The history of the company already started in the 19th century as the Goluch family, originally from Skotschau (now Poland), settled in Linz, Austria. The son, Karl Franz Goluch, trained as gunsmith with Ludwig Koppensteiner and after becoming a master craftsman, he founded his own shop in Linz together with his wife Maria Goluch in 1896. Before WWII he moved his shop to Herrenstraße 40 which soon became again too small for the growing business and also the house was partly destroyed by bombs during the war. Therfore his son Carl Ferdinand Goluch started building a new house and work shop at Herrenstraße 50 in 1945 after the war, which is still in operation today. He also built a shooting range in the cellar which is extremely useful to the company and its customers up to this day.

After the war the business boomed, especially with hunting rifles and more and more gun smiths were busy catering to the clientele. Selling gunpowder and dynamite was always a traditional part of the gunmaking trade in Austria and especially after the war in high demand for reconstruction and the number of employees grew to 20 at this time in the history of the company. A further branch was opened in Linz to cater to both Russian and American occupied sectors of the city. The business was handed down to the sons Karl and Fritz Goluch who further expanded the business and also the shooting range which now stretched 100 meters through the whole cellar and under the garden of the property.

In 1963 16 year old Rudolf Schmid joined the company as gunsmith apprentice and completed his apprenticeship after then 4 years with the company Carl Goluch. He became master craftsman in 1969 and was able to marry the sister of the owners Karl and Fritz, Helene Maria Goluch. Together with her he founded his own business in 1974 and also a branch in Schärding am Inn. Rudolf Schmid was in his sporting career 16 times clay pidgeon shooting champion in Austria.

His son Marco Schmid, after becoming master craftsman in Ferlach, took over the branch in Herrenstrasse 50 in 1995 and continued under the name Schmid & Son. They also branched out to Steyr, but after the catastrophic flood in the summer of 2002 it was closed down.

In 2004 Marco Schmid moved the main focus of the company to Vienna and opened a small work shop in the 18th district but also keeping one branch in Linz with the former headquarter in Herrenstrasse 50. Since 2014 we are also operating a beautiful show room in the heart of Vienna in the 7th district where we present a selection of fines shotguns and rifles and exclusive apparel to our customers. A lounge area with open fireplace, a lecture room for our hunting license seminars and a small open kitchen for game cooking courses are completing our range of services.

In 2014 we changed the name of the company in memory of the founder Carl Ferdinand Goluch and the founding year 1896 to Carl Goluch 1896

Today, the great grandson of the founder, gunsmith Marco Schmid and the team of Carl Goluch 1896, are available for you  by prior appointment in Vienna, Linz and Altaussee.