Quoted: you don't have to dissect the whole thing, but can you explain why you think it's BS in just a couple sentences? i'd really like to hear your reasoning. (not trying to be sarcastic here, i just really want to learn more)
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Although most of my practical experience has been with my M-17, I've got a little time playing with AUG (Irish Army) and L85s (British Army Exchange). As it's not a military rifle, I'll leave out the M17.
Bullpup designs are mechanically more complex, requiring a long trigger linkage, and control system linkages. This seriously degrades both control feel, and reliability, and increases bulk and weightTrue, if exaggerated. Not that I would consider a single metal link rod to be 'mechanically complex'. Granted that the L85's auto/full selector is in an awkward position, but British military policy rarely recommends the use of full auto, except in situations where you will quite likely have sufficient advance notice to select it. (FISH, ambushes, etc). This issue doesn't even come up with the AUG, the semi/auto is decided by how you pull the trigger.
If a bullpup has a catastrophic failure, instead of the explosion being six or 8 inches in front of your eyes, its right at your eyesocket,How many catastrophic failures have there been of bullpups? And how many people tend to be unharmed when a conventional rifle blows up? Pointless scaremongering.
Mag changes on a bullpup are much slower because they require more repositioning, and are difficult to see (if necessary) without fully dismounting the rifle.I was amazed at how quickly I was changing the magazines in the L85 in exercises. Although I'm a definite bullpup supporter, mag changes are one area where I would conceed before even getting out the starting gate. The amount of time it took me to change a 30-round magazine on the L85 was about the same as makes no difference as the amount of time it takes me to do it on an M-16. And that's without my being practisced on it. Aug was a little slower, the British mag release is very easy to use. (Used to be too easy, until they modified it!)
The bit about the long magazine kindof threw me as well. An M-16's 30-round magazine's base is going to be exactly the same distance below the barrel as an L-85's 30-round magazine. I don't know what he's smoking.
Charging the rifle and manipulating the operating handle is often more difficult, and sometimes can't be done without dismounting the rifle, or reaching over with your support hand.Let's see. M-16, raise head, release pistol grip, draw hand back, grasp handle, pull, release, return to pistol grip, replace head. L-85, release forward grip, reach over, pull back (No grasping required, the edge of the finger will work quite well), release, return to forward grip. I don't see the problem. Indeed, after having worked with left-side handles (FAL), right-side handles (L85) and center handles (M-16) I think I prefer the right side.
Bullpups are naturally balanced in a non-instinctive wayBull. Only non-instinctive because he's not used to it. They certainly 'feel wrong' when you're not used to them, there's no doubt about it, but on the AUG, M-17 and L85, you can pretty much balance the rifle on the pistol grip. That's pretty good for me.
The only good thing about a bullpup is the short overall length in relation to their barrel length; and that is not advantage enough to outweigh the disadvantages for most missions.A lot of mechanised riflemen would argue that point. The M-4 is proving in such high demand these days because people are realising that a full-length rifle is too big. But then, you lose the advantages of the 21" barrel.
Both the Enfield, and the FAMAS have proven to be rediculously unreliable, though at least the SA80 is quite accurate when it functions properlyThe L85 is actually incredibly accurate, and by British accounts the A2 version functions as reliably as they could want. Most of the troops I encountered had very bad things to say about the A1, the same troops swear by the A2. Except for the really old-timers, who still think the L1 is a real rifle, not that 5.56mm pansy thing.
The enfield in fact is so poorly designed, that mounting it on your left shoulder will give you a black eye (and can break your cheekbone) and send hot brass and gasses flying into your eyes.Don't shoot it from your left shoulder so. Besides, some bullpups as we well know, eject forwards and this is an irrelevant argument.
You also cant fire the thing from the left side of cover without exposign your whole head and torso.As has also been mentioned many times as well, various competent authorities believe that even around the wrong side of cover, the rifle should not be fired weak-handed and that the correct answer is indeed to expose the whole head and upper torso.
Until someone has shot thousands of rounds through them, had to change mags in the dark, and in cramped conditions, had to clear jams under combat condtions etc... they can't know how unsuitable they areWhich by that argument implies that he can't know how suitable they are either.
Please note, that at 20", the gun would be extremely unweildy, and just plain uncomfortable. Your hands would be touching each other, with the muzzle just 2" or so in front of your support hand.Hmm.. Although this expert believes that it's such a bad idea, the British have put exactly this weapon into production as a PDW. The muzzle is actually almost directly above the support hand, the carbine is so short, that they needed to put an extender onto the forward handgrip. Perhaps he needs to write to Bovington/Lulworth on the issue and set them straight. In the meantime, I'm jealous of the British tankers that have a more suitable defense weapon than I do.
For comparison, the shortest bullpup I can find is the walther G22, (in .22lr) at 28.5" with a 20" barrel.Ah, that explains the above. The L85A2K has a 16" barrel, and a 20" length, give or take rounding errors from millimeters. This either dates his article, or he's not very thorough.
Given that, I think my 21" number as an absolute minimum is solidAha.. We have a position statement. An inch longer than I calculated for the L85A2K. Oops. Admittedly, however, he's ranting on about a .45ACP bullpup, which as he points out, is completely pointless.
Bascially, the man has preconceived prejudices. There's probably a reason most militaries are selecting a bullpup to be their new rifle, and I don't think it's just because it 'looks cool'
NTM