Steyr Zephyr

About the Steyr Zephyr

The Steyr Zephyr is a high-grade bolt-action .22 Long Rifle sporting carbine produced by Steyr-Daimler-Puch of Austria from 1955 until 1971. Built by the same factory responsible for the famed Mannlicher-Schoenauer rifles, the Zephyr was a petite, full-length Mannlicher-stocked rimfire carbine fed by a detachable five-round box magazine. Its defining feature was a European-style double set trigger: the rifle could be fired conventionally with the front trigger, or the rear trigger could be 'set' so that a feather-light touch of the front trigger released the shot for precise target and small-game work. Finely checkered walnut, a slim 19.5-inch barrel and elegant proportions made it one of the most coveted rimfire rifles of its era, and surviving examples are highly sought by collectors today.

Regarded by rimfire enthusiasts as something of a 'Holy Grail' .22, the Zephyr paired the prestige of Steyr's Mannlicher heritage with a true continental double set trigger. When Steyr ended production in 1971, the rifle had grown so expensive that few buyers remained, which only sharpened its later reputation as a rare and desirable collector's carbine.

Steyr Zephyr specifications

Originally cataloged as the Steyr Custom Small-Bore Carbine before being renamed the Zephyr. Also offered in .22 Hornet. Discontinued in 1971 due to high production cost and limited sales, making it a rare and collectible rimfire. The modern Steyr Zephyr II (introduced 2018) is a separate, later reintroduction.