• AUG from A1 to Z

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    AUG in use


    History

    Creation of a new rifle began by Steyr-Daimler-Puch concern (nowadays Steyr-Mannlicher AG and Co KG) in close cooperation with army. Three Austrians - Horst Wesp, Karl Wagner and Karl Möser became the main originators of the new weapon. The employee of Department of a military technology colonel Walter Stoll was engaged in designing of the concept and prototype creation.


    Initially the rifle was projected in such a way that the single basic model has allowed to have not only the basic weapon of infantry - an assault rifle, but also the carbine for troopers, a submachine gun for vehicle crews or special forces, and also the light support weapon (light machinegun) and a sniper rifle. The infantry weapon system, should have small weight, high combat efficiency, to be ergonomic and simple in handling.


    Considering all these requirements, designers have come to the modular scheme of weapon construction (in this case "basic" block (the body with lockwork) serves for construction on its basis of the whole arms family) that in a final version has given the ability of incomplete disassembling of the rifle to 6 base modules for 20 seconds. The basic sight should be optical, therefore to it's designing has been involved the known Austrian firm Swarovski Optic.


    The first prototype of a rifle under name Universal Infanterie Waffe was ready in 1970. Then were released prototypes that were reworked during tests (upper receiver (1972, finished in 1973), body improvement, optical sight installation. In total 6 prototypes have been made during this time.


    Early AUG


    In 1977 Steyr AUG rifle (Armee Universal Gewehr - the army universal rifle) has been accepted by the Austrian army under designation StG 77 (Sturm Gewehr - an assault rifle). The first parties have arrived to army in 1978.


    Since then AUG is used on all continents, except Antarctica, of course, it is used (in brackets army-acceptance date): in Austria (1978), Australia (producing under the Steyr licence and marked as F88) (1985), Argentina (1990), Great Britain (special police units, SAS), Venezuela (1990), Denmark (1990), Djibouti, the Irish republic (1987), Indonesia (1987), Cameroon (1984), Ecuador (1987), Luxembourg (1987), Malaysia (1989), Morocco (1990), New Zealand (1986), Norway (1990), Oman (1981), Pakistan (1987), Saudi Arabia (1980), the USA (special police units (SWAT), FBI, customs services, coast guard, U.S Navy Seals, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)), Tunis (1978), Philippines. Therefore by customer's request body can be carried out in different colours – olive, black, and sand (khaki), and also with different modes of fire.



    Technical description:
    As already it has been mentioned above, AUG consists of 6 modules: barrel, receiver, firing mechanism (lockwork), bolt, magazine and stock (body).

    Firing action of a rifle is based on a principle of bleeding off a part of gases from the channel in a barrel with a short piston stroke. The gas regulator (placed on the right side of a barrel's stub) has two positions: 1) normal (regular); 2) increased - increases volume of taken gases in case of difficulty of the automatic mechanism's action when it's miry.


    Body

    Body


    For simplification of a design with keeping its durability the rifle body is made of polyamide which to all have durability to plastic deformation under the influence of temperature (from-42°S to +100°С). All parts of the firing mechanism of the with great dispatch-trigger mechanism, except steel axes and springs, also are made from durable plastic.


    The plastic body which is basic for all AUG configurations includes following elements:

    • stock with magazine chamber and catch

    • enlarged triggerguard encloses the whole hand and allows the gun to be fired in winter gloves or mittens.

    • plastic trigger with dual steel rods which are dispatching trigger forcing to lockwork;

    • safety mechanism and receiver lock are mounted in the housing, that brought into action by pressing of corresponding buttons; If the safety button is pressed rightwards = the rifle is in safety. By pressing the button leftwards safety mechanism is turned off and the rifle is ready to fire;

    • inside of the housing two guide pins mounted, they are preventing the bolt frame from warping inside the receiver. Simultaneously they are collapsing backward springs inside bolt frame's canular pins;

    • the housing has two symmetrical ejection ports, one of which is always covered by the plastic cover;


    The stock side of the housing is covered by a rubber butplate that is held in position by the cross-pin, which also serves a s a rear sling swivel attachment point and holder for the lockwork.

    Receiver

    Receiver
    Receiver


    Receiver built by pressure-die casting of the aluminium alloy with steel reinforcement blocks (where the receiver is under heavy presure), wich allows to lower the weight of the part but saving the durability. One such block is used to provide the locking to the removable barrels and the rotating bolt, thus relieving the receiver from most of the firing stress. Other block are used as a bearings for the bolt carrier guide pints. Body of the standard optic sight or the special mounting rail are also used as the transporting handle which is also have a sling swivel on it. On the side of the receiver placed barrel's retaining button and the bolt lever, which is not moving when firing. The bolt lever has the button, which is connects the lever with the bolt's rod to charge the cartridge manualy.


    Bolt and bolt carrier

    Bolt group
    Bolt group


    Bolt and bolt carrier built by close tolerance machining on the metal-cutting equipment. In early version (in 1970) bolt had three locking lugs. Over time their number was increased to 7, which allows to divide the locking stress much regularly (on the eights lug place the extractor hook placed in the symethrical subspace). Changed bolt construction lowered it's leftward turn angle when the barrel was locking to 22,3°, which allowed to decrease bolt carrier's groove dimensions. The ejector is spring-actuated and mounted in breeching face. Striker is also is spring-actuated, which prevents the cap from inertion impresiion. Bolt mounted in bolt carrier, which hanged inside the housing on two hollow steel guide pins mounted in end of the stock. This pinns are laid through the steel sleeves of the receiver. Left pin is also a push rod that is transmiting motion of the loading lever to bolt carrier, it can be locked in back position when disassembling the rifle. The right one (has the long rod head) - works as the operating rod of the gas piston. Standard bolts have the ejector on the right side, which provides right side ejection. It can be changed to another, with mirror-placed ejector for left side ejection if needed (then right ejection port covered by the plastick cover). Sling swivel is also can be mounted on the right side.


    Lockwork (firing mechanism/hammer unit)

    Triger dispatch mechanism
    Firing pin


    The firing mechanism placed inside of the stock. It connected with the trigger bar rods. Safety catch made as button under the pistol grip and blocks the trigger rod. AUG have not the fire mode selector as in common meaning There's no separate fire mode selector on the AUG rifles. Instead, the trigger itself is used to control the mode of fire. Pulling it half the way back will produce single shots, while the full pull will produce automatic fire. Allmost whole hammer unit except springs, pins, striker and trigger rods, are made of plastic. Special for Steyr AUG light machine gun versions producing conversion kits to modify the bolt group and lockwork of the rifle to fire from an open bolt. At the customer will the firing mechanism can be made with single shots mode or burst fire mode.



    Magazines


    10 rounds mag
    30 rounds mag
    42 rounds mag
    100 rounds mag


    AUG fiding from the double-column magazines (except AUG Para), made out from a high-tension semitransparent plastic, that provides visual control to rounds quantity. Capacity 30, 42 or 10, 20 (civil versions) rounds. But now drum-type magazines with 100 rounds capacity are also producing.

    Sight

    Sight
    Diagram


    Despite the sight is not the separate module, deserves separate consideration. Firm Swarovski Optic was engaged in a design and manufacturing. Magnification is 1,5х which allows the shooter to aim with both eyes opened. Aiming mark designed as a black circle in the center of the vision area. This circle is dimensioned in the way that its visible inner diameter is equal to the visible height of the figure target at 300 meters range. Half-silhouette target on the 300 veters distance aimed on the center of circle, and on the 600 meters the bottom of the target must fit with bottom of the circle. The adjustment knobs on the sight are used only for zeroing. The sight housing features an emergency backup iron sights at the top of the scope sight body.



    All parts listed below are basic for any AUG version. Now let's examine each of them.

    AUG А1

    AUG A1


    AUG А1 is the first model of the AUG family assault rifles. It uses 508 mm/20" (assault rifle) or 407 mm/16" (carabine) long barrels, which are mount to receiver by 8 stops on outter surface of the breech end of barrel in 2 rows.


    Barrel built by cold hammering and the external clutch puted on the barrel in a heated condition. Gas hole, chamber, gas regulator and tactical grip are also made on the clutch. There is the gas piston that is spring-actuated by the driving spring in the gas chamber. The 3-hole flashhider screwed on the barrel, it has inner thread for the blank firing adapter or rifle grenade. Standard Steyr AUG barrels have 1 to 228 mm pitch of rifling, which provides normal shooting of standard 5.56mm NATO and old M193 cartridges with lightweight bullet. At the customers will is possible to make barrels with other parameters designed for different cartridges.


    Versions based on A1 model:

    AUG P


    AUG P – AUG A1 with 407mm barrel and only semi-automatic firing mode.


    AUG P SR (Special Receiver) – AUG P with mount rail for different optic sights.


    Caliber: 5,56x45 mm NATO (.223 Rem.)
    Rate of fire: 680-800 rounds per minute
    Weight (unloaded): 508 mm: 3,6 kg 407 mm: 3,4 kg
    Empty magazine weight: 0,13 kg
    Overall length: with 508 mm/20" barrel: 790 mm/31" with 407 mm/16" barrel: 690 mm/27"
    Overall height: 275 mm/11"
    Magazine capacity: 30/42 rounds
    Trigger letoff weight: 3,9 kg

    AUG A2

    AUG A2


    The main and in fact the only difference between A2 and A1 versions is receiver. In A2 version standard optical sight can be easily changed to Mil.Std. 1913 Picatinny rail for custom optics mounting (red dot sights, sniper and night vision sights). Version with special rail is also known as SR (Special Receiver) version.

    AUG Commando

    AUG A1 Commando


    This version utilises 350mm/14" barrel.

    AUG 9 mm “Para”

    AUG Para


    «Made for operations, where 9 mm caliber is the best choise» that's how Para version's characeristic begins on the manufacturer site. This machine pistol is used by vehicle crews, special operations forces and many, many others. Conversion of any AUG version to Para is carried out by changing the bolt group, installing the Mpi69 magazine adapter and 420 mm barrel without gas chamber. Gas system works by the bolt recoil. Also the rifle granades adapter (for granades CS и CN) can be mounted on the barrel. Rate of fire: 700 round per minute, magazine capacity: 25 or 32 rounds.


    AUG Para conversion kit

    AUG 9mm kit


    AUG Para



    AUG A3

    AUG A3


    AUG A3


    Receiver built along with the long Picatinny mount rail. For AUG A3 version manufactured next barrels: 457 mm (18"), 508 mm (20") and 610 mm (24"). This model made like the previous versions but with different clutch without tactical grip. Now the outter side of the barrel covered by mount rails, which allows to mount many kinds of accessories such as granade launchers, flash lights, tactical grips, lasers and optics.


    Caliber: 5.56x45 mm (223 Rem.) 6.8 mm SPC (in testings)
    Rate of fire: 680-800 rounds per minute
    Weight (unloaded): with 455 mm (18") barrel: 3,7 kg
    Overall lenght: 740 mm/29"
    Overall height: 280 mm/11"
    Groove length: 228 mm/9" rightward

    Early version of A3 Commando

    Early AUG A3 Commando


    Latest version of A3 Commando

    Latest AUG A3 Commando



    AUG LSW (Light Support Weapon)
    Joint name for the AUG's «heavy» versions, like the HBAR and LMG.

    AUG HBAR (Heavy-Barreled Automatic Rifle)
    Heavy barreled AUG (610mm barrel with bipod).

    AUG HBAR



    AUG HBAR-T (Heavy-Barreled Automatic Rifle with Telescopic sight)
    In this version standard scope raplaced by universal rail for custom scopes mounting.

    AUG HBAR-T



    AUG LMG (Light Machine Gun)
    AUG HBAR version with lockwork that allows to fire from the open bolt. In this version standard Swarovski 1,5x sight replaced by the 4х Schmidt & Bender scope.

    AUG LMG



    AUG LMG-T (Light Machine Gun with Telescopic sight)
    AUG HBAR-T version with lockwork that allows to fire from the open bolt. It is worthy of note that in "T" versions often used the Kahles ZF69 6x optical sight.

    AUG LMG-T



    AUG NATO Stock

    AUG NATO Stock


    This rifle's body customized to feed from the M16 magazine.

    AUG USR (Universal Sporting Rifle) / SA (Semi-auto)

    AUG USR


    The USR was created in 1996-1997 for export to USA as a sporting firearm, because earlier AUG was banned from further importation into the United States under the Assault Weapon Ban 1989 (before this AUGs were imported by SA marking). But the USR import didn't last long (about a week), thats why only 3000 rifles were imported, thereafter USR was banned for import too. In this AUG version were used 508 mm/20" barrels without flash hiders and haven't capability to add flash hidersm silencers and bayonets, the quick barrel changing catch also absent.



    Austeyr F88

    Licensed line of the Steyr's AUG Australian versions which are technologicly almost don't differ from Austrian.


    F88 Austeyr – The Australian Army's modified version of the Steyr AUG A1, featuring a bayonet lug. The components are built under license at the Australian Defence Industries factory in Lithgow, New South Wales (known as Thales Australia or ADI Limited).


    F88C Austeyr - A carbine version of the Austeyr F88 featuring a shorter, 407 mm (16.0 in) barrel. The F88C is generally used as a personal defensive weapon where maneuverability is an issue, such as in armoured vehicles.


    F88S Austeyr - A version of the Australian Austeyr F88 with an integrated Picatinny rail in place of the standard optic that allows the attachment of various sights (night vision devices, magnified and non-magnified optics such as the ELCAN C79, Trijicon ACOG or Aimpoint).


    F88S-A1C - The Austeyr F88S-A1C is a compact variant of the F88 fitted with a Picatinny rail. The rifle has a 407 mm (16.0 in) barrel. Typically issued to front-line combat infantry units with room and weight constraints such as cavalry, reconnaissance, light horse, paratroopers and airfield defence guards (RAAF).


    F88 GLA – Australian Army version with an M203 grenade launcher. It features an Inter-bar (armourer attached) interface, an RM Equipment M203PI grenade launcher, and a Knight's Armament quadrant sight assembly to which a Firepoint red dot sight is attached. The bayonet lugs and forward vertical foregrip are removed.


    F88 with GL


    F88T – ADI has developed a .22-caliber training rifle for use by the Australian Army. The rifle provides an economical training alternative, with very low ammunition cost, which can be used in environmentally sensitive training areas and ranges where "overshooting" is an issue, and there is less likely of a chance to injure instructors and other persons. Also used by the Australian Defence Force Cadets.


    Austeyr F88A4 – ADI’s proposed F88A4 will incorporate multiple Picatinny rails for the fitting of legacy systems such as the M203P1 40 mm grenade launcher as well as both commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and military off-the-shelf (MOTS) sighting and battle enhancement accessories. Also it must be noted that the A4 has only been bought in limited numbers (reportedly only 10 units) for evaluation purposes.

    F88 A3 with GL


    F88 A3



    MSAR STG 556

    STG 556


    STG 556


    This rifle is also a licensed semi-automatic Steyr AUG clone. Since Steyr Mannlicher AUG for export to USA (AUG USR), the rifle got it's reborn in Mircotech Small Arms Research. Both versions (with 1.5x sight and with picatiny rail receivers) are manufactured.

    Caliber: 5.56 NATO (223 Rem.)
    Magazine capacity: 10 rounds
    Rate of fire: 150 rounds per minute
    Weight: 3,27 kg
    Barrel length: 407 mm/16"
    Overall length: 686 mm/16"

    STG 556



    AUG Z

    AUG Z


    AUG Z


    Steyr's civil model of the AUG with 20mm diameter 508mm length barrel which is also without a flash hider. AUG Z can be used with 590mm barrel that have 3 slit trenches on the muzzle, quick barrel change catch is absent in this version, but it isn't hard to remove the barrel. There is no button that connects the operating handle with bolt. Only receiver with picatiny rail is used in this version.

    Caliber: 5,56x45 mm NATO (.223 Rem.)
    Weight: 3,6 kg
    Overall length: 790 mm/31"

    Markings

    "STEYR-DAIMLER-PUCH AG AUSTRIA" or "STEYR-MANNLICHER GmbH AUSTRIA" "AUG/(model mark)" molded on the right side of the stock. Manufacturing number on the right side of the barrel.

    Field stripping


    1. Put rifle to safety, release the magazine.

    2. Arm the hammer mechanism and fix the bolt in rearmost position, by turning the lever upwards in the receiver slot. Make sure that the gun isn't loaded (the cartridge chamber is empty).

    3. Detach the barrel by pressing the quick release button down synchronously turning the barrel rightwards then push the barrel farward.

    4. By returning the bolt catch to forward position, open the receiver's lock, by pressing it down. Receiver is pulling forward and detach from the receiver.

    5. By pressing on to the deepening on the butplate the locking pin is released and pulling out. Rubber butplate detaching from the body. Lockwork can be pulled out now.


    Accessories and gear
    Except for gear created specially for this assault rifle, AUG also compatible with plenty of other accessories.

    Silencers

    AUG with silencer


    Rotex-III

    AUG with Rotex-III


    AUG with Rotex-III


    Bayonets

    Bayonet


    AUG with bayonet


    Optical sights
    Night vision sight

    AUG with NV scope


    ZF 69

    AUG with ZF 69 scope


    Telescopic systems

    AUG with video scoping system


    AUG with video scoping system


    Grenade launchers

    AUG with M203


    AUG with M203


    AUG with M203


    AUG with M203


    AUG with M203


    AUG with M203


    Cleaning kits

    AUG cleaning kit


    Laser target pointers

    AUG with laser


    Tactical lights

    AUG A3 with tactical light


    Cartridge catchers

    AUG A3 with tactical light


    AUG A3 with tactical light


    Blank firing kits

    AUG blank adapters


    Rifle grenades

    AUG rifle grenades



    Sources:

    1. Steyr Mannlicher (steyr-mannlicher.com)

    2. "Оружие Охота" magazine 11/2005.

    3. Handbook "Jane's "Огнестрельное оружие" publ. "Harper Collins"

    4. Encyclopedia of firearms and ammunition World Guns (world.guns.ru)

    5. Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)

    6. Steyr-AUG.com (steyr-aug.com)

    7. PJS investments company (pjs-steyraug.com)

    8. Steyr Arms (steyrarms.com)

    9. SteyrPro (steyrpro.com)

    10. Remtek (remtek.com)

    11. Milpictures (milpictures.com)

    12. Steyr AUG Net (steyraug.net)

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