About Us

Steyr Arms is a world-renowned firearms manufacturer that has always been, and will always be, a company that strives to be the best. Not just for you but for ourselves, because we take overwhelming pride in our product. We refuse to stand behind anything less than our very best. That means producing innovative firearms that pass the most rigorous of testing. That means producing products that embody precision to the max. You can rely on us for the ultimate firearms that you can count on performing at the highest level every time. We produce firearms that are consistently reliable for the military and law enforcement, and they can always depend on them to get the job done. Our Austrian engineers work tirelessly to continuously create innovative, excellent products that set the standard in the industry. Above all, Steyr products go above and beyond in safety. Our patented safe bolt system provides triple and quadruple levels of safety that you can absolutely trust with your life. When you buy a Steyr firearm, you know what you’re getting. You know that you’re holding a piece of artful innovation, quality that lasts, and guaranteed precision—in a phrase, the best.

• 1864

  FOUNDING OF THE COMPANY BY JOSEF WERNDL

  

  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.
• 1867

  THE WERNDL-HOLUB BREECH-LOADING RIFLE BECOMES THE STANDARD RIFLE OF THE AUSTRIAN ARMY

  

  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 center 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.
• 1869

  CHANGE OF THE WERNDL & COMPANY TO THE WEAPON FACTORY ŒWG

  To fulfil the increasing order situation, it was necessary to make major capital investments. Therefor the firm was converted on August 1st, 1869, to a stock corporation with the help of the Austrian bank “Österreichische Bodencreditanstalt” and was then called Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft (Austrian arms-manufacturing company ŒWG)
• 1884

  STEYR IS THE FIRST EUROPEAN CITY WITH ELECTRIC STREET LIGHTING

  To solve the complex order situation in the firearms business, Josef Werndl turned to a new field of industry, electrical engineering. These efforts culminated in the “Electricity Exhibition of the County, Industry and Forestry Commission of the City of Steyr” in 1884, which was the fourth of its kind worldwide. During the exhibition the lanes and streets were illuminated – making Steyr the first European city with electric street lighting.
• 1885

  INTRODUCTION OF THE STRAIGHT-PULL REPEATING RIFLE M. 85

  

  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.
• 1886

  FIRST STRAIGHT-PULL HUNTING RIFLE M. 86

  

  Just one year after the introduction of the M. 85 the ŒWG introduced the repeating rifle M. 86 the first straight-pull hunting rifle.
• 1891

  PRODUCTION NUMBERS EXCEED 500.000 RIFLES A YEAR

  With the models M. 85, M. 88, M. 90 und M. 95 the factory becomes the biggest weapon producer in the world. Rifles from Steyr are exported in more than 20 countries among those also the Royal Prussian Ministry of War with an order of 500,000 pieces.
• 1894

  START OF THE BICYCLE PRODUCTION

  With the start of the bicycle production in 1894, the foundation for the important automotive industry was laid.
• 1903

  START OF PRODUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL MANNLICHER-SCHÖNAUER

  

  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 calibers, direct trigger or set trigger and as a take-down model. After the years the “Mannlicher-Schönauer” became a legend among hunting rifles and was produced until 1973.
• 1912-14

  NEW FACTORY ON THE “PLATTNER” SITE IN STEYR

  Due to the increasing demand before World War I the factory was moved to a new and bigger site in Steyr.
• 1915

  THE HISTORIC WEAPONS HALL IS OPENED

  

  The hall was built in the Nordic Revival Style and completely paneled 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

  FIRST CAR PRODUCTION

  

  1916 starts the car production, which became even more important after the ban for the production of firearms as result of WWI in 1918.
• 1926

  REBRANDING AS “STEYR WERKE AG”

  To take account of the economic changes the company was renamed as “Steyr Werke AG” und subsequently the production of off-road trucks started.
• 1930

  RESTART OF PRODUCING FIREARMS

  

  After cooperation’s with “Solothurn” form Switzerland and “Rheinmetall” from gem any the firearms production restarted after easing the ban in 1930.
• 1934

  MERGER TO BECOME “STEYR-DAIMLER-PUCH A.G.”

  

  In 1934 the “Steyr Werke AG” merged with “Austro-Daimler-Puchwerke A.G.” to become the “Steyr-Daimler-Puch A.G.”
• 1938

  “ANSCHLUSS” TO NAZI-GERMANY

  After the occupation by Nazi Germany the owner, Creditanstalt, was forced to give up their industry portfolio. Among these was the Steyr-Daimler-Puch A.G. which was dissolved and incorporated into the Reichswerke Hermann Göring where firearms, vehicles, aviation engines and ball bearings were made for the German military.
• 1950

  RECONSTRUCTION

  

  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.
• 1969

  PRECISION FOR HUNTING AND THE MILITARY

  

  Towards the end of the 1960’s 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 a world record with it. The Steyr hunting rifle with compound magazine, hammered barrel, and new locking system became a worldwide bestseller.
• 1977

  STG 77 – BIRTH OF AN ICON

  

  In the late 1960’s 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 favorite assault rifles. Because of its unmistakable shape the AUG has hit the screen in many major Hollywood productions.
• 1989

  STEYR MANNLICHER AG BECOMES INDEPENDENT

  The Steyr-Daimler-Puch A.G. is broken up in different industrial sectors, so the STEYR MANNLICHER AG becomes independent again.
• 2000

  STARTING A NEW PISTOL LINE

  

  With the new pistol M1, Steyr Mannlicher salutes the new millennium by introducing an innovative product in a trend-setting design.
• 2004

  MOVE TO A NEW LOCATION IN THE “RAMINGTA”

  

  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.
• 2014

  CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF STEYR MANNLICHER

  

  In its anniversary year STEYR MANNLICHER not only celebrates its history, but it also presents new products such as the first ever LEAD FREE edition, the RESET ACTION, and special training movies developed for shooting cinemas leading to a successful future.
• 2017

  STEYR MANNLICHER GETS HONORED WITH THE MILITARY SEAL OF APPROVAL

  

  STEYR MANNLICHER supports the military and got distinguished with the military seal of approval by the Federal Ministry of Defense and Sports in June 2017.
• 2018

  PRESENTATION OF THE STEYR MONOBLOC

  

  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.
• 2019

  RENAMING TO STEYR ARMS

  

  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.