Type Sniper rifle In service 1969–present Wars Syrian Civil War | Place of origin Austria Used by see Users Manufacturer Steyr Mannlicher | |
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The SSG 69 (Scharfschützengewehr 69 = Sniper Rifle 69) is a bolt-action sniper rifle produced by Steyr Mannlicher that serves as the standard sniper rifle for the Austrian Army.
Adopted in 1969 (hence the designation), it was ahead of its time with the use of synthetics and cold hammer-forged barrels for durability. Aside from being the Austrian Army's standard issue sniper rifle it's also used by several law enforment organizations. It is extremely accurate and several international competitions have been won using an SSG-69 with accuracy being sub 0.5 MOA.
There are several variants made with mostly cosmetic differences, the only anomaly being the SSG-PIV using a 409 mm barrel with a 1:250 mm (1:10 inches) twist designed to handle heavy subsonic ammunition in conjunction with a suppressor.
The bolt action uses rear-locking (in common with the SMLE), rather than the more common front-locking lugs. This, and the fact that it is only produced in the 'short action' length limits the chambering to non-magnum calibres, a legacy of a military weapon designed only to fire the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. It is essentially a target/police/military weapon, however with its caliber and inherent accuracy, it lends itself to hunting requiring longer distance shots.
An unusual feature is the standard rotary 5-round magazine. A 10-round staggered box is available as an accessory. Both are transparent-backed, immediately showing remaining capacity.
In 2015 Steyr has decided to end production of the SSG 69.