The Steyr SSG 69
The Steyr SSG 69 rifle that plays a cameo role in Trail of the Jaguar was for several decades the sniper rifle by which all others were measured. It remains a superb tool to this day, and is still used by many agencies and armies (most recently by both sides in the Syria conflict).
Introduced in 1969 by the Austrian company Steyr, the SSG 69 PI (that’s a Roman numeral 1) was not simply a warmed-over civilian hunting rifle, as was the case with the contemporary USMC M40, a reworked Remington Model 700, nor was it a modified battle rifle as with the U.S. Army’s M21, a match-grade semi-auto version of the M14. While it outwardly resembles a sporting rifle, the SSG was designed from the ground up for accuracy.
The barrel of the SSG is cold-hammer forged for rigidity and repeatable accuracy. Rather than being threaded into the receiver, it is pressed in (to a considerable depth) after the receiver is heated. This again contributes to rigidity and accuracy, although it also means that barrel replacement, if needed, is usually a factory job. The receiver itself is solid at the top, leaving just a port to eject spent brass, rather than being open as in, say, the Mauser Model 98—again in the interests of rigidity. The bolt employed six locking lugs at the rear rather than the traditional two at the front, resulting in a short 60-degree bolt throw that is quick and doesn’t interfere with the scope.
In another prescient break with tradition, the stock of the SSG was fiberglass rather than wood, giving it exceptional stability in any weather conditions. A slot in the forend accepted a bipod for stability, and the cushioned butt pad could be altered for length of pull.
The result was a rifle that effortlessly exceeded minute-of-angle accuracy, and in many cases halved that or better. (A minute of angle translates closely to one inch at 100 yards.) Thus with match-grade 7.65 x 51mm ammunition the SSG was effective out to at least 600 meters with its original Kahles ZF69 6 x 42 scope, and beyond that with the later Kahles ZF84, a 10-power optic.
Image from Military-Today.com
Two magazines were available—a standard, five-round rotary magazine with a clear plastic rear panel to allow instant round count, and a larger ten-round box magazine.
In recent decades the craft of sniping and the technology of the rifles built for it have advanced exponentially. We now routinely deploy rifles (and shooters!) capable of hitting targets at 2,000 meters or more—some of those rifles later models from Steyr itself. Yet the SSG 69 only went out of production in 2015, proving the original brilliance of its design.
