Best Bullpup Rifles of 2023

A bullpup is a versatile platform that offers excellent usage of space to maneuver in tight environments without compromising in the velocity from a standard barrel length. Today’s armed forces and law enforcement agencies worldwide enjoy the bullpup design’s reduced felt recoil and improved balance over a traditional rifle pattern. In the year of 2023, we have several fantastic options for a bullpup rifle suitable in hunting, sport shooting, and defensive/militia use.

What is a Bullpup Rifle?

A bullpup configured firearm is a design in which the action and breech are located behind the trigger, resulting in a shorter overall length while maintaining a full-length barrel. This configuration allows for greater maneuverability in tight spaces, such as vehicles or buildings, while still providing the accuracy and velocity of a standard or long barreled rifle.

By putting the grip ahead of the action and magwell, the rifle’s center of mass is able to be positioned closer to the user’s body than that of a traditional rifle layout. While this can take some getting used to for those regularly shooting ARs, the ergonomics of a bullpup rifle are found by many to be more comfortable once accustomed.

FN P90/PS90

Photo Credit: Special Ops Magazine

The P90 and civilian variant PS90 are bullpup firearms designed in the late 1980s to be personal defensive weapons against Soviet paratrooper armor. Fearing that an invading USSR force could come with standard armor against 9mm ball, the compact iconic bullpup was created to serve as close quarters defense for vehicle crews, artillery personnel, support unit staff.

Fabrique Nationale Herstal prioritized ergonomics and user-friendly controls above all when designing the P90. This was a weapon meant for individuals who do not see regular combat. The result is a highly intuitive PDW suitable for left-handed dominant users and right-handed dominant users alike.

Its magazine is oriented horizontally and fed top down to conserve its compact brick layout while maximizing round capacity. 5.7x28mm travels with excellent velocity for a flat trajectory up to 200 meters. Its penetrative edge over 9mm comes with much less felt recoil with minimal powder charge.

Tavor X95

Photo Credit: Guns Week

The Tavor X95 is a more recent addition to the bullpup family and was made by Israel Weapons Industries as an answer to the IDF’s needs for an ambidextrous, ergonomic rifle typically engaging targets within 300 meters.

Taking lessons from the Tavor SAR (TAR-21), the X95 largely encompasses all of the desirable traits of the Tavor SAR and takes into account its predecessor’s limitations. Updates made by the Tavor X95 involves:

• STANAG compatibility
• Ambidextrous magazine release
• Charging handle can be configured right handed or left handed
• Side picatinny rails with removable rail protectors

The X95 is very much designed to be a short distance weapons platform. The right hand 1:7 barrel twist rate is ideal for stabilizing heavier 5.56 projectiles of 77 grains and above. Moreover, users will find that the built-in iron sights are optimized for close to medium range accuracy.

Does the Tavor X95 have an adjustable gas system?

While the gas piston system on the standard 5.56 NATO X95 is nonadjustable, the 300 Blackout X95 features a two-way adjustment gas system. The Tavor X95 gas block is adjusted using a flathead and can be found on the picatinny rail above the X95’s grip. The adjustment screw is rotated 180° for switching between standard gas output (marked by one dot side facing the rear of the rifle) and higher gas output (marked by two dots facing the rear of the rifle).

Tavor 7

Photo Credit: Guns America Digest

The IWI battle rifle mirrors the Tavor X95 but comes chambered in 7.62x51mm. Additionally, the charging handle of the Tavor 7 has a cutout notch for the handle to lock, a feature that would have been handy on the Tavor X95. While you can always be certain that a man sized target will go down with a single hit of .308 Winchester, its weight disparity compared to the Tavor X95 is apparent. A standard Tavor 7 magazine holds 20 rounds in contrast to a Tavor X95 magazine of similar length.

Steyr AUG A3

Photo Credit: Recoil Web

The infamous Austrian bullpup rifle is pronounced A-U-G. However, if using Austrian alphabetic phonetics, it sounds quite similar to pronouncing the AUG as a typical American English acronym. The original Steyr AUG was developed by Steyr Mannlicher during the 1970s to become the new standardized Austrian infantry rifle as a successor to the Austrian clone of the FN FAL, STG 58.

To this day it has served in the Austrian forces since 1978 and remains in good standing as a decent bullpup example of ambidextrous controls, quick-change barrels, and overall quality ergonomics. With decent grade ammunition, AUG users can face sub-MOA accuracy and maintain excellent groupings much further than the Tavor X95.

For the consumer market outside of Austria, Kawatec and other Austrian domestic aftermarket manufacturers can be difficult to support due to overzealous export controls. With 40 years of consistent, stable military and law enforcement contracts and historically tight distribution and manufacturing policies, it is only until recent years that after-market parts for the Austrian bullpup rifle are becoming more regularly available. US brands such as ARID, Silver Star Shooting Sports, and Rat Worx produce improved sears, magazine releases, rails, triggers for the Steyr AUG A3.

Springfield Armory Hellion

Photo Credit: Smoking Gun Worx

Springfield Armory has been collaborating with Croatian firearms company, HS Produkt, to bring the VHS-2 to the US. Polymer furniture and minor components such as the handguard and grip are US produced but the bulk of the VHS-2 is manufactured in Karlovac, Croatia. This retains the desired meat of the rifle produced from the factory and has enough American parts to comply with import restrictions. The assembled bullpup rifle is designated as the currently available Springfield Hellion.

The VHS-2 is a significantly improved development from the VHS-D. The charging handle rotates towards either right or left of the rifle similarly to a G36 charging handle for ambidextrous handling. The bolt release, safety controls, and magazine release are fully ambidextrous as well. However, the safety switch’s position above the grip is not easy to reach for most and remains the only offending feature of the Springfield Hellion’s otherwise smooth ergonomics.

The Springfield Hellion is rather new to the market in terms of battle proven bullpup rifles, and will need some time for an aftermarket base to develop in the direction of Steyr AUG parts and IWI Tavor parts. That being said, a fine tuned aftermarket trigger will do nicely for the Springfield Hellion’s squishy trigger and long reset.

Keltec RDB

Photo Credit: The KTOG

Keltec’s downward-ejecting bullpup rifle, Keltec RDB, is an affordable entry to the world of bullpups amongst those with budgets for standard AR15s. While it doesn’t have the military service of the Steyr AUG, Springfield Hellion, IWI Tavor, the Keltec RDB has been in production for over 8 years now and Keltec is quick to offer customer support for those facing quality control problems. As the name implies, the ejection port faces towards the ground and has the same layout as that found on an FN P90/PS90. Consequently, accessing the action in the event of malfunction can be problematic.

Everything else about the RDB affirms its place as an overall reliable bullpup rifle with a relatively decent factory trigger.

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