I got a chance to check one out at the g'funstore last night and wasn't too impressed by the quality. Are the foreign AUG's made better? I have a MSAR, early edition, and it looks and feels like a better value than the one I handled.

And the US manufacturer, are they still in business? Sabre, I think it was.

I have always wanted a AUG but paying $1800 for one of these just isn't going to happen.

I was discussing the looks of the steyr's with my buddy on the way home from the bullpup shoot. I agree with you on the looks.
I understand they are tools and will do their job well. The older guns are not pretty up close either. I will still buy one.
I had some very pretty clones that were somewhat problematic, yea I'll try a ugly steyr.

I had an Austrian A2 and have also fired A1 rifles.

They seemed just as well made as any SIG, Colt, or HK, etc. The plastics always seemed better quality than what the SA80 had fitted, although they have far less synthetic parts than the AUG.

Never got to try a Sabre built one, or a TPD, or one from whoever it is that's making the current US AUG, but I have handled Microtech built rifles. The MSAR felt like the plastics used were lower quality, plus some of the external parts looked a bit rough. It had a more cheesy and tactical appearance.

We get a very good variety of Steyr firearms over here and the quality is generally excellent.

The AUG A3's are solid.  They are doing a new run of them after a couple year hiatus.  They still have some Sabre receivers going out, but VLTOR took the reins.  Sabre had some legal issues and went bye bye.

The SA-80 is a tremendous hunk of junk.  Looks like an AK47 mated with an AR-18 in a sheet metal scrap heap, and the SA-80 is the spawn.

I have several AUG's. I could care less how they "look or feel", because they all function 100%.

I don't know much about MSAR, never owned one, but you compared the "look and feel" of what you know from the MSAR (which had and has problems) to the time proven and solidly reliable Steyr AUG. Apples and Oranges.

I was curious to see if the US made AUG's were all made by Sabre. And my MSAR runs great on brass ammo.

The "cheap" plastic stocks on the US AUG A3s are imported from Austria.  Not sure why you feel the plastic is cheap, I have found exactly the opposite.   The AUG is not cheaply made and I would (and did) choose one over an MSAR any day of the week no matter the price difference.  I am glad you have had a good experience with your MSAR, unfortunately others have not been so fortunate.  Why buy a non-Austrian spec clone when you can buy the real deal for a modest amount more?

As for Sabre Defense and AUG production, they were the first contract manufacturer in the US to produce the A3.  With the arrest of the owner and dissolution of Sabre Defense, Steyr has now contracted with VLTOR to produce the receivers (dimensionally identical to the Sabre receiver) and FN Manufacturing in South Carolina to make cold hammer forged barrels.

I actually think the A3s look better than the A1s in terms of recievers, casting marks...  I have an A3 and a TPD.  They work great.  The TPD receiver is a thing to behold.   I would go with an A3 (either sabre or vltor) every day of the week and twice on sunday over an MSAR.  Look around on this board for MSAR problems.  There is a recent thread with critical metal parts that broke...  Don't care what it looks like, if it brakes.  Of course, I don't care what my hammer, screw driver, or saw look like either.... They're just tools.

+1 to that!
hell.. seems that a lot of them aren't even MSAR spec.  But im sure the new batch is a whole differnt story..

Those "cheap" plastics in AUG are indestructible.   Both original Austrian made Steyrs and Sabre made Steyrs look great in my opinion.