By Duane A. Daiker

This PDA isn’t what a techno-geek might expect, but for gun guys it’s a high-performance handheld that maximizes the chances of surviving today’s tough streets.

   European military firearms possess a particular mystique with American shooters. When widely available for purchase in this country during the 1970s and 1980s, semi-automatic variants of famed European military designs were extremely popular.
   In fact, while European-based rifles often had a reputation for representing that continent’s unique approach to firearm design, one in particular stood out for its radically idiosyncratic configuration—the Austrian Steyr AUG. Featuring a design that has come to be known as a “bullpup,” the Steyr AUG in 5.56x45 mm featured a configuration in which the action of the rifle was located behind the magazine well. The advantages of this approach are numerous—ultra-short overall length, compact size and lighter weight—although these qualities are often overshadowed by the radical appearance of these rifles.

Top: One of the unique features of this rifle and the design that inspired it is its quick-release barrel system. By simply engaging this button and rotating the barrel, the entire barrel assembly can be removed in seconds.
Bottom: The STG-556’s crossbolt-style safety is located just above and to the rear of the rifle’s trigger. The square-shaped safety features color-coded dots on all four sides, with red indicating “off safe” and white indicating “on safe.”

   Despite the fact bullpups have been around for quite some time, the revolutionary Steyr AUG helped legitimize the concept when the Austrian Army adopted the rifle in the late 1970s as the StG 77. The French FAMAS and British SA80 series also reflected this new trend.
   In addition to its bullpup configuration, the AUG employed an integrated low-power optic and made extensive use of synthetic materials—qualities that further solidified its reputation as being representative of a new approach to modern military rifle design. The export version of the design was named the AUG, which stood for “Armee Universal Gewehr” and meant “Army Universal Assault Rifle.”
   While conventionally configured military-pattern rifles would still remain the norm, the AUG platform won adherents around the world, with the design being licensed for production by Australia and Malaysia and exports being sent to Ireland, New Zealand, Tunis, Saudi Arabia and Oman. In fact, relatively small numbers of semi-automatic variants of the design made it to U.S. shores before the rifle was restricted from importation into the country in the late 1980s.
   So where does that leave U.S. civilian consumers who would like to own their own semi-automatic version of this iconic bullpup? Until recently, their only option was to track down what would likely be an exceedingly expensive pre-ban rifle. However, a surprising source has recently developed and is now offering for sale an updated and modernized U.S.-made version of the revolutionary AUG called the STG-556.

Cutting Edge
   So who is the developer and manufacturer of this new rifle? Surprisingly enough, the genesis of the STG-556 project came about through the efforts of a knifemaker, specifically Microtech Knives, Inc. President, Anthony Marifone. A longtime fan of the AUG platform, Marifone recognized a market for a U.S.-made AUG-style rifle and decided to found Microtech Small Arms Research, Inc. (MSAR), to develop one.
   The result was what would become the flagship of MSAR, the STG-556. Chambered in 5.56x45 mm (.223 Rem.), it represented a thoroughly modern and updated take on the AUG design, taking advantage of modern materials and manufacturing techniques, as well as contemporary updates to bring it more in line with current-day preferences in tactical-style rifles. There are also future plans for a 6.8 Rem. SPC variant of the rifle as well as conversion kits.

The left side of the STG-556’s receiver features a non-reciprocating charging handle.

   It is important to note that there are no Steyr parts in the rifle. With the exception of the glass in the integrated optic, the rifle is made entirely in the United States. Also, the rifle features many updates and upgrades over its predecessor; so many so that during its design-and-development phase MSAR filed for numerous trademarks and patents.
   The heart of the gas-operated, semi-automatic carbine is its investment-cast 7075 T6 aluminum receiver that is CNC machined into shape and then hard anodized and moly coated. The receiver features an internal steel trunnion that interfaces with the rifle’s steel barrel and steel, multi-lugged rotating bolt. The receiver also has one of the more significant upgrades the STG-556 features over an original AUG-pattern rifle.
   Whereas the original AUG featured an integral aluminum optical housing built directly into the upper receiver, the STG-556 has a removable 1.5X optic encased in an aluminum housing affixed by three hex nuts. Once removed, the receiver can accept either a 9- or 12-inch bi-level Picatinny rail available from MSAR. While the built-in low-power optic of the original rifle may have been revolutionary in the late 1970s, modern consumers will greatly appreciate the ability to mount their own optics on the strips of Picatinny rail. In fact, a similar upgrade was incorporated by Steyr into the A2 variant of the AUG.

   Complementing the modular optic rail are three accessory points on the right side of the receiver intended to accept strips of Picatinny rail available in 3-, 6- or 9-inch lengths. This provides users the opportunity to mount accessories such as lights or lasers to the rifle.
   Further design upgrades address the operation of the rifle’s bolt. To ensure the bolt was fully closed on the original AUG, one had to engage a small button on the charging handle to allow it to then be able to push the bolt closed. The STG-556 addresses this somewhat awkward feature by incorporating an M16-style forward assist assembly located forward and above the magazine well on the left rear side of the stock assembly. An additional improvement centers on the means of releasing or locking the bolt of the rifle. While the original AUG would lock the action open on an empty magazine, there was no external method for releasing the bolt aside from racking the charging handle. The STG-556 instead employs an M16-style bolt hold-open/release lever above and to the rear of the magazine well on the left rear side of the stock assembly, making operation of the rifle more user friendly.

Internally, the STG-556 is just as radical as its exterior appearance suggests. The rifle can be broken down for cleaning and maintenance in a matter of seconds with no tools.

   The other changes MSAR incorporated into the design are not quite as radical but no less significant, such as fluting the barrels for lighter weight and faster cooling. Additionally, the company went through the design with a fine-tooth comb to improve its durability and functioning in harsh environments, including such seemingly simple yet important modifications as including drain holes in the stock assembly and parts of the rifle’s mechanisms to ensure the rifle dries as soon as possible after being immersed in water.

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STG-556 HB Match Rifle
   Although the standard STG-556 rifle provides quite good accuracy, MSAR decided the platform could be tweaked
a bit for better performance. The result
is the company’s new limited-edition
STG-556 HB heavy-barrel match rifle chambered in .223 Rem., designed to provide sub-moa accuracy when using proper match ammunition.
   The heart of the new 10 1/2-pound rifle is its 24-inch heavy barrel with an 11-degree recessed match crown. The barrel features a chrome-lined bore with a 1:8-inch rate of twist as well as a match chamber for tight tolerances and enhanced accuracy. In addition, the rifle has a chromed bolt head, bolt sleeve, firing pin and cam pin to ensure smooth operation and corrosion resistance. Complementing the match barrel is a tuned trigger and roller hammer pack for a cleaner and lighter trigger pull than on the standard rifle.
   To wring the best long-range performance out of the rifle, the STG-556 HB comes equipped with an extended 12-inch, dual-level Picatinny rail for mounting optics and accessories. Complementing this is a 6-inch strip of Picatinny rail on the right side of the receiver. A quick-detach Versa-Pod Raptor bipod rounds out the package. The rifle is available in black, tan or OD green as well as in left-hand configuration and has a retail price of $2,895.

STG-556 JK Rifle
   New from MSAR, Inc. is the STG-556 JK Jagdkommando .223 Rem. rifle, based upon the upgraded StG-77 rifle developed for use by Austrian special forces.
   Upgrades of the 7 3/4-pound STG-556 JK over the basic STG-556 pattern rifle include a medium-heavy chrome-lined 16 1/2-inch barrel with a 1:8-inch rate of twist topped off with a special combination flash suppressor/compensator, a 3X intergrated optic housed within a 7075-T611 aluminum Picatinny tri-rail optical housing, and a specially designed 9-inch top strip of removable Picatinny rail for the receiver.
   The anodized receiver and optical housing of the rifle feature a coated finish that matches the stock, with choices of tan, black or OD green colors. The rifle is also available in a left-hand configuration. The rifle comes with four, 30-round magazines and is shipped with a matching-color locakable hardcase. The retail price of the system is $4,655.