The Steyr AUG A1

           The Steyr Armee Universal Gewehr (AUG) meaning "Army Universal Rifle" was introduced into service in the Defence Forces during 1988. The weapon has a calibre of 5.56mm which allows the soldier to carry twice as much ammunition as before and it utilises the "Bullpup" design in which the mechanism and magazine are located behind the trigger. This design increases the barrel length relative to the overall weapon length, thus permitting shorter weapons for the same barrel length. The smaller calibre 5.56mm cartridge became popular after international studies showed that soldiers rarely engage an enemy at ranges greater than 300 metres with small arms. This reduced the need for more powerful cartridges.  The Steyr AUG A1 is manufactured in Austria by Steyr Daimler Puch and is the standard service rifle of Austria, Australia, New Zealand and Luxembourg. It is also issued to the U.S. Customs Service, and Philippines elite Scout Rangers among others.

Steyr AUG A1 Statistics

Manufacturer - Steyr Daimler Puch

Weapon Type - Semi-Automatic Assault Rifle

Country of Manufacture - Austria

Entered Service - 1988

Calibre - 5.56mm

Ammunition Feed - Magazine Fed

Weight - 3.6kg

Mode of Fire - Single Shot and Automatic Fire

Range - 600m

Rate of Fire - 600 - 800 rounds/min

Length - 790mm

Sight - Optical x1.5 Magnification