page_title: Bullpup
section_title: Adoption
hierarchical_section_title: Bullpup / History / Adoption
caption_attribution_description: English: StealthReconScout .338
context_page_description: A bullpup firearm is one with its action behind the trigger. This creates an overall more compact and maneuverable weapon in comparison to conventional firearm designs with the same length of gun barrel, and maintains advantages of a long barrel such as better muzzle velocity and accuracy while reducing the overall size and weight.
  The bullpup concept was first tested in 1901 with the British-made Thorneycroft carbine, but it was not until the Cold War that more successful designs and improvements made such design successful. In the 1970s, the Austrian Army became the first military force in the world to adopt a bullpup rifle, the Steyr AUG, as a principal combat weapon. Since then the militaries in many countries have followed suit, such as Australia, China, India, Israel, France, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
context_section_description: The Steyr AUG (selected in 1977) is often cited as the first successful bullpup, being in service with the armed forces of over twenty countries, and becoming the primary rifle of Austria and Australia. It was highly advanced for the 1970s, combining in the same weapon the bullpup configuration, a polymer housing, 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 gun designs.
  The British resumed their bullpup experiments with the L85, which entered service in 1985. Following persistent reliability problems, it was redesigned by the then British-owned Heckler & Koch into the L85A2, to become a fully reliable weapon. As of 2016, it is being replaced with the L85A3 which is lighter, more adaptable, and more durable.
  Having learned from extensive combat experience, Israel Military Industries developed a bullpup rifle: the 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. The Tavor shares many similarities with the SAR 21 and the South African Vektor CR-21. The Islamic Republic of Iran Army has adopted the KH-2002 and the Chinese People's Liberation Army use the QBZ-95.
  Some sniper rifles such as the American Barrett M95 and XM500, German Walther WA 2000 and DSR-1, Chinese QBU-88, Russian SVU, Polish Bor, American Desert Tech SRS and American Desert Tech HTI use the bullpup layout. It is also used for combat shotgun designs such as the Neostead and Kel-Tec KSG.
  Bullpups adopted for current standard issue by various armed forces:
   AUT: Austrian Armed Forces – StG 77; selected in 1977.
   AUS: Australian Defence Force – F88 Austeyr; selected in 1989.
   ARM: Armed Forces of Armenia special forces – K-3; selected in 1996.
   China: People's Liberation Army – Type 95; selected in 1997.
   Croatia: Croatian Army – VHS; selected in 2009.
   FRA: French Armed Forces – FAMAS; selected in 1978.
   IRE: Irish Defence Forces – Steyr AUG; selected in 1988.
   ISR: Israel Defense Forces – IWI Tavor TAR-21; selected in 2001. The Tavor X95 was selected in November 2009 to become standard issue for all first-line infantry units except the Kfir and Paratroopers Brigade by 2018.
   NZ: New Zealand Defence Force – IW Steyr; selected in 1988.
   OMN: Royal Army of Oman – Steyr AUG.
   Russia: Spetsnaz – OTs-14 Groza, A-91, and SVU; selected during the 1990s.
   SIN: Singapore Armed Forces – SAR 21; selected in 1999.
   UK: British Armed Forces – SA80; selected in 1985.
   BEL: Belgian Armed Forces – FN F2000; selected in 2004.
   SLO: Slovenian Armed Forces – FN F2000; selected in 2007.
   COL:Military Forces of Colombia and National Police of Colombia special forces – IWI Tavor TAR-21.
   IND:Special Forces-IWI Tavor TAR-21.
   Georgia:Republic of Georgia-Desert Tech SRS; selected in 2008.
   Thailand:Royal Thai Police-Desert Tech SRS; selected in 2012.
   Saudi Arabia:Saudi Royal Guard Regiment-Desert Tech SRS and Desert Tech HTI; selected in 2013.
   Lithuania:Lithuanian Armed Forces-Desert Tech SRS and Desert Tech HTI; selected in 2015.
   Czech:Czech Ministry of Defence-Desert Tech SRS and Desert Tech HTI; selected in 2015.
   Ukraine:Ukraine State Guard-Desert Tech SRS; selected in 2016.
caption: Desert Tech SRS
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