My Refinished M40...courtesy of AP&W

[srfl]

A few months back I mentioned on the Steyrclub that I purchased an older M40 on Gunbroker. It had the older-style trigger and extractor. It also had night sights that were butchered by the previous owner (or the *insert expletive here* he hired to install the sights).

I had the gun refurbished, albeit not completely.

I managed to get a new recoil spring, extractor and night sights from USASteyr but failed to get a new trigger assembly. After that, off to my local gunsmith, Accurate Plating & Weaponry (AP&W) in Safety Harbor, FL.

I asked to have the sights installed and slide and all frame externals hard chrome (HC) plated (save for the barrel and night sights).

Well, the job was done very nicely; however AP&W failed to do the slide plate and frame subassembly. They did plate the extractor. Bob Cogan admitted that they had a problem removing the (new) extractor after they bead-blasted the slide....as a result they drilled a small hole to facilitate removing the extractor. He assured me that the hole was drilled in a non-stress bearing part of the slide.... ;g

Regardless, I didn't get on their case about it or the other parts they failed to plate since the rest of the gun looked nice as these photos show:

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a47/srfl/Steyr/DSCN0063.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a47/srfl/Steyr/DSCN0065.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a47/srfl/Steyr/.DSCN0068.jpg

After gawking at the gun for what seemed to be hours, I cleaned and took it to the range.

The gun's first range trip was pure frustration. I took a few boxes of Speer 165 grain Gold Dot JHPs and Winchester WINClean 165 grain BEB rounds only to have about 10 FTEs and FTFs...including one cartridge case that was wedged tight in the barrel's chamber....oh well...so went range day one.

After that failure, I realized that AP&W may have failed to open the e-mail I sent them with the on-line Steyr disassembly tutorials URLs....as such, they probably had the extractor reassembled in wrong position.

I cleaned the gun, took out (and reinstalled) the extractor and took the gun and 250 of the aforementioned rounds to the range.

SUCCESS! Woo Hoo!! ;f

I only had (mercifully) one FTE which was easy to clear.

I hope the gun breaks in and gives me little problems....other than the occasional person that can't tell the difference between this M40 and a S&W Sigma (one of the range employees thought my M40 was a Sigma!!!)..... ;g

After getting my M40 at AP&W, Cogan and I chatted about guns in general.....I noticed his carry gun was a ported Kel Tec P10 converted to 357 SIG.

I plan on sending him more plating work in the future....but he is moving from FL to AL...or was it GA?

[madecov]

Nice looking. I guess after a bit of wear on my M40 it'll go off to tripp for a chroming.

[FlaChef]

OOH, SHIIIIINY^7 ^7 ^7 ^7 ^7 ^7 ^7 ^7 ^7 ^7 ^7 ^7 ^7 ^7

[RIPPED]

lemme know when we are going to the range here in the tampa area.. we`ll make it a steyr day ...

[Navy87Guy]

SWEEEET! I've never been a very big fan of two-tone pistols, but I have to admit that the Steyr's I've seen with the chrome finish look nice!!

Where did you get a chrome takedown lever?? Or did they coat the plastic one? Can they do that?? ;g

Makes me wanna send mine out....

Jim

[cuervo]

Can you photograph or describe the hole they had to drill so we can get a better idea of it?

thanks

[FlaChef]

Originally posted by Navy87Guy
Or did they coat the plastic one? Can they do that?? ;g

Jim


umm takedown lever is steel, not plastic, ditto on mag release button.

[srfl]

Originally posted by cuervo
Can you photograph or describe the hole they had to drill so we can get a better idea of it?

thanks

Here are photos I took today (07/25/05).

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a47/srfl/Steyr/M40Slide1.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a47/srfl/Steyr/.M40Slide2.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a47/srfl/Steyr/.M40Slide3.jpg

Hope this helps.

[cuervo]

Thanks.

That appears to be a hole that Steyr must have added on newer pistols.

Looking at my slide, there are three holes on that side:
one at the extractor
one for the plate pin like you have
one for the plate pin spring

[DougK]

Please stop torturing me with pics of your Steyr....;g I can't stand it... It is the coolest Steyr I have seen. ;f

Doug

[RIPPED]

looks awesome.. i got jiggy with the dremel here in tampa awhile back on my s40.. :) indeed all polished parts are metal.
http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/7227/s40g232ac.jpg

[srfl]

I fired the M40 yesterday with both .40 S&W (100 rounds) and 357 SIG (50 rounds) barrels and am happy to report that all is well....no failures of any kind to report. ;f

[madecov]

Where'd ya get a 357 barrel?

[srfl]

Originally posted by madecov
Where'd ya get a 357 barrel?

I took it out of my M357.

[madecov]

;z ;z ;z

Gotcha