A bullpup firearm is one whose handle is in front of the lock of the weapon instead of behind. [1] The result is a weapon with a shorter total length for a given barrel length, which is often lighter, more compact, more concealed and more maneuverable than a conventionally configured firearm. Where it is desirable for troops to get a more compact weapon, the use of a bullpup configuration makes it possible to maintain the length of the barrel, thus maintaining the muzzle velocity, range and ballistic effectiveness. [2] Following the Supreme Court`s decision in UNITED STATES v. Thompson v. Center Arms Company, 504 U.S. 505 (1992) it is not illegal to have a «kit» that allows a handgun to be equipped with a buttocks and barrels both lower and greater than the minimum of 16 inches for a rifle, provided that the firearm is available only for legal configurations (handgun without hindquarters, rifle with butt and barrel of 16 inches or more). Assembling the firearm in an NFA-regulated configuration (rifle with a rear shaft, but a barrel shorter than 16 inches) would be a violation of the National Firearms Act. [7] British firearms expert Jonathan Ferguson investigated the origin of the term in 2019-2020. He found the first evidence in gun magazines of the 1930s suggesting that the «bullpup» is derived from an analogy of these rifles with bulldog puppies (colloquially called «bullpups» in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries), who were considered «stocky, ugly, but still aggressive and powerful.» [4] The original meaning of the word to describe dogs has since fallen into disuse, but the term has remained in the gun industry. After these failures of the bullpup design to get a wide service, the concept was further explored (for example: a second Korobow bullpup, the TKB-022PM).

Many older handguns originally designed with shoulder stockings, such as broomstick moults, lugers, Browning Hi-Power, and Inglis, as well as many lever Winchesters with 14- to 15.5-inch guns, are considered relics instead of being restricted by the NFA and not regulated by federal SBR rules; However, they may still be subject to local laws. [2] The ATF maintains a Curio & Relic list of weapon models and serial number ranges. Although they are not considered NFA devices under the National Firearms Act of 1934, most are regulated by the Firearms Control Act of 1968. [3] Those manufactured before 1899 and excluded from the ATF Curio and Relic lists are also exempt from the GCA. U.S. regulation of short-barreled rifles is the result of the National Firearms Act of 1934, which also imposed restrictions on short-barreled shotguns, suppressors, and machine guns. [3] The short-barreled rifle (SBR) is a legal designation in the United States that refers to a firearm fired at the shoulder and fired from a rifle with a barrel length of less than 16 inches (41 cm) or a total length of less than 26 inches (66 cm), or a handgun equipped with a butt and barrel less than 16 inches in length. In the United States, an SBR is an item regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) as a Title II weapon. In the absence of local laws prohibiting possession, U.S. civilians can possess an SBR, provided it is registered with the ATF and a $200 tax is paid before taking possession or manufacturing the firearm.

The bullpup concept was first tested militarily in 1901 with the British Thorneycroft rifle, but it wasn`t until after the Cold War that more successful designs and improvements led to wider adoption. In 1977, the Austrian Armed Forces became the first military power in the world to adopt a bullpup rifle, the Steyr AUG, as its main combat weapon. Since then, the military of many countries has followed suit with other bullpup models such as the Chinese QBZ-95, the Israeli IWI Tavor, the French FAMAS and the British SA80. Legally, most Australian laws require a minimum allowable barrel length, which is usually around 330 mm (13 inches) for rifles. [10] Some sniper rifles such as the American Barrett M95 and XM500,[21] the German Walther WA 2000 and DSR-1,[22] the Chinese QBU-88s, the Russian SVU, the Polish Bor, the American Desert Tech SRS, and the American Desert Tech HTI[23] use the bullpup layout. It is also used for combat rifle designs such as the Neostead and the Kel-Tec KSG. [24] 16-inch gun and I would like to say total length of 26 inches. The short-barreled rifle usually refers to any rifle with an unusually short barrel.

The term carabiner describes a production rifle with a reduced barrel length for easier handling in the tightest spaces. Concerns about obfuscation for illegal purposes have encouraged rules setting minimum running lengths and total lengths. Federal law states that rifles must have a barrel of at least 16 «AND a total length of at least 26»; less and it becomes a «short-barreled rifle» and requires federal registration and a $200 tax. UK regulations include prohibited rear-loading firearms with a total length of less than 60 cm (24 inches) or with a barrel length of less than 30 cm (12 inches). All these weapons are considered pistols. [9] Canadian regulations prohibit firearms suitable for a rifle or shotgun by sawing, cutting or otherwise modifying a total length of less than 660 mm (26 inches) or a barrel length of less than 457 mm (18.0 inches). Handguns with a barrel length of less than 105 mm (4.1 inches) are also prohibited. [8] No commercially sold SKS Bullpup kit will bring the total length below 26,» so you have nothing to worry about. The bullpup design places the weapon`s mechanism of action behind the trigger, and the receiver functionally serves as the rear end with usually only a thin end plate,[5] making the weapon more of a «stickless» weapon from a purely technical point of view. The magazine is also used behind the trigger group[5] (technically, only the magazine`s power slot must be behind the trigger for the gun to be classified as a bullpup), but in some designs such as the Heckler & Koch G11, FN P90 and Neostead, the magazine can extend beyond the trigger. [6] Beauty of bullpup design.

The length of the gun does not only influence the total length The British resumed their bullpup experiments with the L85, which was put into service in 1985. After persistent reliability problems, it was redesigned by the British Heckler & Koch at the time to the L85A2 to become an absolutely reliable weapon. [19] From 2016, it will be replaced by the lighter, more adaptable and more durable L85A3. The length of the barrel is measured from the tip of the muzzle to the front of the closing surface, usually by inserting a measuring rod into the barrel. The length of the barrel may partially include a fixed muzzle accessory (for example, a recoil compensator or flash suppressor). The total length is measured between the outermost ends of the weapon along a midline that runs through the center of the barrel. For rifles equipped with folding or telescopic shafts (for example, the Us M1A1 rifle), us federal guidelines stipulate that the measurement is carried out with the shaft intended for use as a rifle. Some states — such as California and Michigan — measure total length with folded stock. [1] It was obvious that modern warfare would require infantry to be armed with a light and selective firearm whose effective range is much greater than that of a machine gun, but shorter than that of conventional or bolt-action machine guns.

The bullpup design was deemed necessary to maintain accuracy in the range while reducing the overall length. The EM-2 was introduced by Britain in 1951 as the world`s first (limited) bullpup rifle, but was quickly replaced by the introduction of the 7.62×51 mm (0.308 inch) NATO cartridge, to which the EM-2 could not be easily adapted.