I was going to add this to an existing Hellion thread, but the most recent thread when I searched had been closed down... seems like bullpups cause some people to get too excited (positive or negative) and the thread degenerated into a mess that the moderators closed. So hopefully this thread can stay civil and stay open.
I recently acquired a new Springfield Hellion on trade. I had been considering a bullpup for some time, mainly because I liked that it had a shorter overall length and seemed like it would be handy in tight places, such as in a building or getting in and out of a vehicle. I handled the Tavor and the Hellion. Both seemed a little heavier than an AR, but still not bad. I really liked the Tavor ergos a little better (a hair less weight, and safety position was better), but ended up not trading the first day I saw them, and when I went back to the gun store a week later, the Tavor had sold. So I decided to trade for the Hellion.
Fit and finish are excellent. No cosmetic issues at all. It has quite a few QD sling attachment points. I shot about 50 rounds of NATO M855 through it. No malfunctions whatsoever. The Hellion ejected brass consistently about 1 meter from where I was shooting. Operation was smooth and flawless. Trigger pull was OK. Not a great trigger, a little heavy, but not nearly what I thought it would be from reading about bullpups. It is a two stage trigger with some uptake, and then a fairly clean but somewhat heavy break. I think the trigger is acceptable as is for what the gun is designed for.
I only shot with iron sights today, but I plan to put a red dot on it soon. The iron sights on the Hellion are excellent and allow for a clean sight picture. The rear sight is windage adjustable, but was dead on already and didn't have to be adjusted. The front post is adjustable for elevation, and I did have to dial it down a little bit for a good 50 yard zero. I am not the best iron sights shooter out there anymore because I have developed some eye problems over the years and had to have retina surgery on my dominant eye, but I was able to shoot into a 2.5 to 3 inch circle at 50 yards, though I didnt measure the group. This is about as good as I can ever do with iron sights. I have no doubt that shooters with better eyes than I have could shoot the iron sights better than I can. I was shooting off a makeshift rest.
The safety on the Hellion is a little higher than is ideal. I can reach it without adjusting my grip too much, but they didn't put it in quite the right place. 1 centimeter lower and 0.5 cm further back would have been a better location. On the plus side, it has very positive engagement and disengagement. Its a short throw safety, which is ok, but makes it a little hard to look at the gun and tell if its on safe or not. I think the safety could be improved in its location, but its definitely not a deal breaker.
The adjustable stock works well, but unless you have arms like a gorilla, I think most shooters will just want to keep it in the shortest position.
Magazine changes are easy, though from youtube videos I thought they might not be. To close the bolt after a mag change, you press lever behind the magazine. Some youtube reviews have indicated this is awkward compared to the Tavor, but it really was not an issue for me, maybe because I am not used to the Tavor.
Overall, I liked the gun a lot.
The things I see that could be better are really just the weight (it would be nice to weigh 1 - 1.5 pounds less), and the location of the safety. Neither are dealbreakers if you are thinking about trying one.
All I will add to it is a red dot and a single point sling.
I recently acquired a new Springfield Hellion on trade. I had been considering a bullpup for some time, mainly because I liked that it had a shorter overall length and seemed like it would be handy in tight places, such as in a building or getting in and out of a vehicle. I handled the Tavor and the Hellion. Both seemed a little heavier than an AR, but still not bad. I really liked the Tavor ergos a little better (a hair less weight, and safety position was better), but ended up not trading the first day I saw them, and when I went back to the gun store a week later, the Tavor had sold. So I decided to trade for the Hellion.
Fit and finish are excellent. No cosmetic issues at all. It has quite a few QD sling attachment points. I shot about 50 rounds of NATO M855 through it. No malfunctions whatsoever. The Hellion ejected brass consistently about 1 meter from where I was shooting. Operation was smooth and flawless. Trigger pull was OK. Not a great trigger, a little heavy, but not nearly what I thought it would be from reading about bullpups. It is a two stage trigger with some uptake, and then a fairly clean but somewhat heavy break. I think the trigger is acceptable as is for what the gun is designed for.
I only shot with iron sights today, but I plan to put a red dot on it soon. The iron sights on the Hellion are excellent and allow for a clean sight picture. The rear sight is windage adjustable, but was dead on already and didn't have to be adjusted. The front post is adjustable for elevation, and I did have to dial it down a little bit for a good 50 yard zero. I am not the best iron sights shooter out there anymore because I have developed some eye problems over the years and had to have retina surgery on my dominant eye, but I was able to shoot into a 2.5 to 3 inch circle at 50 yards, though I didnt measure the group. This is about as good as I can ever do with iron sights. I have no doubt that shooters with better eyes than I have could shoot the iron sights better than I can. I was shooting off a makeshift rest.
The safety on the Hellion is a little higher than is ideal. I can reach it without adjusting my grip too much, but they didn't put it in quite the right place. 1 centimeter lower and 0.5 cm further back would have been a better location. On the plus side, it has very positive engagement and disengagement. Its a short throw safety, which is ok, but makes it a little hard to look at the gun and tell if its on safe or not. I think the safety could be improved in its location, but its definitely not a deal breaker.
The adjustable stock works well, but unless you have arms like a gorilla, I think most shooters will just want to keep it in the shortest position.
Magazine changes are easy, though from youtube videos I thought they might not be. To close the bolt after a mag change, you press lever behind the magazine. Some youtube reviews have indicated this is awkward compared to the Tavor, but it really was not an issue for me, maybe because I am not used to the Tavor.
Overall, I liked the gun a lot.
The things I see that could be better are really just the weight (it would be nice to weigh 1 - 1.5 pounds less), and the location of the safety. Neither are dealbreakers if you are thinking about trying one.
All I will add to it is a red dot and a single point sling.
