Self Defense

Springfield Armory Hellion

By: Chris Mudgett

A Better Bullpup

In 2022, right out of nowhere, Springfield Armory swooped in and dropped the best and most advanced bullpup of them all — the Hellion — made possible by Springfield’s relationship with HS Produkt, whose VHS rifle has made advancements in not only the Croatian military but within the Iraqi Army, Syrian fighters, and others.

While we were all surprised by the bullpup introduction, the company obviously saw a chance to improve on a platform that needs all the help it can get. Outside of a bullpup’s stand-out trait of being able to house a 16-inch barrel in a smaller overall package size compared to a traditional carbine, Springfield has a whole lot more up its sleeve with the Hellion, so let’s take a look.

Bullpup rifles generally have uniquely placed controls and a different manual of arms compared to a more conventional AR-15 platform, but the Hellion’s controls are both well-placed and intuitive. The mag release paddle sits directly behind the magazine well, and the bolt release tab is directly behind that. The ambi ejection port can be set up to spit empty cases out of either the right or left side of the gun.

Trigger

Typically, bullpup carbines offer users one of the worst trigger pulls of any rifle, period. While the Hellion’s trigger isn’t comparable to, say, a Geissele in an AR-15, it’s on par with a standard Mil-Spec M4 trigger with a bit more creep. Which is to say it’s straight-up awesome when compared to other bullpups.

Controls

Controls can be another sore spot with bullpups. I’m not wrong-handed, but those who are traditionally despise bullpups for obvious reasons. All the controls on the Hellion are ambidextrous, including a pair of ejection ports located on the left and right side of the carbine, allowing you to choose which side spent cases will eject from.

The non-reciprocating charging handle is spring-loaded and located along the centerline of the rifle, just beneath the optic rail. It’s large enough to get a quick purchase on it with an index finger and scalloped enough to maintain your leverage over it throughout the stroke. The magazine release is also located along the platform’s centerline, directly behind the AR-15 mag-compatible magazine well. Just behind that resides the bolt release. The ambi safety selectors require a bit of a reach for those with smaller digits but functioned flawlessly. All in all, light years ahead of other bullpups.

Springfield smartly made the Hellion compatible with the myriad of AR-15 grips available on the secondary market. It comes with BCM’s Gunfighter pistol grip, and if that isn’t your style, simply spike it into the parts bin and replace it.

Up front, the 16-inch barrel gets a four-prong flash hider and two-position gas knob — one position for unsuppressed and the other for suppressed. The polymer M-LOK compatible forend is equipped with a QD sling cup on either side and an ambi, rotating sling-hook mount directly above the forend. In short, there are sling-mounting points aplenty.

Stock

Traditionally, with a bullpup, the ergonomics and length of pull are fixed from the factory; you fit yourself to the gun, not the gun to you. Fully recognizing this fact, the Hellion comes with a five-position adjustable stock. The Hellion not only gives you the ability to adjust length of pull, but you can also make adjustments for your head placement via an adjustable cheek riser. This little feature gives tremendous flexibility in not only optic choice but optic height as well.

Simply by pulling a few pins, the Hellion can be quickly and easily field-stripped down to what you see here. The trigger proved much better than its bullpup competition, with pull characteristics most closely mirroring a mil-spec AR-15. The folding charging handle rides in the centerline of the rifle and does not reciprocate. A five-position-adjustable, spring-loaded buttstock sits in place of what would otherwise be a fixed stock on a bullpup.

Optic Rail

The Hellion’s removable top rail doubles as a carrying handle, and there is significant top-rail real estate to mount virtually whatever optic/light/laser system your heart desires. A set of fully adjustable iron sights lay flat within the rail and remain unobtrusive until needed. When called upon, they each spring into place with the press of a button. The forend features M-LOK compatible slots at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock to accept any needed accessories.

The Hellion’s recoil impulse is considerably lighter than that of an AR-15. Add to that its superb balance and compact dimensions that are conducive to tight confines, and you have no shortage of compelling reasons to give one a try.

Sling Options

The Hellion features a total of six anti-rotation QD sling cups and four hook locations. The latter are located at the fore and aft ends of the carbine; the front two rotate to ensure your sling stays out of the way of the charging handle area. The Hellion is a bit hefty at 8 pounds empty, so a padded two-point adjustable sling should top your accessory list post-purchase.

Performance

So, how does it shoot? The bulk of the gun sits a lot closer to your body, making the platform feel more nimble than its weight would suggest. Recoil is very tame. The Hellion features a short-stroke gas piston with a two-position gas valve for normal or suppressed shooting and, during testing, was completely reliable. Our best group was achieved with Hornady 55-grain American Gunner ammunition, printing a five-shot group measuring 0.90 inches at 50 yards. Average group sizes ranged from 0.98 to 1.53 inches with all ammunition.

Conclusion

Given the thoughtful and very functional updates to the bullpup concept, I would say Springfield Armory is making a best-in-class platform with the Hellion, and I have found myself encouraging others to give it a try. See the Hellion at your nearest dealer, or for more information, contact Springfield Armory; Tel.: (800) 680-6866; Web: www.springfield-armory.com.