Steyr AUG
The Steyr AUG (German: Armee-Universal-Gewehr, lit. 'army universal rifle') is an Austrian bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge, designed in the 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and now manufactured by Steyr Arms GmbH & Co KG.
| Steyr AUG | |
|---|---|
AUG A1 with 508 mm (20 in) barrel | |
| Type | Bullpup assault rifle Carbine Light machine gun (HBAR) Submachine gun (AUG 9mm, AUG 40) |
| Place of origin | Austria |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1978–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | See Conflicts |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Horst Wesp Karl Wagner Karl Möser |
| Manufacturer | Steyr Arms Thales Australia, Lithgow Facility SME Ordnance Dasan Machineries |
| Produced | 1977–present |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 3.6 kg (7.9 lb) (20 in barrel) 3.3 kg (7.3 lb) (16.4 in barrel) 3.2 kg (7.1 lb) (15 in barrel) 4.9 kg (10.8 lb) (HBAR) 2.97 kg (6.5 lb) (AUG 9mm) |
| Length | 790 mm (31.1 in) (20 in barrel) 725 mm (28.5 in) (16.4 in barrel) 690 mm (27.2 in) (15 in barrel) 900 mm (35.4 in) (HBAR) 665 mm (26.2 in) (AUG 9mm) |
| Barrel length | 508 mm (20 in) (AUG) 417 mm (16.4 in) (AUG) 382 mm (15 in) (AUG) 621 mm (24.4 in) (HBAR) 325 mm (12.8 in) (AUG 9mm) 350 mm (13.8 in) (AUG 9mm) 365 mm (14.4 in) (AUG 9mm) 420 mm (16.5 in) (AUG 9mm) |
| Cartridge | 5.56×45mm NATO .300 AAC Blackout 9×19mm Parabellum .40 S&W |
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 680–750 rounds/min (AUG, HBAR) 650–720 rounds/min (AUG 9mm) |
| Muzzle velocity | 970 m/s (3,182 ft/s) (20 in barrel) |
| Effective firing range | 300 m (330 yd) |
| Maximum firing range | 2,700 m (3,000 yd) |
| Feed system |
|
| Sights | Swarovski 1.5× telescopic sight, emergency battle sights, and Picatinny rail for various optics |
It was adopted by the Austrian Army in 1977 as the StG 77 (Sturmgewehr 77), where it replaced the 7.62×51mm NATO StG 58 automatic rifle. In production since 1977, it is the standard small arm of the Bundesheer and various Austrian federal police units and its variants have also been adopted by the armed forces of dozens of countries, with some using it as a standard-issue service rifle.
Steyr AUG importation into the United States began in the 1980s as the AUG/SA (SA denoting semi-automatic). The AUG was banned from importation in 1989 under President George H. W. Bush's executive order restricting the import of foreign-made semiautomatic rifles deemed not to have "a legitimate sporting use." Six years into the ban, AUG buyers gained a reprieve as cosmetic changes to the carbine's design allowed importation once again. Changes included redesigning its pistol grip into a thumbhole stock, and leaving its barrel unthreaded to prevent attachment of a flash hider or suppressor.
The ban sunsetted in 2004, and in 2008, Steyr Arms worked with Sabre Defence to produce parts legally in the U.S.