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Posted: 5/28/2025 9:33:32 AM EDT
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I have 2 AUG's with the current 16" barrel, 1:9 twist. Very satisfied with the performance and accuracy. But I have never even touched an AUG with the 20". How is the balance? Pro's and con's? Is the 20" worth it just to try and be cool like Karl? |
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I think the 16” is better in every way, except for looking like Karl. Technically the 20” renders slightly higher velocity, but that doesn’t really matter in real world use. The 16” barrels were found by Steyr to typically be more precise. IMHO you’re killing most of the compactness of a bullpup by utilizing a longer barrel, but one nice thing about the AUG is that they can be swapped out in seconds. |
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Originally Posted By KitBuilder: I think the 16” is better in every way, except for looking like Karl. Technically the 20” renders slightly higher velocity, but that doesn’t really matter in real world use. The 16” barrels were found by Steyr to typically be more precise. IMHO you’re killing most of the compactness of a bullpup by utilizing a longer barrel, but one nice thing about the AUG is that they can be swapped out in seconds. Thanks. The 16" does seem perfect in form and function. I couldn't see too much benefit to the 20" but I thought I was missing something. Any info on why Austria and all the others, selected the 20" barrel originally. Probably since the M16 and most others in 5.56 back in the 70's were 20" and the ballistics were well known and accepted. Anyone have the velocity difference between the 16 and the 20? iirc, its about 150fps depending on the load. |
| I run both. The 16" is best with a suppressor. The 20" has great balance. Gotta love the classic look of the 20", but you need the classic skinny scope and green stock as well. If I was using it for home defense I'd go 16" with a suppressor and a modern red dot and flashlight. |
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Originally Posted By KitBuilder: I think the 16" is better in every way, except for looking like Karl. Technically the 20" renders slightly higher velocity, but that doesn't really matter in real world use. The 16" barrels were found by Steyr to typically be more precise. IMHO you're killing most of the compactness of a bullpup by utilizing a longer barrel, but one nice thing about the AUG is that they can be swapped out in seconds. iirc, that 16" is more precise than 20" thing came out in the pre-ban days when the barrels were all Austrian made, CHF and chrome lined. Steyr explained it to me as being because the 16" is "harmonically dead." In practice though, my 1:9 pre-ban 20" shoots 25%-50% smaller groups than my 1:7 FN made 16" barrel. As far as the current nitrided barrels, who the hell knows. It doesn't seem like the current generation of AUG owner, here or on Reddit, is very interested in the accuracy/precision of their guns because they don't seem to ever shoot them for groups |
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As always It really depends upon the specific application and use. The 20-in balances and handles very well and gives a significant velocity boost and it also reduces The flash and blast because the barrel is longer and then also moves that flash and blast further away from your face as well. Because of the quick change Barrel every Aug is a takedown rifle and if you have a 20 inch barrel and you dismount it you can have a hair over 20-in long package with your 20-in Barrel and 20 in receiver in stock. The 16 in is shorter and lighter weight and handles really nice and gives you room to add a suppressor while being the same length as a 20. Because the AUG has the quick change Barrel the clear answer is obviously to get both. I have one of the largest Aug collections in the US and possibly the world and I have every barrel ever made available in the US (including some prototype and early production barrels that have a very different profile and folding vertical grip) except the 18-in USR barrel of which there were only 35 made and I just don't care about the one (despite it being one of the most accurate Aug barrels made they say). If I could only have one Aug Barrel it would be a 16 in 1 and 7 twist and I'd get a suppressor as well. |
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Thanks for all the replies. I will stick with my nitrided 16" 1:9 barrel for now. One day I hope to try a 20", if only to see how it balances. I mostly shoot groups with my AUGs and obsess over accuracy. My standard 16" barrels give me very good accuracy, especially considering my optics and the trigger. Tuesday I shot 9 5-shot groups at 100 yards using factory ammo, mostly FMJ. Average for all groups was 1.477" including fliers etc. Best group was .65" worst being 2.1". |
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Originally Posted By ITCHY-FINGER: Thanks for all the replies. I will stick with my nitrided 16" 1:9 barrel for now. One day I hope to try a 20", if only to see how it balances. I mostly shoot groups with my AUGs and obsess over accuracy. My standard 16" barrels give me very good accuracy, especially considering my optics and the trigger. Tuesday I shot 9 5-shot groups at 100 yards using factory ammo, mostly FMJ. Average for all groups was 1.477" including fliers etc. Best group was .65" worst being 2.1". If you Youtube search up AUG accuracy I think you’ll see my AUG testing with AUG A1, AUG A3, and AUG LMG. I think I have all the AUG barrels minus 18” barrels. Sabre 16”, FN 16”, Steyr US 16”-24” LMG, Steyr Austrian 16”-24” LMG, USR 20”. The most consistently accurate barrel IME are the 20” nitride US made and 20” chrome lined Austrian made. All tested doing multiple10rd groups at 100yd. 20” being around 1.5MOA and 16” being around 2-2.5MOA |
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Originally Posted By KitBuilder: I think the 16” is better in every way, except for looking like Karl. Technically the 20” renders slightly higher velocity, but that doesn’t really matter in real world use. The 16” barrels were found by Steyr to typically be more precise. IMHO you’re killing most of the compactness of a bullpup by utilizing a longer barrel, but one nice thing about the AUG is that they can be swapped out in seconds. In Range barrel Length tests The big real world difference is penetrating Level III+ armor. The 16" barrel length is a break point for m855a1 and m193 ammunition at 25 yards. 16" barrel length can't penetrate an AR500 plate, however 18" can. |
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Originally Posted By FrozenIceman: The big real world difference is penetrating Level III+ armor. The 16" barrel length is a break point for m855a1 and m193 ammunition at 25 yards. 16" barrel length can't penetrate an AR500 plate, however 18" can. |
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Originally Posted By KitBuilder: Doesn't matter for Level IV armor though, right? I don't think so, Level IV stops pretty much all 5.56 ammunition outside of the military AP stuff. Definitely a reason to buy the expensive stuff over the cheap stuff for your own body armor. |
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Very interesting posts guys. Thank you. I read yesterday that the import ban on barrels has gone away. Not sure if this is just arfcom rumors etc. and if it will open up the sale of Austrian made barrels. If I could find a real Aus. 20" for a reasonable price, I would probably get it. |
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Originally Posted By ITCHY-FINGER: Very interesting posts guys. Thank you. I read yesterday that the import ban on barrels has gone away. Not sure if this is just arfcom rumors etc. and if it will open up the sale of Austrian made barrels. If I could find a real Aus. 20" for a reasonable price, I would probably get it. Could you tell us more about where you saw this? |
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I bought my first AUG in the early 1990s. It, of course, had a 20" barrel. I owned a couple of other "preban" with 20" barrels over the years, and then eventually bought an A3 with 16" barrel when they came out. I have owned SEVERAL other A3 and A3 M1 with 16" but then wanted to try a 20" again. I ordered a 20" barrel for one of my A3 M1s and quickly discovered it negates my primary reason for owning an AUG. LENGTH Velocity is improved, but for the distances I shoot my AUG the extra speed doesn't matter. The AUG is a fantastic firearm. Reliable. Accurate. Simple. Durable. Modular. It really does not matter if you have a 16" or 20". They're both great. HOWEVER, I think the primary advantage of a bullpup firearm is the compact length. The extra 4" of barrel does not make sense in this regard. |
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Originally Posted By ITCHY-FINGER: Very interesting posts guys. Thank you. I read yesterday that the import ban on barrels has gone away. Not sure if this is just arfcom rumors etc. and if it will open up the sale of Austrian made barrels. If I could find a real Aus. 20" for a reasonable price, I would probably get it. If I could buy ANY Steyr made CHROME LINED barrel (14.5, 16, 20) I would get several. I regret selling all of my AUGs that came with CL barrels. |
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I love all the different barrel lengths they all have pros and cons. However if I had to choose just one it would be the 16 inch for sure. There is a reason why that is the default production Barrel. One cool thing about the 20-in barrel is that if you dismount the barrel from the receiver the receiver is approximately 20 in long and so you have a nice handy package for transport. If you have an extended rail with a bipod mounted on the rail then it'd be the same thing except 24 in with a 24 inch barrel. |
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Originally Posted By lazyengineer: personally I think 18" has the most pleasing esthetics and balance https://i.postimg.cc/fyndH7NB/AUG-with-green-laser-and-impacts.jpg 18 in well known to be a harmonic sweet spot for accuracy for the AUG as well. |
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