They are both top quality air pistols widely used by top athletes. I have personally used both in competitions and following is my personal opinion:
The LP10 incorporated a few new technology features to make it a very "forgiving" air gun. The vented barrel, new compensator, and the recoil absorber all make the pistol an extremely attractive choice for air gun shooters of all abilities. There is no conceivable barrel flip on firing, and the recoil is eliminated altogether. If there is any movement, you know it is yourself. However, the grouping on paper usually shows a better result than you would have called. In other words, it does not exaggerate your mistakes even if you are not perfect.
Then, is the LP10 the un-contested "best" air pistol in the world? Not really. It has competition, and it is the Morini 162EA.
Some people does not like the electronic trigger on the 162EA, fearing that the battery will go dead in the worst time. Morini used to use a 15 volt battery which you can purchase only from special battery place or camera stores, at a cost of $15.00 to $20.00 a piece. It sounds like a lot of trouble. But from experience, one battery lasts for years. The manual suggests 15000 shots. I have seen people using it without changing for 5 years, with steady practice. I had mine for three years and it is still running.
There is good news. The new Morini that is coming out now has changed to using two 1.5 volt AAA batteries. Now you can have these batteries anywhere, at low costs, and you can change them as often as you like. The manual still says battery life is 15000 shots.
But the most attractive part about Morini is not the battery, but the trigger mechanism itself. There are four ball bearings on the axes inside the trigger ( six in the mechanical trigger model 162MI ). This makes it the smoothest trigger I have ever used. Very smooth, very consistent. It feels so light that you would swear it never passes the trigger test, and yet it does.
In Morini, there is a latch that locks the cocking lever when the cylinder pressure drops below about 100 bar, simply to remind the shooter that it is about time to refill. You can manually un-latch the lock to continue shooting if you wish. The Steyr does not have this feature and will let you shoot all the way until you start noticing the point of impact on the target has dropped.
The standard front sight on the Morini is 5.0mm, Steyr is 4.5mm. Both have adjustable rear-sight width. Steyr even allows rear-sight depth adjustment.
Steyr grip has more directional adjustments, and the trigger shoe is 8-directional adjustable similar to a rifle trigger shoe. Although both grips are made by Morini, my hand likes the one on the Morini better than that on the Steyr.
Both have velocity adjustments ( if you are concerned about the legal aspect ).
Morini has a pressure gauge on each cylinder ( you get 2 cylinders with the gun ). Steyr used to supply a detachable gauge with their LP10's and you must remove the cylinder from the gun in order to check pressure( you get two cylinders, too ). The latest model of Steyrs now come with a gauge incoporated into the cylinders, so there is no need for an exteranl gauge.
Morini has a fitted carrying case, Steyr used to come in a cardboard box, but once again, the latest models come with a fitted carrying case.
Screw drivers, allen keys are standard on both.
Either one of these two pistols are capable of extreme accuracy. The best way to choose is to actually pick one up in your own hand. Feel the balance, feel the trigger, feel the shot release. At this level, it is very much a personal preference.
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