STG-556 - Experience and informed opinions wanted

[marktx]

Thinking about picking one up at a local shop for what seems like a reasonable price ($1750) and am curious to know what the latest thoughts are. It seems well put together and a quality piece but looks can be deceiving.

I don't care much for the proprietary magazine but somewhere I read that MSAR was working on a stock kit that would allow use of AR mags. Anybody know if there is any truth?

Would I be better off waiting for Steyr to release the AUG? Dealers have been telling me that it's still a ways off but their web site says Q1 '09 which is slipping by quickly. I have read it will be ~$2200 which is a decent premium over the MSAR.

 

[nwilliams]

I absolutely love mine! I can't say enough good things about it and even though it was more money than any other gun I've ever bought it was worth every penny!

The gun is extremely accurate, fun as heck to shoot, well built, very little recoil, great ergonomics and it has been extremely reliable. It also is not finicky on ammo at all and will eat whatever brand I put through it. Granted I've only had it a few weeks but I've already put a few hundred rounds through it and I haven't had any issues so far.

The gun has typical bullpup trigger, maybe a little better than your typical one but a bullpup trigger nonetheless. The fact that it doesn't use AR mags is a bit of a bummer but it doesn't bother me too much, you can also use original Steyr AUG mags in it but those tend to cost more than the MSAR ones. Either way the whole mag issue is the most common complaint and they are making a version that uses AR mags but I'm perfectly happy with mine the way it is.

It's definitely a rifle I plan to hang on to, did I mention I love it

Here's mine....

 

[atlanticfire]

I liked the one I got to play with, really cool design and felt good shooting it. Only thing was trigger was sloppy for the price range of the weapon. I
d rather have a Sig556.

 

[nwilliams]

Id rather have a Sig556.

I like the trigger on my Sig 556 better for sure but I like the ergonomics of the MSAR a lot more.

 

[Storm]

When you go to a bullpup a fairly lousy trigger is almost a given. It goes with the territory. Anyone wishing to acquire this type of weapon should be aware of that.

The MSAR is better than some. It's also an outstanding weapon for its type.

 

[marktx]

Already have the Sig556 and would like to get another but nobody seems to have them in stock for reasonable prices. Was thinking about an FN FS2000 but it seems a little more plasticky, the trigger is pretty aweful and it costs at least a few hundred more. It does take AR mags which is nice but of the rumors are true about a conversion kit from MSAR are true then it doesn't matter.

 

[atlanticfire]

I like the trigger on the fs2000 a lot, it surprised me the first time. I wasn’t expecting to be that clean.

 

[Click Click Boom]

I like the TPD AXR.....

 

[marktx]

I like the TPD AXR.....

Where to get one though? I couldn't find any on Gunbroker and couldn't find a dealer list on their web site. None of the usual web sites or catalogs I peruse have them. Usually I like to fondle a gun a bit before buying and have yet to see one in person despite having visited gun shops in Texas, Arizona, Oregon, Arkansas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Delaware in the last six months.

 

[aubie515]

When I started researching/shopping for a bullpup. The TPD AXR caught my interested because it can use AUG parts and it uses AR15 mags. After much research, I decided to go with the MSAR STG because of the volume of rifles they have been able to release. AXR has some serious parts and marketing issues that they need to straighten out if they want to be a true contender in the bullpup market. In addition to slow production of their rifles, they are currently only offering black rifles.

With MSAR they offer Tan, OD and Black. I like having options and I'm not a fan of black rifles. MSAR customers have reported great CS with MSAR. The company seems to be in touch with their customers. They listen to what customers want and they make it happen in a fast manner. Many manufacturing companies cannot make changes so quickly.

The best part is that MSAR is located in PA, my home state. I have confidence that if anything happens, MSAR will make it right.

The MSAR E4 version that will use AR15 mags will be out in a few weeks. You can get on a pre-order list from Ratworx. They are great to deal with as well. I keep on hearing that I am #1 on their pre-order list, so I'm hoping to have my STG in a few weeks.

 

[Storm]

My understanding is that the next generation of MSARs will take AR15 mags. I'm not sure if those guns are out yet.

As to the AUG, Steyr has shown the gun, dealers told me that they would be out in days, and that was last June, and it's just promises, promises from Steyr. That's all it ever is from Steyr...promises, promises.

So you have all of these guys waiting to have a Steyr AUG for all of these years (short of paying a boatload of money) and they come out with a gun that looks less like an AUG than the Microtech which at least offers the option of the optics handle or rails. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to own an AUG, and I own and shoot a good number of Steyrs, but when I picture their upper management and marketing department all I can see is a bunch of guys running around in clown suits with big floppy shoes honking each others noses, and maybe a clown car thrown in for good measure.

The MSAR is there, available, and mags as well, while the Steyr AUG is smoke and mirrors, always a few months away, in perpetuity.

I've got my MSAR, and that is more than good enough for me.

Honk, honk.