In 1864 a young industrial pioneer named Josef Werndl founded the “Josef & Franz Werndl & Company” – a weapon factory and sawmill in Oberletten, Austria.
Josef developed a breech loading rifle along with Karl Holub in 1867, a rifle that locks by a cylindrical drum breech that could be turned for loading and back for shooting. By 1877 both of the cartridges that it could be loaded with were improved and subsequently used as a secondary weapon of the Austrian army in the First World War.
In 1884 Josef Werndl turned to electrical engineering where his efforts culminated in the “Electricity Exhibition of the County, Industry and Forestry commission of the City of Steyr” making Steyr the first European city with electrical street lighting. During this time the models M.85, M.88, M.90 and M.95 produced at the factory made the company the biggest weapon producer in the world.
Due to the increasing demand of guns before World War I the factory had to be moved to a bigger site in Steyr. To take into account the economical changes of the company it was renamed “Steyrer Werke AG”. By 1934 it merged with “Austro-Daimler-Puchwerke AG” to a company that was then known as “Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG”.
Towards the end of the 1960s two trend-setting rifles were produced by Steyr with the hunting rifle becoming a worldwide bestseller when an Austrian Army officer shot a world record with it. With all the success their rifles were making in the industry the company became independent once more taking on the name of “Steyr Mannlicher AG”.
In the 21st century Steyr made significant strides in success and the continuation of developing top rifles. To stay in accordance with the company’s international orientation Steyr Mannlicher was renamed Steyr Arms.
