Steyr Arms
Austrian manufacturer of military, law-enforcement, sporting, hunting and civilian firearms.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Steyr Arms is an Austrian firearms manufacturer whose industrial lineage reaches back to the weapons-making tradition of Steyr and to the company established by Josef and Franz Werndl in 1864. The business became one of the principal Austrian arms producers through its association with Ferdinand Mannlicher, whose repeating-rifle designs helped establish the Steyr manufacturing tradition in military and sporting firearms. Although the modern Steyr Arms corporate identity is comparatively recent, the brand draws on more than a century and a half of production, engineering and industrial development in the city of Steyr. The company's early history was closely connected with the Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft, commonly known as Österreichische Waffenfabrik or OEWG. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the factory supplied rifles and other weapons to the Austro-Hungarian military and became a major European arms producer. During the First World War, the company expanded dramatically and manufactured military weapons at very high volumes. It also produced the Steyr M1912 pistol and the Anschlagpistole M.12, an early selective-fire machine pistol based on the M1912 design. The end of the First World War brought severe restrictions on Austrian arms production under the Treaty of Saint-Germain. The company responded by diversifying into automobiles, bicycles and other industrial products. Its corporate identity changed several times, including Steyr-Werke in 1926 and Steyr-Daimler-Puch in 1934. Weapons manufacturing continued in different forms, including cooperation with Patronenfabrik Solothurn in Switzerland. During the Second World War, the Steyr factories were incorporated into the German Reichswerke Hermann Göring system and produced military materiel. The wartime organization also used forced labor, a difficult and documented part of the company's industrial history. After the Second World War, the re-establishment of the Austrian armed forces and the renewed popularity of the Mannlicher-Schönauer hunting rifle helped restore the firearms business. The company developed military, police, hunting and sporting products, with the Mannlicher name remaining strongly associated with bolt-action rifles and hunting arms. In the 1970s, Steyr engineers created the StG 77, later exported as the Steyr AUG. Its bullpup layout, extensive use of polymer components and integrated optical sight made it one of the most recognizable modern service rifles. The AUG was adopted or used by armed forces and security organizations in more than two dozen countries and became a defining product of the Steyr firearms portfolio. Following the partial break-up of Steyr-Daimler-Puch in 1989, the firearms division operated as Steyr Mannlicher. That name emphasized the company's historical connection with Ferdinand Mannlicher and was used for several decades across military, law-enforcement and sporting products. On 1 January 2019, the company adopted the Steyr Arms name. Its portfolio includes AUG-family rifles, sniper and designated-marksman rifles, pistols, submachine guns, grenade launchers and hunting rifles such as the SM12, CL II, Carbon, Monobloc and Scout-related lines. In April 2024, Czech investment group RSBC Holding acquired the company; RSBC also owns Slovenian firearms maker Arex Arms. Steyr Arms therefore remains an active Austrian manufacturer operating across defense, law enforcement, hunting and sporting markets.
History
Steyr's firearms tradition developed in a region known for ironworking and weapons production since the medieval period. The city's access to iron from the Erzberg area supported forging and metalworking, while Habsburg privileges helped sustain weapons manufacture. By the early modern period, Steyr factories were producing muskets, pistols and carbines for imperial forces. In 1821, blacksmith Leopold Werndl began making iron components for weapons. His son Josef Werndl later assumed control of the workshop and, together with Franz Werndl, founded the Josef und Franz Werndl & Comp. Waffenfabrik und Sägemühle in Oberletten on 16 April 1864. The enterprise became the Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft in 1869. Cooperation with engineer Ferdinand Mannlicher transformed the company into a major producer of repeating rifles and military arms. At the beginning of the First World War, the organization employed more than 15,000 people and reportedly produced thousands of weapons per day. Among its notable First World War products was the Anschlagpistole M.12, a selective-fire version of the Steyr M1912 pistol. Introduced in 1916, it is regarded as one of the earliest fully automatic pistols, although production was limited. After the war, the Treaty of Saint-Germain sharply restricted Austrian arms manufacture. The company survived by shifting machinery toward automobiles, bicycles and other products. It became Steyr-Werke in 1926 and Steyr-Daimler-Puch in 1934, while parts of the weapons business continued through international arrangements, including cooperation with the Swiss Patronenfabrik Solothurn. Following Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938, the Steyr factories were incorporated into the Reichswerke Hermann Göring industrial system. Military production expanded during the Second World War, and the organization used forced labor from the Mauthausen camp network. After 1945, the company's firearms activities gradually recovered. The Mannlicher-Schönauer hunting rifle experienced renewed popularity in the 1950s, and the re-creation of the Austrian armed forces provided demand for new military weapons. The most important postwar design was the StG 77, developed during the 1970s and marketed internationally as the Steyr AUG. The rifle used a bullpup configuration, polymer construction and an integrated sighting system, features that distinguished it from many contemporary service rifles. The AUG became an international military and security product and established Steyr as a modern small-arms innovator. The company also developed sniper, precision, police and civilian firearms, including the SSG 69, Scout and HS .50 families. The firearms division became independent from the wider Steyr-Daimler-Puch conglomerate during the group's restructuring in 1989 and adopted the name Steyr Mannlicher. The Mannlicher designation preserved the link to the company's historic rifle engineering heritage and remained prominent in hunting products. On 1 January 2019, the company was renamed Steyr Arms. In April 2024, it was acquired by Czech RSBC Holding, which also owns Arex Arms of Slovenia. Steyr Arms continues to manufacture and market firearms for military, police, sporting and hunting applications.
- 2024
Acquired by RSBC Holding
[1]RSBC Holding acquires Steyr Arms and places it within an ownership group that also includes Arex Arms.
- 2019
Steyr Mannlicher renamed Steyr Arms
[1]The company formally begins operating under the Steyr Arms name on 1 January.
- 1989
Firearms division becomes Steyr Mannlicher
[1]After the partial break-up of Steyr-Daimler-Puch, the weapons division adopts the Steyr Mannlicher name.
- 1970
StG 77 and AUG development
[1]Steyr develops the StG 77 bullpup rifle, later exported as the Steyr AUG and adopted by military and security users internationally.
- 1934
Company becomes Steyr-Daimler-Puch
[1]A further corporate reorganization creates the Steyr-Daimler-Puch identity.
- 1926
Company becomes Steyr-Werke
[1]The organization changes its corporate name to Steyr-Werke during its diversified industrial period.
- 1919
Postwar arms restrictions force diversification
[1]The Treaty of Saint-Germain restricts Austrian weapons production, leading the company to emphasize automobiles, bicycles and other industrial goods.
- 1916
Anschlagpistole M.12 introduced
[1]Steyr introduces a selective-fire machine-pistol derivative of the M1912, considered one of the earliest fully automatic pistols.
- 1869
Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft formed
[1]The Werndl enterprise becomes a joint-stock arms company, later known as the Austrian Arms-Manufacturing Company.
- 1864
Werndl weapons factory founded
[1]Josef and Franz Werndl establish a weapons factory and sawmill at Oberletten on 16 April.
Products and positioning
An engineering-led Austrian arms maker positioned around military credibility, precision manufacturing, durable service weapons and premium hunting firearms. The brand combines historic Mannlicher rifle heritage with modern military designs, particularly the AUG family.
Assault rifle · 1970
Steyr AUG
The AUG is Steyr's signature bullpup rifle family, originating in the StG 77 program of the 1970s. Its design places the action and magazine behind the trigger, shortening overall length while retaining a full-length barrel. Polymer construction and an integrated optical sight were distinctive features of the original design. The rifle has been produced in military, police and export variants and has served as one of Austria's best-known defense products.
Precision rifle
Steyr SSG 69
The SSG 69 is a bolt-action precision rifle developed for military and law-enforcement use. It helped establish Steyr's reputation beyond service rifles and became associated with the company's precision and sniper-rifle portfolio. The design has also influenced Steyr's later precision-oriented offerings.
Scout rifle
Steyr Scout
The Steyr Scout is a compact bolt-action rifle built around the scout-rifle concept, emphasizing portability, practical handling and versatility. It is offered as a sporting and hunting-oriented product while retaining design ideas derived from Steyr's precision-rifle engineering.
Anti-materiel rifle
Steyr HS .50
The HS .50 is a large-caliber single-shot rifle intended for anti-materiel and long-range applications. It extends Steyr's precision-firearms expertise into a heavier military category and is chambered for the .50 BMG cartridge in its principal configuration.
Service pistol · 1912
Steyr M1912
The M1912 was Steyr's influential military pistol, designed for the Austro-Hungarian service cartridge and used during the First World War and later periods. Its fixed magazine and stripper-clip loading system were characteristic of the design. The weapon also served as the basis for the selective-fire Anschlagpistole M.12.
Hunting rifle
Steyr SM12
The SM12 is a modern hunting rifle associated with Steyr's premium sporting portfolio. It reflects the company's traditional emphasis on controlled bolt-action operation, precision barrel production and configurations suited to different hunting environments.
Hunting rifle
Steyr CL II
The CL II is a bolt-action hunting rifle line intended for civilian sporting use. It sits within Steyr's contemporary hunting range alongside rifles such as the SM12, Carbon and Monobloc, combining traditional hunting format with modern manufacturing.
Pistol · 2025
Steyr ATc/ATd
The ATc and ATd are contemporary Steyr pistol models listed in the company's product history. They represent the brand's continuing participation in modern semi-automatic pistol development after earlier families such as the GB and M series.
Controversies
1940
Forced labor in the wartime Steyr industrial system
During the Second World War, the Steyr factories were part of the German wartime industrial system and used forced labor, including prisoners associated with the Steyr-Münichholz subcamp of Mauthausen. This history concerns the wartime corporate organization from which the later firearms business descended.
Brand decisions
2024
Acquisition by RSBC HoldingM&ABackground
Steyr Arms remained a privately held Austrian firearms manufacturer operating across defense and sporting markets.
Action taken
RSBC Holding acquired the company in April 2024.
Aftermath
Steyr Arms joined an ownership group that also controls Arex Arms, creating a broader Central European firearms portfolio.
2019
Corporate rebranding as Steyr ArmsStrategyBackground
The company had operated as Steyr Mannlicher since the 1989 restructuring.
Action taken
It changed its name to Steyr Arms effective 1 January 2019.
Aftermath
The shorter name consolidated the brand around the Steyr identity while the Mannlicher heritage continued to inform its hunting and rifle positioning.
1989
Separation from the wider Steyr-Daimler-Puch groupStrategyBackground
The Steyr-Daimler-Puch conglomerate underwent partial dissolution and restructuring.
Action taken
The firearms division became an independent business under the Steyr Mannlicher name.
Aftermath
The new identity allowed the firearms company to preserve the Mannlicher heritage while operating separately from the former industrial conglomerate.
1970
Development of the StG 77 and AUGProduct launchBackground
Steyr sought a modern service rifle design that could reduce bulk while incorporating new materials and sighting concepts.
Action taken
It developed the StG 77 bullpup rifle, whose export designation became Steyr AUG.
Aftermath
The AUG became the company's best-known international military product and was adopted or used by armed forces and security organizations in more than 24 countries.
1919
Diversification after the First World WarStrategyBackground
Postwar treaty restrictions made large-scale weapons production in Austria difficult and threatened the company's viability.
Action taken
The company redirected industrial capacity toward automobiles, bicycles and other products while maintaining weapons activities where permitted.
Aftermath
Diversification enabled the business to survive and contributed to the later Steyr-Werke and Steyr-Daimler-Puch industrial identities.
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