[SHOT 2026] Steyr ATD and ATC Pistols

Are you sick of polymer-frame, striker-fired handguns? Tired of the newest Glock imitator trying to promise a revolutionary design? Me too. So, after I saw the giant posters at Range Day advertising the Steyr ATD and ATC, I knew I had to zoom over there and check them out. I saw a hammer and a metal frame, and I had hope.

The ATD

I hopped on my “Lamborfeeties” and marched over to Steyr. What greeted me was a mix of black and stainless guns in various sizes and configurations. The ATD is a DA/SA (double-action/single-action) gun.

It was quickly explained that the “D” in ATD stands for Defense, and that it is a duty- and concealed-carry-oriented firearm. The “AT” stands for Austria. The website shows both standard and ported versions in configurations roughly the size of a Glock 19.

The ATC

A big stainless gun was making its best attempt to mimic the Desert Eagle. It was eye-catching: the ATC ROCK, featuring a six-inch barrel configuration and an all-steel frame. It is bright and shiny with orange grips, lightning cuts, optics, and massive controls. Beside the big one was a slightly smaller five-inch model. Both of these guns are single-action only.

The five-inch gun has both a ROCK configuration with fancy lightning cuts and a base model that is a little simpler, keeping the DA/SA design of the ATD. The “C” in ATC stands for Competition. I had a lightbulb moment as I shot the second one; something felt familiar here. Sure, they are a bit SIG P226-like, but then it clicked.

These are Arex Zero pistols. As I set them down to take photos, the “Made in Slovenia” and Arex markings were clear. It turns out Steyr and Arex were purchased by the RSBC Group. This opened up a partnership for Steyr to release the Zero pistols with their own touch.

The ATC and ATD at the Range

Oddly enough, the one I enjoyed shooting most was the ATD. It is smaller and lighter with an aluminum frame. Maybe it is just familiarity with pistols of this size. The double-action was remarkably smooth and fantastic overall, which translated to a single-action trigger with a little take-up but a very nice break.

The ATC seemed to shoot flatter. The shorter slide is snappier for sure, but it resets quickly and flatly. After you pull the trigger, the dot settles right back to where you want it. The ATD series has an aggressive grip texture and an ergonomic layout. To be perfectly honest, I am not a fan of manual safeties on DA/SA pistols. They seem redundant, and I prefer the SIG P22X style of a decocker only, but I can live with it.

The ROCK variants of the ATC weren’t snappy at all. The recoil impulse translated more to a push than a snap. The six-inch version feels notably long, and as the slide goes back and forth, you can feel the muzzle want to dip. I don’t have a lot of experience with handguns this size, so maybe that is the issue; it just doesn’t feel as fast as the ATD in my hands.

Steyr Goes Arex

The entire series is optics-ready. None of them were difficult to shoot; I was hitting steel without issue and driving the gun between targets. I am a DA/SA fan, so the ATD appeals to me a fair bit. What is particularly interesting is that Steyr makes the grips available to 3D print.

The website has a link that leads to various file types. Users can tweak these files to make significant changes to the grips and print them as they wish. Predictably, there are already several grip panel options in three sizes to act as a starting point. This is a neat addition, and even if you don’t own a 3D printer, there are plenty of services that will print them for you at a great price.

Overall, the price of the base model starts at 999 Euros, and the ROCK 6-inch retails for 2,166 Euros. In “Freedom Money,” we can expect the prices to be a little higher once they hit the US market.