I remember seeing the Steyr Scout rifle many years ago, its curious look and design were perhaps a little off-putting to me at the time. But decades later I find myself finally in a position to truly evaluate this curious rifle.
The Steyr Scout rifle is a bolt-action rifle fed from proprietary detachable box magazines. Much of it’s uniquity come from its polymer stock that incorporates many extra features. While it is available in various calibers, the model tested today is a 19-inch barreled 308 Winchester. Lets get into this rifle and see how it could fit into your everyday shooting practices.
The Steyr Scout Rifle
Steyr’s Scout rifle is almost thirty years old now, in fact the second generation Scout II is the go to rifle. The original Scout rifle tested today, was manufactured at Steyr’s facility in Bessemer Alabama.
Action and Feeding
At the heart of the Steyr Scout is the action, a rotating bolt that uses two layers of dual lugs to lock up the breech. The extraction is done using a Sako-style claw, and cases are ejected using a spring-plunger to throw cases clear of the action. The safety is located in the tang of the action, and is a bit different. It’s a rotating wheel you can easily adjust with your thumb.
The two-stage trigger appears to be adjustable, though Steyr’s manual seems pretty adamant that only Steyr armorers should attempt such a feat. As it sits, the trigger feels great so I had no reason to mess with it anyways.
The five-round magazines that feed the Scout , are secured using dual spring-loaded claws on each side of the magazine. This results in a perfect thumb and index finger squeeze to pull the magazine from it’s well. A second magazine is secured in the same fashion in the underside of the buttstock.
The Scout Stock
Made from polymer, the Steyr Scout stock is very interesting. A soft rubber recoil pad at the back ensures comfort, and a very traditional grip angle that is enhanced with a hollowed out palm area.
Perhaps the most curious part of the stock is the builtin bipod at the front of the stock. By depressing a centrally located button both of the two bipod legs can be pulled down. They are secured in position with a snap, preventing them from folding back up inadvertently. The rifle can also be canted on the bipod as the hub of the two legs has a builtin swivel.
shooting from the bipod was serviceable, but probably not as good as a dedicated bipod
Additional transportation options are also included, the Scout has built in sling mounts that can be removed or relocated to fit your needs. A simple push and twist will remove the sling mounts, and you can move them to one of many different sockets on either side of the rifle.
Sight Mounting
On the top of the rifle, you will find a sight mounting rail. The original Scout has cuts for standard scope ring location, and several options for mounting a scope in the traditional scout rifle location forward. Forward mounted extended eye relief optics are traditionally used on scout rifles to improve field of view and awareness. The second generation Scout has a full length picatinny rail, allowing you to mount an optic anywhere you chose.
And as if that wasn’t enough, the Steyr Scout also features builtin pop-up iron sights with a ghost-ring style rear sight and a simple front post.
the pop-up front sight
Steyr Scout Specifications
Steyr Scout Specifications
Weight
6.6 Pounds
Length
38.6 Inches
Barrel
19-Inch barrel 1:10 or 1:12 twist *
Caliber Options
.223Rem, .243Win, 7-08Rem, 6.5CM, 308Win
Safety
3-position: fire, safe, safe with locked bolt
Finish
Mannox (nitride surface treatment)
Capacity
5-round magazines X2 (10-round option available)
Sights
Pop-up built-in sights, picatinny sight rail
Muzzle Threads
Gen I ½-20, Gen II ½-28
* different barrel twist depending on rifle generation
Configuring the Steyr Scout
Since I don’t have an extended eye relief scope, I would end up mounting a scope in the traditional fashion. Which I would have preferred to do anyways now that I think about it. Using a pair of Weaver scope rings, I mounted one of the new Bushnell R5 3-9×40riflescopes. I was surprised how well the Bushnell fit perfectly to this rifle, and matched it capabilities. It’s illuminated center dot was perfect for shooting targets on the move, like hogs or varmints.
Its another one of those iconic gun stories here today folks. Many of us grew up watching the apex of cinema that was the 1980’s, and you couldn’t watch good films back then without seeing iconic firearms. The Steyr AUG became extremely popular in the late 70’s and thereafter with a variety of law enforcement and military adoptions. Much like FN’s P90 and the HK MP5, the AUG (which I will always pronounce AWE-g) was so different and interesting that it demanded attention. As a true bullpup aficionado, I felt required to revisit the AUG with the release of the new Steyr AUG A3 M2 NATO version of the rifle.
me shooting the original AUG A1
There has been other variants of the rifle, like the famous waffle mag AUG, and even a 9mm version. But the A3 M2 NATO version of the rifle seems to have the best features of all. This rifle uses standard NATO Stanag magazines, but also incorporates a bolt release. This makes the AUG a bit more formidable and useful in tactical operations (at least thats what I think as an absolute unit of a civilian). I could spend a lot of time talking about the history of the AUG and all of its accolades, but you can go scroll through Wikipedia for that. All you need to know is that the Alpha-male terrorist guy from 1988’s smashing hit Die Hard chose the AUG because of his tactical prowess. And thats good enough for us today.
Karl would for sure have traded his waffel AUG for my NATO A3 model, sadly he turned to ballet and we lost him in 1995. RIP Karl
The Steyr AUG A3 M2 NATO
The curious looks of the Steyr AUG is matched by an equally interesting operation. The polymer buttstock houses the sear-pack, recoil pad, and magazine well. The receiver is captured by a sliding plastic former after being pushed in from the front. The barrel features external lugs not unlike a the bolt, both of them are inserted to the receiver and rotate to lock in.
stabbing a mag into the AUG A3, you can simply continue sliding your hand up and release the bolt into battery
Operation
The barrel assembly has a spring-loaded locking detent making barrel removal extremely quick and easy. The gas piston is located on the right side of the receiver, and pushes a long operation rod that is attached to the right side of the bolt-carrier.
The field stripped AUG A3 M2 NATO
On the opposite side of the bolt-carrier, there is a near twin operating rod that engages the charging handle on the left side. The charging handle has a polymer folding design, it can be folded in both at the front and rear of its travel. It also features two snap-springs that hold the charging handle in place to the front while shooting to stop reciprocation.
left-side detail: note folding charging handle, and safety behind the trigger
The safety is a push-push type, a simple plastic square that goes through the receiver behind the trigger. The trigger itself is also polymer, and attaches to two steel rods that transfer movement to the sear pack in the rear.
Also on the left-rear-side of the buttstock, you will find the bolt-release that makes this A3 M2 model so much better than previous versions of the rifle. It allows you to seat the magazine and drop the bolt almost in one motion.
Other Features
Up front you will find the down-grip, one of the AUG’s famous features. The grip can be pulled and folded parallel under the barrel for lower profile. Right above the down-grip on the right side, you will find the gas block and gas valve.
Because its not 1988 anymore, and the petulant tyrants who banned the import of this Austrian beauty for years because of its incredibly dangerous features; I choose to shoot the AUG suppressed like my other guns, for sporting purposes and whatever else I see fit. So I have the suppressor gas valve for the rifle, which helps reduce overgassing due to suppressor backpressure.
On the right side roughly two o’clock position there is an accessory pic rail for adding accessories. And across the top of the receiver you will find another picatinny rail for mounting sights. There is also a factory made 3X optical sight that can be installed in place of the pic rail. But it DEFINITELY came from the 80’s, and there it should stay.
I was excited to get this rifle on the range, mainly to see how it compared to other bullpups I’ve shot. Which are not few. But before that, I would need to pull the flash-hider that made it so dangerous to import once upon a time. I would try a couple suppressors, first the Yankee Hill Machine Fat Cat because it is super short. Keeping the already compact AUG as short as possible would maintain its designer’s purpose. I’d also use my Anechoic Anechox 35, it too does a great job taming noise. Its flow thru design would hopefully keep me from suffocating in exhAUGst from the ejection port.
shooting for accuracy
For sights, I installed my Primary Arms PLxC 1-8 low power variable optic (LPVO). The impressive clarity and sharpness would come in handy for shooting this rifle.
I grabbed a few different mags to see how they each faired in the AUG. And to fill the magazine, I would use a few different options. Some PMC Xtac 55 grain ammo, as well as some Hornady 62 grain FMJ ammo, and for accuracy I figured I’d try some PMC Match 77 grain.
we tested a variety of different Stanag magazines, and they all worked
Shooting the Steyr AUG A3 M2
I do a lot of my shooting outdoors and in the wild mountains that surround me. But today I took occasion to frequent a local range which I don’t often do. For todays purposes it would be fine. The two-hundred yards available to me were more than enough to test the legs of the AUG.
a wiff of burnt powder is inevitable when shooting suppressed
Shootability
As an ardent bullpup fan, the AUG came to me as very familiar. The balance and weight was like others I’m used to. But since I was used to other rifles like my WLVRN, I did have to reconfigure a few of my muscle memories.
magazine release detail
The mag release works great, and makes sense to have it there. But I wouldn’t mind if it was more like my WLVRN or an X95. The balance on this rifle was outstanding, even with a suppressor up front. You could single-hand shoot this rifle all day.
Reliability
The Steyr AUG has been well known for its reliability. Both in law enforcement and military the AUG has seen long-term service on basically every continent. We found the AUG A3 M2 to be perfectly reliable, with no malfunctions experienced during testing.
Ergonomics
You definitely don’t want to shoot the AUG left handed, it’s ejection will likely hit you in the mouth or chin. The seamless back end of the rifle doesn’t offer a great deal of adjustment. So there is no way to adjust the comb-height or length of pull.
the factory flash hider of the AUG A3
The grip has a cutlass style trigger-guard, normally I would say I don’t like them. But the way the trigger is seated within the guard and tucked up I think was well done. The controls in general are simple and no nonsense. The safety is easy to function, though it does feel like a fifty year old design. The charging handle is foldable both at the front and rear of its travel, it can be a little close to optics mounting which can cause occlusions with your knuckles.
Trigger feel is often a concern with bullpup rifles. I have experienced both poor triggers and excellent triggers from some of my favorite bullpup rifles. Previous versions of the AUG were among what I would call ok triggers, but this one seems a little better. Not mushy and more short and crisp than I expected.
Accuracy
I was quite happy with the accuracy of the AUG A3. I wasn’t expecting to be anything fantastic, but 1.5 MOA was decent best groups. Especially considering I was using an LPVO at 8X, I expect I could have done better with a little more scope.
Value
The bullpup 5.56 field is getting pretty deep, though the AUG has been in it for longer than most. The IWI X95 is particularly popular with many folks, and while I don’t hate it there are others I prefer. The X95 can be had for about the same price as the AUG A3 M2, and I think I prefer the Steyr. The Springfield Armory Hellion is around the same price on any given day, and it too shares a strong service record like the AUG and X95.
If you want something cheaper, you could go with the Keltec RDB, and if you want something made in the USA the Desert Tech WLVRN is my favorite of all of these bullpup rifles. If you’re curious about that, you can read my article on the WLVRN Here.
The barrel is quickly and easily removed from the rifle, you can also see the gas valve here.
Pros and Cons
I’m not gonna lie, I really like the Steyr AUG A3 M2 more than I expected to. It shoots well, has a nice impulse, and is quite compact. There are really only a few things I suppose I would change; I’d like a mag-release that could be done with your trigger finger, I really like that feature in the other rifles. And I suppose I’d also like one of the different fore ends made for the AUG by the aftermarket. The down-grip is comfortable but I think I might like something a little different. Lastly it would be nice if there was some modularity in the back end of the gun, like for length of pull and such.
the AUG bolt carrier
Its no wonder to me that this gun has remained as popular as it has. It is fun to shoot, and with the added capabilities of the NATO mags, and the new bolt release it really brings the AUG to a better place.
Last Words on the AUG A3
Bullpups are my thing, so I suppose you shouldn’t be surprised I liked one of the most popular models out there. But I’ll also say its not just because I’m a bullpup guy. I found the AUG A3 M2 NATO offers a bit more than its predecessors, and all the good features of every other AUG model. So if you are simply looking for a reliable, compact and fun rifle to shoot the AUG could fill that role. And while you do it you can LARP as the 1980’s action hero you watched as a kid.
