Steyr logo and Steyr History

Steyr History

The Steyr was a very important multi Austrian industrial group activities in the field and all mechanical equipment. The Austrian company Steyr Daimler Puch product since 1865 for weapons and vehicles known worldwide for their quality. In the early 1900s, the company has been cut by specific activities and were created companies:

     * STEYR specializes in agricultural tractors;
     * Steyr-Mannlicher specializes in hunting weapons and war;
     * STEYR-PUCH specializes in automotive and many others.

Since the fourteenth century, the Austrian town of Steyr (Upper Austria) is known as a metallurgical center and was known for its dealers. In the mid-seventeenth century, thousands of muskets, pistols and rifles were produced annually for the purpose of the Hapsburg Imperial Army.

In April 1864, Josef Werndl founded the "Josef und Franz Werndl & Comp. Waffenfabrik und Sägemühle in Oberletten (Manufacture d'Armes and Sawmill and Franz Josef Werndl Oberletten & Company), which will emerge later the "Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft (OEWG: Austro-Hungarian Society production of weapons) , then the "Steyr Werke AG" and finally "Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG, whose" Steyr Mannlicher is the subsidiary that specializes in light weaponry.

OEWG marketing primarily a rifle designed by Werndl snuff box, with the help of his engineer Holub. Production of Werndl rifle began in 1867 on behalf of the Austro-Hungarian Army who received hundreds of thousands. During this first expansion, more than 6,000 workers were employed in Steyr, and the production exceeded 8000 rifles per week.

In 1886, a new model of gun lock, Repetier Gwher 1886, was adopted by the imperial army, knowing soon, thanks to its derivatives, a huge success. It was designed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher (Knight Mannlicher), who became chief engineer of the OEWG. In 1889, the number of workers exceeded 10 000.

Josef Werndl died suddenly April 29, 1889, but this event did not disrupted the growing dissemination of weapons Steyr. Mannlicher rifles were produced per million not only on behalf of the Austro-Hungarian Empire but also that of many other armies in Europe and across the seas as well as for the civilian market.

Shortly before the turn of the century, Mannlicher created with the help of the new director of the OEWG Schönauer Otto, a new bolt action rifle, destined to become one of the rifles most successful. Combining precision, durability, robustness, reliability and manageability, plus a smooth line, the Mannlicher Schönauer Stutzen 1903 (rifle was long) sold very well internationally until 1970. guns 1905et Steyr Mannlicher M.1912 marked the technical history of semi-automatic pistols.

In 1912 and 1914 to increased sales a new and larger plant was built more modern in Steyr (the old factory is transformed into a museum). Thus, early in the 1st world war, the daily production of weapons reached 4000 and the number of employed amounted to over 15 000. Were added in addition to bicycles and aircraft engines.

Under the Treaty of Saint Germain, the firm temporarily replaced the production of weapons by those cars and trucks, thus avoiding bankruptcy. In the 1930s, manufacturing armurière restarted in cooperation with the Swiss company Waffenfabrik Solothurn AG, and on behalf of the Third Reich after 1938. However in 1945, manufacture of arms was again halted. It was not until 1950 that factories in Steyr out new weapons for hunting and sport marked by the success of Steyr L / M / S. In 1958 she was licensed to produce the STG 58 (the FN FAL for Bundesheer amended) and PM (Steyr MP69/81) of Steyr sniper rifles or assault SSG69 (Steyr AUG) innovative and widely exported. In 2004, introduction of new cons sniping rifle manufactured by Steyr, the HS.50 (Heavy Sniper caliber .50 BMG) and the civilian version, the HS460 at .460 STEYR.

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