SSG 08

Lore & Background

The rifle is a further evolution of Steyr’s earlier SSG 04 sniper rifle. Introduced in 2008, Steyr claims EKO Cobra, Austria's primary counter-terrorism unit, had its hand in developing this weapon.

In Their Own Story

The dust hadn't settled from the first round's flashbang when Kova flicked his SSG 08 around the B-site window. The scope's crosshair was already on the Terrorist's helmet before the man finished raising his rifle. One click. The body dropped, the scope still blurred with the recoil kick, and Kova was already rotating back to the default position, breathing through his nose, watching the minimap for the next one. His team-mate called it a "Scout flick" in the voice chat, that old name, that old word, and Kova almost smiled. The AWP players on the other team had been posting about their kill counts all week. Kova didn't need their numbers. He needed the half-second. He always needed the half-second.

Reader's Guide

It is a highly accurate bolt action sniper rifle, with a folding stock and an adjustable cheek piece and butt plate. It is equipped with a bipod and a 'butt spike' monopod for added stability. The pistol grip is customisable by changing the front and back straps. The rifle has a Picatinny rail for mounting optics. The rifle also features an improved muzzle brake over the SSG 04, with the ability to attach a suppressor. The SSG 08 utilises the Safe Bolt System (SBS) action, cold hammer-forged barrels, trigger units and magazines of its parent, the SSG 04, but features an aluminium alloy stock, with side-folding, fully adjustable butt and additional Picatinny rails on the forend. The SSG 08 is advertised as capable of sub-MOA accuracy with proper ammunition. It is based on Steyr's SBS rotary bolt action with four frontal locking lugs, arranged in pairs. It also features free-floated, cold hammer-forged heavy barrels, which are available in 20 inch (.308 Winchester), 23.6 inch (.243 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .300 Winchester Magnum) and 27.2 inch (.338 Lapua Magnum) lengths. Feed is from detachable double-column box magazines, which hold ten .243 Winchester or .308 Winchester, eight .300 Winchester Magnum or six .338 Lapua Magnum rounds. The single-stage trigger is factory set for optimum performance, but can be adjusted by the user. It is not equipped with iron sights.

Did You Know?

• The SSG 08 is a bolt-action sniper rifle, not semi-automatic.
• The weapon called 'Scout' in Counter-Strike 1.6 is the Steyr Scout, a different model; the SSG 08 was not in Counter-Strike 1.6.