grip and working on this yourself,
you should take it to a qualified air gun smith for this type of
adjustment).
The pistol comes supplied with two air cylinders, a filling adapter, tools,
and a test target showing the pistols performance from a rest. I shot
several five shot groups that scored 49 or 50 on the standard UIT 10 meter
target, with the tightest being a knothole that looked like a single .22
round had perforated the paper. My only desire after using this pistol for a
few weeks, lays not in the pistol itself, but in its case. I personally feel
that all manufacturers of match quality air pistols should supply the guns
in cases that are large enough to not only carry the gun itself, but also
the assorted items that one utilizes during its everyday use. Pellets,
cleaning equipment, spare cylinders, sight black, shooting glasses, tools,
etc. are always needed, but space for them is rarely provided. I should
mention however, that some companies do not even supply a case at all (as
ridiculous as that seems for a $1000+ purchase), so Steyr should get some
kudos for the adequate protection their case offers.
Steyr has another winner in the LP1P, as evidenced by its immediate
acceptance among the world's elite shooters. Anyone purchasing this model
will be the recipient of a pistol whose value is unquestionably solid, one
whose performance is perhaps matched - but not surpassed, and one whose
lineage is of the finest pedigree. Now, do I really have to return it?
Suppliers:
Pilkington Competiton Equipment
PO BOX 97
LITTLE TREE RAMBLE MONTEAGLE, TN 37356
PH 931.924.3400
FAX 931.924.3489