This was unexpected and I hope it means change for the better.

https://www.all4shooters.com/en/shooting/culture/czech-rsbc-group-buys-arms-manufacturer-steyr-arms/

The well-established Austrian firearm manufacturer STEYR ARMS is now part of the Czech investment group RSBC. STEYR ARMS is a global manufacturer with a history dating back to 1864. The company has over 200 employees in Austria and the USA and achieved a group turnover of over 45 million euros in 2023. With this acquisition, the investment and industrial group RSBC, founded by Robert Schönfeld, has added another company operating in both the defense and civilian firearms markets to its portfolio. The transaction was completed on 23 April 2024 and comprises 100% of the shares in STEYR ARMS. The contracting parties have agreed not to disclose the price of the transaction, according to the press release.

STEYR ARMS is now being transferred in its entirety from its previous owner, SMH Holding GmbH, to RSBC Group. According to its own statements, the new owner intends to concentrate fully on the strategic development of STEYR ARMS, focusing on strengthening the market position of the globally active company on the international markets.


Robert Schönfeld, Chairman of the RSBC Board of Directors, comments on the acquisition as follows: “STEYR ARMS has an excellent reputation and tradition in the world. It stands for trust and quality. Its products are among the best in the hunting, civilian and defense sectors. We firmly believe that the range, resources and deep expertise of RSBC will contribute to the successful growth of STEYR ARMS.”

Gerhard Unterganschnigg, Managing Director of SMH Holding GmbH, the previous owner, assesses the sale as follows: “Since the takeover in 2007, STEYR ARMS has undergone a steep growth path. Sales increased sevenfold and the number of employees almost tripled. Today, the company’s innovative and high-quality products are very popular worldwide, especially among professional users such as the police and military. With RSBC as the new owner, further growth opportunities in sales and earnings can be tapped in the future by exploiting synergies, thus further strengthening the position of this Austrian manufacturing plant.”

Milan Šlapák, CEO of the RSBC Group, sees the acquisition as a historic, unique opportunity: “The acquisition of STEYR ARMS is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We are proud to be involved in the further development of its legacy. STEYR ARMS has an exceptional product portfolio especially in the field of long guns for the military and law enforcement, and also in the category of hunting and sporting rifles.”

Background information on RSBC Holding:
RSBC Holding a.s. is a private investment group based in Prague, which Robert Schönfeld founded in 1998 to manage family assets. RSBC focuses on traditionally conservative investments that create long-term value but also enable growth and expansion. According to its own statements, RSBC relies on a strategy in which the group identifies suitable options. It then develops these opportunities based on the experience and knowledge of generations through a combination of investments and active management. To secure its market position and diversify its portfolio, RSBC relies on a solid foundation with the following four investment pillars: Real Estate, Private Equity, Investment Funds and Wealth Management. With AREX, the civilian and military arms business was added for the first time in 2017.

Same guys who bought Colt?

Intersting.

I'm optimistic - sounds like they are buying up "meh" run former glorious companies, to return them to glory.  We shall see!

I used to post joke- photos about people sleeping at mostly empty offices and label that "Steyr Development Team hard at work".  So this can't be any worse.

I think a different company.

Dan Wessen was bought by CZ
Colt was bought by S&B
Now Steyr bought by Arex Defense.

The Czechs are a defense powerhouse.  Business must be good in europe.

Interesting.

Steyr is very neat and innovative in a stagnant kind of way.  They had some brilliant designers at some point.

I hope this is all for the best.

The ergonomics and trigger of the AUG aren't going to be easy to fix without a clean sheet redesign.

The Thales F-90 was looking like about as close to a product improved AUG as you could get without throwing the whole thing out and starting over.

Curious to see if anything changes in the future beyond adding a random picatinny rail to the side or perhaps a new caliber or some other equally brain busting innovation.

It was CZ that bought both Colt and S&B.

Yeah I think the F90 is as good as it gets for bullpup assault rifles.

FN's F2000 was a clean slate redesign of the AUG, and it didn't have a better trigger, but it did weigh less and have better options for mounting modern accessories. (That's the stuff they fixed on the F90 too, basically.)

now that the red springs are a thing, there is nothing wrong with the AUG trigger. it's comparable to a mil-spec AR trigger

Trigger could be solved fairly simply by adopting the Pull Linkage developed by K&M for the M17S.

Very simple, inventor explained it to me at SHOT.

Normal bullpup, the linkage (basically a piece of wire steel like a coat hanger) pushes from the trigger to the hammer pack, and the pushing induces a bit of flex in the wire before its able to trip the sear/hammer. Thats the nature of pushing on a thin piece of wire.

K&M realized this, and simply designed theirs to be a Pull system. You pull on a thin piece of wire, it remains taught without flexing, and so the trigger ends up much better. I was really impressed with how nice the trigger was the the M17.



....

Doing this would require going from the sliding 1911 style trigger of the AUG to a Pivoting trigger like a normal rifle. This would require a more normal pistol grip / trigger guard configuration; as I found on the X95, the cutlas grip + pivot trigger makes it too easy for the middle finger to slip behind the trigger.

in 25+ years of owning an AUG i have never noticed this "flex" in the trigger linkage that people telling me is supposed to be there. I can see how that might be a thing with the NATO stock because the it's only a single wire running down one side, but on the normal version I don't see that as being a thing. If it's there it's so minute that it doesn't make a difference

Pretty much this.

The reason the AUG has a shitty trigger, is because it's a shitty trigger.  With springs that rival my Garage door springs, and a sear system rated for a happy meal toy.


As to improving the AUG  - You can only go so far.  Personally I think the RDB is the better modernized gun concept.

Oh please, please, please let this mean that Steyr US is forced to get it's poop in a group and address the stocks and bring back CL CHF barrels.  I would buy a new AUG so fast that it would make your head spin.

Hopefully the new owners see that there is some opportunity in the US market.  Suppressor & optic ready pistols that are competitively priced. The M9 9mm pistol lacked threaded barrels are a reasonable price.  I think last time I priced them they were $350 for just the threaded barrel.

I realize there is a little chicken or egg first scenario going on.  AUG barrels are expensive because they sell in low numbers.  The higher sales means cheaper barrels, but they need cheaper barrels to get more sales.  I can't spend $600-700 on a barrel when I can buy a complete decent gun for the same money.

Honestly if the new owners are smart they would invest in  new design.  The Aug is 40+ year old, it stopped getting new military contracts 20 years ago.

It runs on Nostalgia and the improvements they are making are just band aides.

The real money is making something that can compete against modern guns and win.

Maybe they will bring the Steyr aluminum receiver upgraded G36 to the US

https://www.steyr-arms.com/en/military-law-enforcement/steyr-arms-g36-upgrade/

Have they sold any of those at all?

I think they were made for Spain as an upgrade for their aging fleet of G36s. I don’t know if they’ve offered any commercially.

I am more concerned that to be a European military arms supplier, they will have to follow the EU/UN and restrict civilian firearms exports, especially to the U.S.

Gross. No thanks.

They have a new design with their 7.62 DMR:



But if you look into 21st century military contracts, and especially contracts in the last ~10 years, new designs aren't really selling either.

Basically every contract has gone to AR15, Piston AR15, or to a lesser extent, the AR18 in the format of an AR15 with folding stock.

SCAR, ARX 160, CZ Bren, MSBS Grot, none have achieved much success outside their own home market. HK's sexy new HK433 lost to the 416 for the German Army contract.

And Steyr already makes a AR15:



Really the only hope for a new rifle design outside the AR15 will be a switch to a new military caliber, such as 6.8 or the .264 LICC.

And for those calibers, I actually think a Bullpup would make a lot of sense...

Yet, B&T is importing essentially anything they want.   If they can do it, any other European arms maker with the will to do so can as well.

They ain't doing it out of their love for the product... Anytime an 'investment group' buys ANYTHING it is a bad day for users of that product... they buy for one reason - to make more money... and they will find ways to cut quality first, and anything else to save a buck - when they have squeezed all they can they will sell of the remaining parts.

Very true

Is this an 'informed' bet?

That would be a bummer.

Yeah, I think you're right.  Maybe PSA will be buying the burning remnants of Steyr in a few years.  

Not funny because it's true.  

Walther did this in handguns 80+ years ago. No idea if they were the first or if they borrowed it from elsewhere, but it's a very old, proven concept.

Where is Czech getting so much money? Colt, Vista, now Styer?

Lack of incompetence and living in a functional country that doesn't squander and tax and squander, can allow wealth accumulation at a striking rate.

What about Barrett?

Considering the cracking stock issues are going away recently, it seems like it might have improved how they were being run.

This.  When it's a beloved company that takes care of the customers and doing a great job, and was underpriced and ripe for the pickings, it's a sad-sad day.  When it's a mis-run shitshow riding off former glory done by a team all long-since retired and gone,  that isn't passing any modernization savings to anybody and just coasting; meh - can it really be any worse?  Go buy LabRadar next please.

X2

Is the stock issue getting resolved?  As in they figured it out and the issue was actually corrected or just that Steyr will replace the stock if and when it cracks with another stock that may also crack?