*Images by the author unless otherwise noted

I have never really thought of short equalling good. I’m only 5’7” myself and am shorter than all four of my adult sons. Heck, I’m shorter than Napoleon was. My dad’s family was vertically challenged. But in the world of firearms, sometimes short is good.

Let’s talk about rifles in particular. Most rifles are longer than a yard, especially those in centerfire calibers. There’s nothing wrong with that if you are using it for mundane purposes such as hunting or informal target shooting.

But what if that’s not what you’re doing with your rifle? What if you are trying to clear houses of insurgents one room at a time? What if you are laying your life on the line every day with your rifle? A shorter weapon might come in handy, especially for close-quarters situations. 

Enter The Bullpup

The bullpup design, by definition, puts the trigger in front of the rifle’s action. So, the magazine is behind the trigger as well. What this does is, in essence, make a rifle’s overall length shorter while still allowing a full barrel length. That way, you’re not sacrificing ballistics. 

As far as I know, the first bullpup rifle was a 13-pound target rifle in 1860. It was in .60 caliber. Later, in 1901, a bolt-action bullpup was produced – the Thornycroft carbine. The first instance of a bullpup used in combat was in WWII. That was the Czech PzB M.SS.41 anti-tank rifle, produced for the SS to use under German occupation. 

Different experiments with bullpup designs took place off and on, until the Austrian Steyr AUG was adopted in 1977. It has been called the first successful bullpup. Here is more information about bullpups in general, if you’re interested.

The Hellion

We have before us a rather unique rifle. Springfield Armory (SA) sells 13 different Hellion models. This particular Hellion is a semi-automatic version based on the VHS-K2, a proven bullpup design used by Croatian forces.

The rifles are made by HS Produkt in Croatia, as are SA pistols. The one I ordered is a semi-automatic copy of the selective-fire rifle that is issued to designated marksmen in Croatia. It came complete with a bayonet lug and an (optional) bayonet.

This bullpup, with its 20” barrel, excels at both close quarters encounters and also has the ability to reach out if needed with a full-length Pic rail for optics.

(Hellcat, Hellion… I would like to have a conversation with the person or people who named these guns — I’d bet it would be interesting!) 

Features Of The 20” Hellion

QD Points: There are QD points on both sides of the rifle to allow you to sling it from either side.

Ribbed, 20” Barrel: Complete with four-prong flash hider and bayonet lug. Melonite coating, as well.

Two-Position Gas Block: Run the gas system as either normal or suppressed.

Flip-Up Sights Included: Windage and elevation adjustable, the rear has a five-position aperture.

Handguard: M-Lok®. That opens up a lot of customization.

Bayonet: The optional $299 Waffentechnik bayonet adds to the look and military provenance of the rifle. 

Specifications

• Caliber 5.56x45mm NATO (.223 REM)
• Color Black
• Barrel 20″ CMV w/ Bayonet Lug, Melonite®, 1:7
• Front Sight Integrated Flip-Up, Elevation Adjustable
• Rear Sight Integrated Flip-Up w/ 5-Position Aperture, Windage Adjustable
• Bolt Carrier Group Proprietary, Melonite®
• Gas System 2-Position Adjustable, Short Stroke Piston
• Handguard Polymer, M-Lok®
• Stock 5-Position Adjustable w/ Cheek Riser
• Muzzle Device 4-Prong Flash Hider
• Charging Handle Ambidextrous, Non-Reciprocating
• Safety Lever Ambidextrous
• Grip BCMGUNFIGHTER™ Mod 3
• Magazine (1) 30-Round Magpul PMAG Gen M3
• Weight 8 lbs 6 oz
• Length 32.25″ – 33.75″
• MSRP $2,031

Go here for more complete info about this rifle.

Where To Buy

Handling The Hellion

I have more than a few AR-style rifles in my gun cabinet and am familiar with them, so it was with great interest that I anticipated the arrival of the shorty Hellion. I have handled bullpup rifles (and a bullpup shotgun or two), usually with less-than-desirable results.

Why?

Because I’m left-handed, I can’t shoot “normal” bullpups due to the fact that the fired cases come whizzing past my nose, or glasses, or maybe even hitting those areas. No bueno! So, it was with great interest that I learned that the Hellion could be set to eject from either side.

Finally! Kel Tec has a bullpup that ejects straight down… now we’re talking! I understand that, from a manufacturing standpoint, it costs more to make a bullpup this way, but I wish more companies did that. I speak for many southpaws out there who have been limited in terms of firearms choice simply because we grew up using our other hand. After all, we’re the only ones in our “right” minds, as the saying goes.

I took Latin in high school a long time ago – Julius Caesar’s cousin was in my class – and learned that the English word “sinister” came from the Latin “sinestra”, which means ”left”. Oh well, at least Springfield Armory gets it!

For those lefties (or curious righties) who want to reverse the ejection direction (sorry), here is how you do it. There’s both a video and text/photos. It’s a bit involved, but it will be worth it.

Range Time

We set some targets up at almost 50 yards in my backyard range to start with. We chose to shoot the rifle with the sights that came on it, as that is how many shooters will want to do it, at least in the out-of-the-box phase, but if we were to keep the rifle, we would definitely mount a red dot or scope on it to reach out to 100 yards and beyond.

But for now, the flip-up iron sights worked well. (I’ve got a couple of ex-military and ex-law-enforcement friends who can shoot the nuts off a gnat at 200 yards with iron sights, but that was never me). 

Here’s what happened…

The Federal load had one flyer, low, hidden by the box. This load put all of them lower than where I was aiming. The Hornady load was closer to P.O.I., with four of the five in the black. I’d say go with whatever of these you can find on sale, and mount a decent optic on the rifle. Of course, there are many loads out there that would work well with this rifle, but I had to choose a couple and get to shootin’.

I was generally pleased with these representative groups since I am not a good “irons” shooter, plus the bullpup arrangement was uncomfortable for this lefty. If I could’ve gotten down tighter on the rifle’s comb, these groups would’ve been better. (Not only am I short, but I have no neck. Maybe that’s why I’m short!). Excuses aside, the rifle performed well and will continue to do so or do even better with the right optic and ammo.

Summing Up

Bullpup rifles are interesting, ejection direction notwithstanding. The concept has been proven, and there are many good examples out there. The Hellion is one of them. The rifle is constructed of top-notch materials, is put together very well, and it showed some great accuracy potential. Plus, it went “bang” every time it was supposed to.

The bayonet made me want to run around the yard, stabbing bales of straw… well, no, but I suppose it could happen for somebody. The bayonet is icing on the cake. If you are interested, it’s a $300 option. Speaking of options, there are 16” and 18” versions of the Hellion available at slightly reduced suggested retail prices. Here’s an overview.

Those Croatian designated marksmen who are issued the selective-fire rifle that this rifle is based on are fortunate. (That would be the VHS-K2 as I mentioned at the top). This semi-auto version works just fine, and is decent-looking to boot. It’s not cheap, but nothing of quality is. It should last you at least your lifetime… that speaks volumes about it. Hopefully, one of the 13 models they make might be right for you. Short IS good!