You can never predict how popular a new firearms design will be. While one Austrian pistol, Glock, became more popular than any handgun in the history of humanity, another Austrian pistol, the Steyr M series has been enjoying limited popularity throughout the years. At the IDEX exhibition, Middle Eastern customers had a chance to see the 4th generation of the Steyr handgun, C9-A2 MF.

Steyr @ TFB:

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Unlike the previous generations of Steyr pistols, C9-A2 MF is built with modularity in mind. Much like SIG P320, the Steyr pistol has a chassis that allows you to replace polymer frames and swap different-size grips. However, there is one significant difference with SIG P320. While SIG offers replacement frames for their modular pistols, Steyr doesn’t, and unfortunately, I couldn’t find them anywhere, not in Europe, not in the US. Please let me know in the comments if I am wrong.

C9-A2 MF left side

Aside from that, Steyr C9-A2 MF has a lot of interesting features. First of all, in addition to backstraps, it has “side straps”. After you detach the backstrap, you can remove and replace the sides of the grip to change its circumference. Pretty neat feature if you ask me.

The pistol has three loaded chamber indicators. The first is a witness hole on top of the slide, the second one is on the right side of the receiver, and the third is on the back of the slide.

C9-A2 MF left side right side safety lock with two positions, “F” and “S” is clearly visible next to the disassembly lever

The grip texture on Steyr C9-A2 MF is very different compared to the previous generation – it is very aggressive and feels like a good aftermarket stippling job. This pistol also has a special safety lock to prevent unauthorized access. With a special key that comes with every pistol, you lock your handgun in case you’re concerned that it will end up in the wrong hands.

Just like previous generations, C9-A2 MF has triangle-shaped front and rear sights which some people love and some people hate. Overall, it is a pretty unique handgun that will always find its customer.