Steyr Arms ATc and ATd modular pistols
Coming soon, the new Steyr Arms ATc and ATd 9mm Luger all-metal pistols, featuring a standard hammer-fired trigger, built to perform in serious competition and tactical applications
Steyr Arms announces new ATc and ATd modular pistols
They were previewed by selected members of the press in early September at the Lynx Pro Tactical training range in Slovenia, but it will take a few more weeks – months, in some cases – before they're available in most commercial markets: we're talking about the new Steyr Arms ATc and ATd 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistols, a sort of return to form for the Austrian company.
After almost twenty-five years of sticking to polymer frame, striker-fired pistol designs, the new Steyr Arms ATc atd ATd lines (where AT is the code for Austria and the letters C and D stand for "Competition" and Defense" respectively) bring the company back to manufacture a full metal, hammer-fired, SA/DA or SAO pistol design with a steel or aluminum frame depending on the model, a modified Browning type locking system, and a frame-mounted ambidextrous manual safety.
It's not a case that the pistols debuted in Slovenia: or most knowledgeable readers will definitely notice the similarities between the new Steyr Arms ATc and ATd pistols and the REX Alpha and REX Zero1/Zero2 handgun designs manufactured by the Arex company in Slovenia. And indeed, Arex and Steyr Arms have been in close collaboration ever since Steyr Arms was acquired by the Czech RSBC Group investment holding in April 2024: RSBC Group has been the owner of Arex since 2017.
This also means that the new Steyr Arms ATc and ATd pistols are very similar to modern SIG Sauer designs, of which the REX Zero1/Zero2 and REX Alpha pistols were conceived as derivatives and competitors: indeed, according to numerous source, many former employees from the SIG Sauer headquarters in Eckernförde, Germany, worked on the development of the new Steyr pistols.
The new Steyr Arms pistols debut in a full line-up consisting of five variants: the competition-oriented ATc series includes a Base model with a 5-inch barrel and two Rock models with 5-inch and 6-inch barrels; while the defense-oriented ATd model is available in a baseline Compact model with a 4-inch barrel and a Compact Comp model with a compensated muzzle and slide.
Both models are however built to be modern and modular, and the line is slated to expand in the future with the launch of new variants and components to best adapt each pistol to the needs and personal tastes of any shooter.
Steyr Arms ATc Base 5" 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol – right side
Steyr Arms ATc Base 5" 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol – left side
Steyr Arms ATc Rock 5" 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol – right side
Steyr Arms ATc Rock 5" 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol – left side
The Steyr Arms ATc competition pistols are all built on a precision-machined steel frame, with a Picatinny rail for accessories machined directly on to the dust cover and a set of black or blaze orange polymer grips depending on the model.
The baseline version – aptly called the ATc Base 5" – features a 127 mm / 5" barrel, a full brushed stainless steel finish on all outer metal surfaces, a solid optics-ready slide with front and rear slide serrations, adjustable rear sight, hand-fitted custom-grade components and a SA/DA trigger with a skeletonized hammer.
The trigger pull of the ATc Base 5" pistol comes finely tuned from factory to offer a fluid, smooth pull in double action and a short travel, a crisp break and super short reset in single action.
Steyr Arms ATc Rock 6" 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol – right side
Steyr Arms ATc Rock 6" 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol – left side
The Steyr Arms ATc Rock pistols, with their 127 mm / 5" or 152 mm / 6" cold hammer-forged Match barrels, represent a more advanced offering for practical shooting, with features such as a full PVD grey finish, a flat-faced trigger, a frontally lightened optics-ready slide with a set of LPA competition sights and a longer sighting line.
The Steyr Arms ATc Rock 5" and 6" pistols also come from factory with an ambidextrous, enhanced magazine catch, enlarged magazine well funnel, blaze orange 3D-printed ergonomic PA12 polymer grips, and a finely tuned 1,3 kg / 45.8 oz single-action only trigger.
Steyr Arms ATd Compact 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol – right side
Steyr Arms ATd Compact 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol – left side
Steyr Arms ATd Compact Comp 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol – right side
Steyr Arms ATd Compact Comp 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol – left side
The Steyr Arms ATd pistols are instead dedicated to tactical and defensive pistol shooting competition, concealed and open carry, personal defense, home and property protection, tactical applications, and to duty use by military, law enforcement, and private security personnel.
Built on a precision machined lightweight aluminum alloy frame, railed for accessories and featuring slip-proof ergonomic black polymer grip panels, the Steyr Arms ATd pistol is available in a baseline variant, dubbed the Compact, with a 101 mm / 4" barrel, and in the Compact Comp variant, featuring a built-in compensator on the slide and barrel that doesn't change the overall length of the firearm.
The Steyr Arms ATd pistols also feature a tactical ambidextrous magazine catch and frame-mounted manual safety, along with a manual decocker à la SIG Sauer for Condition 2 carry. While the original SIG Sauer design had a dedicated decocker separate from the slide stop lever, on the Steyr Arms ATd the same control performs both functions like on the REX Zero1/Zero2 pistols.
The SA/DA trigger of the Steyr Arms ATd pistols is set from factory on a 25N pull in single action and on 50N double action. All variants feature a matte black finish and a machined steel slide with front and rear serrations, a set of fixed tactical sights and an almost mandatory built-in interface for micro red dot sights.
Initially, the Steyr Arms ATd Compact and ATd Compact Comp pistols will only available in a 4-inch barrel configuration; tactical, long-slide versions with 5-inch and 6-inch barrels are planned for the near future.
Like all the Steyr Arms ATc competition pistols, the ATd Compact and Compact Comp models will also allow the use of interchangeable return springs, drop-in hammer springs for trigger pull and trigger mode configuration, and a list of additional features that will make them configurable on the go to tackle any and all ever-changing tactical and operational needs.
As mentioned, the Steyr Arms ATc and ATd pistols will – at least initially – be available only in 9mm Luger. All variants feed through the same double-stack metal magazines holding eighteen rounds, but extended twenty- and twenty-five rounds magazines will also be available.
In terms of size and weight, the Steyr Arms ATd Compact and ATd Compact Comp pistols are both 19 cm / 7.48" long overall and weigh in at approximately 868 grams (30.61 oz) when empty; the Steyr Arms ATc Base 5" and ATc Rock 5" pistols are both 216 mm / 8.5" long overall and weigh in at 1.2 kg / 2.7 lbs when empty, while the larger ATc Rock 6" is 246 mm / 9.68" long overall and weighs in at 1.28 kg (2.82 lbs) when empty.
Indicative retail prices have been announced for Europe, starting at 999€ for the Steyr Arms ATd Compact model and going all the way up to 2.166€ for the ATc Rock 6" model; these are not, however, the final prices as those will be established upon launch for each individual Country.
New as they are – they're still not even featured at all on the official Steyr Arms website – the Steyr Arms ATc and ATd pistols still need to make a name for themselves, but according to initial reports, they seem to feel and perform well enough to pay good service to the Steyr name and pose themselves as seriously competitive market alternatives for the near future.
That will, of course, depend on whether or not the manufacturer and their distributors will be able to use the right tools to persuade the public of their worth. The Steyr Arms ATc and ATd pistols are, after all, debuting on a fairly crowded market, where hammer-fired, all-metal pistols have been replaced by polymer frame, striker-fired designs as the gold standard of the handgun industry – despite, obviously, still being worth their while particularly when it comes to practical, tactical and defensive shooting competitions.
For all information concerning local availability and pricing, consult the authorized Steyr Arms GmbH distributor for your Country.