2015 Bullpup Shoot Coverage

My first Bullpup was a Kel Tec KSG 12ga. For all intents and purposes that was a novelty item. My second, and the one that really got me hooked, was the IWI Tavor. It is truly one of my favorite weapons today.

So, what is a Bullpup some of you might ask? A Bullpup is a rifle where the action (i.e. the area of the receiver where the bolt, magazine, and barrel all meet) is located behind the firing grip instead of in front of it. Seems pretty straightforward, and it presents many advantages (though it can be difficult to transition from a ‘traditional' rifle style to this one if you've built up a lot of muscle memory).

This last week I had the privilege to attend the annual Bullpup Shoot held in the picturesque rolling hills of Jo Daviess County, Illinois. That's 3 hours west of Chicagoland. This small town (its population is counted in the hundreds and it has just one radio station) is a part of Illinois where people still love guns.

The event took place at The Site Training Center, which is a world class shooting and training facility operated by retired Navy Seal Jim Kauber and the former home of private security group Blackwater.

Maybe you've heard of them.

The event was broken up into two areas, a vendor’s booth area where manufactures displayed their products and a shooting area consisting of several shooting bays for the public and media. On hand were a wide arrange of rare and unique weapons available to shoot. Here is the short list of some I had the pleasure to fondle and fire.

Tavor 5.56mm (Full Auto)
Tavor 5.56mm X95 Micro (Full Auto)
Tavor 9mm Rat Worx Integrally Suppressed 9mm
Steyr AUG 5.56mm (Full Auto and suppressed)
RPD 7.62x39mm Light Machine Gun (Full Auto)
Krebs Custom KV-14 custom AK47
M4 AR Rifle (Full Auto)
FNH P90 SMG 5.7mm (Full Auto)
CZ Scorpion EVO S3 (Full Auto)
CZ Scorpion 61 (Full Auto)
Thompson M1928 45 ACP SMG (Full Auto)
DEZ ARMs 308 AR-10 precision rifle

Many of the weapons on-hand were graciously supplied my attending sponsors and vendors. It is not everyday you get to shoot a Micro Tavor equipped with the fun switch and let me tell you, it took hours to wipe the smile from my face.

On-site were a several manufacturers, including Steyr, Krebs Custom, K&M Arms, Gear Head Works, DSA and show promoter Manticore Arms. Honorable mention goes to Rat Worx for sharing their collection of rare weaponry. Hopefully next year, Bullpup producers such as Kel Tec, Desert Tech and IWI will attend to support the Bullpup community. We don't have an exact count but  unofficially it looks like around 400 attendees came out to partake in the festivities and it was a beautiful day to boot.

One of the things I find exciting about an event such as this is seeing first hand new products or ideas that are coming to market. This show did not disappoint in that department. Gear Head Works had some exciting new announcements for the Tavor. Take a look at this new forward assist option for the Tavor, which requires the bolt to be modified. All-in-all a great idea and well executed.

In addition, they had a prototype design of folding charging handle for the Tavor on display. Form and function were great. We're hoping this comes to market soon.

For those with an IDF model Tavor, Gear Head Works also offers a conversion kit to remove the Mepro sight.

Manticore featured their new hybrid AR Rail, dubbed the “Transformer”. The Transformer allows the user to install their choice of Keymod, M-LOK or flush polymer panels.

K&M Arms had their prototype 308 bullpup on display and it looked very interesting. I will be paying close attention to its development.

Zulu Nylon Gear debuted their new tactical concealed SBR messenger bag. Steve Coulston is shown here giving it a try.

The event has always been open to the public and is annual, so plan for it next year if you want to have access to some ultra rare and fun weaponry. You can find more information about it here.