On April 16th 1864 the young industrial pioneer Josef Werndl founded the “Josef & Franz Werndl & Company, weapon factory and sawmill in Oberletten” together with his brother, which became the foundation stone of many important high-tech companies of the present and became the home of many important innovations in the weapon industry.

The breech-loading rifle developed by Josef Werndl and Karl Holub locks by a cylindrical drum breech which could be turned for loading and back for shooting. It was loaded with two varieties of 11 mm centre fire cartridges, one for the rifle the other for the carbine. In 1877 both cartridges were improved and even used as secondary weapon in the First World War.

From 1885 onwards the rifles of Austro-Hungarian Forces were equipped with the outstanding Mannlicher straight pull repeating system. The special feature was the cartridge clip which enabled the shooter to load five or more cartridges with only one grasp. This loading system was also introduced in Germany, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Romania, and France.

Just one year after the introduction of the M. 85 the ŒWG introduced the repeating rifle M. 86 the first straight-pull hunting rifle.

The engineers Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher and Otto Schönauer developed the “Original Mannlicher Schönauer”. This hunting rifle has a Mannlicher turn bolt system with a Schoenauer rotary magazine. It was offered all over the world in a variety of calibres, direct trigger or set trigger and also as a take-down model. After the years the “Mannlicher-Schönauer” became a legend among hunting rifles and was produced until 1973.

The hall was built in the Nordic Revival Style and completely panelled in wood by an unknown artist. The year 1915 on the mantelpiece clock gives a hint as to the date of origin. Originally this hall, called “Waffensaal” was in the management building of the production plant in Steyr. When the weapon production was demerged from STEYR-DAIMER-PUCH. A.G. and became the STEYR MANNLICHER GmbH, the hall was taken to Steyr Münichholz. In the course of the latest relocation, it was taken to the new headquarters in Ramingtal and rebuilt true to the original.

1916 starts the car production, wich became even more important after the bann for the production of firearms as result of WWI in 1918.

After cooperatoins with ”Solothurn“ form switzerland and ”Rheinmetall“ from gem any the firearms production restarted after easing the bann in 1930.

In 1934 the “Steyrer Werke AG” merged with “Austro-Daimler-Puchwerke A.G.” to become the “Steyr-Daimler-Puch A.G.”

After the cessation of weapons production at the end of World War II in 1945 it was not until 1950 and only with the permission of the Allied Forces that the production of the ”Mannlicher-Schönauer“ sporting rifles could be taken up again.

Towards the end of the 1960ies two trend-setting rifles were produced by Steyr. The sniper rifle SSG 69, the first serially produced high precision rifle with compound stock. As early as in 1970 an Austrian army officer shot world record with it. The Steyr hunting rifle with compound magazine, hammered barrel, and new locking system became a worldwide bestseller.

In the late 1960ies the company started the development of a completely new assault rifle, the STEYR AUG. In 1977 the Austrian Federal Army decided to establish the AUG A 1, which eventually was named StG 77 (Assault Rifle 77), as its new standard assault rifle. Up to this day, this rifle has been one of the world’s most favourite assault rifles. Because of its unmistakable shape the AUG has hit the screen in many major Hollywood productions.

With the new pistol M1, Steyr Mannlicher salutes the new millennium by introducing an innovative product in a trend-setting design.

Following a first relocation in 1989, STEYR MANNLICHER moved its headquarters to the Raming Valley in 2004. New innovative products such as MANNLICHER CLASSIC, the new MANNLICHER Luxus or the SM12® were launched and were praised due for their high finishing quality and precision on the one side and the elegant timeless design on the other.

In its anniversary year STEYR MANNLICHER not only celebrates ist history, it also presents new products such as the first ever LEAD FREE edition, the RESET ACTION or special training movies developed for shooting cinemas leading to a successful future …

STEYR MANNLICHER supports the militia and got distinguished with the militia seal of approval by the Federal Ministry of Defence and Sports in June 2017.

With the MONOBLOC, STEYR introduces the first hunting rifle, where the housing is integrated into the barrel. Numerous technical innovations and an ergonomic stock design make the MONOBLOC a hunting rifle of the future.

To be in accordance with the company’s international orientation, STEYR MANNLICHER will be renamed to STEYR ARMS by 1st January 2019. The headquarter with its R&D and production remains in Kleinraming; the international sites should get strengthened and expanded.