Bullpups: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Love ‘em or Hate ‘em, Bullpups Are Intriguing Guns. We Take a Look at Some of the Picks of the Litter and See if They’re Worth Adding to Your Arsenal.

by Richard Baimbridge

There’s something kinda weird about bullpups — and it’s not just the name. Maybe it’s their irregular shape that makes them look like something out of Star Wars that shoots laser blasts instead of bullets. From an aesthetic standpoint, they’re not the most handsome guns. The word that often comes to mind when describing them is “squatty” – which isn’t exactly the type of compliment most people are looking for.

In fact, it’s that “squattiness” that likely inspired their name, although no one knows for sure. Based on some accounts, the term “bullpup” derives from the fact that the guns look like British bulldog pups (or “bullpups” as known colloquially in England), renowned for being squat and ugly, as well as powerful and aggressive.

Indeed, the bullpup does trace its history back to Britain in 1901 with the Thorneycroft carbine – a bolt-action rifle with a bullpup action in which the bolt slid back through the stock nearly to the shooter's shoulder. The Thorneycroft was 7.5 inches shorter, and 10% lighter than the standard rifle used by the British military at the time. Yet it was never adopted for military use due to poor ergonomics – an issue some would say still plagues many bullpups to this day.

The basic concept behind bullpups is that they’re meant to provide a longer barrel in a shorter overall gun that’s easier to maneuver in tight situations, and theoretically easier to shoot given that its center of gravity is farther back towards the shooter. Essentially, it’s heavy in the rear and light in the front, which would seem to make a lot of sense on paper.

Although the US Military has never adopted bullpups, many countries have, including Australia (EF88 Austeyr), Israel (IWI X95) and the UK (SA80). The M60 is indeed a “semi-bullpup,” but the US military has mostly shied away from bullpups for logistical reasons, such as proximity of the chamber to the shooter’s face, magazine reloading vision-distraction (ie. reloading requires you to take eyes off-target), “mushy triggers,” as well as issues with ambidextrous shooting, prone shooting — and lastly, added training costs.

Despite the convenience of their more compact size, bullpups are also notoriously difficult for things like customizing/adding optics and night vision, as well as quickly changing barrels.

That said, there are also many advantages to bullpups — they’re less-strenuous to hold, more maneuverable for room-clearing, and (despite the aforementioned issues with ambidexterity), popular with left-handed shooters, as some can be configured with the flip of a switch for lefties.

Most significant of all, though, is the fact that you can fit a longer barrel into a much shorter gun, relative to the AR-15. A bullpup with a 20-inch barrel can be 30-inches long in total, whereas the same barrel in an AR-15 would be 39-inches. The additional barrel length gives you much higher velocity, and in a compact bullpup package it’s easier to store, carry and transport.

So, with all that in mind, here are our Top 3 Picks for Bullpups in 2024…

1. Desert Tech MDRX

   Offering a variety of caliber options, with barrel lengths from 16-20 inches, the MDRX is made in the USA and features one of the best bullpup triggers on the market, in addition to a solid overall design that consistently ranks it near the top of many bullpup lists. Easily adjustable for left-hand shooters with a quick flip of a switch, this sleek semi-automatic has good recoil reduction, and is available in .223 Wylde, .308 Win, .300 BLK, and 6.5 Creedmoor. Average retail price: $2500

2. IWI Tavor X95

   The Tavor X95 is the modern bullpup carbine series from IWI US, chambered in 5.56 with two barrel-length options: 16.5-inch and 18.5 inches. Earlier versions of the X95 in 9mm and 300 BLK have now ceased production. Updated fire control trigger pack provides a lighter 5-6 lb. trigger pull for improved accuracy and control. The ambidextrous magazine release has been repositioned to an AR-15 familiar location, making it more intuitive for users transitioning from traditional platforms.  Average retail price: $1600-$2000

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