My interest in bullpup rifles began on July 15th, 1988 with the release of the venerated action movie, Die Hard. This movie introduced the American public to the Steyr AUG, an Austrian military bullpup rifle. To this day, the AUG is one of the most recognizable and iconic military bullpup rifles in existence.
While the bullpup style rifle never gained mainstream acceptance with the American shooter, movies like Starship Troopers, Aliens, Halo and a host of video games kept them alive in the zeitgeist of the American shooter’s imagination.
While my career as a Police Officer and firearms instructor kept my training and attention fixated on the AR15 platform for the next few decades, I maintained a fascination with bullpups, shooting them whenever I could but never making the investment to purchase one. That held true until 2024 when a Springfield Armory Hellion showed up on the shelf of my local gun shop.
Temptation coincided with some extra money in my gun account and I became the proud new owner of the latest bullpup on the market. I knew very little about the rifle, but it put a smile on my face when I picked it up and that was enough.
For those unfamiliar with the rifle, the Springfield Armory Hellion is the Croatian VHS2 military rifle that has been modified for importation for the US domestic market.
A Short History of the VHS2
After gaining their independence in 1991, Croatian armed forces had a brief working relationship with the French Foreign Legion. During that time the French FAMAS rifle made a favorable impression on their soldiers.
In the years leading up to 2002, HS Produkt developed a business relationship with Springfield Armory, building and selling the Springfield Armory XD pistols to the US domestic market. This relationship was so profitable that sales of the XD allowed HS Produkt to expand their manufacturing base and fully fund every aspect of the VHS rifle project.
In 2005, Croatia set out to start development of a domestically produced military rifle, taking design cues from the Famas. Around 2007-2008, after a great deal of development, Croatia began to produce the VHS1 rifle.
By 2013, using lessons learned from the VHS1, HS Produkt began production of the VHS2 which became their standard service rifle by 2015.
The VHS2 Design
As mentioned earlier, the VHS line of rifles took their initial design cues from the French FAMAS. While a number of different operating systems were experimented with, the designers ultimately decided to use the tried and true AR18 style short stroke gas piston. The rifle includes a 2-position adjustable gas block and was specifically designed to be suppressed.
An ambidextrous charging handle, similar in design to that found on the H&K G36, resides between the carry handle/accessory rail and the top of the receiver. Additionally, the VHS2 magazine well can be quickly removed and replaced to accommodate different styles of magazines. This too was inspired by the G36.
One of the design specifications laid out for the development of the VHS2 was that it be completely ambidextrous. The charging handle, safety selector, magazine release and bolt stop are all fully ambidextrous and need no modifications. The rifle can be set up for left side ejection in a manner of minutes with no extra parts or special tools needed.
A feature you will not find on the VHS2 is an external bolt hold open lever, like the one found on the AR-15. While it would be nice to have for administrative manipulations, its omission makes for a sleek exterior and simplifies the rifle. The bolt can be held open using an empty magazine or by simply reaching into the empty magazine well and activating the same lever that interfaces with the follower of the magazine.
The VHS2 offers an adjustable stock, a unique feature in the realm of bullpup rifles. Many have questioned its utility as the length of even on pull on a fully compressed stock is a bit long. I have personally found this feature to be useful in two areas. First, when transitioning to fire from my left shoulder, I find that lengthening the stock reduces the chances of getting hit by brass. Second, when equipped with an LPVO, the extra length can be useful in achieving proper eye relief when in the prone and sitting positions.
Making the Rifle My Own:
The Trigger: Black Talon Tactical
Bullpup rifles are not known for their crisp match triggers. Their design places the trigger far forward of the sear which usually results in a long, mushy trigger pull. In that regard, the Hellion lived up to the stereotype. As delivered from the factory, the trigger pull is long, about 7 lbs, and not at all crisp. It was manageable, but my trigger finger has been spoiled by Geissele and I found myself wanting something better.
During the winter of 2024/25, I discovered a company named Black Talon Tactical LLC in Brooklyn Park, MN that was making some bold claims about their trigger job for the Hellion. They offer two trigger services.
Their Stage 1 Trigger Pack Upgrade requires the rifle owner to remove the trigger pack from the rifle (this takes less than a minute and requires no tools) and send it to them. This is done on a queue-based system. Black Talon will let you know when they are ready to do the work which makes for a very quick turnaround time. When I received my trigger pack back from them I was astonished. While I did not measure the trigger pull with any gauges, Black Talon advertises that the weight is reduced to 4 – 4.5lbs, with a total trigger travel of 7mm with a 2.5mm reset. This trigger job maintains a 2 stage trigger pull. After the initial slack is taken out of the trigger and you hit “the wall” the trigger is extremely crisp.
Their Stage 2 Full Trigger System Upgrade requires the owner to send the entire rifle to them. This upgrade includes all of the work done in Stage 1 while also removing the initial takeup, creating a crisp single stage trigger.
As a bonus, their work is fully supported by Springfield Armory and does not void the warranty. Black Talon also offers complete rifles with the trigger job of your choice that can be purchased and sent to your FFL.
I prefer a good 2 stage trigger and opted for the level 1 service. I can’t overstate what this does for the shootability of the rifle. While you can’t buy skill with a rifle, this upgrade makes it much easier for the shooter to practice solid fundamentals, translating to more and better hits on target. The rifle now has what I consider to be a nearly perfect duty grade trigger pull. This upgrade is money well spent.
The Forend: BLK LBL
The forend that comes with the Hellion is one created for the US market. It is a 1-piece design made from heavy polymer and includes an array of m-lok slots to attach accessories. The forend can be removed quickly and, while fairly stable, is not really suitable for attaching aiming devices.
The Canadian company BLK LBL has been producing high-grade aluminum forends with integrated bipods for a variety of rifles for many years. In 2025, they released a forend for the Hellion/VHS2. When I saw it, I knew I had to order one.
The BLK LBL forend is constructed of high grade, heavy duty aluminum. It requires no modifications or special tools to install and maintains the free-floating barrel. The forend is longer than the original, facilitating better support hand grip options and does not impede access to the gas adjustment knob. An optional piece of picatinny rail can be attached to this forward section at 12 o’clock for the installation of a flashlight or laser aiming module. While I have not yet tried to mount a laser, I believe that holding zero won’t be an issue. The fit of the forend is extremely snug and does not seem to flex or move under normal use.
While the overall design of the BLK LBL forend is a worthwhile upgrade in and of itself, it has 1 huge trick up its sleeve. The integrated bipod. When folded, the bipod is sleek and unobtrusive, disappearing into the profile of the forend. However, the legs, held in place by powerful rare earth magnets, are easily deployed when needed. Each leg contains a carbon fiber extension that can be extended quickly with the press of a button. When the bipod is deployed, an internal tension wheel is exposed that allows the entire system to be adjusted on the fly for the desired amount of cant. When it is time to fold the legs back into the handguard a simple pulling motion is all that is needed and the legs swing back into their recess and lock in place.
If I had to use 1 word to describe the BLK LBL forend it would be “Seamless”. Every aspect of this product is well thought out by a shooter and executed to perfection by engineers and machinists. The quality and utility are simply exceptional.
The Grip: LunarTech Designs
As delivered, the Springfield Hellion comes with a grip module insert that is designed to accept AR15 grips. This is a departure from the grip module that comes on the military issue VHS2 which uses an integrated grip with an increased angle in relation to the receiver.
When the Hellion first hit the US market it included a safety lever that was identical to that found on its military counterpart, minus the full auto position. Many shooters found the position of the lever awkward to manipulate due to its high angle when on safe. While I eventually got used to it, the safety selector was never as intuitive as that found on my AR15 rifles.
I found LunarTech Designs in 2024 while I was searching for someone who would do trigger work on the Hellion. The company offers a variety of parts for the Hellion including a VHS2 clone grip module, a magazine well attachment and an enhanced bolt catch lever. Installing the mag well and bolt catch lever on my rifle was very easy and straightforward. The installation of the grip module was considerably more involved. Fortunately, I was in possession of the necessary tools and many years of experience as an armorer for a variety of weapons systems. LunarTech Designs includes excellent, detailed instructions which allowed for a seamless installation.
Once installed, I found that the position of the safety made much more sense. The increased grip angle makes accessing the safety easier and improves the approach of the trigger finger to the trigger. The integrated trigger guard is larger and should make shooting the rifle with gloves on much easier.
The mag well bolts into place easily with a single locking screw and is very secure. It provides a bit more room for error when inserting magazines under pressure while remaining fairly low profile.
The enhanced bolt catch lever caught me by surprise. The original lever is located to the rear of the mag well and is very low profile. Dropping the bolt requires a pinching motion that can be learned, but is not natural to my AR15 adapted fingers. The LunarTech bolt catch lever adds a little more length and is designed with a gentle curve. Due to its position it doesn’t get in the way and inadvertently bumping it doesn’t present any reliability issues. What it does do is allow the shooter to sweep his hand rearward after inserting a new magazine and quickly and easily engage the lever, moving the manipulation more into the camp of a gross motor skill.
Conclusion
When I bought the Hellion it was on a whim and based more on the “cool factor” of the rifle than for any practical reason. However, the more I handled and shot the rifle the more it grew on me. The rifle proved to be more than capable in the accuracy department and while its handling and manual of arms was alien to me, there was a real attraction to having a rifle with a 16” barrel that was shorter than my 11.5” AR15. The trigger work done by Black Talon Tactical was game changer allowing me to more easily practice the fundamentals of marksmanship. The forend from Blk Lbl improved the ability to install lights, lasers, and other accessories, provided more room for a support hand grip and added the utility of a first rate integrated bipod. The grip module from LunarTech Designs is a leap forward in how my shooting hand interfaces with the rifle and the magwell and bolt catch lever add small, but meaningful improvements to the mechanics of running the rifle.
While the rifle still makes me smile due to its cool factor, it has grown on me as a serious fighting tool. While I have yet to train with the rifle in a dedicated class, that is next on my list of things to do with this 21st century bullpup. When I do, I’ll be sure to bring you along to share the experience.
