Steyr EF88
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Barrel
- 508 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.25 kg
- Introduced
- 2015
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Steyr EF88 (Enhanced F88) is an Australian bullpup assault rifle designed and produced by Thales Australia at the Lithgow arms facility in New South Wales. A comprehensive modernisation of the F88 Austeyr (the Australian licence-built Steyr AUG), the EF88 is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO and operates via a short-stroke gas piston driving a rotating bolt. It is roughly 500 g lighter than the F88, with a rearward-shifted centre of gravity for faster target engagement, integrated Picatinny rails and a tri-rail forend for accessories, and a cold-hammer-forged, chrome-lined barrel for improved life and precision. It replaced the F88 as the standard service rifle of the Australian Defence Force.
Developed under Project Land 125 to address ergonomic and modularity limitations of the long-serving F88 Austeyr, the EF88 was designed to lighten the soldier's load while integrating modern optics and accessories. Its export sibling, the F90, has been marketed internationally, including to India as a close-quarters battle rifle.
Issued with a 30-round polymer magazine and commonly paired with an Elcan SpecterDR 1-4x dual-range optic. The EF88 forms the basis of the export-oriented F90 family. Quoted weight (3.25 kg) is for the standard 508 mm barrel configuration; a 407 mm carbine barrel is also fielded.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Thales Australia
- Category
- Assault Rifle
- Country
- Australia
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2015
- Variant of
- Enhanced
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 508 mm
- Overall length
- 790 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.25 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Polymer
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Matte
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 940 m/s
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Maximum range
- 2700 m
- Rate of fire
- 740 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Bullpup configuration
Short stroke gas piston
Cold hammer forged barrel
Chrome lined barrel
Integrated picatinny rail
Tri rail forend
Ambidextrous operation
Quick change barrel
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 3.25 kg | 3.60 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 156 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 790 mm | 920 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 157 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 508 mm | 449 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 158 5.56x45mm NATO assault rifles | 30 | 30 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the Steyr EF88
How much does the Steyr EF88 weigh?
The Steyr EF88 weighs 3.25 kg (7.17 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Steyr EF88?
The Steyr EF88 is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Steyr EF88 hold?
The Steyr EF88 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Steyr EF88?
The Steyr EF88 is 790 mm (31.1 in) long overall, with a 508 mm (20.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Steyr EF88?
The Steyr EF88 is made by Thales Australia (Australia). It was designed by Thales Australia.
When was the Steyr EF88 introduced?
The Steyr EF88 was introduced in 2015.
How does the Steyr EF88 operate?
The Steyr EF88 uses a gas operated action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Australian Defence Force
- 2015
- Australian Army
- 2015
Provenance
Confidence in this record
84%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/ef88' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "ef88", "name": "Steyr EF88", "manufacturer": { "id": "thales-australia", "name": "Thales Australia", "countryCode": "AU", "foundedYear": 1912, "website": "https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/countries-asia-pacific/australia", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:46", "version": "c6deb48428779f338eaa9561900613581919b43eae594b4b29ee46dc4553f613" }, "category": { "id": "assault-rifle", "name": "Assault Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in intermediate cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "AU", "year_introduced": 2015, "barrel_length_mm": 508, "weight_empty_g": 3250, "action_type": "gas_operated"}