the FAIL guns

[Wyrmshadow]

I saw these two pictures posted on that other forum I visit, alternate history.. The same one that has given me a few problems in the past.
Obviously it's a cut&paste of a Calico, SA80.. and an M4... but the design is just horrendous.
I call it Ergonomic FAIL. Discuss.

[Aircav]

What about these, and they are real 

[Wyrmshadow]

But alteast you're able to rest your cheek somewhere on those rifles and still get a good line of sight from your eyes to the sights on the gun... can't do that with the CalicoSA80M4.

The 'ahem' owner of the images is really really angry that I'm sharing his ignorance of how to build a weapon with the rest of the world. I've also posted it on militaryphotos.net and they got a laugh out of them too..
You can't aim an assault rifle like a pistol, which is what you'd have to do in this case.

He also claims to be a member of his local rifle club and had RAF training. I suspect this is a lie.

[ysi_maniac]

  What is that thing with 3 barrels?

[pyro-manic]

Put the magazine under the reciever, and you're getting somewhere. But as-is, no chance. The other option would be to have the sights offset to the side of the weapon, like the Bren gun.


I thought this was going to be a topic about the USN's Rail gun project...

[Aircav]

It's a Pribor-3B meroka which was desiged by G. A. Korobov.
http://guns.wikia.com/wiki/Pribor-3B_meroka_assault_rifle
http://metalgear.wikia.com/wiki/Pribor-3B

[B777LR]

I think there is only 1 gun that is not ugly, the AK-47, and all of its predecesors, variants, relatives, etc. 

[cthulhu77]

Sorry, but I would have to go with the HK 91/93 series as being the best looking.  Though I do like my AK !

[PanzerWulff]

If you combine good clean looks with a rugged accurate weapon I like the M-14/M-1A or the FAL for a full stregnth rifle round (non "Assault rifle) I perfer the .308/7.62mm NATO for "Assault rifles I would go with the AK47/74 or the AUG.The AUG is just a beauty and it is accurate to boot
"Panzer"

[tinlail]

On the other hand give the guy some slack. good ergonomics on a bullpup are really hard. No one came up with a design that got much acceptance until the P-90, and that design doesn't scale up to larger calibers very well, on the other hand the Calico is for 22LR I believe.

I think he is failing where many have failed before.

[PanzerWulff]

I have fired the Steyer AUG which is a bullpup and I found it quite well balanced and comfortable to shoot it's easily controled even in rapid fire I also hear that the Israeli Tavor (http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/small_arms/tavor/Tavor.html) is quite well balanced as is the FN2000 http://world.guns.ru/assault/as41-e.htm
"Panzer"

[deathjester]

I remember reading about a bullpup pistol the US Airforce had designed for them by Colt for use by aircrew; I think it was called the Firestorm, and it layer along the inside of the forearm, with only about 3" of muzzle showing ahead of the pistol grip, so it had to be aimed like a pistol!

[Maverick]

Bullpups are great weapons to reduce overall length and yet retain a full barrel which obviously couldn't happen with 'assault carbines' like the XM-177 & AKSU.

Unfortunately, of course, it leads to some odd mag changes given where the mag-well is on a bullpup which is, in my mind, one of their great failings.  Also it usually means the weapon will eject spent casings from the right-hand side only, although some of the designs have managed to avoid this particular flaw.

The 'what if' SA-80s do have some merit, the first being the overhead mag.  (One must also realise that the Calico wasn't restricted to .22LR with chamberings in pistol cartridges as well). It would mean the spent casings would fall vertically, although once again, given the nature of a bullpup weapon, it could very well see them striking the firer.  That said, the pictures tend to retain the SA-80 ejection port which leads back to one of the failings of the original weapon (ie: right-hand ejections only).  As for the M4 RIS on the lower weapon, it just seems an odd addition.  I can't really think of any 'bonus' the grip would give the weapon in that configuration. 

For both of them, the sight picture would be 'interesting' to say the least, given that the butt would be in the shoulder which would lead one to assume that the rear-sight would also be there.  Beyond 'instinctive' fire off the hip, I couldn't see any worthwhile way of using the weapon.

The Sov AK bullpups are great, I'd seen the first, but the multib-barrel jobs are new & outlandish.

To me, 'traditional' layouts are just as good as bullpups with a more instinctive feel and no odd angles when reloading.  A good choice is the G36, especially in its K or C configuration or the SOPMOD M4.

Whether your colleage has had training or not, people have their own thoughts on weapons & their applications.  Many think the lighter rounds are all well and good, whilst some of us prefer the larger calibres from a more 'real world' scenario.

Regards,

Mav

[pyro-manic]

I found this bullpup M14 conversion a while back:

http://one08.oranc.co.kr/tt/attach/1/ds859.jpg

Thought that was quite a cool-looking design. Not sure how controllable it would be, but then I doubt you'd be firing full-auto anyway.

[Shasper]

gimme a M-14 anyday

Shas