{"id":46651,"date":"2018-01-24T00:03:21","date_gmt":"2018-01-24T00:03:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/01\/24\/will-the-army-pick-a-bullpup-for-its-new-rifle-several-gun-makers-have-solutions-if-it-does\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:46:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:46:15","slug":"will-the-army-pick-a-bullpup-for-its-new-rifle-several-gun-makers-have-solutions-if-it-does","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/off-duty\/2018\/01\/24\/will-the-army-pick-a-bullpup-for-its-new-rifle-several-gun-makers-have-solutions-if-it-does\/","title":{"rendered":"Will the Army pick a bullpup for its new rifle? Several gun makers have solutions if it does."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LAS VEGAS \u2014 As Army leaders look to the service\u2019s next standard issue rifle or carbine, a lot of options are on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One such option has been around awhile but still strikes many U.S. troops as a futuristic form of the rifle they think they know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This past fall, officials with the Army Maneuver Center of Excellence\u2019s lethality branch laid out several concepts being considered for the Army\u2019s Next Generation Squad weapon and likely new designs for the ultimate replacement for the M4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of those include major advancements to the fire controls and a likely change in caliber. But one was a possible bullpup design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bullpup has been around for more than half a century, and it was adopted by some foreign militaries. It reverses the design of the standard rifle or carbine by putting the action and magazine behind the trigger, automatically shortening the length of the rifle considerably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bullpup-designed weapon matches the length of its standard rifle counterpart only when an external suppressor is added to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weapon puts its weight near the shooter, reducing fatigue and allowing for a steadier aim.<\/p>\n\n\n\t