The Steyr SSG 08 is a high-precision, high-performance rifle that was designed to the specifications of Austria’s EKO COBRA anti-terrorism unit and developed for professional applications in demanding environments. The cold-hammer forged heavy barrels are generously free-floated.

Each SSG 08 is built on a system that includes a folding hard Eloxal-coated aircraft-aluminum stock with an adjustable rear monopod, a cheek piece that is vertically and horizontally adjustable, and a recoil pad that is horizontally adjusted by adding and removing spacers and vertically adjusted by sliding the pad itself up and down. The pistol grip is configurable with a choice of interchangeable back straps to adjust for hand size and optimized grip. The action is topped with a 20-MOA Picatinny rail, while the forend allows for short Picatinny rails on both sides. The underside of the stock also houses a UIT rail for the addition of accessories such as a handstop. A newly designed bi-pod is included, and the entire platform is available in a choice of finish including black and two camouflage designs – one light and one dark.

As in other Steyr high-performance bolt-action rifles, the SSG 08 is built on the Safe Bolt System (SBS) action with a unique 2+1 safety function that offers three settings operated by a wheel switch on the tang of the stock. The FIRE mode (safety off) is indicated by a red dot, and the first level of SAFE mode disables the firing mechanism while allowing the bolt to be cycled. The second SAFE position locks the bolt, at which point the bolt can be pushed down against the stock, locking the firing pin and firing mechanism out of firing position, allowing safe transportation with a round in the chamber. Simply pressing the safety’s release tab and rolling it forward returns the bolt to either the SAFE or the FIRE position.

Another feature in the SSG 08 is the 2-stage magazine securing mechanism that uses a first stage to lock the magazine in but allows the bolt to be operated without feeding rounds in the magazine, thereby providing the user with the options of dry firing or loading individual rounds by hand while maintaining a full magazine at the ready. Simply pressing up on the bottom of the magazine seats it in the second stage, making it ready for auto-loading.

The SSG 08 is available in four calibers with the following magazines:

• .308 Winchester with 23.6-inch or 20-inch barrel length, 10-round magazine
• .300 Winchester Magnum with 23.6-inch barrel length, 8-round magazine
• .338 Lapua Magnum with 25.6-inch barrel length, 6-round magazine