What are the Pros and Cons to bullpup rifles?

Guns are tools. You want the right tool for the right job. If you are a Sports shooter - hunter, trap shooter, long distance competitor and pistol shooter...... bullpups make no sense. That is because they are a professional firearm - certainly not designed for hunting, fun, or competition. They are a work gun. Pistols are small and weak. Rifles are powerful and large. SBR's (short barreled rifles) are smaller than rifles, have high power, but are still 3x the size of a pistol. The bullpup changes the ergonomics of the gun to bring the receiver farther back into the stock than is considered normal. The result: a firearm with rifle like power from a gun only 2x the size of a pistol. This makes it the ideal defensive weapon - perfect for security details who need both concealability and the ability to move the gun easily in close quarters - while still retaining the power needed to penetrate a concealed attacker.

When I retired from the military and spent a year looking for a good job - I worked as a security grunt. Lots of time going in and out of vehicles, changing vehicles, swapping vehicles. Lots of time trying to not be noticed, to stay in the background......you cant do that holding a 12ga pump shotgun or AR-15....... but you can keep a bullpup under wraps.

Ever fired a pistol under pressure? With people screaming and purposely trying to distract you? It is very, very easy to miss your target with a pistol under such conditions unless you are well trained. I don't have the training. But under those conditions I do quite well with a SBR or bullpup.

Do not judge a bullpup by a conversion. Allot of the bullpup stocks you can buy online and EBay are conversions - you are pulling a trigger connected to a 'one size fits all' rod that loosely and horribly fits the original trigger. The ones I have seen at the local range for the Ruger 10/22 and Mini-14 come to mind. Horrible feeling triggers. If you have a chance to try a real bullpup like Sig or FN makes - the difference is like that between hotdogs and a T-bone steak!

Pros:

Short overall length makes it easier to handle in close quaters.

Longer barrel in a shorter package.

Cons:

Shorter sight radius with iron sights

Reloading is a little more awkward because it is behind the trigger

May be a problem for lefties with ejected cases

Trigger linkage is longer and may be less responsive. Harder to have a match or DMR trigger.

Less flexibility in butt stock design