I know many are already aware of this bullpup being used in combat in Iraq, but there was a neat news story on Fox this AM that yielded some great footage of this rifle in large numbers being carried by Iraqi troops in the current offensive in Mosul.  Retired U.S. Army special forces Lt. Col. Utterback had personal GoPro footage he was showing that he just took in the Mosul area.  He was involved in the surge back in '07 or so...special forces guy who also served 3 tours in Afghan.

Anyway, it was some great, closeup footage of various weapons being used by Iraqi troops in this current effort and not some of the same outdated footage that often gets replayed.  These Croatian bullpups were everywhere in large numbers.  Hardly breaking news about this bullpup being used over there, but it was great to see current, detailed footage of its use and deployment.

Funny thing...he supposedly is there completing a master's thesis for a journalism degree now that he's retired.  A guy with this kind of experience might suggest his presence there could involve more, but hey...that's the fun of conspiracy theories...LOL!

Soon to be carried by ISIS as "Brand new, never fired...only dropped once"

and

Our tax dollars at work.

LOL!...well...I wouldn't really want to bet against that considering history.  That issue came up in the Col. Utterback story about the current Iraqi state of combat worthiness.  He made the statement that these guys mainly involved in this Mosul deal are supposedly more "elite" and capable.  They have some "proving" to do before most will take that to the bank.  But hey...they looked really good with more "proper" combat attire and these cool bullpups...so...the intimidation factor alone should strike fear in the heart of ISIS.

But seriously...it appears by what Utterback said that these particular ISIS guys in Mosul know it's a fight to the death, because all their retreat routes are cut off.  They're just in for their 72 virgins now...I guess.

I saw several of them on various youtube videos in iraq over the last week or too just sweeping shots just enough to get an ID.

I was really expecting the Springfield Armory Saint to be the VHS-2

This is a great idea.

I too was hoping The Saint was gonna be the VHS2. But I wasn't surprised it was an AR. Heck their AR is probably the only gun made in the USA (but not by SA). The XD line is all Croatian (though with all the models now, I wouldn't be surprised if American designers were involved). The M1A is mainly from Taiwanese parts unless that has changed. The 1911's are mainly Brazilian. Why not a Croatian MSR? :D

Might wanna do some research on some of those claimed sources of parts. For the 1911, the frames haven't been made by Imbel for about 4yrs or more.

That would've been EPIC

That's probably the sequel: Saint 2.

That would be nice to have another bullpup on the market.

Recently during the battle to retake Mosul from ISIS pictures have surfaced of Iraqi military and Kurdish Peshmerga using Croatian manufactured VHS-2 rifles.  According to ARES (Armament Research Services) Photos posted to Twitter in 2015 show a pro-government fighter in northern Quneitra, Syria, with a Croatian VHS-D1 rifle. The VHS-D1 is a bullpup self-loading rifle developed by HS Produkt and chambered for 5.56 x 45 mm. It is a comparatively modern design that was developed in the early 2000s, entering military service in Croatia in 2009 alongside the shorter-barrelled VHS-K1. Despite external similarities to the FAMAS series of weapons, its operating design is distinctly different.

ARES has previously documented VHS-1 series weapons with Kurdish forces in Iraq, with HS Produkt having supplied Iraqi government and Kurdish forces with VHS rifles for testing in 2014. Early in 2015 it was reported that HS Produkt had signed a contract to export 10,000 of the newer series VHS-2 rifles to Iraq, and that delivery of some of these rifles had already taken place. Whilst it is unclear how the VHS rifles entered Syria, one noteworthy possibility is that they were transferred through Syrian connections to Iraqi Shi’a militias.

According to an unconfirmed source Iraqi forces have rejected the Croatian manufactured VHS-2 rifle because of weak 5.56 ammo.  It is unclear if this refers to cycling malfunctions.  The Kurdish KRG are to receive 10,000 of the rifles. It is rumored that they purchased the 5.56 bullpups because of the cost, which is supposedly the same as G-36 rifles. While it is historically not uncommon to find Yugoslavian rifles in the middle east it is interesting to see a bullpup that is not Iranian manufactured or an established design like the AUG or FN F2000.

I honestly think Springfield Armory is sitting on a goldmine...they'd make a KILLING on the VHS-2, especially with the huge name recognition their company already has ("IWI" and even "Steyr" aren't even close in brand recognition to the average American shooter).

Only problem I see is getting around import restrictions. And the potential MSRP.