Steyr Scout Re-Examined

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:53:00 -0600

Here is what American Hunter had to say about the Scout Rifle. http://www.americanhunter.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=2214&cid=58

The Steyr Elite 08

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:43:00 -0600

Here is what the American Rifleman had to say about the Elite 08. http://www.americanrifleman.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=2062&cid=3

Return of the Steyr Aug

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:32:00 -0600

Guns Magazine: Surplus Locker, Feburary 2010 Short, compact, odd-looking but distinctive, Steyr�s 5.56mm AUG (Armee Universal Gewehr) has been the most successfully received of all the military bullpup designs. Adopted in 1978 by Austria, the AUG is the official arm of a number of countries, most notably Australia and New Zealand. The original semi-automatic model of the AUG was never imported in great quantity and was relatively pricey at the time when compared to Colt AR-15s selling for less than $800. Frankly, the AUG has been sorely missed in the milsurp stream for many years, and collector prices for existing examples have been approaching the stratosphere. Well, Steyr�s fixing that problem with the introduction of their new, semi-auto AUG/A3 SA USA, manufactured and assembled under contract by Sabre Defense Industries of Nashville, Tenn. Picking up the new AUG reminds you just how ergonomic the overall design is. With an overall length of just 28" and weighing 7.8 pounds, the AUG has a handling dynamic all of its own. Your hands naturally cradle the stock. All the essential controls are at your finger tips, except for the magazine and magazine release. Once you�ve handled and shot an AUG, you realize just how much sense the bullpup design makes.

Simplicity And Common Sense

By virtually eliminating the buttstock and replacing it with the receiver itself, the design immediately shrinks the overall length of a rifle or carbine by at least 7" to 10". When you�re loaded down with body armor, a backpack and munitions and probably cramped up inside a Humvee or chopper, a compact weapon is a distinct advantage. It�s no accident the telescoping-stocked M4 has emerged as the hands down favorite of American troops. Designed in the 1970s at Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co., the AUG was conceived as a modular and ambidextrous 5.56mm rifle, carbine or light machinegun. Composed of six main components�the barrel, receiver group, bolt group, stock group, trigger group and magazine�the AUG can be disassembled into those modular components without tools in a minute. The key component in switching from let�s say, a rifle into a carbine, is the AUG quick-change barrel assembly. In seconds, you can pull a 20" rifle barrel and install a 16" carbine barrel. Similarly, to configure the AUG for a right- or left-handed shooter, you can change from right- or left-hand ejection by simply swapping out the bolt and the ejection port lids. The AUG is powered by a short-stroke, gas piston system which is adjustable to compensate for cold weather or severely fouled conditions. The 7-lug rotary bolt is carried and cammed into battery by a bolt carrier that reciprocates within the receiver on two hollow steel rods containing the return springs.

Synthetics

In the construction of the AUG, Steyr has made maximum use of synthetics and composites. The stock is molded from a fiberglass-reinforced polymer. The receiver is made from a steel-reinforced aluminum extrusion, and the modular fire control system, housed under the buttplate, consisting of the hammer and sear, is composed entirely of plastics with the exception the mainsprings and pivot pins. I have a hunch Gaston Glock learned a few things from Steyr Mannlicher! The new semi-automatic AUG/ A3 SA USA model with its 16" barrel can be classified as a carbine within the AUG family. Gone is the earlier model�s distinctive, integral carrying handle incorporating a 1.5X scope sight made by Swarovski. Instead the �A3� model incorporates two universal (MIL-STD-1913) Picatinny ribs. One rib forms a conventional �flattop� on the top of the receiver for sighting devices. The other is a short rib on the right side of the receiver for auxiliary accessories.

Sighting

For testing purposes, I mounted Burris latest FF30 TACT scope in their tactical high rings. The Burris FF30 TACT scope features a 30mm tube, 3-9x40mm optics and repeatable target adjustment knobs. With the straight, high comb of the AUG, high rings are almost a necessity. The new AUG proved to be very tight. Tolerances are obviously being held to a minimum. As I used the AUG, the non-reciprocating charging handle, called a �cocking slide�, became easier to work because the bolt carrier was obviously wearing in a bit. So, too, the polymer trigger seemed to smooth out over time.

Trigger

Speaking of triggers, the challenge in any bullpup design is the trigger. How do you mechanically link a forward mounted trigger to a rear mounted sear and achieve an acceptable trigger pull? In the AUG, the designers used a double- ended, U-shaped rod running from the trigger along both sides of the frame and around the magazine well to connect to the front arms of the sear at two points. The distance from the trigger to the sear is approximately 9-1/2". The result, a long, mushy, trigger pull, breaks very cleanly but at a weight-of-pull of 10-3/4 pounds. The consistency of the break point makes the heavy trigger of the AUG manageable, but it takes some getting used to. There is no forearm to the AUG bullpup design. In its place is a foldable, vertical, barrel grip. With the short 16" barrel, actually 18" with the flash hider, it�s important to keep your hand on the grip and not forward of it. With your hand on the vertical grip, your flesh is only 1" away from the gas regulator exhaust port and 4" away from the rear vent of the flash hider/muzzlebrake. At the range, I used a rear bag under the butt and a folded towel between the heel of my forward gripping hand and the bench. It proved to be a very stable position. The chrome-lined barrel is hammer forged with a 1:9" twist and so marked. A sensible compromise of a twist, it can handle either 55-grain M193 ammunition or 62-grain SS109 rounds, however, the AUG seemed to favor sporting over military ammunition.

Ammo Shortage

Unfortunately, at the time of the test, no SS109 ammunition was available, but there was plenty of M193 around. Shooting 3-shot groups at 100 yards, the AUG grouped both IMI M193 and CorBon 55-grain FMJ into 3-1/2". I thought it could do better than that, and it did. Hornady 55-grain Varmint Express and Winchester 55-grain Ballistic Silvertip averaged 2", and then it got even better. Federal 55-grain Hi-Shok averaged 1-1/2" while the absolute best groups were turned in by Hornady 40-grain Varmint Express averaged 3/4" to 1". That gave me an idea. A pair of local coyotes had been living off Coues white-tail fawns all summer and needed to be sorted out. Disassembling and blocking the 30-round, translucent AUG magazine to a 5-round capacity, I loaded it up with Federal 55-grain Hi- Shok and took the AUG hunting. As I discovered, the neat quality of the AUG as a varmint calling rifle is its compact size. You can hunker down and hide in very heavy brush and still be able to quickly manipulate and fire the carbine in any direction. Taking a stand, I turned up the volume on my Hunter Specialties� Johnny Stewart varmint caller and lowered the boom on the male of the pair as he came charging in. Sweet success! It may be the first coyote taken with the new AUG, but it won�t be the last. If you�re getting a bit jaded with the endless variations of the AR-15 platform being offered, you will find the AUG bullpup a breath of fresh air. Retaining all the elements of its military antecedents, it has also proved to be a handy hunting rifle and a lot of fun to shoot.

STEYR AUG A3 SA .223

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:04:00 -0600

Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement, Feb. 2010

Images by Steve Woods

Austria�s universal army rifle on U.S. soil � a first rate ENTRY WEAPON! The Steyr AUG A3 SA USA is a bullpup design based on the original Steyr AUG dating back to the early 70s. Various versions of the AUG are in use by military, police and special operations units all over the world. AUG stands for Armee Universal Gewehr or in Yankee language, �universal army rifle.� The �SA� version of the A3 rendition of this weapon system designates it as semi-automatic only and unless you�re living on some other planet, you should be able to glean that USA means the rifle is intended for sale in the United States. In case you�re unfamiliar with the term bullpup and how it relates to firearms, it is used to describe a firearm where the action and magazine are located behind the trigger. The primary advantage of this configuration is conservation of space. By incorporating the action in the buttstock the overall length of the rifle is reduced considerably. For example, the total length of a Steyr AUG with an 18.38-inch barrel (including flash hider) is only 28 inches, compared to about 36 inches for an AR with the same barrel length. Another advantage of the AUG is that its operating handle is on the left side of the weapon, similar to a Heckler & Koch MP 5. This may not seem like a big deal but this permits the operator to manipulate the action with his non-firing hand while the rifle is still on his shoulder and shooting hand on the grip with finger poised over the trigger. Gun Details
To black rifle aficionados familiar with the AR platform this rifle will seem radical to the point of extreme, and not just because of the bullpup design. A couple features bear mentioning. There is a vertical foregrip that can be folded up by pulling down on the grip and pushing it forward. The safety is large and positioned behind the trigger and directly opposite the opposing thumb. The magazine release is located under the buttstock, behind the magazine and is perfectly positioned so that you depress the release with the thumb of your left hand as you remove the magazine. The bolt release is on the left side of the buttstock, just above the magazine release. And as mentioned, the operating handle is also on the left side of the rifle and when fully retracted, the operating lever can be folded up, locking the bolt to the rear. On top of the barrel there is a raised, 10-inch section of Picatinny rail and on the right side of the lower receiver there is another 2-inch section of rail for accessory mounting. Sling swivels are included on the right rear of the buttstock and just forward of the above-barrel Picatinny rail. The rear sling-swivel stud is integral to the disassembly process and when just partially depressed, allows for the removal of the buttpad for access to a cleaning kit, which is stored in the buttstock. The rifle can be completely field stripped in a matter of seconds, but comes apart in a manner so bizarre you will question the process even as you�re doing it for the tenth time. With the exception of the barrel, none of the parts look like what you think they should. What really amazed me when I field stripped the rifle after firing 200 rounds was how incredibly clean all the internal parts were. There�s no question this is a radical design conceived by someone thinking outside the box. The Steyr AUG A3 SA USA I was provided for testing came equipped with an Austrian made optic which is a genuine Steyr accessory that retails for $799. It was a 1.5�14mm, tactical-style scope with a crosshair/circle reticle. Externally, the scope has a Picatinny rail on top for the mounting of additional accessories. Since this was the way the rifle was supplied, most of the shooting was conducted in this configuration. Shooting Impressions
Five different loads were tested from the bench at 50 yards and the average group size for all 15 groups fired was 1.37 inches. This may not seem all that impressive but keep two things in mind. For one, this is a combat weapon designed to shoot bad guys not prairie dogs and two; the coarse reticle and low magnification scope made precision shooting, even at 50 yards, tedious. Like most tactical optics, the Steyr scope mounted directly to the Picatinny rail. The difference was in the screws used. These required a special wrench that is supplied with the rifle. I removed the Steyr scope and installed a Tactical Leupold Mark 4 MR/T 1.5-5�20mm with their SPR reticle. I then fired several more groups at 50 yards with a couple different loads. For those that are all wrapped up in accuracy, the thinner reticle and 5x magnification reduced group sizes, on average, by about a quarter of an inch. Where the AUG really excelled was in fast action drills on targets between five and 50 yards, especially when multiple shots were fired at each target. The weapon was very controllable and I was able to double-tap targets with blinding speed and still get good hits. A SWAT officer who assisted in the testing was impressed with the speed at which multiple hits could be obtained too, especially when multiple targets were engaged. We both found the Steyr AUG to point naturally and be very controllable during sustained, rapid fire. The assisting SWAT officer also liked the extreme compactness of the AUG commenting, �It would make a first rate entry weapon.� I agree, and think this the true forte of this weapon system. It�s compact and easy to control with the shooting hand and one of the few tactical type rifles with a barrel longer than 16 inches that will still permit the operator to use his off-hand to manipulate doors or deal with combatants or suspects while still keeping the rifle on shoulder and orientated at the threat. During the testing, which involved firing 400 rounds of a variety of ammunitions; there were no malfunctions, period. Final Notes
As far as I am concerned, there are only two downsides to the Steyr AUG being implemented in a law enforcement or military unit, or even used by a civilian. First is price; for the cost of one Steyr AUG a department could acquire several ARs. The bean counters and the tactical guys at each agency (you and your wife for tactical minded civilians) will have to weigh the benefits of the AUG to determine the worth of its purchase price. The second consideration would be the intense train-up required to bring team members up to speed on the weapon system. The Steyr AUG is unlike anything currently used by American law enforcement or military personnel, all of which are at least familiar or have an intimate relationship with AR platform. Someone without prior long gun experience would likely take to the Steyr AUG in a hurry but for those that already find the weapon craft of the AR second nature, there will be a steep learning curve. For larger departments with good funding or for those that know how to work the federal grant system, cost may not be an issue. Just the same, departments that have dedicated 24/7 tactical officers or military units that can train as much as needed, will be less concerned about the transition from the AR, or whatever tactical rifle they currently issue, to the Steyr AUG. What cannot be denied is that the Steyr is a reliable, tactical entry or combat weapon that, in the hands of a well-trained and skilled operator, would be a formidable force while serving a high-risk warrant, conducting a raid of a meth-house, during a hostage rescue situation or on the battlefield. For those same reasons it would be a good home defense firearm too. These are precisely the reasons some version of the Steyr AUG is being used in these type situations all over the world.

The US Made Steyr AUG A3 SA

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:37:00 -0600

Black Guns, Feb. 2010 Images by Steve Woods Based upon the famous Austrian design and made here in the United States, the new 5.56x45mm AUG offers U.S. shooters an irresistible bullpup. Many readers may already be familiar with the Austrian AUG rifle (Armee Universal Gewehr, or universal army rifle). However, many may not yet know about the new and improved Steyr AUG-A3, a weapon manufactured in the U.S., thereby avoiding the import restrictions placed on foreign weapons. The Steyr AUG is an Austrian bullpup 5.56mm assault rifle, designed by Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co, formerly of the Steyr-Daimler-Puch conglomerate. The AUG was adopted by the Austrian Army as the StG 77 (Sturmgewehr 77) in 1977, replacing the much older and heavier StG 58. The rifle has been a tremendous commercial success, adopted by the armed forces of more than 35 countries. Germany acquired the AUG for their Spezialeinsatzkommando, while the Australian Defense Force chose it for their primary rifle. Additionally, New Zealand, Bolivia, Ecuador, Ireland, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Oman�even the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency�among others, use the weapon in some capacity. In the 1980s, the AUG was gaining market share within the new Tactical Match niche and 3-Gun competitions. King at the time was the AR-15 HBAR with an ACOG or COLT 4X scope. Yet, the Steyr is a more compact, reliable and accurate rifle. Its integrated sight went a step beyond anything on the market back then and the quick-change barrel was also advanced. Most notable, however, was how stable and controllable it felt with its bullpup configuration. I was one of the shooters that fell in love with it, buying the AUG and leaving my AR-15. I shot 3-Gun matches and the 3-Gun World Championships of those days, and in every competition I noticed more and more AUGs would show up. It was just a better shooting machine, though not without flaws. The trigger has a rather hard and spongy feel, but overall it�s a better-shooting rifle.
In 1989, the AUG�s hegemony faded as the Steyr AUG was banned from further importation into the United States. This obstacle gave back the throne to the AR-15 and its clones, while AUGs that had been already imported became collector items and most of them never shot competitively again. High prices on the few AUGs out there made the shooters go back to their AR-15s, which seemed �nice enough after all.� Selling in the $3,000 to $5,000 range, most AUGs were collector�s items�including mine. Making It
Nearly a decade later, the Steyr AUG was to return to the U.S. with some changes. In 1997 Steyr joined forces with GSI to import a legal variant of the AUG in accordance with the 1989 Assault Weapons Ban as well as the 1994 Crime Bill. Steyr�s solution was very simple: Remove the military features so that it was in compliance. But as Steyr began the BATF importation application process, little did they know of an ongoing battle in the White House and the US Congress. After years of political wrangling, Steyr decided to take a bold step and establish manufacturing in the U.S. While a logical solution to the import ban, it was not to be an easy task. The first try was a rather unsuccessful effort that ended up with new management in Steyr U.S. and a U.S. company manufacturing AUG clones. Steyr Mannlicher USA tried again in 2007 with collaborative effort from Sabre-Defence, and from this second effort U.S. shooters have been given the AUG�A3. Made in the U.S. by Sabre-Defence in its state-of-the-art facility, with the quality everybody expects from Austrian tradition. The AUG-A3 comes standard with two 30 round magazines, soft carry case, factory AUG sling and cleaning kit that fits conveniently in the butt stock. The AUG-A3 is Steyr�s answer to the �Picatinny craze� that is taking the tactical market by storm. Austrian designers are very minimalistic, adding the option of attaching rails at various positions�even some at 45 degress. If you don�t need them you can take them out and the rifle will still have a smooth, round and �light� feel, instead of the �thick� feeling you get with many M4-style clones. The 45-degree Picatinny positions are an important feature, as I like to place my Aimpoint Micro sight there and leave the top rail for a scope with higher magnification. I learned this trick from today�s top 3-gun competitors: Angle your gun and use the side of the gun and the barrel, plus the red dot Aimpoint Micro, as though it were a shotgun. Target acquisition will be incredibly quick and your point of impact won�t be affected much at close range by the repositioning. You will have the best of both worlds�a long range semi-sniping capability and a swift close-quarters target acquisition. The top rail is long enough to fit a high magnification sniper scope with an inline night vision device up front or any new thermal imaging device shooters might want to use. Having the target ID capability of a high magnification scope may be required in many operations, and the AUG-A3 allows for swapping out the 1.5X sight and attaching a high power scope in no time. Meanwhile, there are the side and 45-degree rails should there be a need to attach a light source as well. The AUG-A3 comes with the 1.5X-14mm high-quality Steyr �Austrian scope,� similar in design to the Leupold CQ/T. It has superb optical performance, and it sports a Picatinny rail on its top for additional accessories. The AUG was the first gun I�ve used that offered a front grab handle as part of the barrel. Whether it�s the precision machining or that famous central European watch making tradition, the rifle is machine gun quick and will accurately hold zero with different barrels after a barrel change. The standard AUG-A3 SA is the 16� �carbine� version, while four other barrel lengths are available in the market: The longer semi-sniper is 20�, the 18�, the �carbine� barrel at 16� long and the smallest of them all being the �compact� barrel at 14.5� long (for military and law enforcement only). Each barrel has eight lugs that lock into a steel insert in the alloy receiver. Steyr has always been synonymous with accuracy and this one is no different. Years ago I shot incredible groups with my old AUG and the new Sabre-Defence barrels are certainly on par. With the small 16� barrel you can expect average ten shot groups of 1.5 minute of arc (MOA) at 100 yards with most ammunition, (tested after 10,000 rounds). And if you are into precision shooting, try the Federal Gold Medal 69-grain match ammo, bound to bring a smile with the 1 MOA ten-shot groups. From a chrome-lined military spec 16� barrel, you won�t get much more anywhere else. American Cousin
The U.S. AUG has its differences with the Austrian units, but its fundamentally superb specs remain untouched. The Steyr AUG is a gas-operated, magazine-fed rifle of bullpup layout and ambidextrous capability. It�s built around a cast aluminum receiver with steel reinforcement inserts. The gas system is regulated and adjustable and the very distinctive stock is built from fiberglass reinforced polyamide. Somewhat unique to the weapon is the fact that there�s no separate fire mode selector on the AUG rifles. Instead, the trigger itself is used to control the rate of fire. Pulling it half the way back will produce single shots, while pulling it fully will produce fully automatic bursts on full-auto versions. The enlarged polymer trigger guard encloses the trigger hand and allows the gun to be fired with gloves or mitts on. The trigger has improved over the years, but even though it is still hard and less responsive, it is no worse than other assault rifle designs. While there is no major fault with the AUG trigger, considering Austrian quest for perfection I would prefer a more conventional one with lighter pull. The magazines are clear polymer available in 30- and 42-round capacity. I�ve had many and never did one fail on me, even back in 1989 when STANAG magazines where aluminum and prone to failure. The Steyr AUG-A3 is one of the best tactical rifles/carbines available. It will be a best-seller in a tactical market so full of M4-style clones, all too similar. This is a superb rifle; accurate, configurable and incredibly cool. Yes, coolness is a factor nowadays, more important that most would ever admit.

The Steyr AUG A3 SF

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:17:00 -0600

Black Guns, Feb. 2010 Images by Steve Woods The Aug for Special Operations The Steyr AUG has proven popular with special operations units for myriad reasons. A bullpup design, it is as compact as a pistol-caliber SMG (sub-machine gun), yet packs the punch of the 5.56 NATO round. For personnel who parachute, rappel, employ small boats, or swim or climb to their AO (Area of Operations), compact is always better. Another advantage of the AUG when it was initially adopted by many Special Ops units was the fact it had an optical sight when most other battle rifles still had iron sights. Admittedly, it was only 1.5X, but the circular reticle allowed very fast engagement at closer ranges. Later A2 versions of the AUG allow the carry handle/optical sight to be removed and a MIL STD 1913 rail to be used to mount a wide array of optics, and most Special Ops unit now use this version or the A3 which has just the 1913 rail. The AUG�s versatility allows it to be tailored to the mission, which works for Special Ops units. The AUG A3 SF (a.k.a. A2 Commando Model) was especially designed for Austria�s Special Forces, the Jagdkommando, but has been adopted by other units as well. This model allows rails to be configured to take an array of optics, illuminators or pointers. For Special Operations use, the AUG with 13.8 inch barrel is popular, often with a suppressor mounted. Made to Order
The ability to configure the AUG with various barrel lengths�13.8, 16, 20 or 24.4 inches�is very appealing. Generally, special ops units choose the 13.8- or 16-inch barrel versions, but for units operating where longer-range engagement is likely, the 20-inch barrel offers a good choice. Some units use the 16- or 20-inch version specifically for operators giving fire support from helicopters. The Austrian Jagdkommandos have very diverse missions, but since Alpine combat is one of them, longer range may be desirable. The 24.4-inch barreled version is actually the AUG LMG (Light Machine Gun), but at only 35.4 inches overall and 8.6 lbs, it makes a very portable Spec Ops support weapon�one which will take the same magazines as the rest of the unit�s AUGs. Well, actually, the 42-round magazine is standard for the LMG, while the 30-round magazine is standard for the carbine/rifle; however, some operators like 42-round magazines to have more firepower. I would note, however, that the 42 rounder makes going prone more difficult, always a consideration for Operators. The AUG two-stage trigger selector system�in which a half pull is semi and a full pull is full auto�offers pros and cons for Special Operators. The advantage of this system is while patrolling if an ambush is encountered there is no need to work a selector switch. If the safety is off, all that is necessary is a full pull on the trigger to start sending 700 rounds-per-minute downrange. On the other hand, this system makes precise shooting in hostage situations more difficult as the trigger pull is not as smooth as on some other carbines. For Special Ops units, the AUG trigger system is normally less problematic than for conventional troops since operators tend to shoot a lot and get to know their weapons very well. Some Special Ops units that employ the AUG either have 9mm conversion units or dedicated AUG 9MM or AUG A3 9MM XS. The XS version has a 12.8-inch barrel and Picatinny rail system. I have seen this version suppressed. The 9mm versions work well for MAT (Maritime Anti-Terrorism) and hostage rescue. An interesting aspect of the AUG that has appealed to some units is the possibility of ordering the weapon with different colored stocks. Although either green or black is most commonly encountered, Middle Eastern Special Ops units have ordered AUGs in sand and some have been made in white for mountain and Arctic ops. In addition, many Special Ops units equip their AUGs with the Steyr 40mm UBGL (Under Barrel Grenade Launcher). Utterly Adaptable
An advantage of the AUG is that it may be readily switched from right- to left-hand ejection and operation. However, because it is a bullpup design with the ejection port so far to the rear, the AUG does not lend itself well to firing off of the support shoulder around cover, a tactic that will throw hot brass into the operator�s face. This is one of the few criticisms I have heard consistently from operators who use the AUG. An interesting comment on AUG applicability to Special Ops is that Special Ops units of most countries that issue the AUG as their standard weapon also use the AUG. This is often not the case as Special Operations units will choose a different weapon. There are exceptions; although Australian airborne personnel use the F88, the Australian-issue AUG, the Australian SASR (Special Air Service Regiment), 4th RAR (Royal Australian Regiment), Commando and Clearance Divers issue the C8 Carbine, the Canadian-produced version of the M4. Since these units work closely with U.S. Special Forces and SEALs and British Special Air Service and Special Boat Service, this keeps their weapons compatible. Note that the A3 AUG has the capability of being configured to take standard M16 magazines when units are working with NATO troops or others using the M16/M4. Among Special Operations units that use the Steyr AUG, Austria�s Jagdkommando has already been mentioned. Another unit which uses the AUG is the Irish ARW (Army Ranger Wing), which is charged with all Special Ops tasks for the Irish Republic. Among other special units which have used the AUG are Philippine Scout Rangers, Argentinean Commandos, Indonesian Kopassus, Serbian 72nd Recon-Commando Battalion, and Croatian Special Forces. Many others special police or military units have some AUGs available. A Unique Offering
The AUG�s bullpup design offers a lot of rifle in a SMG-sized package. For Operators who must carry enough equipment for recon or other extended missions, this is a boon. Once the operator is trained with the AUG, it is also a handy weapon which can be used quickly for CQC (Close Quarters Combat). Of the major bullpup designs, the AUG is the only one that has seen wide adoption by conventional troops and special operators. In service for over 30 years, it has been well proven.

7mm Rem. Magnum Bolt Guns: Steyr, Browning Get 'A' Grades

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:57:00 -0600

One of the biggest problems facing gun owners today is lack of available ammunition. Recently, a member of our staff was shopping the hunting department of a big-box store and overheard a customer say he was going to buy a gun based on whatever ammunition was still on the shelf. Always pragmatic, our interest in one such round, 7mm Remington Magnum, actually began last March. This was when a SWAT recruit for a major metropolitan police force sought training for USPSA 3-Gun competition from a member of our staff. The officer mentioned that his family has been hunting with bolt-action rifles chambered for 7mm Remington Magnum since the cartridge was introduced in 1962. Often described as being housed in a 338 Winchester case necked down to 7mm, characteristics such as an abundance of power and a flat trajectory were at the center of the family�s appreciation for the round. But we learned of another application that really piqued our interest. According to acclaimed law-enforcement trainer Brian Hoffner (hoffners.com), we learned that the 7mm Remington Magnum bolt-action rifle was also a key weapon in tandem with dart gun and shotgun for ZDART, acronym for Zoological Dangerous Animal Response Teams. This means providing lethal force in an emergency to stop �medium�-size animals such as lions, tigers, and bears in an urban setting. Enthusiasm for the test prompted our roster of boltaction rifles chambered for 7mm Remington Magnum to include no fewer than four rifles. They were the $862 Ruger Hawkeye Sporter No. HKM77RBZ, the $1127 Remington 700 CDL SF No. 84016, the $1150 Steyr Mannlicher Pro Hunter No. 26.753.3G, and Browning�s $1019 X-Bolt Medallion No. 035200227. None of our rifles arrived with sights, but all four receivers were drilled and tapped for scope mounts. The Browning and Ruger rifles arrived with proprietary mounts and rings. The Steyr rifle was constructed with a synthetic stock. The Ruger rifle was stocked with laminate wood, and both the Remington and Browning rifles were built with stained walnut. The Remington and Ruger rifles utilized an internal magazine with hinged floorplate. Our other rifles featured removable box magazines. Barrels lengths and barrel profiles were comparable, but the execution of the triggers and the bolts represented different ways to get the job done. Our test ammunitions were Winchester�s 150-grain Super X Power Point and two rounds from Federal. They were Federal Premium Vital Shoks featuring Nosler�s 160-grain Accubond bullet, and Federal Classic ammunition topped with Sierra�s 160-grain Pro Hunter soft point. Our test procedure called for five-shot groups fired from a distance of 100 yards with the rifles supported upon a bench rest. We consider this plan to be standard procedure. But in speaking with even the most avid hunters, they expressed that firing more than two consecutive shots at prey was unlikely. One extra shot at an elk scurrying away may even prove to be the full extent of the day�s shooting. But we weren�t about to report on two-shot groups. Another comment we heard was that considering the recoil of magnum ammunition and the expense (about $1.75 to $2.50 per round on average), the average hunter wouldn�t be spending a lot of time on the practice range, either. Each rifle was treated to a brief but careful break-in regimen. Dedicating 20 rounds of ammunition for each rifle, we cleaned and lubricated the barrels after the second, fifth, ninth, fourteenth and twentieth round. We then proceeded with our shooting of groups, cleaning the barrel after every two groups. However, we were forced to work under extreme conditions. Houston, Texas was in the middle of a drought with record temperatures that simply would not go away. Using a Kestral 4000 weather station from Sinclair International (sinclairintl. com), we measured temperatures at our shaded bench that ranged from 90 degrees to in excess of 102 degrees. Occasional winds gusting to about 8 mph were easy to wait out. All four guns were shot in the same weather, during the same time of day, at the same shooting range and by the same shooter from the same shooting bench. The fact that conditions were harsh is what prolonged our tests for no less than eight days. First shots each day at American Shooting Centers (amshootcenters.com), began at approximately 9:30 a.m. Each firing session lasted 20 minutes. Working under these constraints we fired a shot about every 3 minutes. Overpowered by the heat, we ended each day�s session by about 1:30 p.m. We used Caldwell�s Tip Top Targets for their ability to cut a sharply defined bullet hole and fit neatly into a ring binder for later reference. Here is what we learned.

Ruger Hawkey Sporter No. HKM77RBZ 7mm Rem. Mag., $862

The appearance and construction of the Ruger Hawkeye Sporter was both distinctive and familiar. The mattestainless finish of the metal parts was blended gracefully into the brown-laminate wood stock. The lines of the laminate grain and the taper of the fore end matched the sweeping lines of the 24-inch barrel (1:9.5-inch right-hand twist). The stock was seated tightly against the barrel to the fore end. When the action was closed, the flat-stemmed bolt lever was buried deep inside a relief in the laminate wood. The stock offered wraparound checkering at the fore end with checkering on each side of the slender pistol grip. Sling studs were in place front and rear. The rubber butt pad was soft but very slim, measuring only about four-tenths of an inch thick at its center. The Ruger manual describes such action features as a one-piece bolt with a non-rotating Mauser-type controlled-feed extractor. During our tests we lubricated each bolt with Pro-Gold grease ($6, from sinclairintl. com). Feeding from the internal magazine was flawless, but we did notice some polishing of the bolt in places we would not expect. The polishing appeared in rings midway along the bolt. We couldn�t point to any flaws in performance connected to this, but we couldn�t explain it, either. The trigger in our rifle was Ruger�s LC6 design. The LC6 felt like a single-stage trigger in that no takeup was necessary. Grit-free, we could sense only the very slightest bit of compression before breaking. We measured trigger pull weight to be about 5 pounds on average. The Ruger rifle had a three-round internal magazine with hinged floor plate. The release button was located on the outer face of the trigger guard. Some hunters like the safety of being able to completely remove the magazine, but Ruger�s three-position safety system may be just as preferable. The safety can be used to lock the bolt and also load and unload with the safety engaged. Fully forward was the firing position. The fully rearward position of the safety lever locked the trigger and prevented the bolt from being moved or rotated. The middle position, about 90 degrees to the bore, also locked the trigger but allowed for the bolt to be opened or removed by pulling the release, mounted on the left side of the action. We noted that when replacing the bolt, it could be pushed into place without pulling open the release. The M77 Hawkeye Sporter arrived with a set of Ruger�s proprietary rings for use with a 1-inch tube scope. These rings were easy to apply and perfectly matched to the slots machined into the top strap. For those wanting more variety, we found rings suitable for the Ruger integral mounts made by Warne and Leupold in Brownells latest catalog, number 62, (800-741-0015). We also tried a set of two-piece mounts by Burris that provide a Weaver-style base just to see if they afforded more versatility than the factory setup. Depending on the length of available tube fore and aft of the adjustment dials, we found that the extra slots provided by the Burris mount could place the scope closer to the shooter�s eye. But for our tests we chose to utilize the supplied rings and mount a Nikon Titanium 5.5-16.5 power 44mm AO HT scope. Recoil from the Ruger was, in our view, the highest among our test rifles. We would blame this on the thin recoil pad. It seemed odd to us that the pad installed on this magnum rifle was actually much thinner than the pad found on a Ruger rifle we tested last year (September 2008, �Varmint Bolt Actions in 204 Ruger�). But our M77 was the lowest-priced rifle in the test, and perhaps this was a cue for the shooter to spend the money saved on a bigger recoil pad. Or a shock-absorbing system incorporated into the butt like Ken Rucker�s Bump-Buster Hydraulic Recoil Reduction System (starting at $360, from speedbumpstockworks.com). At the range we learned that our fouling shot, that is the first shot after cleaning and lubricating the barrel, tended to be lower than those shots fired afterwards. Measuring our shots on target we found that the Ruger would deliver five shots of each choice of test ammunition into a group measuring about 1.4 inches across. But such figures do not tell the entire story. Having left the barrel to cool to ambient temperature, we found we could group the first two shots of each test round right next to each other. Then, as temperature raised so did our point of impact. One extraordinary group best illustrates this point. Firing six shots of the Ruger�s favorite load, Winchester 150-grain Super X Power-Point rounds, we landed the first two hits almost as one, little more than one-half inch below our point of aim. Our next two hits were also touching, but at proper elevation, slightly left of center. With the barrel now well heated, our final shots printed in a tight pair about 1.2 inches above our point of aim. If one�s point of view is that two consecutive shots is likely the maximum output when game is in sight, then perhaps the Ruger M77 Hawkeye Sporter higher should be rated higher than our accuracy data would project. Our Team Said: The Ruger M77 Hawkeye Sporter was a solid, good-looking rifle, but we think the lack of an adequate recoil pad wore us out and prevented us from recording better accuracy.

Remington 700 CDL SF No. 84016 7mm Rem. Mag., $1127

The CDL SF is perhaps the most striking of all the Remington Model 700 rifles. Its 26-inch stainless-steel barrel (with 1:9.25-inch twist) was deeply fluted beginning about 1 inch from the muzzle and continuing to the point at which the barrel widened to meet the action. Remington touts the matte-stainless-steel action as being machined from solid bar stock. The bolt showed a handsome jewel surface with an integral extractor set into a groove inside the rim of the bolt face. The internal magazine held three rounds, and the release for the hinged floorplate was located inside the trigger guard. The stock featured wraparound checkering on the fore end, where we found minimal separation between the stock and the barrel. We were able to slide three dollar bills in between the stock and the fore end. But the gap only extended about 2 inches back from the tip of the fore end. There were checkered panels on each side of the pistol grip. The fore end was capped with darker wood, and the butt stock was fit with a thick recoil pad (about 1.2 inches thick at its center). This pad was made from Remington�s trademarked SuperCell material and carried distinctive lettering and logo. The left side of the stock was built up, favoring the right handed shooter. Remington does offer a left-hand model CDL, but we could find no mention of a left-handed CDL SF or the CDL SF Limited Edition rifles. The Remington�s receiver was drilled and tapped for scope mounts. The single-piece mounts we shopped for showed prices as high as $180. But parts for Remington rifles are plentiful, so finding a two-piece Weaver mount for about $20 was our final choice. Mounting our Nikon scope, we headed to the range. Before loading the rifle we practiced by dryfiring from the bench to become accustomed to the new X-Mark Pro adjustable trigger. To cock the action with an empty chamber, we lifted the bolt and then locked it down. This was sufficient to set the trigger of our other rifles, but the Remington demanded that we let the bolt shift rearward about 0.25 inch to set the trigger. The X-Mark Pro trigger was set at a remarkably consistent 4.7 pounds. The movement was crisp, with the trigger resetting tightly against a solid break point each time. The manual safety consisted of a simple lever, to be thrown forward for fire and rearward for on-safe. The bolt could be removed from the action by pressing upward on the release located inside the trigger guard directly forward of the trigger. The release was a sheet-metal part that jiggled around in a manner that seemed out of place on this otherwise solid rifle. Installing the bolt did not require manipulation of the bolt release. In terms of recoil, the Remington SuperCell pad did a good job of dampening kick. But we still needed to wear a recoil shield. Of our three choices of ammunition we felt that the Federal Classic 160-grain Sierra Pro Hunter SP was the only round that really suited the Remington CDL SF. Our best group measured about 1.2 inches across. But the Remington�s consistency never let our groups stray to larger than about a 1.4-inch diameter. Firing our remaining two rounds, the Remington was not as accurate, but it was just as consistent, with groups measuring from about 1.4 to 1.7 inches across for both the Federal Vital Shok and Winchester ammunition. We began our evaluation stating that we found a variety of 7mm Remington Magnum ammunition on store shelves. We would bet that several choices beyond our test roster would have provided more impressive data for our accuracy chart. Our Team Said: The Remington CDL SF�s handling, mount, trigger, feeding, and operation felt superior. But we were unable translate its features and good looks into a better performance on target.

Browning X-Bolt Medallion No. 035200227 7mm Rem. Mag., $1019

In viewing our Browning rifle we were immediately reminded that each of our four rifles was markedly different in terms of look and feel. The X-Bolt Hunter Medallion cut a slender profile with tapered barrel and a glass-like finish upon its stock. We learned throughout our tests that the sleek finish was as durable as it was refined. The fore end offered wraparound checkering that was decorated on the bottom but only covered about halfway up the sides of the stock. Above the fore end the 26-inch barrel (with 1:9.5-inch twist) was separated by a gap about four dollar bills thick that ran all the way back to the receiver. Checkering also graced the sides of the pistol grip. The safety consisted of a sliding lever located atop the pistol grip. Currently there are no left-handed X-Bolt rifles, but the safety was easily accessible to both right- and left-handed shooters. Furthermore, the forward edge of the comb was relieved on each side and a matching contour was carved into the bottom of the butt stock. Quick-release sling swivels were in place front and rear. A cushy rubber buttstock measuring about 0.8 inch thick at its center was in place. This was Browning�s Inflex Technology butt pad. The Inflex recoil pad did a good job of moderating recoil, but we still preferred to wear a shoulder pad for added protection. The action was accented by a gold-colored trigger. This was Browning�s adjustable Feather Trigger. We left it at its factory setting of about 4.75 pounds. Removing the bolt required pressing inward on the release lever located on the left side of the receiver. The bolt was mirror-finished chrome and showed virtually no wear points at the conclusion of our tests. The bolt could also be removed with the safety on by pressing the Bolt Unlock Button located on the bolt lever itself. The button was inconspicuous and did not interfere with the Medallion�s styling. It blended nicely with the flat contour that ran along the right side of the receiver. Lockup was accomplished by three visible lugs forming an A-pattern, which had us wondering why this rifle was referred to as an X-Bolt. According to Browning the term X-bolt does not refer to a physical attribute such as the shape of the bolt or a pattern formed by its lugs. It was more a matter of marketing a rifle with a collection of extra features, including the new X-Lock Scope Mounting System. The X-Lock was a two-piece mounting system consisting of CNC-machined scope rings with an integral base that bolted directly to the drilled and tapped receiver of the X-Bolt rifle. Made for Browning by Talley, a widely respected name, each mount connected to the receivers with four Torx screws. The X-Lock mounts proved to be an excellent fit. It felt like we didn�t even have to tighten the bolts completely for a secure fit. The X-Lock mounts are available in a variety of heights and colors fit for both 1-inch and 30mm scopes. Cost of the X-Lock system was $60 from browning.com. The Medallion fed from a three-round removable box magazine of polymer construction. The magazine release was found at the forward edge of the magazine. Actually, the latch was a part of the magazine and not the rifle. The technique for loading rounds was similar to filling a pistol magazine. Rather than press each round downward directly through the feed lips you first depressed the follower, (or the last round loaded), and slid the next round into the magazine from front to back. Bolt action and feeding was flawless. At the range we learned that the X-Bolt Medallion was consistent when firing the Winchester 150-grain rounds, but much more accurate firing the heavier 160-grain bullets found atop the Federal ammunition. The Federal Vital Shok ammunition fired a 0.8-inch group on the way to a computed 1.1-inch average. The Federal Classic ammunition kept all groups within the 1.1-inch to 1.3-inch range. We think the free-floated barrel on the X-Bolt helped it maintain accuracy throughout the extreme heat. Our Team Said: Given the Browning�s penchant for heavier bullets, we couldn�t help but wonder what kind of accuracy would have been delivered by the 175-grain rounds preferred by the ZDART teams mentioned earlier. Nevertheless, the Medallion was a beautiful rifle that inspired confidence with each shot. From the standpoint of looks and performance, we can�t imagine anyone being unhappy with an X-Bolt Medallion.

Steyr Mannlicher Pro Hunter No. 26.753.3G 7mm Rem. Mag., $1150

The Steyr Mannlicher Pro Hunter stood out in more ways than being built on a synthetic stock. The trigger had a short but well-defined takeup leading to a second stage that offered a brief sense of compression. Steryr refers to this as the Direct trigger. An adjustable Set trigger may also be retrofit to this rifle. The exterior of the 25.6-inch-long barrel (with 1:9.0-inch twist) showed twirling ridges. Steyr prefers to leave this pattern visible for two reasons. Not only has the appearance become firmly associated with the brand, but the ridges serve as high points from which heat can more easily escape. The barrel was coated with Steyr�s MANNOTM finish, which is guaranteed 100% weatherproof anywhere in the world. Featuring a full-float barrel, the fore end was completely separated from the barrel fully to the receiver by as much as 0.10 inches at the tip. The buttstock was fit with two spacers that could be removed to alter length of pull. Extra spacers are available from steyrarms.com in Trussville, Alabama, for $23 each. The recoil pad was far different from the rubber and composite found on our other rifles. We could compress it using only the edges of our fingernails. The consistency was somewhere between plastic and hard rubber. The receiver was drilled and tapped for a scope mount, but we rarely see mounts for the Steyr Mannlicher listed in catalogs. A call to the company assured us that the bolt pattern was the same as the Browning A-bolt. Two-piece mounts for the A-bolt are easy to find and cost as little as $12 per pair. Our Steyr rifle fed from a removable box magazine that held three rounds. Rounds were inserted straight downward over the follower. The magazine was constructed of polymer, and like the Browning, the release latch or in this case, latches, were mounted on the magazine itself. Referred to as Snap Latches, pressing the magazine into place produced a snapping sound, alerting the operator to proper seating. If silence was preferred, the magazine could be loaded without a sound merely by compressing the latches while pushing upward. Removing the magazine for safe handling of the rifle was not absolutely necessary. By pinching the latches on the magazine, the box could then be lowered to a second locked position about one-quarter inch below the receiver. In this position the chamber could be emptied and the bolt closed without extracting a round from the magazine. One magazine was supplied and additional three-round magazines cost $42 each. Eight-round magazines ($75 each) were also available, but installation of a $59 conversion kit was necessary. In addition, once the high-capacity conversion kit is in place, operation was limited to using only the higher capacity magazines. The stem on the high-polish chrome bolt continued with the visual theme of the Steyr rifle, which we were tempted to refer to as high-tech/low-profile cosmetics. It appeared to have been hammered into shape, although we doubt that was the case. The safety was located atop the pistol grip immediately behind the bolt. Referred to as a rotary safety in the owner�s manual, the switch consisted of a wheel with knurled edges that was rolled forward to fire. Rolling the safety toward the butt offered two safe-on positions. The first position was indicated by a stop that revealed a white dot. In this position the trigger was seized, but the bolt could be moved for safe-on loading. Rolling the safety further toward the rear allowed a gray-colored spring-loaded tab to pop up. The trigger remained frozen, but the bolt was now locked down as well. To remove the bolt from the receiver required rotating the safety to the first safe-on position indicated by the white dot and lifting the bolt. This part of the process can also be performed with the safety off. The next step was to rotate the safety to the second safe-on position and pressing down on the spring-loaded tab. Now the bolt could be removed. We liked this system, but it probably takes longer to explain than it did to remove the bolt. Installation of the bolt required that the safety be in the second on-safe position. At the range we were able to dispel our misconceptions of the Steyr Mannlicher Pro Hunter. We thought that due to its synthetic stock and minimal recoil pad that it would weigh the least and prove the most punishing to shoot. But the Steyr actually turned out to be the friendliest shooter of the four. The Steyr was actually the heaviest of our test rifles, weighing more than 8 pounds unloaded. But more than just gross weight dampening kick, the ABS and fiberglass composition of the stock served to absorb shock. In addition, the wide round face of the recoil pad did a good job of distributing impact. This was not to say we shot the Steyr without a recoil shield in place, but overall we experienced less distraction from felt recoil. Firing the Federal Vital Shok ammunition topped with a 160-grain Nosler AccuBond bullet, we landed our best single group of our tests, measuring about 0.7 inches across. The Steyr also landed a 0.8-inch group firing the Winchester ammunition. But we also printed a 1.5-inch group with this same ammunition. In our view, the Steyr was the overall winner on our accuracy charts. Our Team Said: We think the Steyr Pro Hunter was the rifle most likely to be found in the hands of the guide on your next hunting trip. We think the generous gap provided by the full-float barrel helped minimize degradation of accuracy due to heat. We also found the Pro Hunter to be easily managed. Once it was shouldered, we seldom needed to adjust our mount. It slid into position willingly and filled the shoulder pocket. The bolt felt eager to cycle, and even our least experienced staffer said that the trigger was most forgiving. No matter how we engaged the trigger initially, we found it easy to find the control for a good press.

Article courtesy of www.Gun-Tests.com

Different TTPs For a Different Carbine: Employing the AUG

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:07:00 -0600

With two new domestic manufacturers and the announcement that Steyr will resume production of the AUG in the U.S., the time is right for a review of techniques to employ the AUG.

I have been running various AUGs for almost 30 years. The layout of the rifle calls for some different operations to maximize its usefulness.

When U.S. Customs adopted the AUG, I was the lead firearms instructor at the Tucson Customs Academy and introduced several thousand officers to the gun. Its compact size (about four inches shorter than an M4) made it particularly attractive, as the vast majority of our work was in or around cars. After supervising the firing of many thousands of rounds at the Academy, I returned to the field, where I carried an AUG on operations.

As Ed Lawrence noted in the April 2009 issue of S.W.A.T. (�AMERICAN AUGs: Domestic Manufacturers, Iconic Austrian
Design�), the fire selector is built into the trigger. An easy pull produces a single shot, while a hard pull produces full auto or a three-shot burst. Customs adopted the three-shot burst model AUG. The concept is that if you have time for an aimed
shot, you will fire one aimed round. If it�s an �oh shucks� moment, you will involuntarily pull hard, obtaining multiple rounds. This was probably the hardest thing to teach students who were used to delivering accurate fire with semi-auto
pistols.

The hammer-forged barrel on the AUG is unique for its strength. My standard demonstration was to fire 42 rounds in three-shot bursts as fast as I could, then lock the charging handle back, pop the barrel out and drop the breech end into a bucket of cold water. Steam would spurt from the muzzle and gas release port. I would then slam it back into the gun and resume firing. If you try that with a M16, you can bend the barrel! The factory demo included driving a bullet partway up the barrel and then shooting it out with a live round�I never tried that one! We fired over 14,000 (yes, 14,000) rounds through one particular AUG, and it never failed. In fact, after this torture test, while showing some wear, it still was within factory specifications. This rifle is tough!

The sight on the AUG is exceptional, as the ring sight is also a bullet drop compensator. Set for a 5�7� person, out to 300 yards, you just set the center of the ring onto the center of mass, squeeze the trigger and look for another target. Beyond 300 yards, place the feet of a standing target on the bottom of the ring and squeeze the trigger. When I learned this, I did not believe it, so off I went to a range with an AUG and some State Department �Izzy� targets. These have the top half of an armed man on one side, and the bottom half on the other. Put one above the other, and you have the 5�7� male, armed with an AK-47. The AUG sight worked exactly as advertised out to 600 yards�the farthest range available that I could fire it.

There is an optional circle with dot reticle, but the dot is so fine it can only be seen on light-colored targets or at extreme range. There was also a circle with crosshairs, which I have never personally seen on a rifle. The Steyr �Special Receiver� came without sights, so a high powered sight (or a red dot) could be mounted. We found the plain circle to be satisfactory for general issue. The new generation AUGs will accept all kinds of sights, as rails were just being developed in the mid 1980s.

While the AUG can be issued with a left-handed bolt for left eye dominant shooters, generally you do not want to shoot the rifle from the opposite (weak/support) shoulder. Due to the bullpup configuration, it will eject empties directly into your mouth. For a limited number of rounds in training, or for real need on the street, you can fire from that side�if you keep your mouth shut. One thing you must always remember with the AUG is to fire the rifle with your support hand on the forward grip, with the grip folded down. If you fire a shot with your hand wrapped around the grip when it is folded up, your priorities will instantly change to seeking medical aid for yourself. You see, the gas escape holes lie right next to the folded grip and the gas exits with enough velocity to rip the fingers off a welder�s glove. Take my word for it, as soon as you start to deploy an AUG, fold the grip down!
The other caution with the forward grip is not to �choke up� on the grip. If your hand gets too high, it will contact the bottom of the gas block, which quickly gets exceedingly hot. In fact, everyone will know which rifle you fired, as that is also the location of the serial number, which will be burned into your hand�an experience you definitely want to skip. Loading the AUG is different than the methods used with the M16 series. For starters, you can fully load the translucent magazines�no downloading to make sure they will seat. For your initial mag, insert it into the well and push up, then pull down. If it does not come out, the mag is locked in.

If you were trained to slap the bottom of the mag on an M16 (not a good idea with the M16 either), and you do that with an AUG with the bolt locked open, you will produce an OIDFM, or Operator Induced Dual Feed Malfunction. The top round in the mag will hop out and try to enter the chamber with the first round from the mag. As you can guess, two rounds trying to go into one chamber does not work. Don�t use force, just push and pull.
Speed/tactical reloading (as opposed to administrative reloading) is very different than with the M16 family. With the AUG, retrieve a loaded magazine with the support hand first. Use the spine of the magazine to press the magazine release bar. If you are using the 30-round magazines, the empty will drop free (for some reason the 42-round mags do not). Insert the fresh magazine, pull and release the charging handle, and get on with business. With practice, you can put the next round downrange before the empty magazine has hit the deck.

Two more points about loading:

On top of the charging handle there is a small button that can be used as a forward assist. DON�T USE IT! Forcing a round that does not fit into the chamber is a bad idea. Eject it and try another. If the second round does not go, change magazines. If the second magazine does the same thing, transition to the handgun.

The other point is, do not �ride� the charging handle. Just pull it to the rear and let it fly home. If you have locked it open, just flip the handle down out of the notch and let it go. If you ride it, you can induce an OIDFM by reflexively pulling the bolt back so it picks up another round.

Even the sling has some special points. If you adjust the sling so it holds the rifle level at your belt line, you will find you can easily snap it up into shooting position. Rotate it in front if you need to do something with both hands, like drive a car. Or rotate it to the rear, where it is slung out of the way if you need to climb a ladder or handle a prisoner.

This same technique, of course, works with the M4 or any rifle where the sling swivels are on the top or side. By the way, the AUG can successfully be fired in all modes one-handed, even when held like a pistol. Long bursts will tend to climb significantly, but short bursts and single shots are no problem. Your hit probability goes way up when you can shoulder it and use the sight, so this is more of an emergency drill. If circumstances have one hand occupied, just use your AUG like a large 5.56mm pistol.

Over the years that Customs used the AUG, it saved a number of lives�including those of the bad guys. Most of the time the mere appearance of the rifle in the hands of an obviously trained and determined officer caused the violators to throw up their hands in surrender. The first known shooting resulted in the rescue of two officers pinned down under fire and the elimination of three outlaws who made the mistake of trying to shoot it out with officers.

Although the M16/M4 system dominates the market due to its long history with the military, I find the AUG to be a superior weapons system for the law enforcement professional. If you get a chance, try one�you will be pleasantly surprised.

[Seth R. Nadel retired after serving 27 years as a Senior Special Agent with U.S. Customs. He was a firearms instructor for 25 years, including nine years as the lead firearms instructor at the Tucson Customs Academy.]

Copyrighted Material: Reprinted by Permission of SWAT Magazine

Newsletter - October 2009

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:38:00 -0500

Featured Rifle: The Steyr Scout

Did you know that the person most responsible for designing one of the most popular Steyr rifles in recent times was not Austrian? In fact, most of the key components of the Steyr Scout were engineered with feedback from legendary Colonel Jeff Cooper. Most people are unsure exactly what comprises a Scout rifle. For the most part, the Scout rifle was meant to be the ultimate general purpose rifle. It needed to be able to take most game animals (up to 400 kg), at ranges up to 300 meters (330 yards), it needed to be less than 1 meter in length (39"), and weigh less than 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds). Hence, the Steyr Scout .308 was born in 1998. Some of the other features that distinguish the Steyr Scout is a two stage magazine, spare magazine compartment in the stock, integrated bi-pod, emergency flip up sights, and the extreme accuracy of its cold hammer forged barrel. Originally Steyr launched a Jeff Cooper package Scout that came complete with a Leupold 2.5 forward mounted optic. Col. Cooper felt this package was the absolute best for quick acquisition of targets. Steyr Arms is still selling the same packages today, however, we can no longer provide signed letters of authenticity and the stock color has changed from gray to black. If you would like more info on the Scout click here or see your authorized Steyr Retailer.

Steyr Announces Free AUG Tactical Hard Case Offer!

Steyr Arms is pleased to announce a special rebate! Purchase a new AUG/A3 SA USA from any authorized Steyr Retailer before Dec. 31, 2009 and get this awesome Tactical Hard Case Free! That's free!! We even pay for the shipping and handling. Click here to see a larger image of the case or to purchase individually. This case ($233 suggested retail) is made for Steyr Arms by Boyt and comes with the Steyr Arms logo on the outside. To print out a rebate form click here.
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Online Warranty Registration Now Available

If you are like most people when you bring home your brand new Steyr, you can't wait to get everything out of the box and head to the range. Consequently, we get 2-3 requests a week from people who throw away the box and paperwork containing their owners manual and warranty registration cards. As most of you know we have most of the owners manuals available online and now we finally have the ability to let you register your warranty online as well. At the very top of our website is a link to our "Warranty Registration." If you forgot to register when you purchased your rifle or even if you are outside your warranty period, feel free to register it now. Steyr Arms is committed to customer satisfaction and we are well known for oftentimes fixing customer concerns well outside the warranty period.

Steyr Arms joins forces with Hunter OC

karen@hunteroc.com — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:34:00 -0500

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Editorial Contact: Karen Lutto (830) 755-4308
karen@hunteroc.com Mike Nischalke (703) 385-3595
mike@hunteroc.com STEYR ARMS NAMES HUNTER OUTDOOR COMMUNICATIONS AS PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY OF RECORD Trussville, AL (October 15, 2009)�Steyr Arms, one of the world�s oldest and most prestigious firearms manufacturers, announced today that it has appointed Hunter Outdoor Communications to manage its public relations and marketing program for North America. Well known for its comprehensive lines of premium hunting rifles and precision sporting and tactical firearms, Steyr Arms� North American headquarters is located in Trussville, Alabama. Hunter Outdoor Communications, a public relations agency specializing in the hunting, outdoor, marine and tactical markets, is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with an office in Richmond, Virginia. The appointment is effective immediately. �Despite having a reputation for manufacturing the best rifles the world over, Steyr has never established a true presence in the United States,� said Scott O�Brien, CEO of Steyr Arms. �Over the past 18 months, we have made some significant changes in the way we do business, and we are now ready to truly establish Steyr Arms here in the U.S. �We have hired the best of the best to make our mark in this market,� continued O�Brien. �With the help of Hunter Outdoor Communications, we fully expect to make Steyr Arms as successful here as they are around the world.� Hunter Outdoor Communications� public relations and marketing program for Steyr Arms will encompass the development and implementation of an aggressive communications plan focusing on the high-quality, exceptionally accurate hunting and tactical firearms that have been crafted and refined for nearly a century and a half in Steyr, Austria. # # #

Newsletter - September 2009

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:27:00 -0500

Featured Rifle: Steyr Tactical HB

SteyrArms is pleased to announce the launch of the all new Steyr Tactical HB . The Steyr Tactical HB is a heavy barrel .308 Win built on the SBS action. It is equipped with a standard picatinny rail that will accept any Mil Std picatinny rail mounts and accessories. It also has the Steyr Tactical bolt handle. You can get this rifle in either a 20" or 26" cold hammer forged barrel. The stock is a polymer reinforced black synthetic stock with removable stock spacers to custom fit length of pull. This rifle is the perfect cousin to the already impressive family of Steyr Sporting and Tactical rifles. Not only is the accuracy of this gun outstanding, we think you will be even more impressed with the special price of only $1,250. (optic and mounts as shown not included) Click here to find an Authorized Steyr Retailer near you to reserve yours today or for more details call us at 205-467-6544.

Closeout Special! All knives 50% off!

Steyr Arms is liquidating its entire inventory of knives. All knives are priced at 50% off through the end of October or until they are gone. Keep in mind all quantities are limited and subject to prior sale. Click here to see the entire selection of remaining Steyr knives.

Checkout the newest Steyr Accessories

The feedback has been outstanding so far after we launched the Steyr Online Store several months back. Thank you to all of the fans that have submitted comments about items they would like to see in the store. We are pleased to announce several new items that have been added to the store. Most notably we just added a picatinny rail for the SSG 69 (as pictured). Click here to browse the currently featured items. Once again, we at Steyr Arms want to thank you for supporting us. If you have feedback or ideas on how we can improve, please shoot us an email and let us know what we can do to get better.

Newsletter - August 2009

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:53:00 -0500

Featured Rifle: The Steyr AUG/A3 SA USA is finally here!

Steyr fanatics, the wait is over! For the first time since 1989, the newly designed Steyr AUG/A3 SA USA is available in stores! The new A3 incorporates features that AUG aficionados have always wanted. Features like a long picatinny rail were added so that the optic of your choice can be mounted in addition to a smaller side rail for the newest lights and/or lasers. For the purists out there, you can still get the Austrian 1.5 power optic (as shown but sold separately for $799) that used to be integrated into the housing. On this model Steyr implemented a last round hold open feature with the bolt release on the side of the stock. There is also a forward assist in the charging handle. Of course, the AUG/A3 has all of the classic features it was known for: 16" barrel and flash hider, two 30 round magazines, cleaning kit that integrates into the butt of the stock, factory sling, soft carrying case, and owners manual all for only $2,295. Click here to find an Authorized Steyr Retailer near you to reserve yours today.

Steyr Photo Gallery Launches!

Steyr Arms would like to thank Chris Bouse for giving us the idea to launch a photo gallery for all Steyr fans to show off their trophies and their Steyr Rifles. Click here to check out Chris and a few others that were sent in. We only have a few for now so feel free to upload your own picture so that you can brag to all your buddies! Remember to tell us a little about your hunt like your name, the location, the animal displayed, and most importantly make sure your beautiful Steyr is in focus.

Steyr Online Accessory Store open for business

Steyr Arms would like to thank all of the loyal Steyr fans out there who have supported us through thick and thin. That being said, we honestly try to listen to your feedback and improve on how we conduct business. For years customers have said it was hard to get parts and accessories for their guns. Over the last several months we have imported over $5 million of rifles, parts, and accessories from Austria into the USA to ensure ample inventory of the items you need. Our dealer network has also responded by increasing their stock levels of the more popular items so that they are available immediately. Lastly, we are proud to announce our online store is now available for those other items you might need plus some other goodies you really want! Click here to browse the currently featured items. As our way of saying thank you for registering for our newsletter, use the promo code "STEYRLAUNCH09" to save 10% off any item in the store. Offer expires August 31, 2009. Once again, we at Steyr Arms want to thank you for supporting us. We hope you enjoy this new feature. If you have feedback or ideas on how we can improve, please shoot us an email and let us know what we can do to get better. The Steyr Arms Staff

Looking Back at The Scout Rifle

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:25:00 -0500

There was a time when the late Jeff Cooper's scout rifle idea was as hot as piercing your nether regions is today. Its popularity peaked when Steyr introduced its Scout Rifle, which was designed with input from Colonel Cooper. Savage, Ruger, and custom gunsmiths like Lew Bonitz and Jim Brockman followed with scout-type rifles of their own, but the concept never caught on as much as Cooper would have liked. That's too bad, because the scout configuration makes for a handy little rifle. For those not familiar with the concept, the scout rifle is essentially a lightweight, general-purpose rifle capable of handling just about any defensive or hunting situation. According to Cooper, a scout rifle should be chambered for a cartridge of sufficient power to cleanly take game up to 500 pounds and with a flat enough trajectory to make hits as far as the operator is comfortable shooting. In short, Colonel Cooper sought a versatile, handy rifle that was user-friendly - or, as he told me a year before his passing, "a rifle that is on your side." The scout concept was further refined over the years at Cooper's Gunsite Academy. And at the First Scout Rifle Conference held at Gunsite in 1983, Colonel Cooper and the rest of the Ekeiboloi Society settled on the criteria for a scout rifle: three kilogram maximum weight, one meter maximum length, a forward-mounted telescope, and chambered in .308 Winchester. For those who don't read metric, a scout rifle will have a thin barrel of 20-21 inches, an overall length of less than 39 inches, and a finished weight somewhere south of seven pounds. A true scout rifle is a compact, fast-handling package: a pleasure to tote afield. I've toyed with various custom and factory scout rifles since I first read about the concept in my misspent youth. I built two rifles on military surplus Mauser actions that I dropped into synthetic stocks. Ghost ring sights and a Leupold extended eye relief scope mounted on XS Sight's scout mount provided the rugged, foolproof sighting system my utility rifles required. Those rifles served me well, but they were crude - a fact that was all-too-apparent after I threw the first real Scout Rifle, the then-new Steyr Scout, to my shoulder. I was so impressed, I sold my jerry-rigged Mausers and acquired two scouts: a Steyr, and a custom number built on a Model 70 by Jim Brockman, to satisfy my itch for the ultimate jack-of-all-trades.

Pros and Cons

Overall, the scout concept is a good one. Because it is so light and compact, it is a pleasure to carry, which means you aren't apt to get caught without a rifle when you need one. Its .308 Winchester chambering is more than adequate for its stated role of cleanly taking game weighing up to 500 pounds. Despite its lethal punch, it shoots relatively flat, and recoil is easily manageable. As good as it is, there are a few flies on the Scout concept, with poor low-light performance being the most significant. In typical evening hunting conditions, I've had trouble acquiring both target and reticle several times when I felt I would have been able to shoot without difficulty with a conventional scope. At long range, more magnification would be nice, though I can still make accurate shots with the forward-mounted scout scope and its 2�-power magnification. However, I'm quite certain a shooter with a higher power, conventionally mounted scope would battle to compete with a good shooter with a scout rifle when it comes to making good hits fast at close range or on moving targets, so perhaps the point is moot.

The Scout Rifle Today

Though the scout rifle's popularity has waned somewhat, there are still some great guns on the market. Steyr still offers the Cooper-inspired Scout, though it is now referred to as the Mannlicher Scout. Ruger's Frontier is close, though it lacks iron sights. Jim Brockman and Grizzly Custom's Lew Bonitz still make great custom scouts. In fact, Bonitz is building one for me on a Model 70 as I write this. Perhaps the most true-to-concept version that we unwashed masses can afford is Savage's Model 10 FCM. Though it is not as refined as a Mannlicher Scout or a Lew Bonitz custom rig, the little Savage has much to recommend it. Back-up iron sights and a forward- mounted scope base are de rigueur on the modern scout, and the Savage M10 FCM has both. A rugged, ramped front with a narrow blade and an adjustable peep rear provide an excellent sight picture, though I much prefer the sight picture of a ghost ring rear. Fortunately, you can remove the aperture easily, leaving a nice, big ghost ring rear sight. I mounted a Leupold scout scope with a heavy duplex reticle in Warne rings on my test rifle's forward-mounted Weaver-style base. I was thrilled with my test rifle's AccuTrigger. It broke at a hair less than two pounds, which made it easy to break accurate shots from less-than-perfect rests. Though its injection-molded stock is nothing to write home about, the FCM has an excellent recoil pad, which does a great job of attenuating the recoil of the super-light .308. Finally, like all Savages, the FCM is reliable, accurate, and affordable. In fact, it is priced low enough that, with a bit of careful shopping, you can get the rifle, some good rings, and a Leupold extended eye relief riflescope for a little over $900. Refined it isn't, but Savage's Model 10 FCM more lives up to Colonel Cooper's demanding standards. And it's affordable. That all adds up to make it, in my humble opinion, the ultimate jack-of-all-trades. Courtesy of Guns & Ammo Online

Product Update-Steyr AUG

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:05:00 -0500

2009 New Steyr Product Update! Steyr fans, your wait is over! The all new Steyr AUG/A3 SA USA is now shipping to Steyr dealers across the country. Finally, the real AUG is available for retail sale. Please check with your local Steyr Authorized Retailer so you can be one of the first in your area to own the iconic rifle not available since the 80's. To find the Steyr Dealer nearest you check out our Dealer Page. If you have any questions about availability or pricing call your dealer directly or feel free to call us here at 205-467-6544. Thank you for supporting Steyr Arms! Your Steyr Arms Team

Information on the Steyr Pistol Series

sobrien@steyrarms.com — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:03:00 -0600

Since the launch of the new website back in December, there have been many questions concerning the absence of the Steyr Pistol series from our product lineup. Hopefully, we can address some of those concerns. Steyr Arms, Inc., which is the US Importer for Steyr-Mannlicher GMBh in Austria, has imported over 20,000 pistols into the US market over the last couple of years. Many of those pistols are still available for retail sale at various distributors and dealers across the country. However, current market conditions and currency fluctuations between the Euro and the US dollar have severely hampered the ability to produce the pistol in an economically viable manner. Unfortunately, these additional costs plus the traditional costs of importing prevent us from being able to sell the pistol at a commercially competitive price point at this time. For these reasons, Steyr Arms, Inc is not importing any additional quantities of pistol that will be available on the wholesale market for the foreseeable future. However, we are in a research and development phase to see how Steyr can compete in the future without sacrificing the quality that has made Steyr so popular. Please know that Steyr Arms, Inc will continue to service and warrant all current model pistols and rifles as always. We will continue to service and carry parts and accessories for all M and S series pistols in all calibers. Hopefully this will address any concerns or confusion that exists. If you have any additional questions feel free to contact our customer service department at 205-467-6544. Thank you for your interest in Steyr Arms. Scott O�Brien
Chief Executive Officer
Steyr Arms, Inc

Sabre Defence Industries Announces Production of the Steyr AUG

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:25:00 -0600

Nashville, TN

Sabre Defence Industries, LLC is proud to announce the final production stages of the Steyr AUG rifle to be supplied and distributed through Steyr Arms, Inc. The newly produced AUG rifles are expected to be ready for distribution by January 2009. �We were honored to be selected by Steyr-Mannlicher, Gmbh to manufacture the AUG in our state of the art facility. In the process of making this icon of assault rifles, we have blended the proven and classic features with modern manufacturing techniques to make this what we believe to be the best AUG ever produced.� - says Sabre Defence Industries principal Guy Savage. More information can be obtained through Steyr Arms, Inc. at 205-467-6544.

About Sabre Defence Industries:
Founded in the USA in 2002, Sabre Defence Industries, LLC, manufactures precision engineered rifles and assemblies for responsible civilians, law enforcement and the military. About Steyr Arms, Inc:
Steyr Arms, Inc. is the sole importer and wholesaler of firearms into the USA from Steyr-Mannlicher, Gmbh located just outside Steyr, Austria. Steyr Arms, Inc sells firearms for both the civilian market as well as Military and Law Enforcement Divisions.

Original article (PDF)

The SSG 08

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:06:00 -0500

I still remember an article from a couple decades ago about Steyr�s SSG69, the Scharfschutzen Gewehr 69. To us sharpshooters in our 20s, the SSG was an obscure object of desire. When I started my sharpshooting career, all my experience was with a scoped CETME and a Mauser 66, both with wood stocks. Designed from the ground up as a sharpshooter�s rifle, the SSG69 featured a synthetic stock and a 10-round detachable magazine. Both features made it desirable. Many armies and police forces adopted it, and thousands were sold.

Then, the 1990s saw the widespread use of composites, aluminium-bedded actions, adjustable cheek pieces and butt stocks. The SSG was slowly left behind with a new breed of .308 rifles leading the pack. But in the process some things were being left behind: lightness, ruggedness and simplicity. Steyr tried to compete with the market with their SSG04, but it was not in the same league and never caught up.

The Steyr SSG08 was developed with input from the world-class Austrian COBRA unit. One of the first batch of 50 was sent to me for test and evaluation. They have used aerospace aluminium in the stock to save weight and improve ruggedness, and, including all the specifications COBRA asked for, resulted in the most advanced design on the market.

The SSG08 is based around the Safe Bolt System (SBS) from Steyr Mannlicher, which is one of the safest rifle bolt systems ever designed. In case of firing an overpressure cartridge or even with an obstruction in the barrel, the shooter is always protected from injuries, and the rifle will survive the shot and be capable of shooting again. I was told by a Steyr representative that they routinely test the SBS bolt system of the SSG08 by shoot-ing a full-power round with a bullet obstructing the barrel.

As a blown-rifle survivor, I appreciate such a safe design, and with the other features it has, it makes the SBS the most advanced bolt system available. It has a safety bushing fully encasing the bolt lugs and the extractor, which protects the shooter from escaping gases and protects the receiver from rupturing.

The SBS also has additional relevant features, like the grooves machined into the bolt that guarantees the reliable operation of the SSG08 under the most extreme environmental conditions; it does so by capturing any particles that could get trapped during its operation between the bolt and receiver.

The bolt has six massive front locking-lugs directly behind the cartridge case. That alone is a departure from the older SSG69 bolt design, which had rear locking lugs. All Steyr rifles have a protruding cocking indicator in the bolt. On the SSG08, the bolt handle retracts and locks into the receiver. The bolt, receiver and barrel are the heart of any rifle and this rifle has one of the strongest hearts ever to power a precision rifle.

The barrel is also unique, being Steyr cold hammer-forged. The accuracy of these barrels is outstanding and synonymous with reliability and long service. Cold hammer forging is a process in which the barrel is forged over a mandrel that has the lands and grooves imprinted into it. This forms the barrel with incredible precision and increased hardness, compared to traditional cut rifling methods. SSG barrels are known for their ease of cleaning and long life, due to this ultra fine finish of the interior of the barrel.

The barrel measures 23.6 inches long with a twist rate of 1-in-10 inches. The twist selection is perfect for me, as it allows me to shoot heavy bullets, and also the 155-grain Sierra MatchKings that I regularly use for 1000-yard target shooting. For the .308 (7.62x51mm NATO) I like barrels an inch longer and heavier. As this barrel is only 0.78 of an inch in diameter at the muzzle, �skinny� was my first thought, but I have to admit I was wrong.

Yes, it heats up quicker, but to be honest I was not able to detect any bullet impact shift as it was getting hot. And this is a barrel in which you can actually detect any shift at all, because it prints the smallest groups I have shot with factory ammo. It is equipped with a suppressor-compatible muzzle brake that has no ports on the bottom side. A feature military snipers will find useful, as it avoids an increased signature in dusty conditions.

The trigger is nice, crisp, and adjustable in both travel and pull. The SSG08 safety is one of the things that sets it apart. Normally, rifles have two-position safeties, but the new SBS bolt allows the shooter to select three modes. SAFE: In this position the weapon can be loaded and unloaded and the trigger is locked to prevent accidental discharges. FIRE: When ready to engage the target, just roll the safety wheel noiselessly forward and the rifle will be ready to shoot. LOCK: If the �green light� is never issued or the sharpshooter decides not to engage, then a button on the safety wheel prevents the unintended rolling of the safety into any other position from lock. The trigger and bolt are now locked.

There is one more trick in this SBS system: One can depress the bolt handle into a position closer to the stock, where it is less protruding, and this additionally locks the firing pin. This alone is a feature that sets the SSG08 worlds apart. No protruding bolt handle to tangle during the low crawl, and a safe rifle with a �locked and cocked� capability, but able to shoot with the shift of a noiseless safety wheel. Awesome. The bolt also can be locked open between the folding stock, for transport.

The stock is a work of art, made of aerospace aluminum, which is lighter and sturdier that any composite unit. Steyr has gone with a full-aluminum McRee stock and a Wyatt barrelled action. Both sides of the forend are slotted for more rails, so you can mount any inline NVD on a saddle-type front mount, or any light or laser designator directly on the sides. All the rails are minimalist and detachable, a feature that contributes to the low overall weight.

The ergonomics of the stock are excellent, having an adjustable cheek piece and butt plate. Further, it has three (front, center and butt stock) side attachment points for Flush Mount or QD slings. To keep it simple, all screws are M4, operated with a single wrench. The 10-round magazine is made of synthetic, more durable than the older designs and requires no maintenance. The magazine also has a two-position latch that allows single loading of specialized rounds through the ejection port while the magazine is in the rifle and at ready.

A Versa-Pod bipod and a monopod are also standard equipment. Nothing to comment about Dr. Keng�s Versapod, it is simply one of the best bipods available, but the monopod deserves a note. The test rifle came equipped with an under-the-barrel Z-AIM monopod that Steyr was testing, which I found very practical. It is a newly patented design and has two features that make it a cut above. You can rough adjust it by simply pressing a button and it will lock precisely on the desired elevation; then a micrometer foot will allow for fine adjustment. When retracted it does not protrude at all, nor does the push button. The rifle is finished in a process called MANNOX, a 100-percent rustproof, matte finish.

The rifle came equipped with a 34mm tube Schmidt & Bender PM II scope. I have to admit it is a fine optics.

The scope can be mounted via a special one-piece cradle scope mount onto a Mil-Std-1913 rail screwed and stuck to the receiver with an adhesive. Three sturdy 12-face nuts hold the cradle to the rail.

Shooting Impressions

At the range, my intention was to shoot some groups at 100 meters and then shoot at the longest range I was allowed, but the Europa Schiesszentrum Wr. Neustadt range near Vienna only had 100-, 200- and 300-meter ranges. After a group to check cold-bore zero and trigger pull, I saw that I had printed a 3-shot group of 0.8 MOA. Then I shot another 3-shot group to adjust the cheek piece and the butt stock length, and it printed at exactly 1 MOA. When I shot my first group for record I could hardly believe my eyes, a 0.24 of an inch group was there, and that�s sub-1/4 MOA with Federal Premium Match ammo.

Even though I am a sharpshooter instructor and can shoot most rifles to their potential, I am not into benchrest, and groups that small make me smile. With that smile on my face I shot another one. Result, a 0.33 of an inch group. �I can�t be so lucky�, I thought, while I loaded the magazine with three more rounds.

When I shot a 0.28 of an inch group I realized two things. First, that the SSG08 is the most precise out-of-the box rifle I have ever shot, and second, that I could barely scratch its potential on a 300-meter range. You have to bring custom benchrest rifles into the arena to print around 1/4-MOA groups one after the other. Half-MOA, maybe, but not this small.

Final Notes

This rifle is a mature design that incorporates the specific features professional sharpshooters have asked for, while maintaining the fundamental requirements of accuracy, simplicity and lightness. Fundamentals that some designs have let go in favor of �features� that may, or may not, actually be useful when deployed. SWAT sharpshooters, military snipers and even sharpshooting aficionados, should all take a serious look at this rifle.

Original article (PDF)

Fit For An Emperor: The Steyr Mannlicher Classic

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:40:00 -0500

The chamois herd grazed lazily on the side of the mountain a little more than 200 yards away. Guide Kefer Hubert and I sat quietly in the blind watching them through binoculars. As we watched, a fly buzzed inside my eyeglasses onto the corner of my eye. I hurriedly shooed it away, the waving of my white hand startling the chamois, an animal with excellent vision and they quickly bounded higher up the mountain. A 6,000-mile trip, a grueling hour�s uphill hike and a careful, silent walk to the blind and dummy blows it brushing away a fly. Swell.

The hunt was by invitation of Steyr Mannlicher, a company formed at the birth of the metallic cartridge in the city of Steyr, Austria, by Josef Werndl, who also designed the Austrian Army�s first breechloading rifle called, appropriately, the Werndl. Today, the Steyr firm is best known in the US for the iconic .223 Steyr AUG service rifle and Jeff Cooper�s Scout rifle. Many dedicated US riflemen remember Steyr as the makers of one of the first precision rifles with a composite stock � the .308 SSG sniper rifle.

The original Mannlicher-Schoenauer sporting rifles, made from the very beginning of the 20th century, earned a worldwide reputation for accuracy, dependability and were renowned for their glass-smooth actions, rich bluing and handsome fit and finish. The firm survived two World Wars, and Mannlicher rifles were imported into the US through all the �tween war periods into the 1960s They still draw plenty of attention from serious hunters and collectors at gun shows.

Austrian hunting, which goes back to the dawn of civilization, has grown rich with ritual and tradition. From the sounding of the horns at the beginning of a hunt to the homage paid to the animal after a kill, a hunt is highly stylized. Today, hunting from blinds prepared long ago (some locations during Emperor Franz Joseph�s reign in the latter 19th century) is most common. Since a lot of hunting is done near settled areas or in close proximity to other hunters, the blinds are constructed in such a way as to direct fire in predictable directions for the safety of other hunters and the townspeople. (It is not uncommon to see blinds or stands constructed within 100 yards or so of the Autobahn.)

The blinds for the chamois hunt were scattered along the mountainside up from the city of Bad Ischle, a city thousands of years old and where Emperor Franz Josef hunted assiduously for decades, taking more than 1,000 chamois, his favorite game animal. Our party of hunters were given the choice of close-by blinds, or blinds requiring a bit of a hike. Wayne Van Zwoll and I chose to make the hike. I guessed my chances of getting an animal would be better if I worked for it. Since there has been hunting from these blinds for generations, I foolishly believed it would be a gentle hike.

Boys, I�d like to say I ran up the Alpine trail, but I fear I�ve met the fat, overweight out-of-shape American hunter and I am he. I had a couple of months to prepare for this trip, but sitting behind a computer all day is poor prep, even with brisk mile-long walks as part of my morning exercise. By the time I�d hiked for a 1/2 hour, I was blowing like a busted bellows, while the guides and Van Zwoll had barely broken a sweat. I slowed down our party considerably by being out of shape, I�m sad to say, but another 1/2-hour�s climb got me to the blind. Nonetheless, I have a wonderful memory of some of the most beautiful mountain scenery on Earth. (Two of our party who chose simple short walks to their blinds never got a shot.)

The .270 WSM is perfect for this type of hunting. Launching a 130-grain bullet at a blistering 3,200 fps, it shoots flat enough for virtually any type of mountain hunting and is perfect for the majority of North American hunting. Since the chamois is a rather thin-bodied little goat, the 130-grain bullet is a great choice. On this hunt, we used Norma .270 WSM ammunition topped with 130-grain Nosler Ballistic Tips.

As for the Steyr Mannlicher rifle, it is, understandably, the go-to gun in Austria and sells very well across Europe, despite the fact Steyr rifles see widespread hand-me-down status generation to generation. At 7.9 pounds with a 23.6" barrel in the magnum calibers, it is perfectly balanced, easy to carry and holds three rounds in the detachable magazine. The balance point of the rifle is right at the magazine box.

The barrel and action are finished in a glare-free matte-gray Steyr calls Mannox, giving the metal a finish virtually impervious to rust, very scuff resistant and, more importantly, the finish protects both the inside and outside of the barrel, unlike most other finishes. A Steyr trademark, it is an exceptional finish for a firearm destined for hard use. The barrel itself is cold hammer forged and displays the handsome pattern the forging process creates. The barrel, made from chrome moly, is threaded into the receiver.

The rifle has a 3-position safety centrally mounted on the tang. Off is all the way back towards the shooter, the middle position is �safe� and allows the bolt to be opened and the chamber cleared. All the way forward locks the bolt closed and a little white button pops up and locks the safety as well. Should you have the set trigger activated and decide not to take the shot, applying the safety all the way to the �locked� position safely unsets the trigger.

The single set trigger is nicely tuned at the factory and at first, I didn�t think much of it because during dry fire, as the sear breaks, there appears to be a lot of overtravel. During live fire, though, the trigger just breaks light, crisp and clean, touching off the rifle and I never noticed the so-called overtravel as the rifle rolled in recoil. It is a monumental difference in feel between practice and live fire, so don�t think less of the set trigger if the gun shop lets you dry-snap it.

The bolt handle sits close to the stock with a European-style semi-spoon or �butterknife� shape and has an extremely lively feel upon opening. It�s different from any other rifle I�ve used and gives the illusion the rifle wants to hunt like an eager dog.

Stock Cues

The stock has the Bavarian-style �razorback� comb and square cheekpiece. The fore-end has a quick taper from the magazine to the rosewood Schnabel tip. Upon mounting, your offhand slides back and stops as the stock widens forward of the magazine giving you the feel of complete control over the rifle, an aid when the gun is in recoil.

The well thought out pistol grip has a gentle palm swell, positions the hand well for access to the trigger and is capped with rosewood. The triggerguard is large enough for use with gloves. The checkering is sharp and just coarse enough to give good control even if wet. The rifle is fitted with a rubber buttpad giving some recoil reduction, but not a lot, is snag free, not slippery and gives good purchase on the shoulder. The stock is finished in a matte hand-rubbed oil finish.

The 2.5-10x50mm Helia C Kahles scope is mounted in Steyr Quick Detachable mounts, an excellent accessory if you carry a spare scope or occasionally like to use the iron sights. The iron sights are fully adjustable for windage at the rear and for elevation at the front.

The scope, with a 30mm main tube, is clear as a bell. The reticle is on the first focal plane and magnifies as the power ring is turned. Fitted with a standard American Plex reticle, its magnification was no impediment to viewing the animal.

Steyr�s American division sent me a .270 WSM Classic set up identically to the one I hunted with in Austria for photography and a more thorough shooting session at the Angeles Shooting Ranges. I assembled three loads for the test, two from Winchester and one from Norma, all topped with 130-grain bullets. One Winchester load had the Ballistic Silvertip and the other Winchester�s new Supreme Elite XP3 controlled expansion bullet. The Norma load was topped with the proven Nosler Ballistic Tip, the load I used on the hunt.

Shooting

The day at the Angeles Shooting Ranges was exceptional, with moderate humidity, 74 degrees temperature and no wind. There would be no weather alibis this day. All accuracy shooting was done from a Bald Eagle benchrest and rear bag. I wasted half a box of each load before discovering this particular gun likes to be held with both hands. Once I began holding the fore-end, the groups tightened and became consistent. I fired a total of 60 rounds during the test, which included chronographing.

Recoil of the .270 WSM is quite manageable and anyone who has shot a .30-06 is fully capable of shooting the .270 WSM well. There were no surprises during the shooting; all loads fed, extracted and ejected without problem. The cases pop out of the ejection port and land just to the side about a foot away for easy retrieval. The safety is easy and intuitive to use. The action itself is quiet in operation.

Of the loads tried, the most consistent performer was the Norma, delivering several 3/4" groups into several nice little 3-shot clusters. The Supreme Elite gave nice 3-shot groups of 3/4" as well with two shots going into 1/4" time and again. The Steyr liked the Ballistic Silvertips the least, delivering groups into a still respectable 1-1/4".

The magazine is easily removed even with gloved hands and the fat little Short Mags are just pushed straight down into the mag for loading. Loading the mags is easy and could be done in semi-darkness. Unloading the mags is straightforward. Just push the rounds straight out from the rear and they�ll pop right out.

The Hunt

The herd of chamois, startled by my hand movement, finally settled down again, now 276 yards away, higher up the Alpine mountain. Guide Hubert pointed out the aft end of a young tan chamois grazing. His coat hadn�t begun to turn dark for winter, unlike the others. We waited patiently for him to turn broadside for a shot. I watched him through a pair of Kahles 10x30mm compact binocs. The gun was sighted in to shoot 2" high at 100 meters, which in theory would allow me to simply keep the crosshair on the animal.The little chamois finally turned broadside to us and I carefully sighted the rifle using my hat as a rest. I had practiced with this rifle using the excellent single set trigger standard on all Steyr rifles. Of course, I forgot to set the trigger as I took aim. No matter. The trigger broke clean and crisp. The rifle roared and the chamois dropped at the impact of the Nosler bullet. The goat struggled to stand and Herr Hubert said to shoot again. The second shot finished him, but on cleaning the animal, he would have died shortly from the first shot.It was a very memorable hunt and one I almost blew on the last leg. But I got my little goat and the performance of the rifle was everything I expected. I believe Emperor Franz Joseph himself would be proud to hunt with this rifle. If you�d like to see how an Austrian hunt starts, go to the Web Blast section at www.gunsmagazine.com. There you�ll see and hear a horn concert as played prior to an Austrian driven hunt for pigs. The driven hunt was part of this same trip, but that�s another story.

Shooting Facilities provided by:
Angeles Shooting Ranges
12651 Little Tujunga Road
San Fernando, CA 91342
(800) 499-4486
www.angelesranges.com

The Luxus

With the dollar in decline against the Euro, Steyr Mannlicher realizes their rifles are a much harder aspiration for many American hunters than they were just a few years ago. To that end, the company will most likely push their higher end products for awhile until some reason returns to the international exchange rates and more gun shops will be able to floor the bread and butter guns such as the Classic tested for this article.

One of the new innovative rifles the firm has created is the Luxus modular rifle system with a receiver of one size only made from high-strength aluminum. What makes the rifle so special is the caliber can be changed in seconds from a long belted magnum to a small or medium game caliber with interchangeable barrels, bolt heads and detachable magazines.

The Luxus may just prove to be the best choice for the traveling hunter, since a wide variety of calibers from .243 Winchester to .375 H&H are available.

As befits its name, wood comes in three mostly high and higher grades. The receiver has detachable sideplates and can be fitted with wood, aluminum or steel. The steel sideplates are the perfect platform for engraving. Base price of this model is $3,099, not much more than the classic, while offering considerable versatility of application.

The Steyr factory has quite a custom shop offering a variety of finish options for their arms from receiver case hardening to an exquisite electric classic blue applied as a hardening process virtually impervious to corrosion. The odd thing about the blue is it reflects the blue when no oil is on the gun. Put oil or even fingerprints on it and it turns purplish. Wipe off the oil and it turns blue again. Better, it needs no oil as a preservative. Original article

US Forces Contradict Newspaper Report: �No Austrian weapons found with terrorists.�

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:44:00 -0500

Vienna

Having started as Steyrgate now ends up as a soap bubble. An English newspaper had reported in February that armour piercing sniper rifles made by the Austrian company Steyr Mannlicher were found in the hands of Iraqi terrorists. But now the US Central Command, being responsible for the forces at the gulf, is contrary with that article. �No Austrian weapons have been found in Iraq,� declared Lieutenant Scott Miller on Thursday under discussion with the �Wiener Zeitung�. �There have been relevant rumours but these rumours have not been confirmed.� Further details have not been announced yet.

Austria also taken off the pillory

Steyr-owner Franz Holzschuh was highly delighted for having been taken off the pillory but he is not going to further observe the affair. �Let sleeping dogs lie. I am glad that dust has settled on the case,� says Holzschuh. However, he reacted visibly relieved due to the clarification of the case that had discredited Steyr Mannlicher as well as the Austrian Government. The �Daily Telegraph� had reported in February that more than 100 sniper rifles model HS50 had been found in Bagdad in the course of a raid by the US troops. The rifles derived supposedly from a shipment to the Iranian security forces in 2005 that had been approved by the Austrian government. Unfortunately, the editor of the relevant article was not reachable for a statement. The case was politically relevant as England and the USA had vehemently criticized the business with Iran. Both considered that the rifles could end up in the hands of terrorists in Iraq.

The newspaper report seemed to confirm this apprehension and affirm the embargo imposed by the USA against Steyr Mannlicher. The embargo shall, by the way, expire at the end of this year. Original article With friendly permission of Wiener Zeitung

The New Steyr Elite

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:56:00 -0500

The Austrian firm of Steyr Mannlicher is one of the world's oldest, most prestigious firearms manufacturers that has earned a reputation for quality, accurate firearms. However, the company has never established a broad presence in the United States, despite having some of the best and most technically advanced firearms available. The company partnered with Jeff Cooper in the mid-1990s to produce the Scout Rifle based on Cooper's concept of an all-around rifle that could be used for just about any purpose, from hunting to security. Steyr's Scout Rifle made use of advanced materials and technology that is still modern 10 years after it was originally designed. While the original Scout Rifle wasn't intended to be a precision tactical rifle, the potential was there and a few years after the successful Scout, Steyr undertook designing a true tactical based on the Scout action. The result is the subject of this evaluation, Steyr's Elite or simple "Elite," depending on which Steyr web page or advertisement one looks at. In fact, the Elite and Scout are simply two versions of the same basic rifle.

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