Steyr Arms
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(September 2010) |
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| Formerly | Steyr Mannlicher AG |
|---|---|
| Company type | GmbH |
| Industry | Firearms |
| Predecessor | Steyr-Daimler-Puch |
| Founded | 16 April 1864 |
| Founder | Josef Werndl |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | worldwide |
| Products | Pistols Rifles Submachine gun Machine guns Combination guns Grenade launchers |
| Parent | RSBC (Czech Republic) |
| Subsidiaries | Steyr Arms Inc. |
| Website | www.steyr-arms.com |
Steyr Arms(German pronunciation:[ˈʃtaɪ̯ɐ]) is afirearmsmanufacturer based inSankt Peter in der Au,Austria.Originally part ofSteyr-Daimler-Puch,it became independent when the conglomerate was broken up in 1989.[1]Prior to 1 January 2019, the company was namedSteyr Mannlicher AG(German pronunciation:[ˈʃtaɪ̯ɐˈmanlɪçɐˈʔaːˈɡeː]). In April 2024, the company was acquired by Czech holding RSBC, which owns alsoSloveniangun makerArex Arms.[2][3]
History
[edit]Origins
[edit]
Steyr has been on the "ironroad "to the nearbyErzberg minesince the days of theStyrianOtakardukes and theirBabenbergsuccessors in the 12th and 13th century, and has been known as an industrial site for forging weapons.[4]The privilege of iron and steel production, particularly forknives,was renewed by theHabsburgdukeAlbert of Austriain 1287. After theThirty Years' War,thousands ofmuskets,pistols,andcarbineswere produced annually for theHabsburg ImperialArmy.[citation needed]
In 1821, Leopold Werndl (1797–1855), a blacksmith in Steyr, began manufacturing iron parts for weapons. After his father's death, 24-year-oldJosef Werndl(1831–1889) took over his factory. On April 16, 1864, he founded the "Josef und Franz Werndl & Comp. Waffenfabrik und Sägemühle in Oberletten" (Josef and Franz Werndl & Partners Weapons Factory and Sawmill in Oberletten), from which later emerged the "Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft" (ŒWG, Austrian Arms-Manufacturing Company), astock company(AG) since 1869, of which the Steyr Mannlicher firearm production was a part. In 1912Bodencreditanstaltbank became a majority shareholder.[5]
World War I
[edit]Werndl's cooperation with engineerFerdinand Mannlicher(1848–1904), who had patented an advancedrepeating riflein use by theAustro-Hungarian Army,made ŒWG one of the largest weapon manufacturers in Europe. At the beginning ofWorld War I,with more than 15,000 employees, production output was 4,000 weapons per day.
The company introduced the world's first machine pistol, theSteyr RepetierpistoleM1912/P16,during World War I; it was a machine pistol version of theSteyr M1912 pistol,and was manufactured as product modelRepetierpistole M1912/P16.It used a 16-round fixed magazine loaded via 8 round stripper clips, a detachable shoulder stock and a rather large exposed semi-auto/full-auto selector switch on the right side of the frame above the trigger (down = semi & up = full).[6]It fired the9×23mm Steyrcartridge, with a full-auto rate-of-fire of about 800 to 1,000 rounds per minute (RPM). It weighed about 2.6 pounds. Introduced in 1916, it is considered one of the world's first full-auto capable pistols. Only 960 M1912/P16 were made.
Aftermath of World War I
[edit]After the war, weapons production in Steyr was all but entirely prohibited according to the 1919Treaty of Saint-Germain,and the company faced bankruptcy. To survive, the ŒWG converted their machinery to concentrate on producingSteyr automobilesunder chief designersHans LedwinkaandFerdinand Porsche,as well as bicycles (colloquially calledWaffenräder( "weapon bicycles" )). In 1926 the company changed its name to "Steyr-Werke", in 1934 toSteyr Daimler Puch.The production of Steyr Daimler Puch weapons continued in cooperation withPatronenfabrik Solothurn AGatZuchwilin neutralSwitzerland.
World War II
[edit]After the AustrianAnschlusstoNazi Germanyin 1938, the Steyr factories were incorporated into theReichswerke Hermann Göringindustrial conglomerate and the outbreak ofWorld War IIprovided a brief revival in weapons production. Like many other companies, Steyr Daimler Puch relied onforced labour,employing from theSteyr-Münichholz subcampofKZ Mauthausen.
1950s
[edit]During the 1950s theMannlicher–Schönauerfull stock rifle, designed in 1900, experienced a renaissance.[citation needed]Simultaneously, the re-emergence of the Austrian Armed Forces in the Second Republic was the base for new military weapons production.
The AUG
[edit]In the 1970s, Steyr developed an innovative assault rifle, the StG 77. A bullpup design, the StG 77 extensively utilized synthetic materials, and integrated fixed optics. The export version became theSteyr AUG—Armee Universal Gewehr( "Universal Army Rifle" ), eventually used by the armed forces of over 24 countries.[citation needed]It has been prominently featured in films such asOctopussy,Commando,andDie Hard.[7]
In 1989, after the partial dissolution of theSteyr Daimler Puchconglomerate, the weapon division was namedSteyr Mannlicherin honour of the great Austro-Hungarian engineerFerdinand Mannlicher,in 2019 Steyr Arms.
Products
[edit]- Assault rifles
- AUG–bullpupassault rifle
- ACR– experimentalflechette rifle
- STM556–modularassault rifle[8]
- Battle rifles
- Rifles
- M1886–bolt-action rifle
- M1888– bolt-action rifle
- M1890– bolt-action rifle
- M1895– bolt-action rifle
- Dutch MannlicherM.95 – bolt-action rifle
- Mannlicher–Schönauer– bolt-action rifle
- Steyr Model 1912 Mauser– bolt-action rifle
- Steyr SSG 69–sniper rifle
- Steyr Scout–scout rifle
- Steyr SSG 04– sniper rifle
- Steyr SSG 08– sniper rifle
- Steyr HS.50–anti-materiel rifle
- Steyr IWS 2000– 15.2 mm anti-materiel rifle
- DMR 762- Semi-auto Designated Marksman Rifle
- Submachine guns
- MPi 69(Variant:Steyr MPi 81)
- TMP
- Pistols
- M1894(1894–?)
- M1901(1901–1903)
- M.7(1908–1913)
- M1912(1912–1945)
- SP(1957-1964)
- GB(1981–1988)
- M Series(1999–present)
- Grenade launchers
- GL 40 – side loading 40 mm grenade launcher
Date codes
[edit]
Steyr pistols are marked with a three-digit date code on the slide just forward of the ejection port. The first letter represents the month of manufacture. The second and third letters represent the last two digits of the year of manufacture.
In this example, the date code "BOY" indicates a pistol manufactured in April 2007.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^Steyr Mannlicher."Company history – Steyr Mannlicher: since 1864".RetrievedJuly 6,2017.
- ^"Česká skupina RSBC koupila rakouského výrobce zbraní - Seznam Zprávy".April 24, 2024.
- ^"Czech investor RSBC acquires STEYR ARMS, thereby expanding its activities in the firearm segment".April 24, 2024.
- ^Bundesministerium fur Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur (January 3, 2019)."Iron Trail with Erzberg and the old town of Steyr".unesco.org.RetrievedMarch 5,2023.
- ^Stevenson, David (1996).Armaments and the Coming of War: Europe, 1904-1914.Clarendon Press.ISBN978-0-19-820208-0.
- ^Zhuk, A.B (1995), Walter, John (ed.),The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Handguns. Pistols and Revolvers of the World 1870 To 1995,translated by N.N. Bobrov, Greenhill Books, London, p. 176
- ^Landeen, Alex (January 3, 2019)."Firing the Steyr AUG A3 M1 and an AUG History Lesson".Ballistic Magazine.RetrievedMarch 14,2019.
- ^"[IDEX 2019] Steyr AUG.300 BLK and STM556 from Austria -".March 4, 2019.
External links
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