If Thales exported them to the US it'd be good to see how the F90 as a modernised AUG variant competes with these newest bullpups, and how the advances such as being even lighter again, more accurate, having more rail space and accessory mounts would score.
@@Howjadoo22 It was in New Zealand and perpetrated by an Australian. New Zealanders were able to own full autos prior to then. I remember seeing racks of surplus M16A1's brought in from Vietnam in 2015, no doubt leftover from the war there. There were also surplus Thompson's from the second world war brought in from Russia of all places (a lot were given to them under the Lend Lease Act but were never returned due to strict US import laws) along with other full autos. And there were even a few Stg44's and FG42's that were no where near how outrageously expensive they are in the US. And Chinese NHM-90 semi auto AK's for those without the automatic license for about $600 brand new. It's strange for Americans to think that surplus guns can only be bolt action rifles or M1 Garands and the like because of shitty US gun and import laws.
Former Croatian soldiers here who was issued both the VHS-1 and VHS-2, that is in fact a forward assist or rather manual charging mechanism. Haven't actually ever had to use it as such, so I'm not sure if it is actually effective.
Something to remember. The Aug was built in 1977 and far exceeded technology back then. Yes, it could include a few updates but still is one of my favorite bullpups
I'm an AUG bro and can't disagree. There are fixes for its various issues, and I get military contract requirements preclude innovation, but now we have stateside manufacturing it would be nice to see Steyr USA implementing some changes in a potential A4
I love my A3M1 to death, but I've dumped almost what I paid for the gun into it again to address a lot of these shortcomings. Better trigger (sear), suppressor gas regulator, sling points, extended mag release, etc. The model being shown off at IWA makes me hopeful, but you just can't count on Steyr for the commercial market.
Looking at the chart, the takeaway is that the VHS is a little heavy and you get what you get without many options to modify. If you're looking for a bullpup with the best bang for you buck out of the box, seems like the VHS is a no brainer.
True, and the VHS uses AR grips which means you have a variety of grips. Colors I didn't really think of, the AUG is available in different colors too, but then you're just one rattle can away from a new color. I suspect the VHS will have more colors in the future. The stocks are almost certainly being made here for compliance reasons. I know that's the case for the X95 for example.
@@Militaryarmschannel Funny how X95 shown in the video is SBR and all spec was from the US 16" version. I found that the 13" SBR X95(only 22" OAL and 7.5lbs) has quite a bit better feeling than the 16" version(goofy square buttpad, and MA one makes it doesn't stand muzzle up). As for suppression, yes VHS wins. But X95 can use high-energy recoil spring and gasket port cover to make it pretty good. Since true X95 is 6-8" shorter than the VHS, I would say X95 wins to those who prefer a shorter rifle and more AR-like controls. And VHS wins for taller people and need a bullpup to be more precise at longer range.
@@Militaryarmschannel 💥Guys if u don't know about his channel, check it out. Please HELP OUT The HOFF(Richard Hoffman) from "BWE Firearms"...REALLY HARD times, He has Cancer & His Wife Just Died Monday..Thnx!👍🇺🇸
you can upgrade the AUG trigger with the 20/20 sear and the new spring set that Steyr recently released that would make the trigger much crisper and lighter. My AUG trigger is now between 5.5 to 6 lbs and zero creep.
The one category I would add is over all compactness and rear-ward bias, as these features are the primary advantages of bullpups when it comes to cqb. The vhs2 is about 2 inches longer than the x95, with a longer length of pull. If you pin the flash hider on the x95, and add the flat buttpad, the difference in length is about 3.5, that is very significant. For a general purpose rifle I would choose the vhs2, but for a dedicated home defense/cqb rifle the x95 is superior.
Once you SBR the X95 and swap to a 13" barrel... Honorable mention to a 14.7" barrel on a AUG *if* you can find one. One nice feature with the AUG is you can have a suppressor tuned barrel, a longer 20 LMG barrel, ect. Just seconds to swap between them, and if you remember the zeros for each one pretty easy to adjust the sights and confirm/tweak zero.
@@micah66048 Yeah, if you go the SBR route the x95 is ridiculously compact. I like the Aug as well, just something about the aesthetics doesn't sit right with me.
@@mohawk3371 Only reason now days to go AUG over the others is if you buy a full auto one. But they're about $37k right now. Side note, one feature I liked about the old AUG was the mags. 42rds. So for a standard NATO loadout of 210rds that is only 4 mags on your chest and one in the rifle, vs 6x30rd for AR styles. And with the stock being the way it was, it worked okay prone. Slower reloads, but reload less often? Huh, sounds like a P90 problem 🙂
@@acarmory people love to hate Kel-tec, but it's a seriously fantastic rifle. If it was redesigned to be ruggedized to Milspec needs, the layout, the balance, the ejection, the controls, so brilliant, so comfy. It's lighter than most too. The s model is crazy light.
I love keltec but I dont think it fits in this segment since there is no military using them and it has some substantial flaws. These three are battle proven military grade.
@Chris G I think the VHS will be easier to get sooner than the SA35 and other in demand guns. HS Produkt does nearly everything in house so supply issues are somewhat reduced.
Worth noting 2 things in regard to the rail accessories rating in the AUG. 1 is that the A2 had a top rail that sat much further forward. 2 is that you also have additional side picatinny rail in the A3. So you've got room for optics and a light/laser setup on the side. Honestly not really sure what other attachments you could possibly need or want, since suppressors were being looked at as their own category
I think if the VHS that is imported here has a chrome lined HF barrel, it would be a rifle that could not only beat the other 2 rifles but, it could easily hold it's own as a good alternative to an AR-15.
Good to hear a local shout out, been shopping there for the better part of 20 years, the new owners have been doing a good job keeping prices down like the previous owners did
The one category I would add is the coolness of the product :) VHS-2 is one of the best looking piece of weapon on general, not just between these three.
@@fmonk That’s just crazy. I’m waiting until it come to around 1700-1800 range. No rush for me. Maybe by the time I purchase it, they might have a Gen 2 version with upgrades and fixes, wishing thinking I guess, lol.
The ATF batch disapproved seemingly all Form 1 silencers yesterday. People who did not make any indication about intentions to buy a kit or anything like that. For all the ATF knows, these are people with no material at all or just blocks of metal. The reason given was that they now find any parts intended to be turned into a silencer as a silencer, therefor you can’t Form 1 a silencer because it requires you to obtain parts to make a silencer which they recognize as already being one.
Texas just started a lawsuit with them yesterday and will take it all the way to the Supreme Court and if it's made in Texas you can buy it in Texas, I think Arkansas fixing to do the same thing with Ammo and gun manufacturers
I have been waiting for my tax stamp for a year now. The ATF is "still reviewing" my application... Only government could be this slow. I could have gotten something delivered from Nepal via ox cart and sailing ship in less time than it takes those clowns to look at some paperwork.
@@andyinva1098 I feel your pain. The 10th of this month will be 1 year since I purchased my silencer and the 25th of this month will be 1 year since they cashed my check. Lol so true
The lack of a manual bolt hold open is a deal breaker for me. A manual bolt hold open is essential for troubleshooting malfunctions. Otherwise you might feel like you need 3 or more hands to fix a malfunction if something goes wrong. You don’t need a feature on a gun till you do. Shoot a gun long enough and you will.
Idk why you mention that when ALL of these DO HAVE manual bolt hold opens, the Hellion is a simple tab behind the mag well, AUG and X-95 have an HK like notch, plus... I dont think ive every had a malfunction i couldnt clear with 1 hand, and if i did.... it required complete dissasembly
Thank you. I've torn it down many times in the short time I've had it to learn everything I can about it. Given its military heritage I've had quite an interest in it for years. Thanks for watching.
@@Militaryarmschannel I get the impression that the Hellion is quite precarious for field cleaning by grunts. There are quite a lot small bits n pieces to get lost in the mud ... I think an Aug will be much easier to clean , is it ?
Good video and nice points to look at for the rifles. I recently bought X95 and changed it a bunch. Price of any of these three is higher than what most people can or want to afford. I have not shot the X95 yet but will soon. My upgrades changed a lot of the categories. I will still be getting the VHS at some point
I'd prefer the Steyr, seems to be the only rifle that's outlasted all its competitors in the bullpup world. There has to be a reason for it, I know it can't be Steyr's marketing department.
It's the build quality and longevity. My STG77 was more than 30 years old when I had my military service and it was still a nice shooter despite going through two sets of conscripts a year.
I I love bullpups, never owned one but if I where to have the money I'd invest in tge hellion, it's a sweet set up. Great video as always, and a very fair test.
Hellion was originally meant to mean minion of hell or hell's minion which theye would call kids badly misbehaving. Its a play on the Sprinfield guns like the, "Saint" series.
I purchased my X-95 from Copper Custom. The transaction with Copper was the Best I had, when purchasing via online. Copper set my X-95 up in Lefty mode. What was a pleasant surprise. Was Copper sent along the Right Bolt. I wasn't charged anything additional for the set up or for the Bolt. A lefty bolt cost $100 extra. Again when I bought the X95 it was a Green righty model. Copper didn't have to send the Righty Bolt. I was impressed, that I bought my CZ Scorpion from Copper too. Their customer services is excellent. When in the market for a new firearm. I always check Copper's site. Genuinely a great purchasing experience.
It's happening now. A few places are selling it in the low $1600 range while 6 local dealers have one or more in stock at the MSRP range. So, there's no shortage of VHS. Only 1 of them has an X95 and I don't see new ones that often anymore.
I recommend the Tavor or the AUG to this day. The Tavor is perfect for desert and hot environments and the AUG is a proven winter and ice weapon system.
@@sweetcostarica if I had to make an opinion I would say it seems like a good rifle but not for the price compared to the other two with a military history. The hellion would be a good American bullpup since accuracy seems to be the utmost priority. I would choose the Tavor over any of them because I've owned and used it extensively.
@@MyWatchIsEnded If you do not have an opinion... why did you just recommend the very reliable IWI Tavor and the unreliable Steyr AUG?? Should not you have said nothing until you have some experience with the VHS (Hellion)?? What the...?!? EDIT: Note I have owned & loved the IWI Tavor SAR version. I have only seen a Steyr AUG but it's extensive service record of high failures & breakage count it out.
Thanks! I'm getting close to pulling the trigger for a bullpup, so I'm watching the X95 and VHS. FWIW, I've seen the VHS described as an upgraded FAMAS; I also heard that the French looked at it as a 'Bugle' replacement.
Once the aftermarket picks up on the hellion its gonna be a huge winner. I'm not really a fan of anything other than AR type rifles but this has piqued my curiosity
I feel as though this may be a little biased. I don't own any bullpup rifles at the moment, but I have seen an X95 have a jam during a training class that kept the student from continuing. He had to do a full field strip to get the round out. I also don't know how I would feel about my sight rail being held together with some phillips screws like on the Helion. I think my choice would be the Aug simply due to the track record.
I don’t know if it’s because I’m already familiar with the AR 15, but this seems waaaaay more complicated. Cool little gun though- I’m definitely bull pup curious- 😁
Very good comparison. I'd been interested in the AUG ever since I went on a joint training exercise with some Australian Air Force folks. They carried the AUG. After seeing this comparison, though, I think I'd rather go with a Hellion or X95.
For me it would be the X95 out the choices featured.Even though it's not a military rifle I'd say the MDR is something I'd really like over all featured in this video.That being said both the MDR and the X95 are guns I'm looking at for my first bullpup.
I think it’s important to note that the VHS was not higher because it is so new, and so it has less after market support than the more mature platforms. I think it is a safe assumption that within a year or two it will have similar support and so it’s score will move up (or down as it were per your scoring system).
AUG has minimal railed areas which I don't like. AUG Trigger I find can work for accuracy, just gotta understand its way. Have the 3x on it which is quite nice. Amazing you can resolve inside 5 yards with it. Like ARs better but that's what I grew up on. Very accurate hammer forged barrel. A precision 100 yard 556 over the AR IMO. Cool engineering but that's STEYR for ya. Austria!
20:10 - that cross locking piece was indeed sharp but after a few minutes of careful filing and scraping, ALL sharp edges were GONE! The AUG is full of sharp edges due to the molding process and design, but I'm sure we can all look beyond that, can't we? However the #1 on the 'cool map' HAS to be the Steyr AUG!
What about a row for overall length: smaller being better since that's the point of a bullpup? VHS looked giant in that side by side shot, but maybe the x95 shown is SBR'd?
MAC's enthusiasm for the Tavor is what got me interested in them. When I read that IWI-IL was bringing out a 5.45x39 conversion kit for the gun, I had to get one. Had hurt feelings when that was canceled that were only slightly molified when I was able to get a 5.45 Galil ACE.
Thanks for this comparison, Tim! I have actually been wanting to add a bullpup to my collection in the near future and was considering the X95 or maybe the DT MDRX. Then the Hellion came out and I wasn't sure any more. But I admittedly still kind of hold a grudge against Springfield for that anti-gun campaign donation crap they did so the Hellion wasn't heavily in the running. I think I might shoot for the X95. Thanks for the video!
If you do get the x95 be aware it prefers heavier bullets like 75/77 gr. I would recommend getting the grip replacement with the traditional trigger guard on it.
I like both the standard rifle and the SBR X-95 myself. Very fun. I have zero issues with either of them and for mine, they shoot anything 55 grain or above.
I would go with the X95...I love mine. However, just take into consideration. That the X95 (barrel) is graded as "combat accurate." Which means it's about 2-3 MOA. The civilian X95 is the exact same as what the IDF uses. Except for the trigger group....we get semi and IDF gets select fire. Outside of that, the X95 makes an excellent all around rifle. It's compact, so easy to get in and out of vehicles, Easy to use inside a dwelling. But you still get good range and velocity with the 16" barrel. Yes it's a bit heavy. All the weight is in the rear. You can hold the X95 with your trigger hand and reload a mag. Without ever taking the rifle off your shoulder. Lastly, the X95 is well proven in combat as the AUG is. But the ergos on the X95 are similar to an AR.
@Armatis Reviews, I feel you, man. When the SA-58 "High Power" announced, that got me rethinking Springfield Armory and then the VHS-2, and then it came time to update my EDC and the Hellcat OSP was basically the perfect option for me, all but for my hatred of Springfield Armory.. Here's the thing that settled it for me: if I don't buy SA guns, who am I punishing? They're doing very well. Not enough people care or know about their shady politics to hurt them. And here I am, still holding a grudge over a "crime" against someone else, somewhere else, and I am going to punish myself for it? I bought the Hellcat. I will probably buy an SA-58 and a VHS-2 someday. It's just not worth it to me anymore to keep holding that grudge, to my detriment and not theirs. FWIW
Nobody seems to report on the measured length of pull on these things. 😂 Compared to the AR/AK platforms that the tester actually uses would be welcome too. What is interesting, is that anytime a presenter/youtuber is walking through one of these they usually seem to default to allowing the stock to ride over their shoulder or upper arm, or, grab it by the magazine.
I personally think the sights category is irrelevant because most people will already have optics to put on their rifles so in my eyes that makes the X95 the best out of the 3. That would take 2 points from the X95 and only 1 from the Hellion bringing it to X95 - 21 to Hellion - 22
For my part I dont care about kit conversion and after market so it bring X95 to 21, Aug to 28 and VHS-2 to 17 After all it a point of view Fot me backup sights are usefull if the optic is damaged during fights.
Ambi also is in a weird place where if you're a righty it's kind of meaningless, but if you're a lefty it's the most important factor. So for me the others get penalized so heavily that the Hellion wins by a landslide (finding a left-handed tavor is so hard, and makes it way harder for any friends to shoot it)
I’m here six months later to remind people that the ATF is currently enforcing laws against stabilizer brace rifles meaning that Bullpup rifles are the shortest weapons you can legally own. Of course that’s going to change in the near future when the NFA is struck down and the ATF does abolished but until then the best way to avoid violations is the own a bull pup from this list.
I want the Helghast StA-52 so much now. Those point issues will only go down over time as more aftermarket support comes to the gun. Now all I need is a VHS-3 with the StA-52 style recessed cylindrical mag and all my fantasies will come to life.
X95 wins by default over VHS 2 because it is like 4 inches shorter overall and that's really the only thing that matters with a bullpup when the entire concept is a compromise to get the shortest package.
@@Militaryarmschannel Hell, it could've been my own bias for the x95. To me when you were going down the list it seemed as if you were trying to keep the vhs neck and neck with the x95.
Springfield imports the XD series and Hellcats from HS Produkt aswell.The company quality machining is impressive as is the reliability of there firearms.I watched a video testing the metal grade showed they use a higher grade then other manufacturers.So I'd expect the same with the Bullpup.The Iraqis swear on its reliability aswell.A small company isn't a bad thing either as there's only limited position so the company has the luxury to employ the best people available.
Way back in 2015 I got some VHS mags when I was with the Croats on a NATO mission. They were pretty cool guys. All they wanted were Oakley glasses and Gerber multitools.
Hey, Tim. Unrelated, but my rough understanding is that the Foxtrot Mike FM-15 is essentially the DI version of the BRN-180. I'd love to see two very similar rifles compared. Ex. 16" 5.56, etc.
I will talk about the FM-15 here soon. I do have one. It's really a copy of a Rock River Arms rifle, which I also have - the LAR-PDS rifle. The LAR PDS has been out of production for some time now though: www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=123
@@Militaryarmschannel PDS is best "what could have been" in the gun world today. I drilled and pinned mine, new trigger, ALG, new stock. So close, just an evolutionary dead end.
In terms of durability and reliability the MDR had problems but new models seem to be better but remain unproven. The RDB however, well kel tec and too much plastic says it all right there, it just ain't a high round count gun.
@@Hunting-jr1mp Well the sub2000k track record and polymer technology would disagree with you 🙂. Remember she of the biggest advanced in firearms is polymer (Glock, Magpul, TV)
@@blacklilac1408 Glock internals r not polymer nearly to the level of kel tec. And when I am talking round counts I'm thinking in the tens of thousands, something that I gaurentee a Glock will do much better than any kel tec.
@@Hunting-jr1mp A RDB can do thousands of rounds same with a sub 2000. If anything goes wrong send it to them it's a lifetime warranty. Also when is the Glock rifle coming out?
No comment, apart from loving the Paddyflage! Currently living in the states and thinking heavily towards adding a Hellion to the Armoury. God Bless America and the Second Amendment.
It doesn't take in consideration reliability in hard conditions such as dust & mud. In range tv tested these 3 bullpups in their mud test and it was : 1 VHS -2 X95 - 3 Aug
It wouldn't change much, I have most of the available ones on the market. AUG, FS2000, MDR, RDB, RFB, Tavor SAR, Tavor 7 and a X95. I dont have a VHS but have one on order. Honestly the Keltec RDB is probably one of my favorites , second would be the Tavor 7 or SAR. Ive put well over 5k through my SAR and AUG and they are excellent, the others have been really reliable the keltecs actually surprised me but they arent launch models. People dont take the time to set the Gas systems on the keltecs so they have issues.
Love the “dagger of judgement” with an interesting outcome. Nuts and bolts question for the MAC crew. What is the process when a new gun comes in for review? Is it everyone tears it down than puts it back together, then shoot? Are there specific folks for specific tasks? Love the channel, keep up the good work!!
Now that the brace junk is doing whatever, a bullpup might become my truck gun. I don’t need legalities going against me if I do ever need to use the gun. I think I’ll pass on the Hellion, but I love the famas style look of it, the full ambi capabilities, and the smooth action. I don’t like that it doesn’t have a specific bolt hold button.
Nice concise video. I do like the chart because you could take out categories that dont apply to you particular usage and get a whole different 'ideal choice' For instance i dont want conversions and bam that has an impact on the end result...
