Bullpup Air Rifles

BullPup

— rifles made according to the BullPup configuration, in which the magazine with the bullet chambering mechanism is located behind the trigger, in the butt area, and due to this the trigger is moved forward, almost to the middle of the weapon.

In the case of air rifles, the key advantage of this arrangement is comfortable balance. The main handle in BullPup models is located approximately near the center of gravity, making the rifle more maneuverable, making it easier to transfer fire vertically and horizontally, and the barrel does not tend to tilt forward so much, and it is easier to support it with the second hand. In addition, due to this design, it is possible to achieve a large barrel length without significantly increasing the dimensions of the entire weapon; this is true mainly for PCP rifles, where a long barrel allows for a higher muzzle velocity. On the other hand, moving the handle forward significantly complicates the design, increases the cost and can make reloading more difficult. In addition, not all BullPup models are convenient for left-handers – on the right side there may be various elements (protruding magazine, bolt handle) that complicate insertion on the left shoulder, and special “left-handed” versions of such models are extremely rare.

It is also worth considering that, due to the design features, such rifles are designed mainly for the use of telescopic/red dot sights and are almost never equipped with a classic front sight with a rear sight. However, for the rails provided in most BullPup models, you can also install removable front sights with rear sights, but this is hardly justified: the aiming line is too short, which makes it difficult to achieve accurate shooting.

Note that in AEG drives (see “Type”) the BullPup design is used for other reasons – in models that copy the appearance of a real weapon in this format.