Pros: Longer barrel in the same overall size, or a shorter total length for the same barrel. A longer barrel means more exit velocity, while a shorter weapon means more agility in small spaces (indoors, for example).

Cons: the ejection port is close to the shooter's face, making ambidextrous weapons nearly impossible. The chamber is also closer, making it more dangerous in the (relatively rare) case of a catastrophic failure.

[–] Justas@sh.itjust.works 13 points 3 months ago (2 children)

B-but the FN P90 is ambidextrous and ejects the casings downwards.

[–] Soggy@lemmy.world 15 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The FN P90 is weird no matter how you look at it.

[–] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago

It's safer to look at it from the rear I believe.

[–] tormeh@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Hard to scale that particular design up to longer cartridges, unfortunately. A 5.56 P90 would be so cool, though.

[–] zerosignal@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago (3 children)

The Keltec RDB has bottom eject and fires 5.56

Ckr even more noncredibility, the Keltec RFB is a bullpup with forward eject.

[–] Justas@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Two projectiles for the price of one?! Count me in.

[–] Auntievenim@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

Borderlands ass gun lmao

[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 6 points 3 months ago

Keltec just can't stop making cool shit

[–] GraniteM@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

This is how the RDB rendered on my mobile browser:

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 months ago

we need wide zelensky with stout rdb rofl

[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 8 points 3 months ago

Cons

Also generally a more complex mechanism, with the associated negative effects on reliability, cost, or both

[–] mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

making ambidextrous weapons nearly impossible

Kel-tec calls bullshit

[–] NotBillMurray@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

Also weird ergonomic issues and a different manual of arms. Those can both be trained around, but that's a big ask for most militaries.

[–] Sylvartas@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 3 months ago

making ambidextrous weapons nearly impossible

Angry FAMAS noises
well, it's not strictly ambidextrous but it's allegedly pretty easy to change the side of the ejection

[–] boolean_sledgehammer@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

Hot brass bukkake is the price you have to pay.

[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

the ejection port is close to the shooter's face, making ambidextrous weapons nearly impossible

Keltec RDB

Keltec RFB

Springfield Hellion

DesertTech WLVRN

... I probably missed some, but there are many bullpup rifles that are swappable between left sided and right sided ejection ports, and swappable mag release, charging handle, bolt catch, safety selectors... or have some other solution to this problem.

Not exactly nearly impossible.

I would add in as a detriment of bullpups... that their internals are generally more complex, and properly identifying the cause of a failure to fire, and fixing it, while under stress, is often more difficult, and general maintenance tends toward being more time consuming as well.

Also: generally notorious for requiring a lot more foot lbs of force to pull the trigger, and that trigger pull is 'crunchier'.