×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
SMALL ARMS INDEX
MODERN ARMIES
SPECIAL FORCES
ARMS BY COUNTRY
ARMS MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE ARMS
ARMS BY CONFLICT
ARMS BY TYPE
ARMS BY DECADE
COLD WAR ARMS
MODERN SMALL ARMS
Infantry Small Arms / The Warfighter

Steyr SSG 69


Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle [ 1969 ]



The Steyr SSG 69 bolt-action sniper rifle has seen service with the forces of over a dozen countries worldwide.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/08/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The Cold War proved the ultimate market for firearms of all sorts though things became decidedly restricted for manufacturers in the West when the standardization in NATO occurred. Steyr Mannlicher developed a local 7.62mm-based bolt-action sniper rifle as the "SSG 69" during this period and the weapon when on to stock the inventory of the Austrian Army as its standard long-range precision system. As its designation would suggest, the gun found its official role in 1969 and has been in service ever since while also being adopted by many armies and special forces groups of the world in turn.

The SSG 69 has proven a highly accurate and robust battlefield weapon of typically excellent Steyr quality. A composite stock made up its body with high tolerance metal workings inlaid into the design. The buttstock was padded for recoil comfort and the grip handle well-curved in a most ergonomic fashion. A forward-thinking, cold-hammered barrel was used which aided accuracy and the barrel's length ran deep into the receiver for improved inherent strength. The bolt featured a six-lug-locking (rear-mounted) arrangement for strong sealing characteristics. Overall weight of the standard model became 8.8lb with an overall length of 44.9 inches showcased when using a barrel of 25.6 inches long.

The SSG 69 was chambered solely for the (non-magnum caliber) 7.62x51mm NATO standard rifle cartridge - a proven performer at range. The action of the gun relied on the tried-and-true, manually-actuated bolt-action arrangement and fed from a 5-round internal rotary-style magazine configuration. The rotary magazine was of particular note and a distinct quality of the rifle, its five cartridges sat within a J-shaped hold when viewing the rifle from its front or rear profile. A 10-round box was also made available. Effective ranges reached out to 875 yards with a maximum range as far out as 4,045 yards. Unlike other sniper rifles, the SSG 69 retained its back up iron sights while a telescopic sight was typically fitted over the receiver in the usual way. A bipod could be fitted at the end of the fore-end as a frontal support. Slings provided areas for attaching a shoulder strap for transporting/marching the system.

Beyond its use by the Austrian Army and special forces, the SSG 69 was adopted by the forces of Argentina, Chile, Greece, Iceland, India, Indonesia (special forces), Ireland, Jordan, the Netherlands (marine units), Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Russia (special forces), Singapore, South Korea, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey (special forces), Togo, and the United States (border patrol).

The base rifle model became the "SSG 69 PI" and this was followed by the longer, 9.3lb "SSG 69 PII" (.22-250 Remington). Then came the shortened "SSG 69 PIV" of 8.4lb weight.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



Steyr-Mannlicher - Austria
Manufacturer(s)
Argentina; Austria; Chile; Greece; Iceland; India; Indonesia; Ireland; Iraq; Jordan; Netherlands; Pakistan; Peru; Poland; Russia; Singapore; South Korea; Syria; Tunisia; Turkey; Togo; United States
Operators National flag of Argentina National flag of Austria National flag of Chile National flag of Greece National flag of Iceland National flag of India National flag of Indonesia National flag of Iraq National flag of Ireland National flag of Jordan National flag of the Netherlands National flag of Pakistan National flag of Peru National flag of Poland National flag of Russia National flag of Singapore National flag of South Korea National flag of Syria National flag of Turkey National flag of Tunisia National flag of the United States
1969
Service Year
Austria
National Origin


ACCURACY / PRECISION
Long-range accuracy / precision capable; suitable for sniping, particularly when equipped with sighting aids.


1,140 mm
(44.88 inches)
Overall Length
650 mm
(25.59 inches)
Barrel Length
8.82 lb
(4.00 kg)
Empty Weight
Manually-Actuated Bolt-Action Rifle
Action
BOLT-ACTION
Manually-actuated process of managing the bolt lever to eject spent cartridge case, clearing the breech, to introduce fresh catridge into the chamber.
7.62x51mm NATO; .243 Winchester; .22-50 Remington
Caliber(s)
May not represent an exhuastive list; Calibers may be model-specific dependent; Always consult official manufacturer sources.
5-Round Rotary Magazine; 10-Round Box
Rounds
Iron Front and Rear; Optional Optics.
Sights


Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information.

2,625 feet
(800 meters | 875 yards)
Max Effective Range


SSG 69 - Base Series Designation
SSG 69 PI - 8.82lb weight; 1,140mm length; 7.62x51mm NATO.
SSG 69 PII - 9.3lb weight; 1,190mm length; .22-250 Remington.
SSG 69 PIV - 8.4lb weight; 1,003mm length


Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon representing special forces
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Images



1 / 1
Image of the Steyr SSG 69
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)