Austria's Wwii Armament: Guns And Weaponry

Austria's history with firearms is a complex one, with the country having some of the most relaxed gun laws in Europe before World War 2. Austrian law allowed firearm possession without a permit for any non-prohibited person, with certain classes of shotguns and rifles available. However, during the Nazi occupation of Austria from 1938 to 1945, restrictions were imposed, and certain groups, including Jews, were prohibited from owning firearms. During this time, the Wehrmacht drafted more than 1.3 million Austrians, with 242,000 of them never returning home. So, while Austrians did have access to guns during World War 2, the extent of their ownership and usage was shaped by the political climate and occupation of their country.

What types of guns did Austria have during WW2?

During World War II, the Austrian army used a variety of guns, including rifles, machine guns, pistols, and anti-tank weapons. Here is a list of some of the specific types of guns they had:

Rifles

• Steyr-Mannlicher M1895: This was the standard issue rifle for the Austrian Army during World War II.
• Mannlicher Model 1886: Bolt-action service rifle.
• Mannlicher Model 1888: Bolt-action service rifle.
• Mannlicher Model 1895: Bolt-action service rifle.
• Mannlicher Model 1900 (Series): Semi-automatic service rifle.
• Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 1903: Bolt-action service rifle.
• Mondragon Rifle: Semi-automatic service rifle.

Machine Guns

• Schwarzlose MG M.07/12: Used by the Austrian Army.
• Skoda 75 mm Model 15: Field gun.
• Skoda 100 mm Model 1916: Field gun.
• 10 cm Feldhaubitze M 99: Field howitzer.
• Böhler 47mm Model 1935: Anti-tank gun.
• Browning Automatic Rifle: Used by the Second Austrian Republic after World War II.
• M1919 Browning Machine Gun: Used by the Second Austrian Republic after World War II.

Pistols

• Walther P38: Semi-automatic service pistol.
• Steyr Model 1912 (M1912) / (Steyr-Hahn): Semi-automatic service pistol.
• Roth–Steyr M1907: Issued to republican forces during the Spanish Civil War.

Anti-Tank Weapons

• Panzerfaust 3: Single-shot disposable anti-tank rocket launcher.
• Böhler 47mm Model 1935: Anti-tank gun.

Did Austrian civilians own guns during WW2?

During World War II, Austrian civilians were allowed to own guns. In fact, Austria is the 14th most armed country in the world, with approximately 30 civilian firearms per 100 people.

Austrian law allows firearm possession on a shall-issue basis with certain classes of shotguns and rifles available without a permit. Austrian law divides firearms into three categories, with Category A including automatic firearms, armour-piercing weapons, and tanks, Category B including handguns, repeating shotguns, and semi-automatic rifles, and Category C including repeating, revolving, and break-action rifles, break-action shotguns, and projectile-firing electroshock weapons.

From 1853 to 1938, the Waffenpatent allowed firearm ownership without a permit for any non-prohibited person. A carry permit was required and was issued to respectable citizens.

From 1938 to 1945, Nazi laws added restrictions and prohibited certain groups, including Jews, from owning firearms. After the Anschluss, Austria was an integral part of the Third Reich, with 700,000 people, or 10% of the population, joining the Nazi Party.

Following the Soviet occupation of Austria in 1945, the right of Jews to bear arms was restored. However, Soviet occupation policies in Austria were shaped by the Moscow Declaration of 1943, which stated that Austria was Germany's first victim but would also have to pay the price for its participation in Nazi aggression. As a result, Austria was treated as a defeated Axis power and was subject to reparations and occupation costs.

Overall, while Austrian civilians were allowed to own guns during World War II, the Nazi regime and subsequent Soviet occupation imposed restrictions and controls on firearm ownership.

Did Austria manufacture guns during WW2?

Austria has a long history of manufacturing firearms, and this continued into World War II.

One of the primary firearms manufacturers in Austria during this period was Steyr-Daimler-Puch, which became independent in 1989. The company has been known as an industrial site for forging weapons since the 12th and 13th centuries when it supplied iron and steel, particularly for knives, to the Styrian Otakar dukes and their Babenberg successors.

In the 19th century, a blacksmith in Steyr named Leopold Werndl began manufacturing iron parts for weapons. After his death, his son, Josef Werndl, took over the factory. In 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). This later became the "Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft" (Austrian Arms Manufacturing Company), of which Steyr Mannlicher firearm production was a part.

During World War I, Steyr Mannlicher employed more than 15,000 people and produced 4,000 weapons per day. The company introduced the world's first machine pistol during the war, the Steyr Repetierpistole M1912/P16.

After World War I, weapons production in Steyr was almost entirely prohibited according to the 1919 Treaty of Saint-Germain. However, the company avoided bankruptcy by converting their machinery to focus on producing Steyr automobiles.

Following the Austrian Anschluss to Nazi Germany in 1938, the Steyr factories were incorporated into the Reichswerke Hermann Göring industrial conglomerate, and the outbreak of World War II provided a brief revival in weapons production. Steyr Daimler Puch relied on forced labour during this period.

During World War II, Steyr developed and manufactured various firearms, including:

• Steyr Repetierpistole M1912/P16: The world's first machine pistol, introduced during World War I.
• Steyr-Solothurn S1-100: A submachine gun adopted by the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS.
• Steyr AUG: A bullpup assault rifle used by the armed forces of over 24 countries.

In addition to Steyr, another notable firearms manufacturer in Austria during World War II was ŒWG in Steyr, which produced the Maschinengewehr (Schwarzlose) M. 7, a medium machine gun used as a standard issue firearm in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I and by various armies during World War II.

Did Austria export guns during WW2?

Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, with the support of the Austrian population. Over a million Austrians were drafted into the Wehrmacht between 1938 and 1945, and they served as soldiers from Germany, committing atrocities on the Eastern Front.

During World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Army used the Schwarzlose machine gun as a standard-issue firearm. The Schwarzlose was a medium machine gun, usually mounted on a tripod, and was designed by Prussian firearms designer Andreas Schwarzlose. It was a belt-fed, water-cooled machine gun with an unusual delayed blowback mechanism that contained only a single spring. The Schwarzlose was also used by the Dutch, Greek, and Hungarian armies during World War II. It was the standard machine gun issued to Italian colonial troops and was used as an anti-aircraft weapon in North Africa.

Austria exported $427 million worth of handguns in 2022, making it the world's largest exporter of handguns. The primary destinations for these exports were the United States, Brazil, Thailand, Switzerland, and Germany.

According to Austrian law, firearms are divided into three categories: Category C includes repeating, revolving, and break-action rifles, break-action shotguns, and projectile-firing electroshock weapons; Category B includes handguns, repeating shotguns, and semi-automatic rifles; and Category A includes war materials such as automatic firearms, armour-piercing weapons, and tanks, as well as restricted weapons like firearms disguised as other objects, shotguns with a barrel length shorter than 45 cm, and knuckledusters.

Exporting firearms of categories B and C from Austria to a third country is possible under Austrian firearms law, but the importing country's firearms law may impose certain obligations, such as the submission of additional documents. Additionally, the export of defence goods, including pistols and hunting rifles, to countries with an arms embargo is generally prohibited.

Were there any gun restrictions in Austria during WW2?

From 1853 to 1938, Austrian law allowed firearm ownership without a permit for any non-prohibited person. A carry permit was required and was issued to respectable citizens.

However, from 1938 to 1945, Nazi laws added restrictions. Certain groups of people, including Jews, were prohibited from owning firearms.

After World War II, from 1945 to 1967, the previous law was largely restored, and the right of Jews to bear arms was reinstated. From 1967 to 1996, a new law regulating handguns was enacted, recognising the right of law-abiding citizens to own handguns.

In 1996, the Weapons Act was passed in Austria, in accordance with EU law. This act categorises weapons into three groups:

• Category C includes repeating, revolving, and break-action rifles; break-action shotguns; and projectile-firing electroshock weapons.
• Category B includes handguns, repeating shotguns, and semi-automatic rifles.
• Category A includes two subcategories: war material, such as automatic firearms, armour-piercing weapons, and tanks; and restricted weapons, such as firearms disguised as other objects, shotguns with a barrel length shorter than 45 cm, pump-action shotguns, and knuckledusters.

Austrian law allows firearm possession on a shall-issue basis, with certain classes of shotguns and rifles available without a permit. However, carrying firearms in public generally requires a carry permit ("Waffenpass"). The authorities issue these permits on a case-by-case basis, depending on the applicant and their stated reasons for needing a firearm.

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