All gun companies are pushing to bring something new to the market. Some do a great work, while others add a new flavor and call it good. Rarely is a company willing to step outside the box and challenge the status quo. The Hellion rifle from Springfield Armory is a new weapon. The Springfield Armory Hellion Bullpup. Springfield will offer their first bullpup rifle, the Springfield Hellion, starting in 2022. The Hellion was available for me to test at the 2022 Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous. I’ve had the chance to run many bullpups over the years, but this was an entirely new beast. It was very easy to handle and it had a great feel. I knew I wanted to spend more time with it. Bullpup lovers will be thrilled, to say the very least. Gun nerds will be pleased to see that the gun has a French FAMAS rifle vibe. The rifle’s bullpup configuration features the action behind the trigger. A quick glance at the gun reveals this. The bullpup modular platform gives us the ability to keep all the ballistic advantages of a longer barrel in an even shorter package. This allows us not only to preserve overall length, accuracy, and muzzle velocity, but also reduces overall length. The rifle measures only 28.25 inches in length and has a 16 inch barrel. (Photo by Alex Landeen). The Hellion features ambidextrous controls and a reversible case-ejection system. It can be fired from either side, so it is easy to use. Springfield doesn’t mention much about the cheek riser on top of the buttstock. This riser acts as a spent casing deflector by raising the front. This design allows you to shoot the gun left-handed or right-handed, and not get brass in you face, regardless which ejection port is open. A Closer Look at Hellion. A closer look beneath the hood will give you a better view. It all starts with the 16-inch barrel. Springfield has included a precision barrel that is precision-hammered and high-performance to ensure solid accuracy. It has a twist rate up to 1:7 and a Melonite coating. We have an adjustable gas system above the barrel. The Hellion uses a short stroke gas piston design that is reliable and clean. The gun has a two-position adjustable gas block that can be set to either “S” suppressed or “N” normal modes. This result is a firearm that can easily be adjusted to suit conditions and ammo availability. Springfield knows that gun owners will want accessories and lights for their new rifles. The Hellion’s polymer handguard features nine M-Lok slots to mount accessories. Three slots are located at the 3 and 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions. A full-size picrail is also available on the rifle. The Hellion’s top is covered by a continuous strip of Picatinny rail. This allows you to mount the optics that you choose. Flip-up sight are also included on the rail. They are made of sturdy spring-loaded metal and have a diopter rear sight and a fully enclosed blade for the front. The gun features a 5-position adjustable stock that can be adjusted to give you a customized length of pull. It also uses the BCM Gunfighter MOD 3 grip. The Hellion has a reversible system for firing cases that does not require any additional parts or tools. You can also access the safety, charging handle, magazine and bolt releases from both sides of your gun. The Springfield Hellion was running after my Rendezvous experience. Springfield was kind enough send a Hellion out to do some additional testing. I did attach a Dead Air Silencers Sierra 5. A gun this powerful needs a suppressor to make it work. Although the manual of arms for a bullpup may present some hiccups for the uninitiated there are no doubt many that can be overcome. The bolt release is located behind the magazine well. It is operated by a pinching motion. The spring-loaded charging handle is similar to the H&K G36. It is non-reciprocating, and it sits parallel to barrel. It can be pulled to either left or right depending on your needs. It worked well for me. (Photo by Alex Landeen). It’s quite an experience to trigger a bullpup. It travels a lot longer than we are used to with our AR rifles. The press is consistent and smooth, however, that’s all I can say. While some guns in this category have given up on the possibility of a decent trigger, Springfield has done some work. The gun shot well accuracy-wise. Five rounds were almost all touched at 25 yards. At 100 yards, I was capable of getting a nice one as well as an eighth-inch group using good ammo. Mag Changes The Springfield Hellion includes a Magpul Pmag, which worked well. One thing I noticed about magazines was that they didn’t immediately drop free like we see in most ARs. This is a minor change in our manual and operating procedures. When changing mags, I had to press and pull the empty magazine out of the mag release before replacing it. This was easy and quick after some practice. Although I can’t be certain, I believe magazines will start to fall off as rifles are broken in. The Bullpup Gets Right with the Hellion The Hellion is a great choice for this role. It was very easy to use and quick to run. Barricade work was made easy by the gun’s ambidextrous nature. The cheek plate’s raised end helped to deflect brass, as I mentioned previously. I tried the gun with the right-side port open, but it was not a problem. I also tried the gun left-handed several times and didn’t feel any brass in my eyes. I was able to quickly adjust to the trigger and put the pedal to metal on all my drills. The trigger is slower than my standard ARs, but I didn’t find it to be a problem with the gun’s performance. I would recommend the same advice I give to all guns. Master the trigger of your gun. It is easy to disassemble the gun for cleaning or maintenance. I am positive about the gun. Although the manual of arms is a bit different, it is easy to learn. It is a soft-shooting rifle that can be used in close-quarter shooting as well as long distance shooting. This rifle is a great product from Springfield, and you should test it out. For more information, please visit Springfield-Armory.com. Springfield Armory Hellion Specs: Color: Black
Barrel: 16″ Hammer Forged 4150 Steel, Melonite Finish
Twist: 1:7
Front Sight: Integrated Flip Up, Elevation Adjustable
Rear Sight: Integrated Flip Up w/ 5-Position Perture, Windage Adjustable
Bolt Carrier: Proprietary, Melonite finish
Gas System: 2-Position Adjustable Short Stroke Piston
Handguard: Polymer, M-Lok
Stock: 5-Position Adjustable w/ Cheek Riser
Muzzle Device: 4-Prong Flash HIDDER
Charging Handle: Ambidextrous, Non-Reciprocating
Safety Selector Ambidextrous
Grip: BCMGUNFIGHTER MOD 3
(1) 30-Round Magpul Magpul PMAG Gen A3 Magazines
Weight: 8 lbs
Length: 28.25” – 29.75”
MSRP: $1.999 Photo by Alex Landeen (Photo courtesy Alex Landeen). Keep Reading Search The post The Springfield Armory Hellion Bullpup Brings Heat in 5.56 appeared originally on Personal Defense World.
