By Wes Minton
Iconic. Space age. Modern. Yes modern. Despite the fact that it was introduced and adopted by the Austrian Army in 1977, the Steyr AUG (Armee Universal Gewehr) is still one high-tech piece of kit. I intended to be extremely objective writing the review of this sci-fi space blaster, but that was like asking for ice water in hell. Getting behind this gun I feel like every time I pull the trigger I should see a red laser fly out of the front of it. It just feels like the future. The Austrian AUG is a bullpup design . . .
Which means that the trigger is located in front of the action. That results in a shorter overall length for the carbine rifle. That brevity can be beneficial in a lot of ways; maneuvering in vehicles, coming around corners, taking up less space in your safe and — my personal favorite — achieving SBR length without a $200 tax stamp and a nine-month wait. Even with the shorter length, the AUG has a street-legal 16-inch barrel.
Before I start raving about all of the things I love about this rifle, let’s talk about what I hate. First, there’e the trigger. It’s the only trigger group I have ever seen that actively fights back. It’s as if it feels that you have pushed it into the corner and it has to throw down. It gets heavier the more you pull. They way Steyr designed it, the rods attached to the trigger are metal, however the piece they are pushing on is plastic and flexes as you pull toward the break. A straightforward fix exists but I don’t see why Steyr wouldn’t have fixed it themselves if it is so simple.
Then there’s the charging handle. It works wonderfully as long as you don’t have a cumbersome optic mounted on top. (The original Steyr AUG featured an integrated optic 1.5x telescopic sight made by Swarovski.) While searching for the right sight for this rifle, I tried out a Trijicon ACOG red dot. It was a natural fit and felt wonderful on the rifle — until I attempted to rack the action. What resulted were some colorful phrases and some of my DNA being permanently affixed to the optic. After my hand decided to play chicken with the ACOG, I decided that a lower profile sight would be better for both my hands and sanity. Long story short: Choose your optic wisely.
Now for the fun stuff. The rifle points faster than my index finger. Getting on target is a snap. I attribute this to the different balance that’s part of the bullpup rifle design. It’s as if the rifle goes into a vice once you bring it up to your shoulder. All you have to do is turn and the rifle moves with you.
The folding foregrip is comfortable and easily swings out of the way for storage. This is your only option however; there’s really no other way to effectively hold the rifle. I can see how some would view this as a negative. It’s kind of like the old saying “you can hold it anyway you want as long as it’s with a vertical grip”.
Speaking of grips, the pistol grip is also quite comfortable. That’s good because it is the only one you’re going to get. It’s built in to the stock and is not removable.
I have heard people complain about the AUG’s mag-release button because it’s located behind the AUG magazine and you have to push it up to release the mag. Your hand is already going to be going up there to pull the mag out, so you might as well push that button on the way. Once you practice reloading it, you can do something similar to the “AK bump” where you hit the magazine release with the fresh magazine. Once you get it down you’ll feel like a real high-speed low drag operator. The ejection port is reversible with certain tools and a left-handed bolt.
The bolt release is located on the left side of the stock above the mag well. I honestly don’t know how I feel about it. Really all I can say about it is that it just works. Actually, I love the ergonomics of this rifle. I like the way it sits in my hands, I like the way my cheek rests on the stock, I like the cross-bolt safety. Like a TempurPedic mattress it just snugs against my cheek and hands. The molded plastic feels natural and the cheek weld somehow locks into place with exactly the proper eye relief.
A second reason could be that it wouldn’t look out of place sitting in Boba Fett’s hands. This rifle has sex appeal. For a 37-year-old rifle, she has aged extremely well, even next to newer, younger models. It has nice sweeping lines that flow together well enough to make a race car jealous.
There’s enough Picatinny rail space for the essentials and not much more. On the front of the rail there is a sling swivel that swivels 360 degrees. My rifle normally sports a flashlight and some sort of optic. That’s really all the space there is. Then again, that’s all the space I need. You’ll have to leave your night vision, lasers, bayonets, and three vertical fore grips at home.
The gun breaks down into six different groups; barrel, bolt carrier, trigger pack, receiver, stock, and butt plate. Considering how old the piston-system design is, this is a darn impressive disassembly. The quick-change barrel in particular can be taken out at a moments notice. All you have to do is lock the bolt back, depress the release button, and then voila, you can twist the barrel right out. It would be easy to show clear using this method, even though it may look you’re breaking the gun to show it’s unloaded. Cleaning is quick as there are no difficult nooks and crannies to clean.
The Steyr is boringly reliable, whether with steel cased Tula .223 or Federal 5.56. I’ve personally put thousands of rounds of ammo through this gun and I have had one malfunction. I wouldn’t hesitate to trust my life with this rifle. I don’t have a quip about the reliability, the gun really just works. And for a MSRP of $2,099 it better.
Accuracy on the rifle is better than my inadequate rifle skills can muster. For the accuracy test I put a Leupold Mark 4 1.5-4x30mm on the rifle and I was able to do some better groups. Knowing that my marksmanship is akin to an individual with cerebral palsy, I decided to let some of my friends put some groups down and they came up with these:
Accuracy is quite good when you consider how much of a battle the standard trigger gives you. The AUG was designed as a diehard combat rifle, not a precision rig, so the accuracy is much more than adequate for a job like home defense. A small note: the group on the bottom left (above) is three shots; two of them through the same hole. I can’t help but wonder how precise the gun would be with an upgraded trigger.
In conclusion I like this rifle, a lot. If I had to choose one semi-automatic rifle, I would honestly pick this one. There are some drawbacks; worst of all are the charging handle and the trigger. But both can be improved with after-market parts that are fairly inexpensive. On the other hand, the AUG has many advantages, namely a 16-inch barrel in an incredibly short overall package, and a rifle that points more instinctively than extras in a Godzilla movie.
SPECIFICATIONS: (The current version is the Steyr AUG A3 M1)
Manufacturer: Steyr Arms
Action: Short-stroke, gas piston-driven, semiautomatic rifle
Caliber: .223 Rem./5.56 NATO
Magazine: Available with 10-round magazine, 30-round magazine or 42-round AUG mags. (An aftermarket STANAG stock is available to accommodate standard AR-15 magazines)
Weight: 8.15 lbs. unloaded
Overall Length: 28.5 inches
Barrel Length: 16-inch heavy barrel
Rail: Extended Rail, but optional Short-Rails, High-Rails
Optics: 1.5x optics or 3x optics ship separately
MSRP: $2,099
RATINGS (out of five stars):
Accuracy: * * * *
With a trigger that doesn’t have teeth I’m fairly certain this would be a one MOA rifle.
Style: * * * * *
This gun screams ‘space age’ and I’m really hoping Disney somehow sneaks it into one of the new Star Wars films.
Ergonomics: * * *
While the stock and foregrip feel great, the charging handle is downright dangerous for an operator’s hands.
Reliability: * * * * *
Not a single problem, nothing more to say.
Customize This: * *
The AUG is fairly exotic and therefore has about as much aftermarket support as a Tesla.
Overall: * * * *
I want to give this gun five stars but just can’t in good conscience do it. The trigger and charging handle ergos demand a one-star ding. Once those are overcome, though, the AUG is a great rifle in a very small space.
More from The Truth About Guns:
Gun Review: IWI TAVOR X95 in 5.56 NATO
Gun Review: VLTOR XVI Warrior Carbine
Tavor. Review is now obsolete. Lol..
Wasn’t going to say it, but I’ll admit I was thinking it. 🙂
Same. I always wanted an AUG … until I got a Tavor.
Right, unless you drop your Tavor as Geissele did and break the barrel where it meets the receiver. The AUG is far more durable.
He hates the Tavor trigger, but is totally okay with one that “fights back?” Sorry, Nick… This makes me shake my head. 🙂
well, it wasn’t Nick that reviewed the gun, from the looks of it.
Ah, I certainly stand corrected. Thank you!
Review is written by Wes Minton and was posted by Dan Zimmerman.
What makes no sense is WHY I should pay OVER 2k for a majority plastic gun, when I have a Spikes AR carbine and BCM midlength AR that I cost me a total of $2,100.00, and I have both locked in a 1.5 moa with good ammo!!
I have always liked the AUG as I have shot one and read it outperforms the British SA80 and French FAMAS, but again – over $2,000 for a non customizeable 5.56 shooting carbine????
Naw…..( ditto for the Tavor! These guns shouldn’t cost more than 1,400.00 if that!!!! More like 1k considering the manufacturing process- polymer is cheaper than acft grade aluminum and CHF steel parts!!)
And for all the bullpup supporters- remember in the countries that deploy them, those same countries often have SF forces that SWEAR BY THE M-4!!!!!( And now the piston variants)
Dear Sir The Aug and the Tavor would probably cost much less if we had Politicians who were firm believers in and supported our Second Amendment Rights!
it’s really durable once in the army ( Tunisia ) i had friend who fall off a back of truck and over his weapon the steyr didn’t get effected or damaged
Just for your information, Steyrs are MOA with the cheapest stuff you can get.
unless, you know, you prefer the AUG?
You forgot to mention the gas vent reminder, as in, “you got your hand too high on the forward grip, so I will burn a hole in it just so you won’t do it again”
OUCH!
Don’t even think of bench resting it with the grip folded either.
I did that, and it basically blew a hole through my rest. Lesson learned, that’s for sure.
The AUG was and is a great rifle – I thoroughly enjoyed mine, until I took an intensive carbine class and found that the ergos for things like feed stoppages, etc. sucked beyond belief. It’s a very reliable carbine, but when it jams it’s not quick to get it back into action. I sold mine for 4x what I paid for it, back in one of the big panic buying scares a few years ago.
Although it’s a sleek and racy machine, I’d be more inclined to go with the modernized ergos and better intercompatibility of the Tavor. Or even, heaven forbid, the Kel-Tec bullpup in 7.62, if they ever become available in any quantity.
I echo the above. The Tavor just makes every other bullpup rifle in existence…meh.
Interesting. An inaccurate gun with a crappy trigger and poor ergonomics. Plus, it’s expensive. The only thing it seems to have going for it is being short. I’d get a Tavor with a trigger job.
Thanks for the review, but the ratings seem entirely too positive compared with other guns currently available.
The Tavor and AUG both have about the same street price. I’m also not sure I’d call out the AUG for being inaccurate – the triggers kinda suck, but the barrel shoots real straight.
My gripe about this review is that the author glosses over the AUG’s real problems:
1. Can’t swap the charging handle to the other side, which is weird given its reputation as a magic ambi gun.
2. Mag release is in a very awkward spot. The Tavor got this one right when they put that lever in front.
3. Uses proprietary (albeit good) mags unless you swap to a NATO stock – in which case you can no longer go left handed, and you’re now out another $300.
4. No factory iron sights, and adding them is awkward and ugly.
5. Excess gas expelled uncomfortably close to your hands, burns through rests.
Now, I did find it interesting that the author didn’t like running an ACOG on his AUG – I run a TA01NSN on mine, and find it to be a pretty good setup. But I’m running with a Raptor CH, which might have made it a little easier to not scrape my knuckles on the optic.
I like my AUG, but much like my Galil, it’s basically a 3/5 at this point. It’s simply not competitive with the Tavor at its price point.
I have also heard that, at least in the Australian variant, the plastic will melt if you ever have to do a lot of sustained firing, say in an emergency.
Dear PM…theoretically the plastic could melt ,but in practice your barrel would be stuffed before it got to this and you would cook your rounds off first. You can fire the weapon in auto but of course its not designed as a sustain fire weapon…having said that see my comments to yellow devil on the Steyr HBAR used by the Malaysians…
I would add that the safety is not truly ambi on the AUG. It’s really set up for the right hand.
It’s actually an accurate rifle, just hampered by ergonomic problems that make it hard to take advantage of the accuracy. When fired from a rest I was getting groups less than half that size at 100 yards, which is about as good as I get with my Tavor or FS2000. However, when I fired it offhand I found my accuracy was terrible in comparison to those other bullpups, because of the vertical grip.
I’d say the trigger is actually better than the stock triggers on the FS2000 (because the takeup isn’t nearly as sticky) or Tavor (because it’s much wider and lighter, so I don’t feel like someone trigged to amputate my fingertip with a butter knife after a range trip).
I think it would be interesting to compare it to the FAL, which it replaced.
My mistake – I was basing accuracy on the groups shown. I’ve never actually fired this particular fiream.
Thanks for the review, I would like to shoot one some day.
Thanks for the review. It confirms my decision on the Tavor. 😀
It’s a rifle I’d love to shoot, along with the Tavor
It’s a rifle I would like to shoot with a Tavor 🙂
I love a chance to shoot it. As for owning it…well, maybe not for 2000.
I also wondered how the Australians came to choose the Steyr-Aug, being one of the few countries outside the home of origin Austria to adopt it. (Maybe someone at the delivery service mixed up the two countries during shipping, /joking) More importantly, I wonder what their combat experience with it has been. I heard the selective fire semi for light and auto for heavy trigger pull wasn’t something they liked a whole lot, but no idea if they kept it.
See my remarks above.
Dear Yellow Devil
I am in the Australian Regular Army, we chose the Steyr after a fairly extensive process that included the SA 80(thank goodness ,no) and (believe it or not) a semi-serious suggestion of the AK 47!(heck it was cheap).
In Australia the Steyr AUG is designated as the F88 and replaced the FAL SLR 7.62mm. A number of variations are floating around and the newest ones issued to arms corps units such as the infantry have ACOG sights. I carried the carbine version ,(designated the F88C) when I deployed to Iraq which is a short barrelled version for tankies, truckies, and medics. (I am the latter). I can tell you it gave me a lot more reassurance than my secondary weapon the trusty Browning hi power…
The F88 has a built in optic sight (1.5x) that also acts as a carrying handle. Iron ‘battle’ sights sit on the top of the handle in case the optics stuff . I am a leftie so my weapon has the ejection port on the left this requires the armourer to switch the bolt and replace a plastic plate where a right handed firer would have an ejection port. Our standard inspection procedure has us removing the barrel and holding the barrel up to our shoulders with the rifle body showing chamber clear. I got many many perplexed looks from US Army non coms when asked to show weapons clear in Iraq it did look like the weapon had been broken…try doing that with an M4.
Lastly you should know the nickname of the Steyr AUG…diggers call it the ‘plastic fantastic’!
Cheers
One team -one fight!
Ron
Ps just read your post again…the key is that there are NO kangaroos in Austria…but maybe they did ship to the wrong address darn it…a few other countries use the F88 including the Irish, Morocco and I believe the US Coastguard? Malaysia use the HBAR version of the Steyr which is the same body but with a heavier barrel as a section light support weapon with a bipod.
You’re aware that Australia produced their licensed from Austria version of the AUG (FA88).
Also, racking the charging handle palm up keeps you from making the same mistake as the author.
The Tavor is nice but I own both and shoot the AUG more (prolly cause it’s the rifle I grew up with).
The Irish Defence Forces also use this.
My 2c (disclaimer I have an A3)
1. You can cause a stoppage by holding the charging lever down. The Op rod catches the charging handle this way and interferes with cycling.
2. Runs well suppressed. Seems to balance better.
3. Neu trigger helps the trigger a bit.
4. Trigger pulls straight back, not a lever but a box type action. Once you get used to it its a nice crisp trigger. Still heavy (8-9lbs with neu).
5. You can fold up the vertical grip so that it is parallel to the barrel and shoot it without the VG.
6. I went over 1000 rounds without cleaning it, no malf except user induced (see #1).
7. Factory tulip flash hider on very tight (very very tight).
8. Sling attachment locations not great. Single point slings have no great place to mount.
9. Steyr factory barrel should be 1:9 twist. Which is great since I shoot almost exclusively 55gr.
10. Adjustable gas block – Grenade, regular, adverse, off.
Would also add that on the more common MSAR Aug-pattern rifles the flash hider is actually Loctited on with red Loctite. You have to roach the flash hider and lock nut with a propane torch for about a minute to cook off the Loctite, after which removal is a breeze.
Excellent review-spot on re: the pros and cons of the Steyr AUG in the “from the factory” configuration. I’ve owned, shot and tinkered with this bullpup since 2010 when I purchased a Sabre Defense buit model NIB for $1600 at a gun show.
Although VERY small when compared to the AR or the AK aftermarket, the list of goodies available to make this good gun run great is steadily increasing. (I’ve posted some info about worthwhile modifications on http://www.bullpupforum.com. It’s titled “Pics and long-winded description: Tricked out AUG if you’re interested”.)
I had the chance to shoot a Tavor for the first time this past Saturday. It is a nice gun but…I am very happy with how my AUG is currently set-up and shooting and the Tavor is $300 more than the Steyr at my LBS. I’ll stick with the updated, old school, original wide-use bullpup.
Cheers,
Tom H.
Lancaster, PA
One important item that this review doesn’t mention is lefty compatibility. When faced with the decision of which bullpup to pursue (Tavor vs Aug), ultimately the Aug was the best choice for a lefty like me. Unlike the Tavor, the Aug (or Aug-pattern rifles like the MSAR STG series) can be easily converted from right to left in the field, and without any tools required. This is accomplished by swapping the bolts and changing the ejector cover plate. Keep in mind that with both the Tavor and Aug a separate bolt is required for left and right handed use. The good news though is that because the bolt sits aft of the chamber, these parts barely get warm even in heavy use. That means that a field conversion is feasible, and literally takes about 5 minutes to complete. So you might ask, why swap? Because my kids are righty, and I want them to have just as much opportunity to enjoy shooting this great little gun as I do. They really are a blast to shoot.
My son is left-handed, too, but I still don’t see the case for field swapping being all that useful. It seems unlikely that I’d do it at the range, versus just doing it at home before we set out. Further, the Tavor can actually swap the charging handle to the right hand side, which arguably makes it the better choice for lefties, period. (In theory, the shell deflector should allow a rightie to shoot a lefty Tavor.)
Of course, compounding my problem is that I’ve got an AUG A3 NATO, so I can’t actually swap it without changing back to original AUG mags (which I don’t have or particularly want).
IMHO, if you want a rifle that’s truly good for the application you describe, buy the Beretta ARX-100. It switches from right to left in under 30 seconds – just press a button to change ejection and then swap the charging handle.
Tim I’m a leftie see my comments on this date to yellow devil…no great problems with left handed and you can do all your drills with the left hand and a bit of practice. Also you tend to get banished to the left of the line when we do live fire at the range…cheers Ron
I heard great things about the neu trigger for the Aug. Very easy to install, requires no modification and also quite inexpensive.
Here is the official site http://www.neu-trigger.com
Here is a review http://www.randomgunstuff.com/articles/aug-a3-update-the-neu-trigger
Proud Aug A3 Owner here!
Two of the problems faced by the author can be easily remedied. First, to address the lack of front rail space. Get a CQC mod from PJS. I have a AUG A3 CQC and LOVE IT!
To the second and more important crappy trigger I can honestly say the Hybrid Trigger MOD (HTM) from RatWorx worked wonders. My trigger pull went from 11 lbs to 5 lbs! Amazing! I also hear less expensive options are out there as well, like the neu trigger…
As with any rifle, a couple of aftermarket mods and you have a whole new weapon.
My only two complaints is the lack of suppressor inter connectivity and the lack of a free floating barrel both of which are attributed to the gas system it uses. Currently there is only one true suppressor option, also from RatWorx, which can’t be used in conjunction with the CQC mod. I wish my other 223 suppressors could be used successfully.
To all the Tavor lovers, I get it, its new and shiny. Though the same negatives exist for the Tavor as the Aug. Crappy triggers are par for the course when it comes to bullpups, the Tavor is no different. And as far as front rail options, well in reality there are less options available for the Tavor than what are available with the AUG (just not out of the box).
Still love those things.
My last one also came with the 9mm conversion kit.
Had to sell it for the down payment on my house.
Loved that rifle.
Just wanted to chime in on the following statement:
It’s kind of like the old saying “you can hold it anyway you want as long as it’s with a vertical grip”.
Speaking of grips the pistol grip is also quite comfortable. That’s good because it is the only one you’re going to get. It’s built in to the stock and is not removable.
Two things, first with a CQC rail added you can attach any grip or mod to your AUG as you would any other rifle with a quad rail. Second the vertical grip IS removable. Just push the retaining pin out and it comes off. This allows anyone with the CQC to add whatever grips they want.
Again, I understand this is an out of the box review. Perhaps follow up with a review of the CQC rail attached…
I like the AUG, sadly no AK compatible version (mags and ammo). There was a guy who made a ambi stock for it. Google “TroubleShooterBerlin AUG” and you will see it.
Regarding the trigger, get a hybrid trigger from RatWorx. It uses AR triggers.
Probably a dumb question…
As barrel swap-outs are fast on this, would this be a candidate for a 300 BLK barrel?
Yup, just get a new barrel, probably have to custom make it.
I picked up an A3 NATO a couple of months back, and purely love the thing. We mount a TA-11J ACOG, and the issue with the charging handle is just as you describe. Fortunately it’s not too hard to flip the mount so that the screws are on the right.
I’m not going to get into the Tavor vs AUG thing more than to say that the AUG is one of the iconic firearms of the ’80s like the Uzi and the AK underfolder, and another dozen or so that we’ll never see, much less touch (Sig AMT, anyone?). So when Steyr moved to Trussville and started pumping out the A3 NATO that was low, high and jack.
I might get a Tavor some day, but the AUG came first on the list.
I’ve had my AUG A3 since mid last year. I really dig it.
I did a lot of research between the two before purchasing the AUG. It ultimately came down to picking them both up in a store one day and deciding the AUG is the one I want.
Engineering wise it still an amazing design for being 30 some odd years old. Take down, dis-assembly all very easy with no tools. I also feel the AUG has a better trigger, the Tavors I looked at prior to purchasing were all around 11+ lbs triggers. The AUG I purchased is still a “bullpup” trigger but its not anywhere near as bad as the Tavors I’ve played with.
AUG magazines have also become fairly cheap, I’ve purchased a lot for around 14 bucks a magazine.
I ultimately still will purchase a Tavor, but I first want to see the new AUG M1 variants soon to ship before I make that decision. I’d much rather have the Tavor x95 if I could over the current SAR variant.
But I’ll still probably lay down the money on a Tavor in the future. I doubt I’d regret any of those purchases either.
I have a AUG and a TAVOR and I tried to love the TAVOR like alot of people do but I kept coming back to the AUG….just a great rifle…I agree with the review…
When did the price drop to 2 grand?????? I WANT ONE!!!!!!!
Hi !
I just read the reviews on the steyr aug rifle, because imstumbled upon this article. I am trying to find out where to purchase one. I just moved to the states recently . I am austrian and worked for the armed forces and had the pleasure to use the steyr aug on a daily basis. The trigger issues adressed in this forum might be because the military version of the steyr aug offers the option of different fire rates based on how far it is depressed, because it is a progressive trigger. The military version comes with a hammer spring that enables single shot or fully automatic fire but commercial version come without that particular hammer spring that enables automatic firing due to laws . Long story short : i love this rifle !!
I have wanted one of these for years and finally purchased it. I have a Crimson Trace bright light/ Green laser combo that is mounted on the side rail. No problem with 100 yard shots at night.
I have worked on the trigger with available products and have the trigger pull at 6 lbs with a fairly crisp pull.
With the 16 inch barrel I am getting MOA groups from more than one factory 62 grain round. I am reloading with 50 & 60 gr Hornady VMAX and getting sub MOA groups. This is with a 1-6X24 Millet with a 30mm tube.
I am waiting on a 24 inch barrel with attached bipod. Ordered it for improved accuracy but don’t know if it can beat what I get with the 16 inch. Velocity should increase some 300-350 fps. which will help with 500 yard range shots.
Once sold the AUG for Steyr to Canadian Police. Mine were the full auto version, Canadian law at that time (not sure now)if it had never been fired full auto, it was not full auto?
OK, the trigger group was semi auto, but my Steyr’s was marked Steyr AUG, the semi auto model was marked AUG SA, a full auto trigger group, would drop into my models.
The Semi Auto models will not accept the full auto trigger group, the cross pin will not fit!
The cold hammer forged barrel will punch a stuck round out, with a fired one!
Best grip, right handed shooter, grip front of trigger guard, with left hand, tuck left elbow in to your body! Makes for a very steady hold, keeps left elbow out of the way of incoming rounds, by a few inches.
My Semi Auto model (US Rifle) is 30 years old, the light gathering of the Swarski optic is incredible. The factory magazines, the world best, see one round showing, at a glance, you have 15 left, so easy to load rounds into them. Forget the NATO model. Mags crap.
The US factory had a sale on black magazines, $10.00 each, I bought ten! They do not like wimpy loads, use mil spec. Head shots at 100m easy.
On my visit to the factory in the town of Steyr, the Instructions I got, re sales pitch, throw the rifle on to a concrete floor!
I said I would be thrown out of the Police Station!
The 42 round magazine was designed as a 40 round one! Till the started to load them with live rounds? They took 42, so the number 40 was chiseled off of the mold, replaced with 42!
If the US Military were ever to lose the not invented here syndrome, they would go Bull Pup.
Not sure I can explain the hypocrisy of what I am about to post. I own both and had the Tavor with GHW short rail and the Tav-D two stage trigger pack … sweet setup. I would give the overall edge to the Tavor. In my circles, the Tavor balanced better for everyone and they were able to shoulder for longer periods of time than the AUG. The women certainly held the Tavor better. The Tavor runs all these other standard 30rd magazine brands. However, the cool factor and subjective [feel] of a better quality firearm went to the AUG A3/M1. However, I had to pick one to sell and it was the Tavor with a loss of $. What sealed this decision to keep the AUG…easy to clean (too easy) and barrel swaps…and always liked the AUG. While the design of the Tavor makes for running with dirty build up that never needs to be touched, I wish the stock from the rail back to the butt could be removed to expose the entire receiver and rear of the chamber/barrel. I like clean firearms, but hate cleaning them these days. I’m also, rarely, if ever, going to combat…but each weigh their use and no argument. I like them both, but the AUG survived my cut. Both are great firearms. Watch for the X95 and MDR, if and when they come to market … who knows, may change my mind again. Glad most of us have options to try all these different firearm designs.
I didn’t like the ergonomics of the AUG when I had the opportunity to handle it.
It felt ungainly and squat,thick and bulky,and not all that light either..I found it awkward to align my eye to the fixed sighting system,and the butt sat too high against my shoulder,I couldn’t really get myself adjusted to it…when firing I felt a much more noticeable recoil as compared to the AR15…Once I got the sight in sync with my eye,I found it to be quite good and I got a nice grouping…I pointed out my objections at the time,suggesting a rubber recoil pad to fit onto and around the butt, and a fixed instead of folding fore-grip positioned about 6″ further forward,as well as a movable sight instead of the fixed one….I didn’t like the magazine release or its position though had I more time I guess I could have gotten used to it…clearing a jam could be awkward,though I didn’t have one.Personally I found the AR15 more to my liking…It was early model M16A1….I’m sure the M4 would’ve been even better….the only thing was that the M16A had iron sights,as opposed to the AUG scope…other than that I still feel the M16A was well sort of better,I would’ve preferred it had I the choice…The AUG is licence manufactured here in Lithgow NSW Australia.
It was said to me at the time that our Army actually wanted the M16A2,but we couldn’t get a manufacturing licence to make it here,unlike the AUG,so the Defence Dept chose the AUG and paid a licence fee of (I think I recall) something like $29million,for the privilege. to make it here..When it was first issued /used, faults in the design showed up,one of which I recall was hydraulic locking….This resulted in Special forces Commandoes saying it was unsuitable for seaborne assaults,and going back to the M!6,at least until the problem was solved by LSAF at Lithgow….Now there is a new F90 updated version in manufacture,which I haven’t tested but I am dubious about the trigger which has no guard…endit
Dan, please hire a proofreader. Your spelling and usage errors are painful.
Hello as former Tunisian soldier and i used the Steyr AUG A1 i would say easy to handle and quite accurate and i see that alot talking about the charging handle is simple use the palm little bit close the pinky ( little finger )
I would like remind all operators using the AUG platform to grip the charging handle with your palm facing upwards. If you do this you can’t run your knuckles into your optics. It also allows you to fold over the charging handle and lock the bolt back.
Do not grip the charging handle palm facing downwards.
Great post! I’ve also owned both. Started out with the Aug, back in the 90s. This was a gun I had dreamed of owning for many years. When the Tavor came out I was instantly stricken and decided that I needed to upgrade to the latest, greatest. While the Tavor was a great tool it wasn’t an Aug. In my opinion it fell short on several important points and beat the Aug on none. I feel this appraisal was accurate however I have to admit my perception may have been tainted by the fact that I had become accustomed/attached to the Aug’s “uniqueness”. I’ve since purchased a newer version Aug that accepts my AR mags!
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