Springfield Armory has released a “Low Capacity” Hellion option. The Hellion is, of course, their 5.56mm bullpup-style rifle. This is the same weapon, just shipped with a state-compliant” Magpul 10-round magazine. Hopefully, they won’t be necessary for too long in California. Unfortunately, this will remain necessary in several states no matter what happens in California.
10 Round Springfield Armory Hellion
The 10-round Hellion is, as Springfield explains, ideal for “restrictive locales.” You’ll still get all the maneuverability benefits and compactness of the Hellion; you’ll just have to reload more often.
The Hellion is a short, modular, fully ambidextrous bullpup platform based on the Croatian armed forces VH-2. The latter weapon has been proven in the field in a number of places on a couple of continents. The former has proven extremely popular despite being Springfield Armory’s first production gun in this configuration.
A bullpup has several advantages, though these must be weighed against potential disadvantages presented by an unfamiliar manual of arms. Bullpups are designed with the action and magazine well behind the trigger, back almost to the buttstock. For instance, this allows you to retain a 16-inch barrel while significantly shortening the weapon’s overall length.
However, one of this bullpup’s best features is its reversibility and ambidexterity. It features an ejection system that can be reversed without additional parts or tools and a full suite of ambi controls (safety, charging handle, magazine release, bolt release). It also sports a five-position collapsible buttstock and dual-position adjustable gas system.
Steve Kramer, Springfield Armory’s Vice President of Marketing, says, “The semi-automatic Hellion builds upon the solid foundation of the Croatian VHS-2 and adapts it to the needs of American shooters. And now, with the 10-round version, it’s available to an even broader range of shooters.”
