Steyr AUG A3 M1 Rifle

The 16-inch hammer-forged barrel is fitted with the effective tulip flash hider. A folding foregrip and gas-adjust knob can also be found up front. A short rail section is a great spot to stick a weaponlight.
The 16-inch hammer-forged barrel is fitted with the effective tulip flash hider. A folding foregrip and gas-adjust knob can also be found up front. A short rail section is a great spot to stick a weaponlight.

The Integrated-Optics versions include an integral mount with traditional looking AUG scope tube available with the choice of 1.5X ($2,499) or 3X ($2,599) magnification. Both scopes include a two-segment Picatinny top rail with 15 numbered slots, plus a numbered, 4-slot rail section on the right side at the front of the tube to accommodate accessories like CQB holographic sights, lasers and/or white light illuminators. The scopes are bright and clear, and with their horizontal axes positioned 1.945 inches above the comb for a solid cheek weld. The adjustment turrets require a coin or straight-slot screwdriver to make windage and elevation adjustments. The 1.5X optic has a medium crosshair with  heavy, open, range-finding center circle, while the 3X optic’s heavy center circle includes thin internal crosshairs. The rail and optics platforms on all three AUG A3 M1 versions are easily interchangeable via the three base screws that thread from the underside of the top of the receiver.
Thankfully, the Steyr engineers recognized that the AUG/A3 SA USA was about as good as an assault rifle can get, and refrained from diddling with any major aspect of the platform. They did update the receiver to replace the permanently affixed front sling swivel with a VLTOR Quick-Disconnect Sling Swivel, which makes two-point sling attachment or removal extremely fast and easy, and lets users of single-point slings remove the front sling swivel entirely. And they changed the stock color from black to OD green, but that’s it.
The AUG platform is renown for its modular design, which permits quick, no-tools disassembly into its six main component groups. The process starts by dropping the magazine and pulling the left-side mounted cocking lever to the rear and locking the action open by pushing the lever up into its detent. Next, push downward on the receiver-mounted barrel locking pin, rotate the fore-grip clockwise about 20 degrees, then pull the barrel out the front of the receiver. (That’s how long it would take a soldier to replace his AUG’s barrel in combat.)

The AUG can be fully field-stripped in a matter of seconds. Additionally, it can be configured for a left-hand-eject with a simple bolt change.
The AUG can be fully field-stripped in a matter of seconds. Additionally, it can be configured for a left-hand-eject with a simple bolt change.

To remove the one-piece receiver from the polymer stock, one needs only to push the transverse-mounted receiver lock through from the left-hand side of the stock and pull the receiver out from the front. The bolt carrier can then be pulled out the rear of the receiver. The only other major component is the single-stage polymer trigger group, housed in the rear of the stock. It is removed by pressing an indentation in the rubber butt pad while simultaneously pushing in on the retaining bolt/sling swivel, and peeling off the butt pad. With the pad off, press forward on the trigger group housing while pulling out the retaining bolt/sling swivel. The trigger group then slides right out the back of the stock. After you’ve done it a couple of times, disassembly or reassembly can be accomplished in about 30 seconds.
The AUG’s 16-inch, cold-hammer-forged, chrome-lined barrel is 6-grove rifled at a 1:9” twist rate and is fitted with a screw-on tulip flash suppressor, making the  overall length 28.15 inches. By comparison, that’s  8.15 inches shorter than a 16-inch AR-15 with the stock fully extended and 5.15 inches shorter than the same gun with the stock fully collapsed.

The unique an extremely quick reticle of the 1.5x optic.
The unique an extremely quick reticle of the 1.5x optic.

The AUG’s operating system starts with a 2-position gas regulator mounted on the barrel just forward of the receiver. The “normal” setting is for standard ammunition and normal environmental conditions, while the “adverse” setting allows more gas into the cylinder for use during very cold conditions or when fouling has built up. Gas pressure in the cylinder forces the stainless steel operating rod and attached bolt carrier to the rear, cycling the action. In standard configuration, empties are ejected through a port on the right hand side of the stock above the magazine well. A similar ejection port on the left hand side is fitted with a snap-in polymer port cover. The AUG can be switched to left-hand ejection simply by substituting a left-ejection bolt and moving the port cover from the left- to the right-side port.
The polymer trigger is mounted in the forward side of the pistol grip, and when pulled it actuates dual stainless steel rods that run aft inside the stock some 9+ inches to the trigger group in the rear. Due to this extended trigger linkage, trigger pull feels slightly mushy, but that’s a price you pay with any bullpup. Trigger pull weight averaged 8 lbs. 6 oz. on our Lyman digital trigger-pull scale—but didn’t feel that heavy—with some palpable take-up near the end of the 3/16″ trigger stroke. A lateral, push-through safety is positioned just behind and above the trigger. The bolt release is mounted on the left hand side of the stock just above and behind the mag well. The magazine release is mounted in the underside of the stock immediately to the rear of the mag well. To remove an empty magazine, push up on the mag release button with your thumb while pulling the mag down and out of the well. Empty magazines do not drop free when the bolt is open, although they do with the bolt closed.