The F88 Aus Styer
The Australian Defence Force issues the F88 Austeyr to Australian soldiers as their Individual Weapon (IW). The weapon has been in service world wide since the 1970s and was introduced to the Australian Army to replace the SLR.
There are various configurations of the F88 available
for different purposes. These include different barrel lengths for sniping or close
quarter fighting, different optic sighting systems including night vision, and grenade
launchers.
Here are some specifications for the weapon.
| Calibre | 5.56 mm x 45 mm | Types of ammunition | F1 Ball, Tracer and Blank | |
| Firing method | Single shot and automatic | Method of operation | Gas operated | |
| Type of feed | Magazine fed | Magazine capacity | 30 rds | |
| Muzzle velocity | 930 metres per second | |||
| Automatic fire | 90 rds per min, for a maximum of 2 min | Cyclic rate of fire | 680 - 850 rds per minute | |
| Weapon weight with full magazine | 4.1 kg | Weapon only | 3.6 kg | |
| Weapon length | 790 mm | Barrel length | 508 mm | |
| Weapon with bayonet fixed | 980 mm | Optic sight | 1.5 magnification | |
The Steyr broken down into its main groups.
|
Steyr's newest offering, the AUG (Armee Universal Gewehr), is a space-age
assault rifle with many appealing features. Based on the bullpup design, the
AUG is chambered for the 5.56 NATO cartridge.
The AUG is an ambidextrous rifle as the bolt is replaceable and the ejection
port may be moved to either side of the receiver. Even the carrying strap
swivels may be repositioned for convenient port-side carry.
The AUG functions in a gas-operated, semi-automatic firing mode (in selective-fire configuration, it is the standard arm of the Austrian army). A gas-pressure adaptor has a shut-off valve located on the barrel with two settings-for firing under normal or adverse conditions.
Three interchangeable barrel lengths are available-a 20-inch tube is standard while 16 and 24-inchers are optional. The cold hammer-forged barrel is chrome-lined and locks into the receiver by rotating it 1/8th turn. The forward positioned folding pistol grip is utilized to provide a handle to remove hot barrels which may be plunged into water for immediate cooling without suffering any consequences. A flash hider is attached to the muzzle.
With the switch toward a heavier 5.56mm bullet, the AUG is ready with a barrel which has six lands and grooves and a right-hand twist with one turn in nine inches, which better stabilizes the heavier projectile. The lighter bullet - 55 grains - is better suited to a one in 14. The AUG is futuristic in both design and concept. It seems to have solved many of the inherent problems with assault rifles, mainly overall size and weight. With the 20-inch barrel snugged into place, the AUG measures a compact 31 inches long and weighs just a shade under eight pounds...
The above text is an excerpt from an article authored by Art Blatt and initially published in the 1983 edition of Combat Arms, Volume 1 Number 4 |
| Taking advantage of the AUG's modularity, Steyr engineers have designed a kit which allows the user to convert an AUG into a 9mm carbine without the use of tools. The kit consists of a barrel group, bolt group, 25-rd magazine, and magazine adaptor. The carrier assembly differs from the .223 version in that it does not require the use of a rotating bolt. Also, the bolt allows only for right-handed ejection, so the stock's port cover must be situated accordingly on the left side. The magazine adaptor emulates the top of a .223 magazine and remains affixed to the stock during magazine changes. It contains its own bolt hold-open actuator which is triggered by the 9mm magazine follower. Because it utilizes the blowback principle, there is no gas port or piston in the 16" barrel assembly. A 9mm AUG measures 665mm (26") in length and is 3/4 of an inch shorter than an HK MP5A2 which uses only an 8.85" barrel. Without a magazine, the AUG 9mm weighs approximately 7 lbs. as opposed to an MP5A2 which weighs 5.9 lbs. However, while the MP5 seems to have been adopted by every worthwhile military force and law enforcement agency worldwide, it is estimated that there are less than 175 9mm AUG conversion kits in the U.S. |
|
Steyr is a rather progressive company which, while continuing to produce
high-quality arms of traditional design, is always at the forefront of advanced
development as well. Having already been responsible for producing the
highly-touted 5.56mm AUG assault rifle, it didn't take long for the Austrian firm
to come out with a companion piece designed for sniper applications. This is
the AUG/HBAR-T (heavy barreled automatic rifle with telescopic sights).
The HBAR-T shares the assault rifle's synthetic stock of bull-pup configuration; however, the AUG's carrying handle cum optic sight has been deleted to make room for a scope base. The same Kahles ZF69 6x [commonly used on Steyr SSGs] is then fitted to the HBAR-T and the receiver thus modified is complemented by a 24-inch, cold hammer-forged heavy barrel with integral bipod. The AUG/HBAR-T features all of the same prepossing traits which make the AUG system so appealing...
-From Sniper Rifles for Civilian Sharpshooters by Nick Nichols; |
This high-tech assault rifle employs a unique 30-round, lightweight magazine
made of transparent plastic which leaves no doubt as to the number of
rounds one has left. The one-piece, greenish-colored stock is made of a
durable plastic and houses the receiver group, hammer mechanism and
magazine well. The pistol grip is integral with the stock, and a cross-bolt
safety that locks the trigger is conveniently located just above the "rest"
position of the shooter's right thumb.
What appears to be a top-mounted carrying handle doubles as a 1.5X scope
that has full windage and elevation adjustments. The AUG quickly and
easily breaks down into six basic component parts groups.