Abullpupfirearm is one with its firing grip located in front of thebreech of the weapon, instead of behind it.[1] This creates a weapon with a shorter overall length for a given barrel length, and one that is often lighter, more compact, concealable, and more maneuverable than a conventionally configured firearm. Where it is desirable for troops to be issued a more compact weapon, the use of a bullpup configuration allows for barrel length to be retained, thus preservingmuzzle velocity, range, and ballistic effectiveness.[2]
The bullpup concept was first tested militarily in 1901 with the BritishThorneycroft carbine, but it was not until theCold War that more successful designs and improvements led to wider adoption. In 1977, theAustrian Army became the first military force in the world to adopt a bullpup rifle, theSteyr AUG, as aprincipal combat weapon. Since then the militaries in many countries have followed suit with other bullpup designs, such as the ChineseQBZ-95, IsraeliIWI Tavor, FrenchFAMAS and BritishSA80.
The origin of term "bullpup" for this configuration has long been unclear. In 1957, the word was reported to denote a target pistol, particularly one with a fancy stock.[3]
British firearm expertJonathan Ferguson researched the origin of the term in 2019–2020. He found early references in 1930s firearm magazines implying that "bullpup" is derived from ananalogy of such rifles tobulldogpuppies (colloquially called "bullpups" in England during the late 19th and the early 20th century), which were considered "squat, ugly but still aggressive and powerful".[4] The original meaning of the word to describe dogs has since fallen out of use.
The bullpup design places the gun's action mechanism and magazine behind the trigger, and thereceiver functionally serves as thebuttstock with usually only a thin endplate,[5] making the gun more of a "stockless" weapon from a pure technical sense. Themagazine is also inserted behind the trigger group[5] (technically it only needs the magazine's feeding slot to be located behind the trigger for the gun to be classified as a bullpup), but in some designs such as theHeckler & Koch G11,FN P90 andNeostead, the magazine can extend forward beyond the trigger.[6]
The earliest bullpup firearm known is a heavybench-rest target rifle made circa 1860 for Richard Potter by Riviere of London. It weighs more than 6 kg (13 lb 4 oz) and features an octagonal barrel of approximately 20 bore (0.60 in) in calibre, with two-grooveBrunswick rifling. It is held in the collection of the BritishNational Rifle Association.[11] One of the earliest repeating bullpup designs was patented by William Joseph Curtis in 1866.[12] The concept was later used inbolt-action rifles such as theThorneycroft carbine of 1901, although the increased distance from hand grip to bolt handle meant the decreased length had to be weighed against the increased time required to fire. It was used insemi-automatic firearms in 1918 (6.5 mm French Faucon-Meuniersemi-automatic rifle developed by Lt. Col. Armand-Frédéric Faucon), then in 1936 a bullpup machine pistol was patented by the FrenchmanHenri Delacre.[13] The first bullpup design used in combat was the PzB M.SS.41anti-tank rifle during World War II.[14] It was a Czech weapon used by theSS, produced under German occupation.
After World War II, Western engineers drew inspiration from the GermanSturmgewehr 44assault rifle, which offered a compromise between bolt-action rifles and submachine guns. Among them wasKazimierz Januszewski (also known as Stefan Janson), a Polish engineer who had worked at the Polish national arsenal during the 1930s. After being mobilized during World War II he escaped German and Soviet forces and made his way to England, where he was a part of the "Polish design team" atEnfield Lock'sRoyal Small Arms Factory. The factory was run by lieutenant colonel Edward Kent-Lemon. As Januszewski was developing a new rifle, the "Ideal Calibre Board" was searching for a replacement for the .303 cartridge. The Board decided on an optimal7 mm cartridge on which Januszewski and the two teams working at Enfield had to base their designs. One design team led by Stanley Thorpe produced a gas-powered rifle with a locking system based on the Sturmgewehr. The design used steel pressings which were difficult to obtain, and so was scrapped. The result of the Polish design team's efforts was theEM-2, which broke significant ground.[15]
The EM-2 contained some similarities to the SovietAK-47, although Januszewski had never seen the Soviet rifle. The first significant bullpup assault rifle came from the British programme to replace the service pistols, sub-machine guns, and rifles. In the two forms of theEM-1 and the EM-2, the new rifle concept was born as a result of the experience with small arms that was gained during the Second World War.[15]
It was obvious that modern warfare would require the infantry to be armed with a light, selective fire weapon, with effective range much longer than that of a submachine gun, but shorter than that of conventional semi-automatic or bolt-action rifles. The bullpup design was deemed necessary to retain the accuracy at range while reducing overall length. The EM-2 was adopted by the UK in 1951 as the world's first (limited) service bullpup rifle, but was promptly displaced by the adoption of the7.62×51mm NATO (0.308 in) cartridge, to which the EM-2 was not easily adapted. The decision was rescinded and a variant of the more conventionalFN FAL was adopted in its place.[16]
A7.62×39mm M43 calibre experimental assault rifle was developed byGerman A. Korobov in theSoviet Union around 1945, and a further development, theTKB-408 was entered for the 1946–47 assault rifle trials by the Soviet Army, although it was rejected in favour of the more conventionalAK-47. The United States briefly experimented in the same year with the integrally-scopedModel 45A bullpup, which never progressed beyond the prototype;John Garand designed the T31 bullpup, which was abandoned after his retirement in 1953.
After these failures of the bullpup design to achieve widespread service, the concept continued to be explored (for example: a second Korobov bullpup, theTKB-022PM).
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TheSteyr AUG (selected in 1977) is often cited as the first successful bullpup,[17][18][19] in service with the armed forces of over twenty countries, and the primary rifle of Austria and Australia. It was highly advanced for the 1970s, combining in the same weapon the bullpup configuration, extensive use of polymer, dual vertical grips, an optical sight as standard, and a modular design. Highly reliable, light, and accurate, the Steyr AUG showed clearly the potential of the bullpup layout. The arrival of theFAMAS in 1978, and its adoption by France emphasized the slide from traditional to bullpup layouts within rifle designs.[19]
The British resumed their bullpup experiments with theL85, which entered service in 1985. After persistent reliability problems, it was redesigned by the then British-ownedHeckler & Koch into theL85A2, to be a fully reliable weapon.[20] As of 2016, it was replaced by theL85A3 which is lighter, more adaptable, and more durable.
Having learned from extensive combat experience,Israel Military Industries developed a bullpup rifle: theTavor TAR-21. The Tavor is light, accurate, fully ambidextrous and reliable (designed to stringent reliability standards to avoid malfunctioning in desert conditions), and is in increasing demand in other countries, notably India.[5] The Tavor shares many similarities with theSAR 21 and the South AfricanVektor CR-21.[5]
The ChinesePeople's Liberation Army adopted theType 95 gun family in 1997, a family of bullpup firearms sharing a common receiver design, which includes theQBZ-95 standard rifle, a carbine andlight support weapon variants. TheIslamic Republic of Iran Army has adopted theKH-2002 in limited numbers.[21]
Some sniper rifles such as the AmericanBarrett M95 andXM500,[22] GermanWalther WA 2000 andDSR-1,[23] ChineseQBU-88, RussianSVU, PolishBor. It is also used forcombat shotgun designs such as theNeostead andKel-Tec KSG.[24]
Bullpups are thestandard issue rifle for the armed forces of:
Austria:Austrian Armed Forces –StG 77; selected in 1977.
Australia:Australian Defence Force –F88 Austeyr; selected in 1989.
Belgium:Belgian Armed Forces –FN F2000; selected in 2004.
Colombia:Military Forces of Colombia andNational Police of Colombia special forces –IWI Tavor TAR-21.
Croatia:Croatian Army –VHS; selected in 2009.
India:Indian Special Forces –IWI Tavor TAR-21.
Indonesia:Indonesian Special Forces –IWI Tavor TAR-21 andSteyr AUG.
Ireland:Irish Defence Forces –Steyr AUG; selected in 1988.
Israel:Israel Defense Forces –IWI Tavor TAR-21; selected in 2001, used by three of the five IDF infantry brigades.
Oman:Royal Army of Oman –Steyr AUG.
Pakistan:Pakistan Army –FN F2000.[25][26]
Peru:Peruvian Naval Infantry –FN F2000.[27]
Russia:Spetsnaz –OTs-14 Groza,A-91, andSVU; selected during the 1990s.
Singapore:Singapore Armed Forces –SAR 21; selected in 1999.
Slovenia:Slovenian Armed Forces –FN F2000; selected in 2007.
Tunisia:Tunisian Armed Forces, Ministry of Interior (Tunisian National Guard and Police), and Tunisian Customs -StG 77; adopted in 1984.
Ukraine:Ukrainian Armed Forces –IPI Malyuk.[28][29]
United Kingdom:British Armed Forces –SA80; selected in 1985.Bullpups were formerly the standard-issue rifle for the armed forces of:
China:People's Liberation Army –Type 95; selected in 1997, being replaced by theQBZ-191 since 2019.
France:French Armed Forces –FAMAS; selected in 1978, being replaced by theHK 416F as of 2017.[30]
Iran:Islamic Republic of Iran Army –Khaybar KH-2002; selected in 2004,[31] manufactured byDefense Industries Organization (DIO), discontinued production due to frequent jamming and lack of foreign customer by the said manufacturer,[32][33] replaced by theMasaf 2 in 2025.[34][35]
Malaysia:Malaysian Armed Forces –Steyr AUG; selected in 1991. Made under license from Steyr bySME Ordnance,[36] replaced by theColt M4A1 in 2004.[37]
New Zealand:New Zealand Defence Force –IW Steyr; selected in 1988, replaced by theLMT MARS in 2017.[37]
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