Its possible to add a hefty sound suppressor without getting the feeling of a cinderblock tied to a stick that happens with conventional rifles.

Most new designs have been unavailable in the US due to the 1989 restrictions on imports.

So Americans dont have access to most foreign designs like those from China, Croatia, and Singapore.

On the plus side, the US has several high-quality, domestically-produced bullpups that deserve a serious look.

But the concept wouldnt really gain traction until optics overtook iron sights as the primary aiming devices for militaries.

This is because the reduction of sight radius made the weapons much less accurate and more difficult to precisely aim.

With the addition of optics, the bullpup rifle had nearly every benefit of a traditional firearm but with a reduction in overall length.

One way Keltec accomplishes this is by moving the sear under the pistol grip and lengthening the hammer struts.

This in effect reduces the overall length of the transfer bar which in turn reduces the amount of bow in it and friction, resulting in a smoother, crisper trigger.

Because the ejection port is adjacent to the shooters face, left-handed shooters often were pelted with hot brass, making accurate shooting understandably difficult.

This has since been resolved on several models through forward-ejection of shells like on Maxim machine guns.

Notable examples of rifles using forward ejection include FNs FS2000 and Keltecs RFB.

Similar to a Vickers and Browning machine gun from the First World War, this method is employed on some modern firearms like the FN P90 and Keltec RDB.

A third option is an interchangeable ejection port like those found on the IWI X95 and the Desert Tech MDR Interestingly, Singapore offers a bullpup that can switch not only left and right ejection, but also forward with their BR18.

But that turned out to be as much as an issue of technique as of substance on those rifles that drop the magazines free.

On weapons like the Tavor SAR and Keltec RDB where mags dont drop free, reloads are still quicker than some traditional designs like the AKM thanks to bolt hold-open feature on the last shot.

One complaint that I dont hear much that is actually relevant is the increased heat retention of the rifles barrel.

This is due to the barrel being largely encased in the receiver of the bullpup, and thus lacking airflow.

Fortunately, thats more of an issue for military use than it is for personal defense or a hunting semi-auto.

Meaning soldiers and civilians who arent comfortable with their bullpups length are out of luck.

Besides the obvious increase in the barrel length, bullpups are usually neutrally balanced towards the center, permitting effective control with one hand if necessary.

They feel lighter for the same actual weight and are easier to hold on target unsupported.

Aug Vs Tavor