Steyr AUG

Design details
The AUG, a bullpup assault rifle, is a selective fire weapon with a conventional gas piston operated action that fires from a closed bolt. Designed as a family of rifles that could be quickly adapted to a wide variety of roles with the change of the barrel to a desired length and profile, the AUG is a modular configuration rifle that employs a high level of polymer and advanced alloy components.

The primary variant of the rifle, designated the AUG A1, consists of six main assemblies: the barrel, receiver with integrated telescopic sight, bolt and carrier, trigger mechanism, stock and magazine.

Features
The rifle features an Spz-kr type two-stage trigger (pulling the trigger halfway produces semi-automatic fire, pulling the trigger all the way to the rear produces fully automatic fire) and a safety mechanism (cross-bolt, button type), located immediately above the hand grip. In its “safe” position (white dot) the trigger is mechanically disabled; pressing the safety button to the left exposes a red dot and indicates the weapon is ready to fire. Some versions have an ALO or "automatic lockout", a small projection at the base of the trigger. This was first included on the Irish Defence Forces variant of the rifle, and soon after, the Australian Defence Forces variant. In the exposed position the ALO stops the trigger being squeezed past the semi-automatic position. If needed, the ALO can be pushed up to permit automatic fire.

Australian
EnlargeAn Australian soldier from 2RAR with a F88S Austeyr. Fitted is the standard issue, locally made 1.5x power sight.*F88 Austeyr: The Australian Army's modified version of the Steyr AUG A1. Changes for the Australian version include a bayonet lug, a 1:7 in rifling pitch as found in the M16A2 rifle, optimized for the heavier 62-grain NATO-standard SS109/M855 round and an "automatic lockout" selector that can physically disable the fully automatic position of the two-stage trigger mechanism found on the standard AUG. Contrary to popular belief the Australian issued F88 does not have the crosshair inside the "doughnut", however the New Zealand issued AUG does incorporate this feature. The AUG won a competition against the prototype of what would become the Bushmaster M17S. The components are built under license at the Australian Defence Industries factory in Lithgow, New South Wales (now known as Thales Australia).