New assault rifles are not released every day, the Austrian Armed Forces can be happy that at least a revision of a very good weapon has been achieved: since 1977, the assault rifle from (today) STEYR ARMS has been the standard weapon of the Alpine republicans. At the time of its introduction, the weapon was a revolutionary concept. Hollywood also liked it, whenever they wanted to show something particularly evil, the Steyr AUG was used, for example at the Nakatomi Tower (connoisseurs know where).
The new variant is called Assault Rifles 77 A1 MOD. At first glance, it has a new housing on which the optics can be detachably attached, additionally it is equipped with Aimpoint Micro and Rheinmetall TLLM Tactical Laser-Light Module. The new foregrip integrates the button for the TLLM, it is now also located on a rail under the barrel and can be moved. Although the old charging handle is still used, the housing has a recess so that it can fold down and be protected against breakage, similar to the Thales assault rifle. The company's own Deflector by Steyr is attached at the ejection opening - two holes drilled in the stock.
The Assault Rifles 77 A1 MOD has an A3 housing with a new 3x optic (previously 1.5x) and a field of view of 80 lines. What is exciting is that you could remove the optic including the optic housing and instead mount a rail. It is interesting that now the 1.5x "universal optic", which was a good step in 1977, has been abandoned and the optical function is now divided in two. Now with 3x function reaching out further and for engaging close targets up to about 50 meters the Aimpoint Micro - also for night combat with night vision device, if - God willing - there are enough devices for the troops.
Only the A1 had the optic housing and housing made in one piece, we never had it as a Z variant. With the A2, you could already swap the optic or rail, the civilian AUG Z which has been available in Austria since 2005 is an A2 variant. In the A3 variant, the mounting is different. Above you can see how the TLLM is attached.
For the Armed Forces, they have further raised the short side rail so that it sits at 90 degrees. With the original variant with the ~45 degrees, almost nothing fits on it, so the short rail is only used for cable management of the TLLM at the Jagdkommando. The 90 degree position was first realized with the MP assault rifle and then adopted with the Flattop AUG. In the downloads on the Steyr site you can see these variants very nicely.
The stock is still the A1 stock, not a modern A3 with a side release. The weapon looks as if they wanted to align the "new" assault rifle with the previous Jagdkommando weapon, but without taking the A2 Command housing. Interestingly, we hear that the Jagdkommando will soon receive a new, revised weapon, but one that moves away from the A2 Command.
The grip on the Assault Rifles 77 A1 MOD is located on a rail under the barrel. So it can be mounted further to the front or slightly further back. And of course, you can also mount other things there, such as a bipod.
That the TLLM has been chosen leaves us somewhat puzzled, especially since the Jagdkommando already uses the more modern Vario Ray – also from Rheinmetall – but at least it has been in the inventory of the Bundesheer since 2006. And what is also intriguing is: why laser and light are not separated, so that everyone can use their light, but not always the laser, is unclear to us. It would also have the advantage that the light could be positioned further forward so that it is not so in the shadow of the rifle body. In principle, the question of the usefulness of a laser module for people without night vision equipment arises, but that is a different story. A simple weapon light would be more efficient and even cheaper. We remember the TLLM as quite a "funzel" (a dim light) (and hope we are not doing it an injustice here). HERE more information about laser-light modules in the army.
The Sturmgewehre 77 A1 MOD in its natural home, the Steyr AUG weapon bag from TASMANIAN TIGER – HERE in the SPARTANAT review..
Initial assessment? "Everything must change so that everything can stay the same," it says in the book "The Leopard" by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. Modernization is a good step, although it imitates the Jagdkommandogewehr. We are curious to see what a modern Steyr AUG for Austria's special forces will look like in comparison. At the same time, A1 MOD is the fourth version of the AUG at the Bundesheer besides the A2 Kommando, which is used by the Jagdkommando and Jägerbataillon 25, and the StG 77 A1 MP of the Military Police. (The fifth Austrian authorities variant would be the AUG in .300 BLK, as used by COBRA.) The authority has been revised and it has turned out well with and for STEYR ARMS.
The AUG is still a sleeping giant that has only developed a growing aftermarket for pimping/tuning in recent years: those who want more know CORVUS DEFENSIO, KAWATEC and also the AUG PARTS from CLAW GEAR. Guys, there is more to be done, one would like to say to the army... The criticism of the weapon is not unfounded, given that here a weapon system from 2007 is being imitated – below A2 Kommando with a large Aimpoint and a more modern LLM Vario Ray – and a fixed optic is installed, which makes it inflexible, whereas an upper rail now allows any optical solution that makes soldiers more efficient. And that's not even mentioning that more could be achieved with the trigger and firing mechanism.
BUNDESHEER on the internet
More StG77 and STEYR ARMS on SPARTANAT:
– STEYR ARMS: HÜLSENABWEISER IST DA
– BOOKS & MORE: DAS STEYR ARMS STG77 BUCH
– TFB: DIE GESCHICHTE DES STEYR AUG
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