Tenchu,
The MSAR bashing remark is what it will be called if anyone who can't see both sides of the coin and and insists that it is a "perfect" rifle. Then can't stand that anyone dares mention anything negative about MSAR and/or the STG556. Look how it turned out with the ARKKOM thread and sigforum if anyone dares question the "true believers".
Firts off, the AUG ain't that great to begin with. Trigger always have sucked, even w/the trigger tamer. The AUG A2 scope isn't really tight after it's aged so far. Brass dings the stock if left unprotected depreciating the gun some what. I like having mine because it does have that "cool" and as someone else mentioned, "unobtanum" factor. I got mine a loooong time ago and I thought the price I paid for an A2 was too much. But then AWB '94 occurred and I saw my little golden egg just grow. I thought that was great, however it has become a safe queen and I like shooting my guns.
But then try to buy an AUG mag during those years, only now they've come to their pre '94 prices. My gripe has been why Steyr had to make the AUG mags so damned special? Of course they came out with the NATO stock to take AR mags. Yet another $400 bucks at first. I never got one and I understood the mag release sucked. So then we plunge into these dark ages for the AUG as parts availability dwindled, and the company of course still doing great. We've only seen a spike in parts availability when US Customs shit canned the AUG's for M4's. Most customs agents I know didn't care for the AUG, except that it looked exotic and cool. Until recently, with Steyr getting in hot water w/the US dept. of State making factory AUG parts cost more than it's weight in gold ($150 for a firing pin-yep just like it looks in the MSAR. Skinny, long, and easy to break). Add to that BATF barrel import ban, who's gonna want to shoot their AUG on a regular basis?
So now I got a pretty cool looking weapon, with propietary mags, it's one and only barrel forever, and every other part will cost more than an average car payment, all that and a trigger that will always suck. Well at least I can sell it and pay off a few visa cards. Pete Athen was the only source of AUG parts in the US. I dealt with him from time to time. Always extremely knowlegeable about what's new with the AUG's and so on. Then he joined ship w/Microtech telling us AUG owners we are mostly left on our own with AUG parts, BUT with his new venture with Michrotech the parts God will smile upon us again. We cheered in delight.
Then came out the first STG 556's. OK, some initial issues, who hasn't had them in a new rifle, right? Well, I do remember some 'net rumors about Mr. Marfione's reputation. I didn't pay much heed to them b/c Pete was there, and he will make it right. I kept up on the most active forum re: the STG556, ARFKKOM. I started not to like what I was reading, SPECIFICALLY THE ONE WHERE SOMEONE WHO HAD AN AUG AND AN STG556 SAYING HE COULDN'T GET THE BARREL TO LOCK FROM ONE TO THE OTHER AND THE OTHER RIFLE LEAVING A LARGE GAP BETWEEN THE RECEIVER AND GAS BLOCK FLANGE AND IT APPEARED TO HIM TO LOOK UNSAFE TO FIRE.
So WTF?? I know what Pete told me, "parts will be interchangeable w/the AUG, specially the barrels". Then MSAR became an ARFKKOM industry partner and all of the sudden several disparaging posts and photos of AUG and STG556's dissapeared. Add to that that NW_TACTICAL from, you guessed it nw-tactical.com, who happens to sell MSAR accesories, even advertising having some 42 rd MSAR mags, takes over the thread and with a few other dumbasses rips on anyone who would say anything negative about the MSAR and throws out several posts saying "yet another glowing report of the MSAR". With what? 80 rounds down range? Tenchu, you know 80 rounds doesn't even scratch the surface when you want to evaluate reliability, AND he even had posted some problems with his own STG, but downplayed the hell out of it. Not a very objective POV. Now I'm not here to say the STG is a POS. Like I said before, they all have growing pains, but please, DO NOT BULLSHIT ME BECAUSE YOU WANT TO MAKE A BUCK! (that's to them, not you).
All that wasn't that led me to post that thread about the MSAR. What was the kicker was when Pete bailed (or got bailed). And things mentioned by him and others. I know I saw "It is what it is" posted on his very own web site before it was gone. That is also posted in the ARFKKOM thread edited over a previous post around 10/12.
I hope I can get this clear to anyone and everyone: I had hoped that the STG556 would have prevailed. I had an interest as an AUG owner to see that they did well because MSAR and Pete knew the need of AUG replacement parts are needed in the US. So now I sit here and ask, "what the fuck was MSAR thinking". They aren't Sig than can put out a product and tell it's customers, "take it or leave it. We will still be in business and therefore those parts will be around for a while". Or HK, "We are HK, and we hate you because you suck".
So now STG556 owners are 9/10th of the way in being in the same boat, if not worse, to that of AUG owners. You will be stuck with a rifle, having unique to obtain parts, to include mags. MSAR internal politics having problems this early on, with a new product, doesn't give much confidence to anyone standing on the fence about this. VB posted that pretty much on the money how reversed engineering is seldom successful, unless MSAR has alot of capital to pump into this, and on a product that really is unique that happens to look like another product used worldwide. Regardless of the politics at MSAR, had they made the thing as close to 100% compatible w/the AUG, they'd have alot better chance to make this thing float as we AUG owners continue to sit here with our thumbs up our asses hoping that TPD will come through with that. So you see, you, and all STG556 owners need to give a shit that the STG556 parts do interchange. Heck, even that drag queen of the Sig 556 is interchangeable with the 55X's.
I know when something doesn't look right. In my job I do it all the time!! And something isn't looking right at MSAR! Regardless of how quick and smooth their customer service is. I rather not have to even deal with a company CS department b/c that usually means you need to fix something.
My personal preference will lean towards the XCR as the ultimate battle rifle/carbine. Although the AUG is the best in the bullpups designs and has won the hearts of many, it hasn't done so overwhelmingly. And I don't predict the AUG will. The newer XCR will gain far more ground than will an AUG in the same situation. Only time will tell, right? Maybe the next generation of bullpups will.
Edited to add:
I've also heard how some are saying, "the STG556 isn't an AUG", and "the STG556 is an improvement over the AUG". The STG is a near duplication of a hard to duplicate weapon. It looks like one, apparently shoots like one (except for the multiple failures being reported), and most of everything is in the same exact spot as an AUG. Just b/c MSAR slapped an AR foward assist on the side and some way to attach rails which weren't available 'back then' doesn't all of the sudden make it a 'revolutionary' design and a totally different weapon. I can't see how anyone can be fooled, but apparently some are. To me it's an AUG copy.
And for those who have STG556's, I'm not here to bash you guys at all. You guys are the true pioneers to see if something will work out or not. I've done the same, my most recent was with a Cohaire sold through Vector MP5/40 clone. I even knew Todd's reputation, and by a large margin, shady business like manners compared to that of Marfione, before I got the thing. It did look cool.... from 6 feet away. I posted an extensive report about it on acH und Kay-pro.com. It was a hoot to shoot, accurate, and a total POS with some sort of jam every 3 to 4 mags, at least! Vector also has great CS. After about 1500 rounds they sent me a new trigger box after the first one, plastic, basically dissentigrated. After about 3000 rounds the dimples on the receiver were too much. Vector gave me a new MP5/40. I fired a few 100 rounds through it and sold it. Before I bought it I knew of Vector's great CS and great warranty. That helped. But Vector also makes other firearms. Ask me if I'll ever buy anything with Todd Bailey's name* on it again. (*which are numerous) So you see, let's see how the STG556 fares after several 1000 rounds. Now that ammo isn't cheap it might take a while.
It may turn out to be a great rifle and last many rounds. But I still doubt MSAR will. Does anyone remember Cannondale's venture into dirt bikes and ATV's? They were very bad ass and truly revolutionary to the point the big 4, Bombadier (Can-Am now), Polaris very quickly adopted what they did which was long over due with EFI in quads. And Cannondale had their stuff wired tight before this big venture, yet they only made them for a few years. Those Cannondale quads can still kick ass with the current ones of other makes. But ask anyone who owns one about having to own one.
