A Brief History of Anschutz

by
posted on September 13, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
ans-2.jpg

Julius Gottfried Anschutz founded J.G. Anschutz in 1856 in Mehlis, Thuringia, Germany. Forty years later, the company moved from its small workshop to its first factory building, and within 10 years grew from 76 to 550 employees. After World War II, the Russians shut down and dismantled the factory, initiating the Anschutz family’s move to Ulm, West Germany. Again, the company grew quickly and shortly thereafter, the first Olympic gold medals were won at the 1960 Olympic Games with Anschutz target rifles, equipped with the world famous Match 54 action. Since then, Anschutz has been a well-known fixture on the firing line.

From its headquarters in Ulm, Anschutz serves customers in approximately 90 countries, with a few distributors located in the U.S., including Anschutz North America.

Anschutz History | Photo by AnschutzIn 2007, then-Anschutz President Dieter Anschutz told Shooting Sports USA, “Our plans for the future are the production and further development of the world’s best target rifles, as well as target air pistols which are produced by our sister company, Steyr Sportwaffen GmbH in Austria, and the further development of target shooting accessories form our sister company, ahg Anschutz Handelsgesallschaft GmbH.”

In 2006, Anschutz celebrated its 150th anniversary, and continues to be recognized for its innovation and perfection. For the 160th anniversary in July 2016, the company released several limited edition commemorative rifles (including one beauty manufactured from titanium) in the months leading up to the 2017 IWA Show.

For more information, visit www.anschuetz-sport.com


Read more company origin stories:

Latest

2026 Gatorcupsportingclays 1A
2026 Gatorcupsportingclays 1A

Gator Cup Returns to Back Woods Quail Club with Beretta DT11 Giveaway

The 2026 Gator Cup at Back Woods Quail Club in South Carolina runs March 24-29, featuring eight events, guaranteed payouts and a Beretta DT11 giveaway.

New: Springfield Armory XD Mod.4 OSP

Springfield Armory’s XD Mod.4 OSP is a 9 mm striker-fired pistol with a factory-milled optics-ready slide, flat-face trigger and passive grip safety, shipping in 16-round and 10-round configurations at $399.

Mark The Milestone: Federal’s America 250th Commemorative Loads Have Arrived

Federal Ammunition’s America 250th commemorative line is shipping now with five loads across the American Eagle, Top Gun and Champion families, priced from $12.99 to $74.99.

West Virginia Claims NCAA Air Rifle Team Title With Record-Tying 2395

WVU matches NCAA air rifle team record with 2395, powered by three 599 scores from Lake, Muller and Kocher, to win discipline title by eight points.

NRA America’s Rifle Challenge: Kyle Lamb’s Guide to Zeroing Your Rifle for ARC

Kyle Lamb zeroes three rifles across ARC’s Stock, Limited and Open divisions, then demonstrates height-over-bore holds at 10 yards and mil-based elevation dials out to 384 yards.

Anderson Shares Singles Title After 450-Target Marathon at Southern Grand American

Weston Anderson and Ricky Marshall, Jr., declared Singles Co-Champions after breaking 450 consecutive targets at 2026 Southern Grand American.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Sports USA delivered to your inbox.