Thx! I appreciate the clear concise explanation.
While I understood the concept of “muzzle flip” as it pertains to handguns/target reacquisition; your final paragraph helped clarify how/why “muzzle flip” translates to decreased “perceived recoil” in a bullpup design.
I presume the only downside to bullpup design is placing the chamber closer to the shooters face (gasses from spent cartridges/increased danger to the shooter in the even of a critical failure due to overpressure) and a shorter sight radius. Any other pluses or minuses in your opinion?
Regards,
-Geoff
Shorter overall length, so longer barrels or suppressors can easily be accommodated.
Recoil directed along axis bore through butt, less muzzle flip.
Do not seem to “balance and handle” as well as conventional designs. May simply require familiarization.
Minuses of Bullpup design:
Much longer trigger linkage, more complicated design.
Muzzle is much closer to operators face(unless barrel is lengthened).
Sights are much above bore axis (not so great for hunting guns that require precision at shorter ranges).
Do not seem to “balance and handle” as well as conventional designs. May simply require familiarization.
Puts most magazines in the butt, not as easily accessed by dominant hand as magazines near the trigger.
And your point, the ejection of empties occurs nearer the shooter, so it must be dealt with. If done well, this is not a problem, but it can be. Empties can be directed downward, or switched from side to side, or as in the Kel-Tec, even pushed forward and out a tube (fascinating design!)
I put the “balances and handles” point on both sides. I should have removed it from the “plus” side.