The Steyr AUG universal army rifle was under development by the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch (currently called Steyr-Mannlicher AG & Co) from the late 60s to the mid-70s of the last century. Since 1977, it has been adopted by Austria. Serial production started in 1978.

Basic equipment Steyr AUG

Assault rifle (automatic) Steyr AUG has a modular structure which includes six basic, main blocks.

• Automation mechanism. Its work is carried out by removing part of the powder gases from the barrel channel. The main element of automation is a gas vent mechanism with a short stroke of a gas piston with a return spring, which is located inside a gas block attached to the barrel.
• Receiver. It is equipped with durable steel inserts - one of which serves as a node for attaching the barrel and locking the bolt, the rest act as guides for the bolt frame.
• Barrel block. On the left there is a spring-loaded latch for fixing the barrel in the receiver, and on the right is a gas block with a return spring.
• Shutter and shutter frame. It has two guides: one - to transfer force from the cocking handle of the rifle, the other - transfers force from the gas piston.
• The magazine is double row and has a capacity of 9+1, 30 or 42 rounds.
• Lodge example. Made from glass fiber reinforced polyamide.

Hull layout

The shock-resistant plastic case is a common part for all AUG model modifications. It has in its layout:

• stock with a receiver and a magazine lock and with a firing mechanism module (USM);
• plastic trigger with double rods for transmitting trigger force;
• two guide rods that compress the return springs and prevent the bolt frame from tilting relative to the breech;
• mechanisms of the latch and fuse of the breech (receiver). They are actuated by a transverse button above the handle of the weapon. By moving the safety button to the left, the rifle is transferred to the "fire" position, the button translated to the right puts the weapon on the safety;
• pistol grip with trigger guard (in models A1 and A2);
• case extraction windows. They are located at the top of the buttstock and, depending on the type of bolt group, can be located on the right or left.

Steyr AUG barrels

Trunks for AUG perform 4 main types:

• extremely short barrel (Compact) - 13.8 inches long (350 mm.);
• standard barrel - length 20 inches (508 mm);
• short barrel (carbine) - length 16 inches (407 mm);
• light machine gun or heavy barrel - length 24.4 inches (621 mm).

All types of barrels are quick-detachable and have 8 protrusions arranged in two rows for fixing in the bolt block. In addition, a gas block is mounted on the barrel, and the muzzle of the barrel has a slotted flame arrester. The heavy 621-mm barrel has in addition folding folding bipods, allowing the machine to be used as a sniper rifle or light machine gun.

Steyr AUG samples from A1 to A3

The first, basic (released in 1977) modification was the Steyr AUG A1 prototype. Specific features of this model are: a vertically located and fixed front handle, built-in optical designator with a magnification of 1.5X. The body of the sight is made entirely with the receiver and has an aiming mark in the form of a ring, as well as a locking handle for adjustment. In the event of a breakdown of the optics, there are backup rear sights and front sights on top of the body.

The barrel is cold forged and is mounted on 8 stops to the Steyr AUG A1 (standard) receiver by turning. A clutch with an articulated lever of the main, tactical handle is attached to it. The length of the assault rifle barrel is 508 mm, the hunting carbine has a length of 407 mm. A flash hider with an internal thread is also screwed onto the barrel of the rifle for mounting devices for firing rifle grenades or blanks.

On the Steyr AUG A1, it is possible to selectively install underbarrel grenade launchers of the NK AG36 or M 203 systems. It is possible to transform the rifle into a submachine gun chambered for 9x19 caliber. To do this, replace the bolt group with a new one (the bolt is free) and install the magazine receiver adapter.

The Steyr AUG A2 prototype is a 5.56 caliber semi-automatic hunting carbine with single shot firing mode. It differs from the basic model by the presence of a folding front handle and a universal mounting bracket - Weaver bar. It is possible to install various optical sights and additional weapons accessories on it.

The Steyr AUG A3 prototype was released in 2005 by Steyr Mannlicher. The model is a mini-sized assault rifle and has a bullpup layout with good accuracy. With this arrangement, the bolt group, the breech and the magazine are located behind the trigger and fire control handle.

The main difference of this prototype is that instead of an integrated optical system, there is a Piccatini bar fixed on a pylon with four guides. Any type of optical designators, a collimator sight, can be mounted on the upper rail, the lower one is used to install a vertical handle or a special 40 mm underbarrel. grenade launcher. A laser sight (LTS), a tactical flashlight or a night vision device can be installed on the sides.

The designers have adapted the machine for left-handers, making it possible to transfer the ejection window for spent cartridges.

Civilian version of the Steyr AUG

A new variant of the Steyr family, the AUG Z is a modern, accurate, self-loading, civilian version of the Steyr AUG A2 assault rifle. It has the ability to conduct only a single fire mode.

Powder gas automation is based on a gas vent mechanism with a shortened working stroke of the vent piston. The barrel is locked by a rotary bolt with seven stops located in the receiver.

The Steyr AUG Z is equipped with a transparent plastic magazine with a reduced capacity (10 rounds). The 55 cm long barrel is equipped with a slotted, integrated flame arrester. For quick installation of any optical devices on the receiver there is a Picatinny rail.

The cocking handle is located so that it is possible to reload simultaneously with fire control. The Steyr-Mannlicher AUG Z carbine can be used for hunting, self-defense, sports. In Russia, this prototype is certified as a hunting carbine.

The modern Steyr AUG assault rifle is a design with a wide range of options for the competent use of AUG rifles. By adding various detachable blocks, it can be easily transformed into a light machine gun, machine gun, carbine, sniper rifle or submachine gun.

In addition to Austria, Steyr AUG small arms are adopted by the following countries: Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Bolivia. Currently, it is also actively used by law enforcement agencies in many countries, as well as serious security companies.

Rifle video

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Self-loading hunting rifle Steyr AUG

"Bullpup" - the history of the issue

To date, the armies of foreign countries are armed with three types of assault rifles built according to the bullpup scheme - AUG, FA MAS and L85. This arrangement allows, first of all, to reduce the length of the weapon. The compactness inherent in "bullpups" ensures the convenience of handling weapons both when used in a combat situation and during transportation. The Bullpup is better balanced - the center of gravity is shifted to the butt plate, which makes the weapon more controllable when firing from unstable positions and allows you to change the direction of fire more clearly and quickly.

But it is not for nothing that the bulk of the most popular assault rifles are still built according to the classical scheme. "Bullpup" has some features that the developers of modern systems, in relation to military weapons, refer to as shortcomings. "Bullpup" does not allow with the same convenience to use weapons in battle for firing both from the right and from the left hand, since the window for ejecting the spent cartridge case is relatively close to the butt plate and when firing from the "right-handed" rifle from the left shoulder, the reflected cartridge case will be ejected from receiver directly in front of the shooter's eye (or into the eye, depending on anthropometric data). True, all modern bullpups can be adapted for left-handers by rearranging or replacing parts (shutter, reflector, etc.). But in a real combat situation, when you have to shoot not from a prepared position, but to use any shelters, the inability to “throw” a rifle from the right shoulder to the left can cost your life. Imagine how far a right-handed bullpup shooter would have to open up when shooting from behind the left corner of the building (shooter's side). The same kind of problem is created by the relatively high location of the optical axis of the sighting devices - when firing, for example, from a trench, the frontal projection of the bullpup shooter is significantly larger than that of the shooter with AK. In this case, the distance between the optical axis of the sight and the lower surface of the forearm, which rests on the stop, is taken into account. Someone may doubt the importance of this parameter, saying what the extra 0.01-0.02 sq.m. But the cross-sectional area of ​​a 5.56 mm caliber bullet is only 0.0002 sq.m, and even one such bullet is enough for a person to dispel all doubts.

Bullpup is also inconvenient in hand-to-hand combat, even without the use of an attached bayonet - the length of the weapon is short and it is impossible to reliably hold the rifle by the butt.

The shortcomings mentioned can be considered as such only in relation to military weapons. If we consider the "bullpup" as a hunting pattern, then these points lose their importance. In addition, in countries where the army is not a real force, but an obligatory attribute of state power, peculiar requirements have always been presented to the design and adoption of small arms, among which the appearance and such a parameter as modern design, interpreted by everyone, came to the fore. in my own way. Some designs have never been used in any serious military operations in their history, and therefore their advantages and disadvantages can be the subject of a long and useless dispute.

In modern Russia and Ukraine, few gun lovers have the opportunity to get to know modern foreign assault rifles better - understand the details of the design, shoot, etc. Most have to be content with information from domestic weapons magazines, in which you can find both serious articles and the results of the author’s almost childish delight from the fact that he managed to pick up something new at the exhibition stand and even aim at the neighboring stand.

Time goes by - the situation is changing, and carbines made on the basis of foreign assault rifles begin to appear in our country. For example "bullpup" Steyr AUG.

At one time, the combat AUG77 ended up at the GRAU test site on Rzhevka and, quite rightly, at the very beginning of the familiarization tests, it earned the “failed” rating. The Austrian designers did not count on the fact that their offspring would fall into the hands of our testers and be subjected to mocking procedures, from the point of view of the Europeans. After many years, another entry into Russia was made by a civilian version of the rifle, which has the right to be called a self-loading hunting carbine, and has already acquired the corresponding certificate of the State Standard of the Russian Federation.

The carbine differs from the combat model in its trigger mechanism, which allows only single fire, a reduced capacity magazine (10 rounds) and good commercial prospects - fans of the exotic with money can now legally purchase one of the most original weapons, the analogue of which is in service with the armies in Europe, Africa, Australia.

Device

The civilian AUG is a self-loading carbine built according to the bullpup scheme. The polymer stock (more precisely, a butt with a pistol grip) of the carbine partially functions as a receiver.

The receiver itself is made of aluminum alloy and serves to connect the barrel to the bolt, install sights, place the front swivel and cocking handle. The receiver is inserted into the front of the box and fixed with a contactor.

Inside the butt there is a firing mechanism assembled on a separate base. In the USM design, only axles and springs are metal, all other parts, including the trigger, are plastic. USM is connected to the trigger by two rods. In the combat version, the switching of fire modes is carried out by adjusting the trigger stroke - when the trigger is fully pressed, it is switched to automatic fire mode. In our case, the USM is simplified and allows you to fire only single shots. The button safety is located above the pistol grip. The handle itself is covered in front with a safety bracket, which can also be used to hold the weapon with the left hand, since the stock of the carbine does not have a forearm.

Practice shows that when firing from a stop, holding the weapon with the left hand by the upper part of the bracket and the short front of the stock is quite convenient, and when firing from unstable positions, the folding handle mounted on the barrel near the gas chamber helps out. In the folded position, the handle can also serve as a handguard. It is not for nothing that I mention exclusively the left hand, since only a right-handed person can conduct aimed shooting from a carbine. The window for ejecting spent cartridges is located on the right side of the butt and, when resting on the left shoulder, is blocked by the shooter's face. The AUG can be left-handed by rearranging the window cover to eject spent cartridges and replacing the bolt. I emphasize that the shutter must be exactly replaced with another one, and not rearranged, as some translators interpret. The bolt itself has 7 lugs. The free space of the eighth stop is occupied by the protrusion of the ejector (extractor). The rotation of the shutter during locking is carried out due to the interaction of the shutter with the copier groove on the shutter frame.

To exclude inertial pricking of the cartridge primer, the drummer is spring-loaded. The reflector of the system is interesting, which is a spring-loaded part in the shutter mirror. When the shutter is locked, the reflector is pressed by the bottom of the sleeve, and when it is unlocked, the spent sleeve is pushed out of the receiver under the influence of a compressed spring. Such a system of reflection of the spent cartridge case provides a very stable reflection of the cartridge cases (when firing from the stop, the spent cartridge cases literally fit into a pile). In addition, this design of the ejector prevents the cartridge from falling into the receiver when the rifle is not unloaded energetically.

The design features of the AUG include the placement of return springs inside two tubes, one of which connects the cocking handle to the bolt carrier, and the other is the gas piston rod. The tubes are open from the side of the bolt frame and the springs are compressed when the frame moves back by fixed rods located inside the butt.

The same tubes, moving through the through holes of the receiver, provide the direction of movement of the bolt frame.

The AUG gas chamber is equipped with a three-position gas regulator, the effectiveness of which we could not evaluate, but I think that in “civilian” conditions it is unlikely to be needed, except in winter, when low-quality lubricant thickens (which is not recommended). The gas piston is spring-loaded and equipped with an obturator - a set of metal rings. The piston stroke is approximately 20 mm.

The push-button fuse is located above the fire control handle		The reloading handle in the rearmost position is fixed by turning it up
A large store latch button is located behind it		On some modifications, the reloading handle is equipped with a latch that allows you to close the bolt with the handle.
The arrow shows the barrel lock button		The barrel is easily separated from the receiver
To remove the receiver from the box, it is necessary to squeeze the contactor located above the magazine receiver		After separating the receiver from the box, the bolt carrier is freely removed
Removal of USM from the butt is carried out after separation of the recoil pad		The trigger mechanism is almost entirely made of polymer materials
Bolt carrier, bolt and striker
Accessory fits into a special slot under the recoil pad		Accessory feature - soft ramrod made of nylon cord with metal tips

As standard, the AUG is equipped with a fixed optical sight with a magnification of 1.5x. The sight can be used as a carrying handle. In the carbine that fell into our hands, the sight together with the bracket is removed from the receiver, which allows you to install a bracket with a standard mate for installing any non-standard sight, including night sight. This option significantly expands the boundaries of the possible use of the carbine. A self-loading AUG with a fixed sight, in my opinion, is not very suitable for hunting and limits the capabilities of the shooter. At the same time, according to the reviews of one of the hunters who own the carbine, he quite adapted to both the unusual aiming mark and the limited field of view of the standard Swarovsky sight.

Equipped with an AUG and a mechanical sighting device, the non-adjustable rear sight and front sight of which are located on the upper surface of the optical sight tube. The mechanics is rudimentary in nature and allows you to shoot accurately at distances up to 25-30 m.

Shooting

In terms of handling weapons, AUG does not prepare any surprises for the shooter. All weapon controls are easily recognized without any prior training. The cocking handle is located on the left side of the receiver. It is disengaged from the bolt carrier and remains in the extreme forward position when firing. The combat model has a button on the handle, holding it down, you can forcibly close the shutter when the system is heavily contaminated.

The results of shooting from a carbine at a distance of 100 m turned out to be absolutely predictable for a self-loading sample of 5.56x45 caliber - they did not disappoint or surprise. I will only note that the representative of the weaker sex shot.

Disassembly-assembly

We must pay tribute to the developers of the AUG 77 - disassembling the sample is simple, and everyone can deal with it even without documentation. With incomplete disassembly, the civilian AUG is disassembled into 9 parts without the use of a tool:

1. Separate store;
2. Pull the cocking handle back and lock in this position by turning it up;
3. Press back the button in front of the receiver, turn the barrel and separate it from the box;
4. Squeeze the lock on the stock to the right and remove the receiver;
   5. Remove the bolt carrier from the box;
5. Press the butt on the middle part of the rubber butt plate, remove the rear swivel and separate the butt plate from the butt;
6. Remove the trigger from the butt;
7. Press the button at the base of the sight bracket and separate it from the receiver by moving it backwards.

The carbine is assembled in the reverse order.

Conclusion

As mentioned above, having a civilian AUG certificate provides an excellent opportunity for a wealthy gun lover to replenish his arsenal with a modern weapon, which is a self-loading version of the popular STEYR AUG 77 assault rifle. Of course, in this case it makes sense to purchase a carbine with a detachable optical sight. This choice allows you to fully realize the potential of the weapon both in hunting and in sports target shooting.

Since 1977, the Austrian arms company Steyr Mannlicher has been producing the AUG (Armee Universal Gewehr) rifle, which is unique in terms of a number of technical characteristics and design - modular, bullpup form factor. It has been adopted by special units of more than fifty countries of the world, including Italy, Ireland, Germany, and the USA. It also comes to Russia in limited quantities. Based on the Steyr AUG model, a civilian version was created, designated by the Z index.

Self-loading carbine, the mechanisms of which are driven by a part of the powder gases discharged from the barrel when fired (gas engine). It has a bullpup form factor - the trigger is moved forward, it is located in front of the store. A design feature is modularity - by pressing one button it disassembles into three main blocks: a barrel, a bolt carrier and a stock with a trigger mechanism.

To adapt to the requirements of civilian weapons, the rifle is deprived of the ability to fire bursts, and it also does not have a quick release button for the barrel. Magazine capacity reduced from 30 to 10 rounds.

An overview of the Steyr Mannlicher AUG-Z A2 carbine is given in this video:

Advantages and disadvantages

• The bullpup form factor made it possible to significantly reduce the dimensions of the carbine. So much so that the civilian version of Z barely fits into the requirements of the legislation of the Russian Federation on civilian weapons.
• Disputes about the advantages and disadvantages of weapons with a forward trigger among fans of firearms and airguns are ongoing. No common denominator has yet been found. In particular, it is believed that the displacement of the bolt group in the AUG-Z to the butt improves the accuracy of the battle, and it is more convenient for the shooter to transfer fire from one target to another.
• To a greater extent, the relatively good shooting qualities of the rifle are affected by the fact that it has a rotating bolt head with lugs. Models of submachine guns with a blowback - KSO-9 "Krechet", PPSh-0 - scatter bullets much wider.
• The weapon is equipped only with a Picatinny rail, it does not have a rear sight and a front sight. The rail arm is quite high, so for those who are used to the classic stock position when aiming, it can be a little uncomfortable.
• When creating the AUG, the task was to repeat the reliability of the Kalashnikov assault rifle. Austrian engineers solved this problem only partially. The rifle is capable of firing when water enters the barrel and can withstand dust or sand contamination. To do this, the gas engine has an adjustable channel section. When hit in liquid mud, the rifle jams. To resume firing, you must once again distort the bolt carrier.
• The rifle has a large number of hidden cavities where dirt accumulates, and most of its parts are mated with very high accuracy. Therefore, it requires careful care. In field conditions, this condition is not always feasible.

The specific location of the store complicates its replacement when firing in the prone position. He himself is made of transparent plastic so that you can control.

• There is a lot of plastic in the AUG design, even the trigger, except for the springs, is all made of it. This makes the weapon lighter, but subjectively it does not look reliable. At least from the point of view of Russian hunters.
• Even the use of plastic and aluminum does not make the weapon light, its weight is 3.6 kilograms. Carbine caliber .243 Win - made of metal and wood - weighs the same.

Photo of the Steyr AUG-Z / A2 carbine, .223 Rem

purpose

Mostly it is a weapon of self-defense. The relatively long barrel allows the AUG-Z to be used for short range hunting. The target can be a fox, a hare, a capercaillie, a pig-boar. You can’t take an adult elk; for a hazel grouse and a black grouse, the caliber is too big.

Varieties

In addition to the basic model based on the AUG A2, the AUG-Z A3 self-loading carbine and the AUG-Z A3 blowback submachine gun chambered for 9x19 (Parabellum) are produced.

Specifications

Design

• Self-loading carbine, operating on the principle of a gas engine. The barrel is chrome-plated, blued on the outside. A short compensator brake is fixed on the muzzle. The return mechanism is located on the right side of the receiver.
• Bullpup form factor. The trigger guard with a hook is placed in front of the store. A folding handle is fixed at its front branch, replacing the fore-end.
• The stock is plastic, in its cavity there is a trigger mechanism connected to the trigger by a rod.
• Bolt frame with two spring-loaded rods. The shutter larva rotates through the use of a copy groove. She has seven lugs. It is possible to manually set the bolt delay, for which the stop on the left side of the receiver is used, for which the bolt carrier handle is hooked (to do this, it must be turned up).
• The fuse is mechanical, located at the upper edge of the rear branch of the trigger guard. To bring it to the "Fire" position, it must be moved to the left so that the red mark opens.
• USM AUG does not have a flag for translating fire modes. In combat weapons, this occurs in the second stage of pulling the trigger. Single fire - pressing with a warning (increase in effort). Automatic - pulling the trigger all the way. In the civilian version (index Z), the second stage is deactivated.
• To install optical sights on the receiver, a high bracket with a Picatinny rail is installed.
• The ten-shot magazine hopper is located behind the trigger guard, its latch is even further to the butt plate. Shop from transparent plastic, two-row.

Completion and packaging

Supplied in a cardboard box. Included in delivery are cleaning tools, a gun epaulette (belt). Attached is a certificate and instructions.

Carbine Steyr Mannlicher AUG-Z A3 .223 Rem

Operating principle

• The carbine uses part of the powder gases from the barrel to reload. Before starting shooting, make sure that the position of the gas piston regulator is correct. If the weapon is clean, and the quality of the ammunition is not in doubt, then its notched lugs should be opposite the small mark. Otherwise, they must be shifted to a large one.
• Before loading, the weapon is placed on the fuse - press the button on the left side of the receiver located above the rear branch of the trigger guard. To remove the store, the button located at the back of the hopper is pressed. Cartridges are stacked in the store in two rows. The store is installed in place with a characteristic click.
• An additional fuse is the "shutter delay" position. To do this, the handle of the bolt carrier is retracted and rotated upwards. So she catches on the ledge on the receiver and holds the frame in the rearmost position, in which the drummer is not cocked and the cartridge is not fed into the breech.
• Before firing, the carbine is removed from the slide delay, and the handle is sent forward with a slight push. During firing, it is disconnected from the bolt carrier and is always in the extreme forward position.

Shootingfrom the Steyr Mannlicher AUG-Z A2 carbine is shown in the video below:

Disassembly

1. Put the weapon on the fuse, remove the magazine, pull the bolt back, and raise the handle and hook on the ledge of the receiver.
2. On the right side of the box, above the magazine bunker, find the black contact button and press it.
3. Separate the blocks of the butt and barrel with a gas piston.
4. Remove the bolt carrier with guides and springs from the barrel block.
5. Press down on the recess in the butt plate, at the same time remove the swivel.
6. Remove the butt plate, remove the trigger mechanism.

When disassembling a military weapon, a button located on the left, at the base of the handle, is used to separate the barrel. It is recessed, the handle turns clockwise and the barrel is separated.

To disassemble the gas piston, press the gas regulator and turn it so that the groove becomes perpendicular to the barrel. The regulator is removed towards the muzzle, and the piston and spring - in the opposite direction.

In the 60s of the twentieth century, an event occurred that revolutionized the field of small arms - the invention of the "intermediate" 5.56 × 45 mm cartridge. The new ammunition had better long-range penetration than the traditional 7.62mm caliber. Leading arms firms urgently took up the development of new promising weapons. By 1976, the giant of the Austrian military industry, Steyr-Daimler-Puch (now Steyr-Mannlicher), provided its version of the rifle. The weapon received the designation AUG or Army Universal Rifle. It was the world's first modular weapon with a plastic body. It combined the features of the most successful models of small arms: accuracy (Belgian rifle FN FAL), reliability (AK-47), accuracy of automatic fire (M16). The designers took as a basis the concept of the British "bullpup" - the EM-2 rifle. Since the AUG rifle was developed jointly with the Steyr factory (Steyr), it became officially known as the AUG Steyr (AUG Steyr).

Due to the unusual "fantastic" appearance and the body made entirely of plastic, into which the receiver, barrel and trigger mechanism were inserted, the rifle was immediately recognized as revolutionary. AUG Steyr was assembled from nodes - modules that, if desired, could be replaced directly in the field. There were both similar and interchangeable modules: three barrels of different lengths; receiver with a bracket for an optical or night sight; a trigger mechanism that allowed automatic, single or fixed three-shot fire. A feature of the trigger mechanism was the absence of a fire translator. The choice of fire mode was determined by the force of pressing the trigger (it was a key): incomplete pressing produced a single shot, and full - either a fixed burst or continuous fire, depending on the type of trigger. The shutter was produced with a right and left ejector, so the left-handed shooter could safely fire from his native shoulder, closing the right ejector with a special cover. The bolt handle also served as a fuse - the entire mechanism was blocked when it was inserted into the safety groove.

Two types of magazines with a capacity of 30 or 42 cartridges were made of impact-resistant translucent plastic so that the shooter could control the consumption of cartridges. The AUG Steyr rifle was equipped with a 1.5x optical sight. The sight had a grid representing black circles, which were aimed at a human figure at a distance of up to 300 m. In this case, the target had to be kept in the center of the circle. A special bridge and a bracket for the sight were molded together with the receiver, representing a carrying handle. Since the weapon did not have a classic forearm, the barrel was also equipped with a handle that replaced the front pistol grip. This decision brought additional fruit - changing the overheated barrel was no longer a significant difficulty.

The barrel was made of high quality steel by cold forging and chrome plated. The flame arrester had a thread for mounting devices for firing blanks and a rifle grenade.

Automation is practically nothing special. Only the gas cylinder shifted to the right and mounted on one of the guide rods is unusual. When firing single shots, the gas piston pushes the bolt back, while cocking the trigger held by the uncoupler lever. Then the return springs send the bolt forward, the next cartridge is sent to the chamber, the bolt rotates and locks the breech. In automatic mode, the principle of operation remains the same, only the trigger is held by the automatic fire lever and released after the shutter is released.

AUG Steyr is truly versatile. It turns into a whole family of weapons, thanks to easily interchangeable barrels of various lengths:

• 350 mm - small-sized assault rifle for paratroopers.
• 407 mm - carbine.
• 508 mm - assault rifle.
• 621 mm - light machine gun.

Despite the fact that the AUG Steyr assault rifle is recognized as the best in the bullpup class, it naturally cannot but have flaws. The cocking handles often fail, there are delays in the supply of ammunition, the safety catch arbitrarily changes position when the soldiers rush, magazines crack ... In general, everything is like any weapon.

In 1998, Steyr-Mannlicher made some changes to the design of the rifle. In particular, the weapon has a bracket that allows you to install a whole family of different optical sights, including electronic ones. After a slight modernization, the rifle received the designation AUG / A2.

The AUG Steyr rifle has taken one of the leading positions in the global arms market. It became the first in many respects: the first example of the bullpup system adopted for service, the first modular system, the first mass-produced assault rifle with a telescopic sight as the main one. The light weight and simplicity of the parts made this rifle very popular. In addition to Austria, AUG Steyr were adopted by Australia and New Zealand. The rifle is widely used by special forces and law enforcement agencies in many countries. At last count, at least 500,000 AUG Steyrs have been made and production continues.

An important component of the arsenal of any rifle unit is a light machine gun. With relatively small dimensions and weight, this is capable of providing a sufficiently high density of fire, which allows the machine gunner to operate effectively together with other fighters. In order to simplify production, light machine guns are sometimes designed on the basis of other weapons, primarily on the basis of machine guns. A good example of this approach to the creation of small arms are the Austrian light machine guns of the Steyr AUG family.

The first light machine gun of the family was the AUG HBAR (Heavy Barrel - “Heavy Barrel”), which is a basic automatic rifle with some changes due to other requirements. The main differences between a machine gun and a basic rifle are a different barrel and a larger capacity magazine. All other parts and components of the weapon are unified. Moreover, by replacing the barrel, the Steyr AUG machine gun can become the AUG HBAR light machine gun and vice versa.

The main part of the AUG HBAR light machine gun is a characteristically shaped receiver made of aluminum alloy and placed inside a plastic case. To increase rigidity and strength in the design of the receiver, there are several steel inserts. One of these parts is used to mount the barrel and lock the bolt. The thick-walled barrel of 5.56 mm caliber, 621 mm long, like other barrels of the AUG complex, is mounted in the receiver with eight stops included in the grooves of the receiver and is fixed by turning around its axis. The breech is equipped with a gas block with a piston, as well as a front handle mount. For ease of use, a muzzle brake and a folding bipod are mounted on the barrel.

Automation light machine gun AUG HBAR uses the energy of powder gases discharged from the barrel. A short-stroke gas piston drives the bolt group. Before firing, the barrel is locked on seven lugs by turning the bolt. In this case, the lugs are not located on the barrel, but on a special coupling to which the barrel is attached. The bolt group moves along two hollow tubes. In addition to holding the bolt group, they perform additional functions: the left tube connects the bolt to the cocking handle, and the right tube serves as the gas piston rod. For the extraction of spent cartridges, the shutter is equipped with an ejector and a spring-loaded reflector.

An interesting feature of the machine gun of other weapons of the Steyr AUG family is the ability to use two different shutters designed for right-handed and left-handed shooters. The bolt for firing from the right shoulder ejects the shells through a window on the right side of the receiver. The second version of the shutter has a "reflected" design and ejects the cartridges to the left.

The trigger mechanism of the machine gun is made in the form of a separate unit located in the butt. USM is connected to the trigger by two rods. In the design of the trigger mechanism of the Steyr AUG automatic rifle and weapons based on it, several interesting technical solutions were used. So, most USM parts are made of plastic, and the number of metal parts is minimized. In addition, the mechanism does not provide a separate fire translator. The functions of the translator are performed by the trigger: when pressed incompletely, a single shot is fired, and for firing in a burst, it is necessary to fully press it. As a fuse, a button is used above the fire control handle, blocking the trigger.

Used automation allows you to shoot at a rate of up to 680 rounds per minute. The initial velocity of the bullet due to the use of a relatively long barrel reaches 950 m / s. The effective range of fire is at least 350-400 m. Aiming is proposed to be carried out using an integrated sight. An optical sight with a magnification of 1.5x is built into the carrying handle and is similar to the sights of other weapons of the AUG family.

The machine gun is powered from detachable box magazines for 42 rounds of 5.56x45 mm NATO. In addition, it is possible to use magazines for 30 rounds, originally intended for the AUG automatic rifle.

Due to the use of a long 621 mm barrel, the total length of the Steyr AUG HBAR light machine gun is 900 mm. Without cartridges, the weapon weighs 4.9 kg. Thus, a light machine gun turns out to be only 100 mm longer and 1 kg heavier than the machine gun on the basis of which it was created. Similar dimensions and weight, as well as a high degree of unification contribute to the ease of use of the AUG HBAR machine gun in various units.

The Steyr AUG HBAR light machine gun coped well with the tasks assigned to it, but had some drawbacks. The main one is the tendency to overheat the barrel during intense shooting, with corresponding consequences for the accuracy and accuracy of fire. To solve this problem, the AUG LMG light machine gun (Light Machine Gun - “Light Machine Gun”) was created. Again, design changes were minimal, which made it possible to maintain a high level of unification of the two types of weapons. In fact, adjustments were made only to the trigger mechanism and sights.

To reduce thermal loads on the barrel in the AUG LMG project, a new trigger was used, designed for firing from an open bolt. This means that before the shot, the bolt is held in its rearmost position and returns forward, filling the cartridge, only after pressing the trigger. Due to this, between shots and during breaks in shooting, the chamber is open and the barrel can cool faster, transferring heat to the surrounding air more efficiently. In addition, shooting from an open shutter allows you to increase the rate of fire. With a design similar to the AUG HBAR machine gun, the AUG LMG can fire up to 750 rounds per minute.

The AUG LMG's carrying handle houses a new 4x optical sight. The use of a new sight made it easier to aim at long ranges. At the same time, the firing range remained the same - over 350-400 m.

The AUG HBAR-T and AUG LMG-T light machine guns were the answer to the demands of the times. The only difference between this weapon and the HBAR and LMG is the new carrying handle. In order to increase the flexibility of use, the handle with an integrated optical sight has been replaced with a Picatinny rail assembly for mounting any compatible sight. The handle with a bar for mounting sights was borrowed from a modification of the base machine AUG P Special Receiver.

One of the main advantages of the Steyr AUG family of weapons is its modular design. Depending on the current tasks, the shooter can use the most suitable barrel and bolt. In particular, the procedure for replacing individual nodes allows you to relatively quickly and easily make an HBAR or LMG light machine gun from an AUG automatic rifle. This feature of the machine guns of the AUG family interested some customers. The military and security forces of several countries have acquired a number of light machine guns of these models in the form of finished products and sets of interchangeable modules for use with machine guns.

According to the websites:
http://world.guns.ru/
http://militaryfactory.com/
http://remtek.com/
http://gewehr.ru/