Thread: At least it's a nice colour green - NZDF choose AR to replace Steyrs

Yeah everyone has their opinion. Cant hit the side of a barn door? I won't accuse the Steyer of being inaccurate because a good one was easy 2-3moa. I must say that I found the Australian made ones not quite on par with the Austrian versions as far as build quality goes. The 1.5 optics were a bit annoying, worst of both worlds, mud rendered them useless and not much magnification. The pistol sized iron sights are also too short for decent aiming. I think I would enjoy the rail version with a Trijicon more. Who knows one day I may get sentimental and purchase one of GunShittys over priced Acat ones

Originally Posted by Kscott

Should've just done a deal with Tipple and GC, would've saved the taxpayer a fortune

Isn't he still on the chain gang in a USA Facility breaking rocks

Yeah everyone has their opinion. Cant hit the side of a barn door? I won't accuse the Steyer of being inaccurate because a good one was easy 2-3moa

I managed to shoot an honest inch when I did my first zero before my first AWQ.

Originally Posted by Daggers_187

I managed to shoot an honest inch when I did my first zero before my first AWQ.

Well done! An inch and a half to two was the best I managed from memory. It depended a lot on the ammo also, i think we had some european stuff at one stage FN? that was quite good.

The AUG was friggin accurate despite the trigger and that was about it.
It was somewhat depressing shooting against USA Olympic team members using an AR with irons and getting toweled up at comps using the same ammo.
Poms with there 4x SA-80 were good as well.




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My civi aug seems very accurate, despite having one of the worst bang switch's I own-and it's by far the worst for the price bracket it's in.
Under 1.5" at 100 with a acog and the same cheep ammo I use for service class in my ar

Originally Posted by 300CALMAN

Well done! An inch and a half to two was the best I managed from memory. It depended a lot on the ammo also, i think we had some european stuff at one stage FN? that was quite good.

Yeah, and depends on what rifle you have as well. I never thought the AUG was too bad, it's actually very nice to carry in a conventional situation (no body armour, long distance dismounted patrols.)

Originally Posted by R93

As for the AK platform it would never get a look in with us or any Western block force for obvious reasons to the tactically minded.

I think it's more of a strategic issue than a tactical one.

Originally Posted by Daggers_187

I think it's more of a strategic issue than a tactical one.

Effective range and weapons employment is a tactical issue.
Not strategic.


RNZIR doctrine still dictates a
section/det fire capability that would exceed the 7.62x39.




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Originally Posted by 300CALMAN

Well from what I know the Army did want the AR-15 to start with (remember they had M16 A1s) but Colt was not prepared to allow local licensed manufacture and yes they were expensive. There was also the question of the Government of the day and the fact that they were an American product. The Steyer is technically advanced and has some nice features but it has fiddly small parts (seen the piston and gas adjuster!) and oddities like the sling swivel mount which holds the but pad and trigger mechanism in-place. It is one thing to shoot something on the range and another to look after it in the field. Apparently it is not that popular with many of the troops (probably those who have used ARs).

It was my understanding at the time that:

NZ was offered a very good deal, i.e. cheaper than the Absolutely Useless Gun, on the M16A2; because the USMC had yet to adopt it BUT the Aussies put the kibosh on that because they wanted the AUG manufacturing rights. Din Collings later advised me that the AUG purchase was finally swung by a butter deal.

The Steyr is lower quality in every way than the L1A1 and M16A1/2! Critical parts can become unserviceable after fewer than 1,000 rounds. The cocking handle is exposed and vulnerable to breakage. The rifle is excessively vulnerable to dust and dirt and, so far as I am concerned, the decision to adopt it was a treasonous act, constituting deliberate endangerment of NZ military personnel and those whom they are assigned to protect.

Originally Posted by ZG47

It was my understanding at the time that:

NZ was offered a very good deal, i.e. cheaper than the Absolutely Useless Gun, on the M16A2; because the USMC had yet to adopt it BUT the Aussies put the kibosh on that because they wanted the AUG manufacturing rights. Din Collings later advised me that the AUG purchase was finally swung by a butter deal.

The Steyr is lower quality in every way than the L1A1 and M16A1/2! Critical parts can become unserviceable after fewer than 1,000 rounds. The cocking handle is exposed and vulnerable to breakage. The rifle is excessively vulnerable to dust and dirt and, so far as I am concerned, the decision to adopt it was a treasonous act, constituting deliberate endangerment of NZ military personnel and those whom they are assigned to protect.

"Deliberate endangerment" Not a chance... Having used both weapon extensively I would grab a Steyr over a A1/A2 any day especially one of the same manufacture date. Never seen a cocking handle break and it is in fact in a far more "usable" position for combat then the AR platform. I am sad to see it go as I would have loved to move to the enhanced Steyr as the our Aussie brothers are, but with a price tag in excess of 6K it was never going to happen.

It is annoying to see all this hate towards a weapon that is very capable and as I have said has served us well. In saying that bring on the LMT! as evolution of people, weapons and other equipment is a fact of life and we must just get on with it.

When do the old steyrs come on the market?

Originally Posted by R93

Effective range and weapons employment is a tactical issue.
Not strategic.


RNZIR doctrine still dictates a
section/det fire capability that would exceed the 7.62x39.




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I was referring to compatibility of ammunition and magazines with other nations.

Originally Posted by matto1234

When do the old steyrs come on the market?

from what im told they wont the govt will pay to destroy them like some others that were destroyed recently

A cocking handle or worse was broken just about every jump we did.

It wasn't grunt proof. It suited the Fibua role, not the green role imo.
Accurate, functioned well in the right environment and apart from the first few years of it inception it served it's time.
But at the end of the day it was a political buy.
Some recent weapon purchases the military has made have been end user buys, and it is good to see.

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