Today I got to spend some range time with my AUG clone. I got it from a buddy new in box, but am the third (or so) owner. I have no idea why nobody wanted to give this baby a home, but I'm not going to complain - I got a freaking awesome deal on it! The version I got is green-stocked with a 16" barrel, AUG magazines (plan on getting the -E4 conversion that accepts AR magazines later), without optics. I slapped an EOTech (can't recall the model, but it's standard reticle, no night vision mode and uses AA batteries) on it and some friends and I headed to Bexar Community Range to meet the new rifle.
Basic stats of the MSAR STG-556 can be found on their site, but I'll run them down: With a 16" barrel, the overall length is only 28 inches, weight unloaded is 7.2 lbs (it looks like it'd be lighter). The barrel is chrome-lined with a flash hider spun on the end. The rifle is a bullpup, which means that the action of the weapon is at the very rear.
When the rifle showed up, I familiarized myself with it and the controls. This thing is pretty simple in its basic operation - you have a cross-bolt safety, a non-reciprocating charging handle, a lever-style magazine release and a bolt hold-open release that looks like something from an AR, but operates differently. The bolt hold-open is one of the improvements that MSAR made to their rifle over the AUG. Most of the 16" barrel rests inside the receiver assembly, with only about 8" protruding past the front of the stock. Attached is a folding front grip and a gas block that contains the short-stroke piston. Removing the barrel is simple and takes about a second. Removing the barrel shows that MSAR has fluted not only the protruding portion, but the part inside the rifle, too. This should shave some weight, and might help with rigidity (though it makes contact with the receiver at the front end of the rifle and isn't floated) and cooling. The receiver is vented at the top to aid in barrel cooling.
Another change/improvement that MSAR has made is a modernization that allows accessories and some customization to be added to the rifle. Instead of a 1.5x optic permanently attached to the receiver of the rifle, you've got a Picatinny rail on top so that you can decide what optic suits you best. You can still get an optical sight like the one on the original AUG, but it bolts on in place of the rail with three bolts. Since I don't have that sight, I'll "settle" for an EOTech for the time being. MSAR also added some bosses on the right side of the receiver that they've drilled and tapped so that you can add an accessory rail for something like a light. I haven't got that rail yet, but it's on my list. If your optic is short enough, putting a handgun light in front of it on the top rail is 100% do-able. As a mechanic, I have to say that it speaks volumes for the forethought and quality of this rifle that the rail mounting holes have steel thread inserts spun into them (they look like Heli-Coil types, which aren't the best, but they're better than bare aluminum) to help keep them from stripping. It's one of those little details that probably 99% of owners either won't notice or won't realize the significance of if they do, but trust me - it's a big deal.
Other features I found interesting:
After sighting in the MSAR with cheap-ass Monarch/Barnaul lacquered steel-cased ammunition, I continued shooting the same ammo for the rest of the day. I did feed it some brass-cased ammo, but it didn't make a difference in how the rifle operated, even after the lacquered ammo. No cases stuck, and I did get the rifle fairly hot at one point. Maybe chrome-lined chambers are the key to avoid stuck cases with this stuff?
Accuracy, even with cheap commie ammo was acceptable - I was getting 2 MOA groups at 100 yards off a bench. No magnification on the optic, uber-cheap ammo and a new rifle that I'm not entirely used to - I call that acceptable, since some of that is likely me, and some more of it likely the ammo.
Total round count through the MSAR at the the end of the day was around 200, in the hands of 6 different people, including one possible new TGT member. It functioned great for everybody, and all seemed to agree with the basic ergonomics of the rifle (though InnocentBystander did try loading a magazine into the front grip
), and really dug the compactness and balance of it. It sure got me a lot of looks at the range, and more than a couple "that's cool!" comments.
Today was a great day to shoot, and shooting a great rifle with awesome friends made it even better!
If anybody has any questions, I may have missed stuff so feel free to ask. If you're in the San Antonio area and want to meet up so you can take it for a spin sometime, drop me a line and I'd be happy to hit the range with you. Just bring some ammo (no reloads please, but steel-cased stuff like Wolf or Monarch are more than welcome!) and hopefully something for me to play with.
Basic stats of the MSAR STG-556 can be found on their site, but I'll run them down: With a 16" barrel, the overall length is only 28 inches, weight unloaded is 7.2 lbs (it looks like it'd be lighter). The barrel is chrome-lined with a flash hider spun on the end. The rifle is a bullpup, which means that the action of the weapon is at the very rear.
When the rifle showed up, I familiarized myself with it and the controls. This thing is pretty simple in its basic operation - you have a cross-bolt safety, a non-reciprocating charging handle, a lever-style magazine release and a bolt hold-open release that looks like something from an AR, but operates differently. The bolt hold-open is one of the improvements that MSAR made to their rifle over the AUG. Most of the 16" barrel rests inside the receiver assembly, with only about 8" protruding past the front of the stock. Attached is a folding front grip and a gas block that contains the short-stroke piston. Removing the barrel is simple and takes about a second. Removing the barrel shows that MSAR has fluted not only the protruding portion, but the part inside the rifle, too. This should shave some weight, and might help with rigidity (though it makes contact with the receiver at the front end of the rifle and isn't floated) and cooling. The receiver is vented at the top to aid in barrel cooling.
Another change/improvement that MSAR has made is a modernization that allows accessories and some customization to be added to the rifle. Instead of a 1.5x optic permanently attached to the receiver of the rifle, you've got a Picatinny rail on top so that you can decide what optic suits you best. You can still get an optical sight like the one on the original AUG, but it bolts on in place of the rail with three bolts. Since I don't have that sight, I'll "settle" for an EOTech for the time being. MSAR also added some bosses on the right side of the receiver that they've drilled and tapped so that you can add an accessory rail for something like a light. I haven't got that rail yet, but it's on my list. If your optic is short enough, putting a handgun light in front of it on the top rail is 100% do-able. As a mechanic, I have to say that it speaks volumes for the forethought and quality of this rifle that the rail mounting holes have steel thread inserts spun into them (they look like Heli-Coil types, which aren't the best, but they're better than bare aluminum) to help keep them from stripping. It's one of those little details that probably 99% of owners either won't notice or won't realize the significance of if they do, but trust me - it's a big deal.
Other features I found interesting:
- At the lowest points in the stock, there are holes drilled for water to drain (two holes total).
- There are two quick-detach sling swivels and four places to put them... and one of those attaching points can be shifted to the other side of the rifle for a total of five different possibilities.
- Trigger pull is much better than I expected a bullpup to have.
- What I think of as the "trigger group" literally sits up against the butt plate.
- The "trigger group" is made of plastic, except the springs.
- The trigger is attached to the sear via two steel rods like the ones that actuate door locks and latches in somewhat older cars.
- When shooting, the muzzle of this rifle is closer to my body than the muzzle of a handgun would be if I were shooting one instead. This rifle is "shorter" than a handgun!
After sighting in the MSAR with cheap-ass Monarch/Barnaul lacquered steel-cased ammunition, I continued shooting the same ammo for the rest of the day. I did feed it some brass-cased ammo, but it didn't make a difference in how the rifle operated, even after the lacquered ammo. No cases stuck, and I did get the rifle fairly hot at one point. Maybe chrome-lined chambers are the key to avoid stuck cases with this stuff?
Accuracy, even with cheap commie ammo was acceptable - I was getting 2 MOA groups at 100 yards off a bench. No magnification on the optic, uber-cheap ammo and a new rifle that I'm not entirely used to - I call that acceptable, since some of that is likely me, and some more of it likely the ammo.
Total round count through the MSAR at the the end of the day was around 200, in the hands of 6 different people, including one possible new TGT member. It functioned great for everybody, and all seemed to agree with the basic ergonomics of the rifle (though InnocentBystander did try loading a magazine into the front grip
), and really dug the compactness and balance of it. It sure got me a lot of looks at the range, and more than a couple "that's cool!" comments.Today was a great day to shoot, and shooting a great rifle with awesome friends made it even better!
If anybody has any questions, I may have missed stuff so feel free to ask. If you're in the San Antonio area and want to meet up so you can take it for a spin sometime, drop me a line and I'd be happy to hit the range with you. Just bring some ammo (no reloads please, but steel-cased stuff like Wolf or Monarch are more than welcome!) and hopefully something for me to play with.
