1 SDP TOPICAL NEW PRODUCT ccuracy and speed were much in demand during the "AntiTerror Exercise" at the end of June. In the otherwise idyllic Triesting valley, Lower Austria, 29 anti-terrorist units from 16 countries raced over an obstacle course with built-in tactical hindrances, to release "hostages"-shooting their way through to success. Once again the winners were the Austrians-using the Steyr A1 (AUG) rille, better known as standard Armed Forces equipment under the abbreviation StG 77 (Sturmgewehr 77). Known as the best storm rille in the world this weapon is made by Steyr Mannlicher Ges.m.b.H. in Steyr in various military versions: in addition to the StG version as semi-automatic with 407 mm barrel, in a commando type with 350 mm barrel, as rapid-fire HBAR-automatic weapon or as light machine-gun. Recently introduced are two interesting police versions: the AUG-Police, a .223 Remington semi-automatic, and the AUG 9 mm Para, which uses the same ammunition as the new re~ular pistol which has been standard issue for Austria's security forces for some while. Our Federal Gendarmerie has also opted for the 9 mm Para version. Stock and body remain unchanged. But there are several significant differences: the locking system and the barrel-group have another configuration. An adapter which can be slid into the magazine-shaft enables the standard Steyr MP stick magazine to be inserted with up to 32 rounds. The telescopic sight-which is designed, as with all AUGs, as a handle-has, unlike the Armed Forces version, a precision-enhancing sight with ring and central point. This means that-as the fairy-tale puts it-you can target a fly's eye at a hundred paces. The AUG 9 Para is not intended so much for bursts of fire as for rapid single shots. Gendarmes appreciate its handinesstotal length only 690 millimetres-and its light weight: all in all the new security forces weapon has a combat-weight of only 4 kilograms-including the 32-round magazine. lt is also interesting to find out why there are two police versions. lt was discovered, in practice, that the flat trajectory .223 Rem. caliber with its high muzzle velocity of about 1000 m/s, and a corresponding penetration power, was unsuitable for shooting in an inhabited environment. This induced Steyr to produce a second version in the popular pistol caliber. lts total length is 655 millimetres (barrel: 420 mm) and its weight of 3.8 kilograms (loaded with 25 rounds) is gratifyingly small. Divisional lnspector Helmut Mayerhofer assesses the new police weapon in the periodical "Die Bundesgendarmerie" (The Federal Gendarmerie) in a very positive light. He comes to the conclusion, following tests, that the AUG 9 Para is "certainly a good weapon, which will help us to economise." 13
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