Steyr AUG design details

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Steyr AUG A3 design details and wear at 1000 rounds. I included some AR parts for comparison since many people are more familiar with those.

Steyr AUG A3 with Surefire X300 on the side rail, Aimpoint Micro on a KAC mount and HK416 sights as BUIS.
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Basic field strip into groups. Barrel group, stock group, receiver, recoiling parts, hammer group, buttplate, light, mag, and sling pin.
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Barrel group detail stripped. Barrel, gas regulator, gas piston, gas piston return spring.
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Detail of barrel locking lugs.
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Detail of chamber area.
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Detail of gas regulator.
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Detail of front of receiver. The barrel front trunnion, gas piston bushing (left), charging handle bushing (right), and barrel lock (lower right) all have steel inserts for wear.
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Detail of rear of receiver. The guide rods run in steel inserts pressed into the receiver. The rear trunnion is a steel insert pressed into the receiver rear.
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Detail showing rear trunnion barrel locking lugs.
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Recoiling parts group detail stripped. Firing pin, bolt sleeve, cocking piece, extractor pin, extractor, bolt, and bolt carrier.
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Firing pin (lower) with AR firing pin for comparison.
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Bolt with captive cam pin.
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Detail stripped bolt showing roll pin that captures the cam pin.
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With AR bolt and parts for comparison.
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AUG extractor (hard chromed) with AR extractor. AUG extractor is wider and longer.
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Width of AUG extractor.
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Width of AR extractor.
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AR bolt with AUG bolt for comparison.
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AUG bolt lug dimensions.
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AR bolt lug dimensions.
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More in part 2.
 
Part 2.

AUG bolt thickness at the cam pin hole.
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AR bolt thickness at cam pin hole.
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Detail of bolt sleeve. The L shaped notch controls the cam pin rotation, preventing the bolt from rotating until the recoiling parts are forward.
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Recoiling parts showing how the bolt sleeve teeth prevent the bolt from rotating when stripping lugs of bolt contact rounds during feeding.
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Recoiling parts approaching receiver.
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Bolt sleeve makes contact with rear of receiver (steel trunnion insert). Bolt sleeve is still preventing rotation of bolt at this point.
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Bolt sleeve has stopped, freeing cam pin to begin rotation and start looking bolt.
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Bolt partially locked.
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Rear of bolt carrier. The roller at the top is visible, as is the cutaway at the top of the hole for the bolt sleeve.
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BSW
 
I've always liked futuristic/scifi looking guns like these and the p90, sucks they are too expensive otherwise i would buy them.
 
Originally Posted By: wkcars
I've always liked futuristic/scifi looking guns like these and the p90, sucks they are too expensive otherwise i would buy them.


The AUGs run for $1800 on gunbroker and other places. That's cheaper than they've been for about 20 years.

BSW
 
Originally Posted By: bsmithwins
Originally Posted By: wkcars
I've always liked futuristic/scifi looking guns like these and the p90, sucks they are too expensive otherwise i would buy them.


The AUGs run for $1800 on gunbroker and other places. That's cheaper than they've been for about 20 years.

BSW


I can't bring myself to spend that much on 1 gun when it's possible to go out and get 2 or 3 other guns for that kind of money. The cool factor is there but i'd rather have more toys to play with lol.
 
Originally Posted By: wkcars
Originally Posted By: bsmithwins
Originally Posted By: wkcars
I've always liked futuristic/scifi looking guns like these and the p90, sucks they are too expensive otherwise i would buy them.


The AUGs run for $1800 on gunbroker and other places. That's cheaper than they've been for about 20 years.

BSW


I can't bring myself to spend that much on 1 gun when it's possible to go out and get 2 or 3 other guns for that kind of money. The cool factor is there but i'd rather have more toys to play with lol.


I totally understand. Myself, I'd rather have one great rifle than 2-3 mediocre ones. I can only shoot one at a time, after all.

Besides, with what ammo costs by the time I shoot 4-5 thousand rounds (3-4 years) I've spent more on ammo than the actual rifle.

BSW
 
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That is awesome, I have always had a real soft spot for the AUG. The store I buy a lot of my stuff from gets IMI Tavors in a lot and I have been considering one of those. He gets P90s in occasionally, and it would be nice to have one of those to go with my Five-SeveN.
 
bsmithwins,

Good pics.

Q1 What camera and lens?

Q2. Do you see any real wear compared to the original gun parts?
 
Originally Posted By: MolaKule
bsmithwins,

Good pics.

Q1 What camera and lens?

Q2. Do you see any real wear compared to the original gun parts?


Canon S110 with automatic settings.

I'd characterize all the wear as polishing or burnishing only. The finish has worn thru where parts mate, like on the barrel locking lugs and bolt sleeve but there isn't any displacement of metal or peening.

BSW
 
Cool Gun! The AUG is one of the few designs I dont know much about. Looks like a great design. Influenced by the AR-15 but totally unique and somewhat beefed up. Thanks!
 
Interesting guns but the AUG (and the MSAR clone) as well as the Tavor all share a flaw in terms of practical use with swapping the magazine. Simply not an intuitive exercise which is why, even though tempted at times, I've never purchased one.
 
Originally Posted By: BlownF150
Interesting guns but the AUG (and the MSAR clone) as well as the Tavor all share a flaw in terms of practical use with swapping the magazine. Simply not an intuitive exercise which is why, even though tempted at times, I've never purchased one.


Not sure I agree with that assessment. Run your left hand backwards, thumb up, with an open grip, until it hits the mag. If you curl your hand around the mag your thumb is placed exactly where it needs to be to release the mag.

It's not a AR and maybe isn't as suited to race gun games.

BSW
 
As opposed to just extending index finger and pushing to the left? I think the AR clearly wins that part in the manual or arms. I like the fact they can be converted easily for lefties, especially the Tavor, and the overall compactness. They shouldn't be approaching or exceeding $2000 a piece through. I wish I could have picked up an MSAR STG-556 when they had teething problems and were $700 guns for the novelty of owning one.
 
Very cool pics! I've never seen an AUG broken down like that, let alone compared to an AR.

The similarities are interesting, but I was surprised by the complexity of the AUG.

I'd love to try an AUG, FAMAS, L85/SA80, Tavor, FS2000 back to back.
 
Originally Posted By: strat81
Very cool pics! I've never seen an AUG broken down like that, let alone compared to an AR.

The similarities are interesting, but I was surprised by the complexity of the AUG.

I'd love to try an AUG, FAMAS, L85/SA80, Tavor, FS2000 back to back.


The AUG is a bit more complex. That's mostly a result of what the designers were trying to accomplish. They wanted a 'Army Universal Gun' that would replace the SMG, rifle, and squad automatic. To get that they used quick change swappable barrels. That makes the barrel latch and piston return spring necessary, along it's the plastic handle so a troop can change out barrels without needing a asbestos mitten. The AR design doesn't allow for quick change barrels so those parts aren't needed.

The bolt carrier is more complex because the designers didn't use the receiver or stock to guid the bolt can pin. That makes the bolt sleeve necessary to prevent the bolt from rotating while it's running forward and stripping a round from the magazine. On the AR that function is done by the cam pin track in the upper.

Two op rods are required because functionality is split between them. Both rods contain the recoil springs (like the buffer tube on a AR) but the right rod functions as a op rod and is struck by the gas piston after firing. The left rod contacts the non-reciprocating charging handle when the bolt carrier is fully forward. The groove in the tip of the left rod allows the CH to lock onto it and work as a forward assist. The rounded head serves to ream carbon out of the rounded interior of the gas regulator.

The AUG is more complex than some other military pattern rifles. But that complexity is a result of functionality, not just for its own sake.

BSW
 
Originally Posted By: bsmithwins
The AUG is more complex than some other military pattern rifles. But that complexity is a result of functionality, not just for its own sake.


Good explanation. Thank you!
 
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