Steyr CL II SL

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Bases and Rails

The History of Steyr

The story of Steyr Mannlicher began in 1821 when Leopold Werndl, a blacksmith, started manufacturing iron parts for firearms in the city of Steyr. His son Josef Werndl took over his business and founded the 'Josef und Franz Werndl & Comp. Waffenfabrik und Sägemühle in Oberletten ' in 1864. In the following years, he played a crucial role in the development of several rifles, including the straight pull-rifles M. 85 and M. 86. At the beginning of the 20th century, the engineers Ferdinand Mannlicher and Otto Schönauer developed the Original Mannlicher Schönauer, a legendary hunting rifle, the production of which took place until 1973. The company grew over the years and reached a production capability of 4.000 firearms per day before World War I. After the War, Steyr was prohibited from firearm manufacturing after the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye was signed. To avoid going bankrupt, they used their knowledge and machinery to manufacture cars, bicycles, motorcycles, tractors, trucks, dynamos, electric motors, and other things (they were not allowed to resume firearm production until 1930). In 1926, the company’s name was changed to Steyr-Werke AG. It merged with Austro-Daimler-Puchwerke AG in 1934 to form Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG. Both Austro-Daimler (previously a subsidiary of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft) and Puch (founded by the Slovenian inventor and mechanic Janez Puh) were active in the automobile industry, with Puch also manufacturing bicycles, motorcycles, and mopeds.

They even employed Ferdinand Porsche for a time – he made several contributions to the company – one of them was designing an air-cooled 3.5 L V8 engine for the Steyr RSO Raupenschlepper Ost tracked vehicle. Steyr is known for modifying Fiat cars and adding their engines to some of the models (Steyr-Fiat 1100 Mod E and Fiat 1400, for example). In 1972, they cooperated with Mercedes in the design of Puch G, also known as Mercedes Benz G-class.

During World War II, the company focused on firearm, vehicle, aviation engine, and ball-bearing production for the German military. After a short firearm manufacturing ban after the end of the War, Steyr resumed the production of arms in 1950. In the years that followed, they presented many innovative firearms such as StG 77 (also known as Steyr AUG), an assault rifle with a bullpup design; SSG 69, which was ahead of its time after its release in 1969, and many others. In 1989, Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG broke up into different sectors; Steyr Mannlicher AG became independent. The company has strived to be internationally oriented, so it changed its name to Steyr Arms in 2019.

Steyr CL II SL Rifle Review

Steyr introduced the CL II bolt-action rifle series in 2014. It succeeded the popular Mannlicher Classic rifle which had been on the market since 1997. It is equipped with Steyr's SBS (Safe Bolt System) which is based on a 2+1 safety, operated by a wheel switch. Additionally, there are four locking lugs and multiple gas ports on the bolt. The grooves on the bolt allow for a smooth operation, even in adverse environmental conditions.

The magazine holds 4 rounds, except for the magnum versions where the magazines have a 3-shot capacity. The action is of the push feed type. The non-magnum models’ barrel length is either 508 mm or 558 mm while the magnum CL II rifles’ barrel measures 600 mm or 635 mm, depending on the caliber. The Mannox® surface provides corrosion resistance, abrasion protection, and minimizes light reflection.

Steyr CL II SL (B: 56 mm)

Figure 1: Steyr CL II SX in .223 Rem. (SL model), (Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvp3fz8y8r8)

Steyr CL II SL Calibers

The SL (Super Leicht) model is chambered for the following calibers:

.222 Rem.
.223 Rem.

Steyr CL II SL Variants

The rifle is available in the following variants:

Mountain and Mountain SX*

All other CL II action lengths:

There are six holes for mounting purposes on CL II's receiver, 3 on the front, and 3 on the rear mounting surface. There is no difference in height between the surfaces.

The receiver of Steyr CL II SL (B: 56 mm)

Figure 2: The receiver of Steyr CL II SL (B: 56 mm), (Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1J3OwY64LE)

A1: 11.84 mm

A: 10 mm

B: 56 mm

C: 11.84 mm

C1: 10 mm

BHU: 0 mm

Ø: 6-48

R1: R35

R2: R35

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Steyr CL II SL

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Steyr CL II SL

The necessary condition for rifles to have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable is that the mounting surfaces of these rifles match in every dimension. Rifles that have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Steyr CL II SL are the following:

Steyr Pro Hunter SL
Steyr Classic SL
Steyr SM 12 SL

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Steyr CL II SL

For two-piece scope mounts to be interchangeable, the mounting surfaces of the rifles must match in every dimension except the action length which can vary. This is because the distance between the two pieces of the mount is not fixed. Rifles that have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Steyr CL II SL are the following:

Steyr Mannlicher Classic SL
Steyr Mannlicher Classic L
Steyr Mannlicher Classic M
Steyr Mannlicher Classic S
Steyr CL II S
Steyr CL II L
Steyr CL II M
Steyr SM 12 L
Steyr SM 12 M
Steyr SM 12 S
Steyr SM 12 SL
Steyr Pro Hunter SL after 2003
Steyr Pro Hunter L after 2003
Steyr Pro Hunter M after 2003
Steyr Pro Hunter S after 2003
Steyr Pro Hunter S before 2003
Steyr Pro Hunter M before 2003
Steyr Pro Hunter L before 2003
Sako A7 S
Sako A7 M
Browning A-Bolt LA
Browning A-Bolt SA
Browning A-Bolt II LA
Browning A-Bolt II SA
Browning Eurobolt LA
Browning Eurobolt SA

Should you have any additional information regarding possible mount matches, please contact us. We will gladly accept your help and expand our database accordingly.

Best Scope Mounts for Steyr CL II SL

Fixed Scope Mounts for Steyr CL II SL

MAKfix Rings are simple to install, reliable, and recoil resistant. This makes them the most suitable fixed mounting solution for Steyr CL II SL.

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Steyr CL II SL

We recommend the use of this steel pivot mount by Recknagel if you are interested in detachable repeatable scope mounts for Steyr CL II SL (Super Leicht).

Picatinny Rails for Steyr CL II SL

When choosing a Picatinny rail for Steyr CL II SL, you need to keep an eye on the distance between the holes on the rail. There are a few manufacturers which produce Picatinny rails for Steyr CL II SL (B distance of 56 mm). EAW’s steel Picatinny rail is an excellent choice as it perfectly matches CL II's steel receiver.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu