Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Why are Americans sour on bullpups?

They obviously have a place...
I mean the ability to have a rifle with the same barrel length be 8" shorter means that you can bump your rifle into a CQB role but can still make long shots when needed.
IMI Tavor

MSAR/ Steyr AUG

FN

SA-80

AK

Likely the poor balance, crappy triggers due to adding the linkage to move the trigger forward and moving the muzzle blast 8" closer to your face.

Some concepts just don't pan out in the real world, and the bullpup would be one of those.

For me it's the chamber going Boom right next to your head. Real threat or perceived...I don't want that happening next to my neck.

Some good reasons, and I'm really with Luke on the chamber being next to my face. Some other considerations. Bullpups thus far haven't been all that successful. All seem to be rather problmatic, from the extremely problematic Brit SA80 (which generally works now) to the he FAMAS, and the AUG isn't all that great either from a reliability standpoint.

Across the board, all bullpups seem to be more complex and more involved from the standpoint of field stripping.

As for handling, I think by and large the balance sucks. I have to admit that the FAMAS wss surprisingly controllable in full auto, and generally user friendly; but it's performance in the field in relation to reliability tells me, that rifle needs considerably more development.

And I think that's what it comes down to. Thus far, only the Brits have been dedicated to further development of their bullpup desing, and if they're not careful, the SA80 could end up being a good rifle. I would imagine the Israeli's will be devoted to the TAVOR, but we'll have to see about that...Like I always say, the M16 is a very tough act to follow.

Generally speaking...If you dropped me into a combat zone anywhere in the world and told me that I could choose any weapon I wanted, not one bullpup would make the top 10 list (maybe not even the top 20)

Oh yeah, and in relation to blance, they're very difficult to shoot well at extended range. Remember, the use by snipers of heavy barreled guns has more to do with balance than it does with accuracy or fire sustainability.

Well a few of us don't like the though of the part most likely to explode directly under our faces. For some strange reason?

I'd have never given blowing up a second guess... whether the reciever is right there, or a few inches forward I wouldn't be happy either way.

Balance is interesting to say the least.

Other issue is that the good ones ain't cheap from what I recall, and that stops me cold most times

The only people that like Bullpups aren't shooters. Balance sucks, triggers suck, ergonomics suck. Nearly every "special" unit who's Military issues Bullpups, use some form of M4 derivative. There's a reason for that. As 458 Lott stated, they work better on paper then in real life...

Got me tweaked now, guess I"ll have to force myself to a stupid gunshow and see how they feel?

Cool toys for the gamer crowd. Get an AR.

Never even held one, let alone fired one... the FN is so friggin' ugly...

Second that! All of the reasons given against are valid, but I'd hate to have to carry a rifle that I had to back up to or turn out the lights to touch. FUGLY!

now look back boys... the M16 vs the M14, the M16 was a toy and a futuristic FUGLY toy at that time.....

Not defending just pointing out.

FUGLY has nothing to do with performance, performance is the key....

Yeah, but it had high speed low drag lines, and actually balanced well, relative to various BP designs. I still prefer the M14, but the M16/AR15 has proven itself over the years.

Perhaps bullpups are not ideal for sniping or for hunting but a carbine-length weapon with a rifle-length barrel has its appeal in close quarters combat. As for looks, the FN P90 stars as a prop in the Stargate SG-1 television series.

I dunno about HS/LD lines... the A1 variants are still basically fugly to me....

That's great if your primary role is CQB...but were talking about a general issue weapon and as a general issue weapon, bullpups suck.

The US hasn't ever given any real consideration to a bullpup design and there's a reason for that. 5 will get you 10, when the SA 80 program is over, the Brits dump the bullpup also.

Isreal is still pretty hot on thier version aren't they? I've never shot one but I'm almost possitive I wouldn't like it. Any rifle that puts my ears that close to the muzzle is not appealing to me.

Terry

Here is something to ponder.

The Aussie and Brit SAS and other outfits whose regular army is issued bullpups all use the M4 or a variant when given a choice. Pretty much no one other than some eccentric type individuals who make their living doing bad things to bad people actually prefer a bullpup.

Shot one of these once.



It was Suppressed with an ACOG.

Extremely high cool factor.

Marginally useful--poachers might like it.

I could not fit my hands in those little girlyman openings.

BMT