Bullpup Rifles Not My Cup of Tea

Austeyr F90 Features. Importantly, mounted infantry in APCs are not encumbered by excessive rifle length, while still having the ballistic advantages of a relatively long barrel.

Q: Over the years I’ve read about bullpup-style rifles, and am amazed they never achieved more popularity. Having extremely short overall length allows a compact rifle with no reduction in barrel length, and other than muzzle blast being a bit closer to a shooter’s ears I see more advantages then disadvantages in the design. Why hasn’t the bullpup become more popular with hunters and shooters?
Ben Thompson

A: The bullpup rifle never caught on for a very good reason. I was always uncomfortable when asked to test one –

Austeyr F90 Variants are typical bullpup designs. — Austeyr F90 Variants are typical of military bullpup designs, but with more innovative features.

shouldered in the firing position, its action is right alongside the shooter’s face. If a primer happened to blow or a case head ruptured during firing, the shooter is likely to get injured by escaping propellant gas and brass fragments. If you like living dangerously, by all means get a bullpup.