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Steyr AUG

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Steyr AUG is a family of firearms, first introduced in 1977 by the Austrian company Steyr Mannlicher. AUG stands for Armee Universal Gewehr, meaning "Universal Army Rifle". It is often used to refer to a specific version, especially the initial version which was 5.56 mm NATO bullpup assault rifle, with a distinctive green frame and integrated scope. It has since spawned a variety of related weapons including a submachine gun, a designated marksman rifle, and light machine guns. It has been adopted by a number of armed forces and organizations and is the standard service rifle of Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Ireland, and at one time Malaysia. The Malaysian Armed Forces replaced the Steyr Aug with the M4 Carbine in 2006.

Contents

Design

The AUG is one of the first rifles to enter service designed on a bullpup principle; this makes it 25% shorter than other rifles with similar barrel lengths, without compromising ballistic performance. Most versions come factory-equipped with a 1.5x magnification optical sight/carrying handle. The AUG is generally regarded as a modern ergonomic design for a combat rifle. Other features are ambidextrous controls and use of clear/translucent plastic magazines.

Barrels of the Steyr AUG can often be changed relatively easily to a different version, such as from a shorter barreled carbine (short rifle) to a longer barrel. There is even a modification kit which allows the Steyr AUG to be converted into a submachine gun. Some versions, like the light machine gun or heavy barrel tend to have more extensive differences and are factory pre-configured.

Users

The AUG is said to be well liked by the soldiers who carry it. [[Citing sources citation needed]] It has been used by the British SAS and other organisations in a counter-terror role. It is also currently in use by the U.S. Customs Service. In Austrian service it is designated StG-77 (for Sturmgewehr 77). The Steyr AUG and Steyr AUG HB (HBAR) are used by Luxembourg's army as well. In the Philippines, the elite Scout Rangers use the Steyr AUG as their primary weapon. In Pakistan, the Army and Naval Special Service Groups also use it as their primary assault rifle. The Pakistani ASF (Airports Security Force) is also a user of this weapon. The Tunisian police also use the AUG. The East Timorese police force has adopted the AUG as their standard assault rifle. There are semi-automatic versions that meet U.S. gun law restrictions; these have met with some popularity as a civilian rifle there.

An AUG family based on the AUG A3 was rumoured to compete for the U.S. Army's OICW Increment 1 competition, a program to replace the M4 carbine, M16 rifle, and M249 machine gun.[[Citing sources citation needed]] However, the OICW Increment 1 competition was put on hold and eventually cancelled in 2005.

The AUG also has a modified Australian variant, the F-88 Austeyr, which is the standard service rifle of the Australian Defence Force and the New Zealand Defence Force. There is also a shorter carbine variant (with a shorter barrel) which is used primarily by corps operating in vehicles (such as armour, transport and cavalry regiments).

The safety catch on the Australian F-88 Austeyr has had its serviceability called into question on a number of occasions [[Citing sources citation needed]]. The safety catch slides from side to side through the weapon, with one position (pushed fully right) being "safe" and another (pushed fully left) being "fire". In the past, however, there has been a tendency for the catch to lose its ability to lock in either of the positions (i.e. the "click" is lost and the safety catch slides freely (or too easily) from side to side) and thereby risk compromising the safety of the weapon. As a result, the Australian Defence Force has improved maintenance schedules and instructs its members to constantly check the condition ("safe" or "fire") of their weapons in a large range of situations (for example, when picking up or putting down the weapon, when handing it to or receiving it from someone, when changing between most degrees of weapon readiness, etc.).

In the Irish Defence Forces the Steyr AUG was selected after more than two years of exhaustive technical assessment by the Army Ordinance Corps and field trials by units throughout the Defence Forces, to replace the FN FAL that had been in use since the early 1960s Initially a total of nine weapons (Beretta AR70/90, the Colt M16A2, the Enfield L85A1, the FN FNC, the HK G41, the IMI Galil, the FAMAS, the SIG SG550, and the Steyr AUG) from various countries were evaluated technically in firing trials, each firing thousands of rounds while their accuracy and reliability were gauged. Deliveries of the Steyr AUG to the Irish Defence Forces began in 1988. Today the Steyr is the primary infantry weapon of the Permanent & Reserve elements of Ireland's military forces, although it was not introduced into the Reserve Defence Force until 2001.

It is also used by the Falkland Islands Defence Force.

Characteristics

Variants

Steyr AUG A2 407 mm
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Steyr AUG A2 407 mm

Steyr AUG A3 with a grenade launcher
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Steyr AUG A3 with a grenade launcher

Steyr AUG 9 mm
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Steyr AUG 9 mm

Popular culture

The AUG in '.
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The AUG in .

The Steyr AUG series of weapons is present in numerous works of fiction — most prominently films and computer and video games, which often feature the firearm.

See also

External links

Steyr ACR
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Steyr ACR

 

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