KEEN SHOOTER'S MELT DOWN

Few non-military personnel have anticipated this year’s release of the new enhanced F88 (EF88) Austeyr rifle with more keenness than self-confessed defence weapons junkie and Army Reserve sergeant, Brian Hartigan.

The updated weapon is part of the Defence’s LAND 125 Phase 3C project worth almost half a billion dollars with Thales Australia. About $100 million will be spent to produce the new rifles, grenade launchers, spare parts and various ancillaries for the ADF, at Thales’ small arms facility in Lithgow, NSW.

Brian, a former Army helicopter engineer turned magazine publisher, has featured the new Styre in his latest "Weapons’ of the ADF" ready-reckoner available on the CONTACT Air Land & Sea magazine website.

“Like many, I have great hopes that the new EF88 will deliver real improvements for our people on the ground,” he said. “The assault rifle is the stock tool for most servicemen and women and it needs to be efficient, effective and easy. By all accounts thus far the EF88 is all of these.”

The F88 has been in service with the ADF since 1988 and according Brian he has the “dubious” distinction during his service in the mid 1990s of being the first man in the Australian Army to ‘melt’ an F88 – the plastic bits at least!

“Even though I was a helicopter mechanic in RAEME, I loved ‘playing soldiers’ – patrolling, mil skills competitions and, of course, shooting. I even got attached to 1RAR on a trip to Thailand one time and, in a fire-support role, they gave me bucket loads of ammo for the Styre and told me to go for it, which I gladly did. I think I got through about 800 rounds in about 10 minutes – all deliberate, well aimed shots. I even knocked down two small trees in the process. The weapon got so hot, I had to use my bush hat to grab the cocking handle between mag changes and all the plastic bits on the weapon were basically destroyed by the heat. In the end I only stopped when the weapon began to ‘cook off’ and it became a safety issue. There was an investigation, but I was cleared of any wrong-doing and the weapon pam was changed to lower the max allowable rounds in a 10-minute period. 

“I was a very keen competition shooter too – not brilliant, but a solid number four on a good team.”

Brian is still passionate about shooting and believes there is no substitute for getting down on the range and shooting live rounds in all sorts of weather.

“Weapons training simulators (i.e. WTSS) have a part to play but there is no substitute for real shooting if you’re going to engender or improve marksmanship. And, unfortunately, in my opinion, the Australian Army – and probably many others too – simply do not conduct nearly enough live-fire range shoots.”

The Contact Air Land & Sea weapons guide is now in its second iteration and according to Brian it will continue to be updated, edited and expanded based on new developments and on the expert feedback, corrections and suggestions he gets from the wide audience who share his passion for today’s military weaponry.

You can download the ADF Weapon’s Guide by subscribing to CONTACT Air Land & Sea (free) or by clicking here