The Steyr GB Pistol: Overview & Closer Look at the Rare Austrian Military Model.

Today we're looking at the Steyr GB pistol. These were debuted as potential candidates to be the new Austrian service pistol in the late 1970's/early 80's. As many of you may know, a small upstart company known as Glock came along and seized the contract, upending Steyr's dominance of Austrian military firearms. Sales of the GB never really materialized, and in the end only between 15,000-20,000 were sold, many in the US. The GB held 18 rounds of 9x19mm ammo, and used an unusual gas bleed system to keep the slide locked until pressure dropped, and then the rest of the action functioned as a typical semi auto pistol. This was one of the earliest "Wonder Nine" pistols, with its double/single action, no external safety, and large capacity magazine. There was also another variant produced, identical in function to the commercial model, but with a matte finish. These were the Austrian military model, and only about 947 or so ever made it to America. In this video we'll be looking at the commercial variant, the military variant, and the drop in compensator Steyr created for these pistols as well.