02-08-2013, 04:51 AM
stanc Wrote:It has been discussed ad nauseum, but still no one has made such a critter. If your idealized bullpup were feasible, why hasn't it been made yet?
The perceived drawbacks of the bullpup layout have been known for decades. It seems to me that if it is as simple to correct them as you say, somebody would've done so by now.
The problem is that most of the big purchasers of small arms (especially the USA) have a strong cultural preference for the traditional layout. Apparently mainly because it's traditional. As it costs a lot of money to develop a new gun, the big arms manufacturers focus on providing what the users say they want. Which means that there are few bullpups for armies to choose from.
The recent users and developers of bullpups (notably Israel and China) obviously don't care about instant ambidexterity or a variable-length stock (nobody except the US Army seems to regard the latter as a priority). So if the users haven't asked for these features, they won't get them.
FN made a valiant effort to address ambidexterity with the F2000 and came up with a new solution to it, but then spoiled their chances by having completely different controls and handling, as well as dedicated accessories rather than universal ones.
By a "decent bullpup", I meant one which addresses virtually all of the objections that supporters of the traditional layout can come up with. But if you don't need instant ambidexterity and a variable length stock, the Tavor X95 is fine (apart from its calibre).
If a general-purpose cartridge is ever adopted, then it is likely to generate more interest in a general-purpose rifle to fire it - compact enough for urban warfare but with good long-range ballistics for open-country fighting. Another new factor emerging is the growth in the use of suppressors (the US Army apparently wants these fitted to just about everything) which add significantly to the overall length of a rifle. These two factors both play to the bullpup's strengths. So it's worth pointing out the advantages of bullpups whenever the subject arises, to keep those involved in mind of their potential for solving various problems.