Editing Bullpup (section)

==History==
[[File:Thorneycroft carbine, patent 14622 of July 18, 1901.png|thumb|upright=1.3|[[Thorneycroft carbine]] patent]]
The earliest bullpup firearm known is a heavy [[Benchrest shooting|bench-rest]] target rifle made circa 1860 for a Professor Richard Potter by Riviere of London. It weighs more than {{convert|6|kg|lboz|abbr=on}} and features an octagonal barrel of approximately 20 bore (0.60&nbsp;in) in calibre, with two-groove [[Brunswick rifle|Brunswick rifling]]. It is held in the collection of the British [[National Rifle Association (United Kingdom)#Museum of the National Rifle Association|National Rifle Association]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ferguson |first1=Jonathan |title=Thorneycroft to SA80: British Bullpup Firearms, 1901–2020 |date=2020 |publisher=Headstamp Publishing |location=Nashville, Tennessee |isbn=9781733424622 |pages=48–49}}</ref> One of the earliest repeating bullpup designs was patented by William Joseph Curtis in 1866.<ref>{{citation |title=Curtis 1866: The First Bullpup – with Jonathan Ferguson |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcIG5OqQjlw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/HcIG5OqQjlw| archive-date=2021-12-11 |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The concept was later used in [[bolt-action]] rifles such as the [[Thorneycroft carbine]] of 1901, although the increased distance from hand grip to bolt handle meant the decreased length had to be weighed against the increased time required to fire. It was used in [[semi-automatic firearm]]s in 1918 (6.5&nbsp;mm French Faucon-Meunier [[semi-automatic rifle]] developed by Lt. Col. Armand-Frédéric Faucon), then in 1936 a bullpup machine pistol was patented by the Frenchman [[Henri Delacre]].<ref name="Dugelby1984">{{cite book|last=Dugelby|first=Thomas B.|title=Modern Military Bullpup Rifles: The EM-2 Concept Comes of Age|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MNGWGAAACAAJ|year=1984|publisher=Collector Grade|isbn=978-0-88935-026-7|pages=21–47}}</ref> The first bullpup design used in combat was the PzB M.SS.41 [[anti-tank rifle]] during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCollum |first=Ian |date=2017-06-23 |title=The Model SS41 – A Czech Bullpup Anti-Tank Rifle for the SS |url=https://www.forgottenweapons.com/the-model-ss41-a-czech-bullpup-anti-tank-rifle-for-the-ss/ |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=www.forgottenweapons.com |language=en-US}}</ref> It was a Czech weapon used by the [[Schutzstaffel|SS]], produced under German occupation.
[[File:Enfield bullpup prototype.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|[[EM-2 rifle|EM-2]], an experimental British assault rifle from the 1950s.]]
After World War II, Western engineers drew inspiration from the German [[StG 44|Sturmgewehr 44]] [[assault rifle]], which offered a compromise between bolt-action rifles and submachine guns. Among them was [[Kazimierz Januszewski]] (also known as Stefan Janson), a Polish engineer who had worked at the Polish national arsenal during the 1930s. After being mobilized during World War II he escaped German and Soviet forces and made his way to England, where he was a part of the "Polish design team" at [[Enfield Lock]]'s [[Royal Small Arms Factory]]. The factory was run by lieutenant colonel Edward Kent-Lemon. As Januszewski was developing a new rifle, the "Ideal Calibre Board" was searching for a replacement for the .303 cartridge. The Board decided on an optimal [[.280 British|7 mm]] cartridge on which Januszewski and the two teams working at Enfield had to base their designs. One design team led by Stanley Thorpe produced a gas-powered rifle with a locking system based on the Sturmgewehr. The design used steel pressings which were difficult to obtain, and so was scrapped. The result of the Polish design team's efforts was the [[EM-2 rifle|EM-2]], which broke significant ground.<ref name=dugelby>{{cite book | last = Dugelby | first = Thomas B. | year = 1980 | title = EM-2: Concept and Design | publisher = Collector Grade Publications | location = Toronto | isbn=978-0-88935-002-1 |pages=258–260 }}</ref>

The EM-2 contained some similarities to the Soviet [[AK-47]], although Januszewski had never seen the Soviet rifle. The first significant bullpup assault rifle came from the British programme to replace the service pistols, sub-machine guns, and rifles. In the two forms of the [[EM-2 rifle#Background|EM-1]] and the EM-2, the new rifle concept was born as a result of the experience with small arms that was gained during the Second World War.<ref name=dugelby/>

It was obvious that modern warfare would require the infantry to be armed with a light, selective fire weapon, with effective range much longer than that of a submachine gun, but shorter than that of conventional semi-automatic or bolt-action rifles. The bullpup design was deemed necessary to retain the accuracy at range while reducing overall length. The EM-2 was adopted by the UK in 1951 as the world's first (limited) service bullpup rifle, but was promptly displaced by the adoption of the [[7.62×51mm NATO]] (0.308&nbsp;in) cartridge, to which the EM-2 was not easily adapted. The decision was rescinded and a variant of the more conventional [[FN FAL]] was adopted in its place.<ref name="Cashner2013">{{cite book|last=Cashner|first=Bob|title=The FN FAL Battle Rifle|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=faCjCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA12|date=20 August 2013|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-78096-904-6|page=12}}</ref>

A [[7.62×39mm#M43|7.62×39mm M43]] calibre experimental assault rifle was developed by [[German A. Korobov]] in the [[Soviet Union]] around 1945, and a further development, the [[TKB-408]] was entered for the 1946–47 assault rifle trials by the Soviet Army, although it was rejected in favour of the more conventional [[AK-47]]. The United States briefly experimented in the same year with the integrally-scoped [[Model 45A]] bullpup, which never progressed beyond the prototype; [[John Garand]] designed the T31 bullpup, which was abandoned after his retirement in 1953.

After these failures of the bullpup design to achieve widespread service, the concept continued to be explored (for example: a second Korobov bullpup, the [[TKB-022PM]]).

===Adoption===
[[File:AUG A1 508mm 04.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Steyr AUG]] was one of the first bullpup rifles to enter widespread use.]]
[[File:FAMAS dsc06877.jpg|thumb|right|[[FAMAS]] F1 rifle.]]
[[File:SA80-A2 Individual Weapon (IW) MOD 45160295.jpg|right|thumb|The [[SA80|L85A2]] rifle, variant of the SA80 series of weapons.]]
[[File:IWI-Tavor-TAR-21w1.jpg|thumb|[[IMI Tavor|IWI Tavor TAR-21]]]]
[[File:QBZ95 automatic rifle mod noBG.png|thumb|The [[QBZ-95]] is one of the [[List of most-produced firearms|most-produced firearms]] in the world with approximately 3 million weapons made.]]
[[File:FN F2000S.JPG|thumb|[[FN F2000]]]]
[[File:Vulkan assault rifle, Kyiv 2021, 02.jpg|thumb|[[Malyuk|IPI Malyuk]]]]

The [[Steyr AUG]] (selected in 1977) is often cited as the first successful bullpup,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Bullpup Rifle Experiment, Part 4: do they have a place in the home defense arsenal?| url=http://www.grantcunningham.com/2015/10/the-bullpup-rifle-experiment-part-4-do-they-have-a-place-in-the-home-defense-arsenal/|first= Grant |last=Cunningham|date=1 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Gun Review: The VLTOR AUG A3|date= 1 September 2013|url=http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/09/01/vltor-aug-a3/ |first=Alex |last= Crossley}}</ref><ref name="Lewis2011">{{cite book|last=Lewis|first=Jack|title=Assault Weapons|date=28 February 2011|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-2400-3|page=51}}</ref> in service with the armed forces of over twenty countries, and the primary rifle of Austria and Australia. It was highly advanced for the 1970s, combining in the same weapon the bullpup configuration, extensive use of polymer, dual vertical grips, an optical sight as standard, and a modular design. Highly reliable, light, and accurate, the Steyr AUG showed clearly the potential of the bullpup layout. The arrival of the [[FAMAS]] in 1978, and its adoption by France emphasized the slide from traditional to bullpup layouts within rifle designs.<ref name="Lewis2011"/>

The British resumed their bullpup experiments with the [[SA80|L85]], which entered service in 1985. After persistent reliability problems, it was redesigned by the then British-owned [[Heckler & Koch]] into the [[SA80#Rifle|L85A2]], to be a fully reliable weapon.<ref name="Hogg2003">{{cite book|last=Hogg|first=Ian|title=Handguns & Rifles: The Finest Weapons from Around the World|date=1 June 2003|publisher=Globe Pequot Press|isbn=978-1-58574-835-8|page=36}}</ref> As of 2016, it was replaced by the [[SA80#Rifle|L85A3]] which is lighter, more adaptable, and more durable.

Having learned from extensive combat experience, [[Israel Military Industries]] developed a bullpup rifle: the [[IMI Tavor TAR-21|Tavor TAR-21]]. The Tavor is light, accurate, fully ambidextrous and reliable (designed to stringent reliability standards to avoid malfunctioning in desert conditions), and is in increasing demand in other countries, notably India.<ref name="Dockery2007"/> The Tavor shares many similarities with the [[SAR 21]] and the South African [[Vektor CR-21]].<ref name="Dockery2007"/>

The Chinese [[People's Liberation Army]] adopted the [[QBZ-95#Variants|Type 95 gun family]] in 1997, a family of bullpup firearms sharing a common receiver design, which includes the [[QBZ-95]] standard rifle, a carbine and [[light support weapon]] variants. The [[Islamic Republic of Iran Army]] has adopted the [[KH-2002]] in limited numbers.<ref name="Lai2016">{{cite book|last=Lai|first=Benjamin|title=The Dragon's Teeth: The Chinese People's Liberation Army—Its History, Traditions, and Air Sea and Land Capability in the 21st Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g3yNDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT220|date=14 July 2016|publisher=Casemate|isbn=978-1-61200-389-4|page=220}}</ref>

Some sniper rifles such as the American [[Barrett M95]] and [[Barrett XM500|XM500]],<ref name="McNab2016">{{cite book|last=McNab|first=Chris|title=The Barrett Rifle: Sniping and anti-materiel rifles in the War on Terror|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=orygCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA16|date=24 March 2016|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-4728-1102-8|pages=16–19}}</ref> German [[Walther WA 2000]] and [[DSR-1]],<ref name="Dougherty2012">{{cite book|last=Dougherty|first=Martin J.|title=SAS and Elite Forces Guide Sniper: Sniping Skills from the World's Elite Forces|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nXNBdeseO1AC&pg=PT92|date=16 October 2012|publisher=Lyons Press|isbn=978-0-7627-8876-7|page=92}}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Chinese [[QBU-88]], Russian [[Dragunov SVU|SVU]], Polish [[Bor rifle|Bor]]. It is also used for [[combat shotgun]] designs such as the [[Neostead]] and [[Kel-Tec KSG]].<ref name="MannLee2013">{{cite book|last1=Mann|first1=Richard Allen|last2=Lee|first2=Jerry|title=The Gun Digest Book of Modern Gun Values: The Shooter's Guide to Guns 1900–Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MERRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA576|date=20 November 2013|publisher=F+W Media|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-3752-2|page=576}}</ref>

Bullpups are the [[Service rifle|standard issue]] rifle for the armed forces of:
*{{Flag|Austria}}: [[Austrian Armed Forces]] – [[Steyr AUG|StG 77]]; selected in 1977.
*{{Flag|Australia}}: [[Australian Defence Force]] – [[Steyr AUG#Australian adopted variants|F88 Austeyr]]; selected in 1989.
*{{Flag|Belgium}}: [[Belgian Armed Forces]] – [[FN F2000]]; selected in 2004.
*{{Flag|Colombia}}: [[Military Forces of Colombia]] and [[National Police of Colombia]] special forces – [[IMI Tavor TAR-21|IWI Tavor TAR-21]].
*{{Flag|Croatia}}: [[Croatian Army]] – [[VHS assault rifle|VHS]]; selected in 2009.
*{{Flag|India}}: [[Special forces of India|Indian Special Forces]] – [[IWI Tavor TAR-21]].
*{{Flag|Indonesia}}: [[Koopsus|Indonesian Special Forces]] – [[IWI Tavor TAR-21]] and [[Steyr AUG]].
*{{Flag|Ireland}}: [[Defence Forces (Ireland)|Irish Defence Forces]] – [[Steyr AUG]]; selected in 1988.
*{{Flag|Israel}}: [[Israel Defense Forces]] – [[IMI Tavor TAR-21|IWI Tavor TAR-21]]; selected in 2001, used by three of the five IDF infantry brigades.
*{{Flag|Oman}}: [[Royal Army of Oman]] – [[Steyr AUG]].
*{{Flag|Pakistan}}: [[Pakistan Army]] – [[FN F2000]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Belgian+bullpup%3A+FN+Herstal+FS2000%3A+its+appearance+is+wild,+its...-a0203540050|title=Belgian bullpup: FN Herstal FS2000: its appearance is wild, its engineering impressive. And you can have a semi-auto version, if you can find one!|access-date=23 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pakistan Army |url=http://www.defence.pk/pakistan-army/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012004559/http://www.defence.pk/pakistan-army/ |archive-date=2013-10-12 }}</ref>
*{{Flag|Peru}}: [[Peruvian Naval Infantry]] – [[FN F2000]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/ministeriodedefensaperu/35251496394/in/dateposted/|title=PLAYAS DE HUACHO FUERON ESCENARIO DE GRAN DESEMBARCO ANFIBIO EN EL MARCO DE OPERACIÓN UNITAS 2017|date=22 July 2017 }}</ref>
*{{Flag|Russia}}: [[Spetsnaz]] – [[OTs-14 Groza]], [[A-91]], and [[Dragunov SVU|SVU]]; selected during the 1990s.
*{{Flag|Singapore}}: [[Singapore Armed Forces]] – [[SAR 21]]; selected in 1999.
*{{Flag|Slovenia}}: [[Military of Slovenia|Slovenian Armed Forces]] – [[FN F2000]]; selected in 2007.
*{{flag|Tunisia}}: [[Tunisian Armed Forces]], Ministry of Interior ([[Tunisian National Guard]] and Police), and Tunisian Customs - [[Steyr AUG|StG 77]]; adopted in 1984.
*{{Flag|Ukraine}}: [[Ukrainian Armed Forces]] – [[Malyuk|IPI Malyuk]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2018 |title=Malyuk assault rifle (Ukraine) |url=https://modernfirearms.net/en/assault-rifles/malyuk/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Neville |first=Leigh |title=The Elite: The A–Z of Modern Special Operations Forces |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2019 |isbn=978-1472824295 |location=Oxford |page=173}}</ref>
*{{Flag|United Kingdom}}: [[British Armed Forces]] – [[SA80]]; selected in 1985.

Bullpups were formerly the standard-issue rifle for the armed forces of:
*{{Flag|China}}: [[People's Liberation Army]] – [[QBZ-95|Type 95]]; selected in 1997, being replaced by the [[QBZ-191]] since 2019.
*{{Flag|France}}: [[French Armed Forces]] – [[FAMAS]]; selected in 1978, being replaced by the [[Heckler & Koch HK416|HK 416F]] as of 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://armyrecognition.com/may_2017_global_defense_security_news_industry/delivery_first_batch_400_hk416f_assault_rifles_french_army_10305173.html/|title=Delivery first batch 400 HK416F assault rifles French army 10305173 &#124; May 2017 Global Defense Security news industry &#124; Defense Security global news industry army 2017 &#124; Archive News year}}</ref>
*{{Flag|Iran}}: [[Islamic Republic of Iran Army]] – [[KH-2002|Khaybar KH-2002]]; selected in 2004,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=234|title=DIO KH2002 / Khaybar|access-date=2009-05-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220125404/http://militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=234|archive-date=2009-02-20|url-status=live}}</ref> manufactured by [[Defense Industries Organization|Defense Industries Organization (DIO)]], discontinued production due to frequent jamming and lack of foreign customer by the said manufacturer,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2015/02/19/from-russia-with-love-syrias-ak-74ms/|title=From Russia with Love, Syria's AK-74Ms – bellingcat|date=19 February 2015|access-date=11 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206004749/https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2015/02/19/from-russia-with-love-syrias-ak-74ms/|archive-date=6 February 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://21stcenturyasianarmsrace.com/2014/03/01/the-assault-rifles-of-the-near-future-2-updated/|title=Updated: The Assault Rifles Of The Near Future|date=28 February 2014|access-date=5 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101151032/https://21stcenturyasianarmsrace.com/2014/03/01/the-assault-rifles-of-the-near-future-2-updated/|archive-date=1 January 2018|url-status=usurped}}</ref> replaced by the [[AR-10|Masaf 2]] in 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |website=Entekhab.ir |date= |title=تصاویر: اسلحه جدید تکاروان؛ سلاح ایرانی "مصاف ۲" جایگزین "ژ۳" شد |url=https://www.entekhab.ir/fa/news/847495/%D8%AA%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%87-%D8%AC%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%AA%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AD-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%A7%D9%81-%DB%B2-%D8%AC%D8%A7%DB%8C%DA%AF%D8%B2%DB%8C%D9%86-%DA%98%DB%B3-%D8%B4%D8%AF |access-date=2025-02-07 |language=fa}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Iran Unveils New 7.62×51mm MASAF Series Rifle |url=https://silahreport.com/2021/03/15/iran-unveils-new-7-62x51mm-masaf-series-rifle/ |access-date=2023-09-05 |website=Silah Report}}</ref>
*{{Flag|Malaysia}}: [[Malaysian Armed Forces]] – [[Steyr AUG]]; selected in 1991. Made under license from Steyr by [[SME Ordnance]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epicos.com/epicos/extended/malaysia/ordnance/smeordnance_products.html|title=SME Ordnance SDN BHD Products & Services|access-date=22 March 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123132108/http://www.epicos.com/epicos/extended/malaysia/ordnance/smeordnance_products.html|archive-date=23 November 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref> replaced by the [[M4 carbine|Colt M4A1]] in 2004.<ref name="i.stuff.co.nz">[http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/93704972/new-59-million-weapons-package-begins-defence-force-rollout/  New $59 million weapons package begins Defence Force rollout] Stuff.co.nz, 16 June 2017</ref>
*{{Flag|New Zealand}}: [[New Zealand Defence Force]] – [[Steyr AUG|IW Steyr]]; selected in 1988, replaced by the [[Lewis Machine and Tool Company#MARS-L|LMT MARS]] in 2017.<ref name="i.stuff.co.nz"/>