Steyr AUG

The AUG is an Austrian bullpup 5.56mm assault rifle, designed in the early 1970s by Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG (formerly Steyr-Daimler-Puch). The AUG (Armee Universal Gewehr—”universal army rifle”) was adopted by the Austrian Army as the StG 77 (Sturmgewehr 77) in 1977, where it replaced the 7.62mm StG 58 automatic rifle (a license-built FN FAL). In production since 1978, it is the standard small arm of the Austrian Bundesheer and various national police units.

The rifle has also been adopted by the armed forces of Argentina, Australia (accepted into service in 1985 and manufactured by Australian Defence Industries in Lithgow), this F88 Austeyr model is also in use by New Zealand, Bolivia, Ecuador (since 1988), Republic of Ireland, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia (introduced in 1978), Pakistan, and (since 1988) U.S. Customs Service (now the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency).

The AUG, a bullpup 5.56mm assault rifle, is a selective fire weapon with a conventional gas piston operated action that fires from a closed bolt. Designed as a family of rifles that could be quickly adapted to a wide variety of roles with the change of the barrel to a desired length and profile, the AUG is a modular configuration rifle that employs a high level of polymer and advanced alloy components.

The primary variant of the rifle, designated the AUG A1, consists of six main assemblies: the barrel, receiver with integrated telescopic sight, bolt and carrier, trigger mechanism, stock and magazine.

The AUG uses the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge and the standard 1:9 rifling twist will stabilize both SS109/M855 and M193 bullets. Some nations including Australia and New Zealand use a version with a 1:7 twist optimised for the SS109 NATO round.

Variants

• AUG A1: Standard version introduced in 1977. Available with a choice of olive or black furniture.
• AUG A2: Similar to the AUG A1, but features a redesigned charging handle and a detachable telescopic sight which can be replaced with a MIL-STD-1913 rail.
• AUG A3: Similar to the AUG A2, but features a MIL-STD-1913 rail on top of the receiver, and an external bolt release.
• AUG A3 SF (also known as the AUG A2 Commando): Similar to the AUG A2, but features MIL-STD-1913 rails mounted on the telescopic sight and on the right side of the receiver, and includes an external bolt release. It was adopted by the Austrian Special Forces in late 2007.
• AUG A3 SA USA: Semi-automatic AUG A3 with a 407 mm (16.0 in) barrel, made available for the U.S. civilian market in April 2009.
• AUG P: Semi-automatic AUG A1 with a shorter, 407 mm (16.0 in) barrel.
• AUG P Special Receiver: Similar to the AUG P, but features a MIL-STD-1913 rail on top of the receiver.
• AUG 9mm (also known as the AUG SMG or AUG Para): Chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum and produced since 1988. Differs from A1 model in barrel, bolt, magazine and a magazine well adapter, which allows the rifle to feed from Steyr MPi 69 magazines. This version operates as a blowback firearm, without use of the rifle’s gas system. For some time a kit of the above components was available to convert any AUG into a 9mm variant.
• AUG A3 9mm XS: 9mm version of the AUG A3, similar to the AUG 9mm. Features a 325 mm (12.8 in) barrel and Picatinny rail system.
• AUG M203: An AUG modified for use with the M203 grenade launcher.
• AUG LSW (Light Support Weapon): A family of light support versions of the AUG.
• AUG HBAR (Heavy-Barreled Automatic Rifle): A longer, heavier-barreled version for use as a light machine gun.
• AUG LMG (Light machine gun): Based on the AUG HBAR, fires from an open bolt, has 4x rather than 1.5x optic of the base AUG.
• AUG LMG–T: Same as LMG, but has rail similar to the AUG P Special Receiver.
• AUG HBAR–T: A designated marksman rifle based on the HBAR with a universal scope mount cast into the receiver and fitted with a Kahles ZF69 6×42 optical sight.
• AUG Z: Semi-automatic version, somewhat similar to the A2, intended primarily for civilian use.
• AUG SA: Semi-automatic version of the A1 variant; built for civilian use and import to the US before being banned from importation in 1989.
• USR: An AUG A2 modified to meet the former Federal Assault Weapons Ban (AWB) (or Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act) regulations.

Other Information

• Type : Assault rifle, Submachine gun, Light machine gun
• Place of origin : Austria
• In service : 1979–present
• Designer : Horst Wesp, Karl Wagner, Karl Möser
• Designed : 1977
• Manufacturer : Steyr Mannlicher, Thales Australia, Lithgow Facility, SME Ordnance
• Produced : 1978–present (Standard), 1988–present (Para)
• Weight
  • 3.6 kg (7.9 lb) (Standard)
  • 3.3 kg (7.3 lb) (Carbine)
  • 3.2 kg (7.1 lb) (Subcarbine)
  • 3.9 kg (8.6 lb) (HBAR)
  • 3.3 kg (7.3 lb) (Para)
• Length
  • 790 mm (31.1 in) (Standard)
  • 690 mm (27.2 in) (Carbine)
  • 630 mm (24.8 in) (Subcarbine)
  • 900 mm (35.4 in) (HBAR)
  • 665 mm (26.2 in) (Para)
• Barrel length
  • 508 mm (20.0 in) (Standard)
  • 407 mm (16.0 in) (Carbine)
  • 350 mm (13.8 in) (Subcarbine)
  • 621 mm (24.4 in) (HBAR)
  • 420 mm (16.5 in) (Para)
• Cartridge
  • 5.56x45mm NATO
  • 9x19mm Parabellum (Para)
• Action : Gas-operated, rotating bolt
• Rate of fire : 680-750 rounds/min
• Muzzle velocity : Standard rifle: 970 m/s (3,182 ft/s)
• Effective range : 300 metres (980 ft)
• Maximum range : 2,700 metres (8,900 ft)
• Feed system :
  • 5.56x45mm NATO: 30 or 42-round box magazine
  • 9x19mm Parabellum: 25 or 32-round MPi 69 box magazine
• Sights : Swarovski 1.5x telescopic sight, back-up iron sights

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