| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defense |
| Founded | 1864[1] |
| Headquarters | Steyr, Austria |
| Key people | Josef Werndl, founder |
| Products | Firearms, weapons |
| Employees | ~ (2004) |
| Website | www.steyr-mannlicher.com |
Steyr Mannlicher is a firearms manufacturer based in the city of Steyr, Austria. Originally a part of the Steyr-Daimler-Puch manufacturing conglomerate, it became independent when the conglomerate was broken in 1990.
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The city of Steyr has been known for forging weapons since the 14th century. Thousands of muskets, pistols, and carbines were produced annually in the mid 17th century for the Imperial Army.
After his father's death, 24-year-old Josef Werndl took over his family's weapons factory. On April 16, 1864, Josef Werndl 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" (OEWG, Austrian Arms-Manufacturing Company), and subsequently the Steyr Werke AG and Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG, of which Steyr Mannlicher was a part.
First applied in 1890, the Mannlicher pistol model 1905, and the Steyr pistol M.1912 became milestones in auto-loading pistols technology.
At the beginning of World War I, with more than 15,000 employees, production output was 4,000 weapons per day. After the end of World War I, weapons production in Steyr was all but entirely prohibited, and in 1918, the company faced bankruptcy. To survive, the company converted their machinery to produce cars. World War II provided a brief revival in weapons production.
During the 1950s the famous Mannlicher-Schönauer full stock rifle experienced a renaissance. Simultaneously, The re-emergence of the Austrian Armed Forces in the Second Republic was the base for a new start of military weapons production.
In the 1970s, Steyr opened up new dimensions in military weapons development with a new assault rifle in bullpup design. The StG 77 extensively utilized synthetic materials, and an integrated fixed optic. The export version became the AUG—“Armee Universal Gewehr” (Universal Army Rifle).
Steyr made international headlines when it sold 800 HS .50 long range sniper rifles to Iran in 2005, for the National Iranian Police Organisation to use against drug smugglers, through Navid Pars business Group.
There was a large amount of concern in the United States, UK, and to a lesser extent, countries like Denmark, that the rifles would find their way into Iraq and be used against the New Iraqi Army or Coalition forces. Nevertheless, the sale was approved by the Austrian government. Forty-five days later it was claimed that several American soldiers were killed by one of the exported weapons, and that a number of the rifles were recovered in raids on Iraqi insurgents.[2]
On their website, Steyr Mannlicher offered a corporate response to these allegations, claiming that no hard proof, in the form of serial numbers, has yet been offered to confirm that the weapons that killed American soldiers were indeed from the eight hundred exported to Iran. The statement also pointed out that since the international license for the HS .50 is expired, the weapons in Iraq could be knockoffs from other manufacturers.
The U.S. Central Command announced late 2007 that no Austrian rifle had been found or seized in Iraq.[3][4]
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.
Historical products include products such as the Steyr Mannlicher M1901 pistol and M1895 bolt-action rifle.