Not sure if anyone discussed this but in 1980s India was offered Steyr AUG at a good price and many regret not taking the offer: this may change that thinking.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11278332
Hated army rifles unlikely to be sold
Army bosses say it's "unlikely" that 9,000 assault rifles, hated by Kiwi soldiers for being under-powered and unreliable, will be sold to other militaries when phased out over the next few years.
The Austrian-made Steyr 5.56mm rifle was bought by the Defence Force in 1987.
But squaddies fighting in hot-spots like Afghanistan had complained that it was prone to stoppages and lacked an effective range.
A 2011 Ministry of Defence study found the rifles were not powerful enough to "identify accurately adversaries" and was "ineffective at ranges greater than 200m".
Cabinet agreed in 2008 that better weapons were needed.
That news prompted serving and former soldiers at the time to vent online.
"It is a highly overrated assault rifle and if given the choice, I would rather throw stones at the enemy than carry that stoppage prone piece of crap," one ex-soldier wrote on The Firearm Blog.
Another serving New Zealand Army member agreed: "The accuracy on my issued rifle was terrible ... I'd have been lucky to hit the side of a barn."
On Tuesday Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman confirmed the Government has granted approval for replacement guns.
"It is important NZDF personnel are well equipped and have effective modern rifles suited to today's operational environment," says Dr Coleman.
http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11278332
Hated army rifles unlikely to be sold
Army bosses say it's "unlikely" that 9,000 assault rifles, hated by Kiwi soldiers for being under-powered and unreliable, will be sold to other militaries when phased out over the next few years.
The Austrian-made Steyr 5.56mm rifle was bought by the Defence Force in 1987.
But squaddies fighting in hot-spots like Afghanistan had complained that it was prone to stoppages and lacked an effective range.
A 2011 Ministry of Defence study found the rifles were not powerful enough to "identify accurately adversaries" and was "ineffective at ranges greater than 200m".
Cabinet agreed in 2008 that better weapons were needed.
That news prompted serving and former soldiers at the time to vent online.
"It is a highly overrated assault rifle and if given the choice, I would rather throw stones at the enemy than carry that stoppage prone piece of crap," one ex-soldier wrote on The Firearm Blog.
Another serving New Zealand Army member agreed: "The accuracy on my issued rifle was terrible ... I'd have been lucky to hit the side of a barn."
On Tuesday Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman confirmed the Government has granted approval for replacement guns.
"It is important NZDF personnel are well equipped and have effective modern rifles suited to today's operational environment," says Dr Coleman.