Bullpup air rifles

[Outandabout]

Hi all
I am not a fan of the looks of the bullpup guns but I am interested to know a few thing about them. They could be usefull if used in quite dense wooded areas them being shorter than other guns.
Do they handle any easier, are they any lighter, are they used for vermin control much, how easy are they to carry out your own mtce on. I am assuming the accuracy will be good.
And finally - what were they originaly made for
Kevin

[Brooksy]

As far as I can tell they started out being shortened rifles for confined spaces but then they became a fashion trend with people like Daystate jumping on the wagon. Maintenance should be exactly the same as the 'donor' PCP but you have a trigger linkage to align when rebuilding. They won't be any lighter, just maybe better balanced, after all they have the same block, bottle and barrel.

You can shorten most PCP's and keep the same power by having the valve adjusted, but accuracy may suffer if you chop the barrel.

Having mentioned Daystate, I always wondered why they had to fiddle with the inclusion of complex electronics in an air gun, thereby reducing reliability to often shameful lows, but they seem to get bored easily and just have to mess with something which, along with Air Arms, Theoben Rapids and BSA's were already at the pinnacle of accuracy.

[Big Dog]

One of the theory's behind Bullpup style weapons in general is that by design, you get a full length barrel in a weapon that is shorter in length and thus, easier to handle and carry.

I'm lucky enough to own both an FX Bobcat and a Daystate Pulsar. They are both Bullpups and are both extremely accurate: although it must be said that more often than not, a measure of accuracy is not only down to the weapon being used but also the skills employed by the shooter. Each of these rifles is very easy to handle and shoot, they both fit into my shoulder in a far more comfortable manner than my S510, Air Wolf or HW100KT. Given how short they are, they are more than ideal for standing shooting, as the balance in such a stance is outstanding. I also have a MKII FX Verminator. I have to say that I am a very BIG fan of the shorter rifle, weather they be Bullpup or of a Verminator design. They are no less accurate than a full length rifle but are much easier to use.

I thoroughly disagree with what has been said in a previous post about the Daystate electronic system. I own both an Airwolf MCT and a Pulsar - they both have the Daystate electronic system in and are very reliable. I have been shooting the Air Wolf for over 2 years and it hasn't let me down once. I have to say that the quality of the build is far from shameful, it is second to none, in fact it is of far better quality than many other air rifles I have owned over the years.

[mark holding]

In military terms bull-pups were designed for use for fighting in built up areas, where the length of a conventional assault rifle could become a problem. The bull-pup design gave you a high powered assault rifle, for the size of a 9mm sub machine gun, while attaining the automatic and semi automatic rates of firepower of a full bore rifle.

In a bull-pup air rifle you don't loose anything over the longer conventional air rifle, in fact from the ones on the market you probably even have a higher shot count, as the cylinders are in most cases a little longer than conventional. Any weight should also be balanced further back down the rifle towards the shoulder, making them easier to shoot in the standing position. When I joined the Paras in 1983, as a combat medic my personal weapon was the 9mm Stirling sub machine gun, and later after joining the special forces the SLR, which was longer and heavier and a larger calibre of 7.62 which had a hell of a lot more punch. When we converted to the SA80 around 1986/87, which was actually an old design from the late 1960s, it united the Sub machine gun with the SLR, all in one package. The lighter 5.56 round of the SA80 was not as hard hitting as the 7.62, but you were able to carry a lot more rounds. 32 in the magazine over the 20 in the SLR's, and more in your kit. The SA80 was very accurate on the range, with the ability to shoot semi or fully automatic out to 600 metres. They also designed the Light support weapon, which was basically an SA80, but with a longer barrel, extending the range to 800 metres. The SA80 had lots of problems over the years since it was introduced, and had lots of modifications over that time, to what we have today 30 years later. Lots of Army's have taken on the bull-pup design since then, and most use the standard NATO 5.56 round, although experiences with the longer range desert shooting environments in Afghanistan have caused Army's to look back at larger calibres such as the 7.62, such as the British Sharp Shooter rifle.

It now seems that after 30 years, air rifles have finally decided to take the plunge and start producing their own Bull-pup designs, with lots of kits to convert the conventional air rifle brands such as Air Arms, Hatasan and Weirauch. Looking at those bull-pups on the current market Air Arms latest rifle has the cocking bolt in the correct position on the left hand front side of the pistol grip for a right hand shooter, while FX and Hatsan Gladius also have it right, with theirs next to the shooting hand, and not at the rear of the stock. At the end of the day it's all down to what you like, and what is practical for the shooting environments that you shoot in. I have watched quite a few you tube videos on the bull-pup air rifle over the months and would love to have one such as the Hatsan Gladius or FX Wildcat one day.

[DESERT FOX]

Im toying with the idea of getting a Bullpup.
What are they like shooting from prone ala HFT style?

[Big Dog]

Im toying with the idea of getting a Bullpup.
What are they like shooting from prone ala HFT style?

I find shooting prone with both my MKII Bobcat and Pulsar very comfortable indeed. However, cocking them when lying down isn't as easy as one would wish. The cocking lever is at the rear of the rifle right up against your cheek - standing, kneeling or sitting it's not an issue, but when prone I find reaching over to cock the rifle difficult.

[cyclopse]

In military terms bull-pups were designed for use for fighting in built up areas, where the length of a conventional assault rifle could become a problem. The bull-pup design gave you a high powered assault rifle, for the size of a 9mm sub machine gun, while attaining the automatic and semi automatic rates of firepower of a full bore rifle.

In a bull-pup air rifle you don't loose anything over the longer conventional air rifle, in fact from the ones on the market you probably even have a higher shot count, as the cylinders are in most cases a little longer than conventional. Any weight should also be balanced further back down the rifle towards the shoulder, making them easier to shoot in the standing position. When I joined the Paras in 1983, as a combat medic my personal weapon was the 9mm Stirling sub machine gun, and later after joining the special forces the SLR, which was longer and heavier and a larger calibre of 7.62 which had a hell of a lot more punch. When we converted to the SA80 around 1986/87, which was actually an old design from the late 1960s, it united the Sub machine gun with the SLR, all in one package. The lighter 5.56 round of the SA80 was not as hard hitting as the 7.62, but you were able to carry a lot more rounds. 32 in the magazine over the 20 in the SLR's, and more in your kit. The SA80 was very accurate on the range, with the ability to shoot semi or fully automatic out to 600 metres. They also designed the Light support weapon, which was basically an SA80, but with a longer barrel, extending the range to 800 metres. The SA80 had lots of problems over the years since it was introduced, and had lots of modifications over that time, to what we have today 30 years later. Lots of Army's have taken on the bull-pup design since then, and most use the standard NATO 5.56 round, although experiences with the longer range desert shooting environments in Afghanistan have caused Army's to look back at larger calibres such as the 7.62, such as the British Sharp Shooter rifle.

It now seems that after 30 years, air rifles have finally decided to take the plunge and start producing their own Bull-pup designs, with lots of kits to convert the conventional air rifle brands such as Air Arms, Hatasan and Weirauch. Looking at those bull-pups on the current market Air Arms latest rifle has the cocking bolt in the correct position on the left hand front side of the pistol grip for a right hand shooter, while FX and Hatsan Gladius also have it right, with theirs next to the shooting hand, and not at the rear of the stock. At the end of the day it's all down to what you like, and what is practical for the shooting environments that you shoot in. I have watched quite a few you tube videos on the bull-pup air rifle over the months and would love to have one such as the Hatsan Gladius or FX Wildcat one day.

Great post mark holding.