Springfield Armory Hellion Bullpup Rifle Giveaway
11/7/2022
If you're a frequent reader of the Primary Arms Blog, you'll know we give away a lot of AR-15s. ARs are among the most popular firearms in America, and for good reason, but this month we wanted to do something a little different.
Enter the Springfield Hellion. Springfield's new rifle is a radical departure from traditional rifle design and ergonomics, utilizing a bullpup configuration derived from the HS Produkt VHS-2, one of the primary service weapons of the Croatian military. It's loaded with unconventional features such as an ambidextrous, folding, nonreciprocating charging handle, integrated carry handle, and reversible ejection port.
This month, we'll be loading up a Hellion with some of our favorite accessories and giving it away to one lucky reader. As with all of our giveaways, entry is completely free with no purchase necessary. Just click on the button below, fill out a brief form, and claim your entry!
If you'd like to know more about how we put together our Springfield Hellion build or why we chose the accessories we did, keep reading below.
The Rifle
The heart and soul of this month's build is the Springfield Hellion. Bullpups are already uncommon among modern rifles, but the way Springfield has implemented the bullpup design in the Hellion makes it downright unique.
By virtue of its bullpup design, the Hellion is just over 28" long but still sports a 16" barrel. That's just 2 inches longer than an MK18 SBR, but without compromising on ballistic performance or requiring any NFA paperwork. The barrel is crafted from CMV steel and Melonited for durability and corrosion resistance, so you can expect some serious accuracy.
The Hellion is one of only a few bullpups on the market that offer a user-adjustable length of pull. It even accepts standard AR-15 grips, allowing users to select from a vast array of aftermarket options instead of a few proprietary ones. There's no other bullpup on the market that can match that kind of customization.
The piston-driven operating system means that the Hellion will run cleaner than the average direct impingement rifle, reducing the frequency of required maintenance. Separate settings for suppressed and unsuppressed fire make switching between the two as simple as twisting a knob.
All controls on the rifle are fully ambidextrous. The charging handle in particular is a clever design; it's spring-loaded and centrally located under the carry handle, making it easy to access with either hand, but automatically folds back into place after use. This keeps it conveniently out of the way and eliminates the snag risk created by AR-style or common side-charging designs.
Integrated, low-profile iron sights and a full-length top rail ensure users have an abundance of space for mounting optics and lasers. Since the rail is built right into the receiver, you'll never have to worry about loss of zero or deflection the way you do with handguard-mounted accessories.
The Springfield Hellion offers full-size ballistics in a package just barely larger than an SBR. That's a proposition that's hard to turn down, but even the best rifles need a good optic to realize their full potential. Luckily for this month's winner, we've got that covered.
The Optics
Bullpups are versatile firearms. Their compact design makes them optimal for close-quarters marksmanship, but their longer barrels mean that they're still capable of effective fire at intermediate ranges. To take full advantage of the Hellion, we'll need an optic that matches—something designed primarily for close range, but capable at distance.
We landed on our SLx® 1x MicroPrism with a red illuminated ACSS® Cyclops® G2 Reticle. Functionally, it works much like a red dot, providing a forgiving eye box and rapid aiming capability at close range. Unlight a red dot, though, the etched reticle minimizes blooming for users with astigmatism. The reticle offers 13 different illumination settings, including night vision and Daylight Bright® options.
Since it's equipped with our AutoLive® technology, the SLx Microprism can be left on your preferred setting for years on end. AutoLive will deactivate the sight when not in use, then immediately bring it back online the moment your rifle is moved. This makes it perfect for a home- or self-defense firearm.
Unlike most red dots, the SLx 1x MicroPrism uses a chevron and horseshoe-style reticle. This provides an infinitely small aiming point for precise fire but still allows for the whole chevron (or in the case of extremely close ranges, the whole horseshoe) to be used for a rapid aiming solution. It even has a built-in ranging system to help users engage unknown-distance targets.
The Accessories
We've never been inclined to leave a giveaway rifle barebones with just an optic, so naturally, we added a weapon light to this month's Hellion build. A good-quality weapon light is one of the first things we install on any new rifle—if there is any chance of a firearm being used in the dark, it should have a weapon light.
For the Hellion, we selected a SureFire M640 Pro. It's a full-size light, so it takes up a bit more space than a compact model like the M340, but it makes up for it with prodigious light output.
SureFire is one of the oldest and most respected names in weapon lights. They've supplied lights to police and military units for decades, and are well known for making some of the toughest lights around.
The M640 Pro is precision machined from aluminum and Mil-Spec hard-coat anodized for corrosion resistance. Unlike most weapon lights, it comes with two mounts included: one for Picatinny rails and one for M-LOK attachment systems.
We used the M-LOK version, of course. The Hellion has plenty of real estate on the top rail, but due to the carry handle, the rail is a bit too tall to be a practical location for a weapon light without a remote switch.
Both mounts feature SureFire’s Low-Profile design, allowing users to fine-tune the position of the light and tuck it as close to the handguard as possible.
For this build, we decided to forgo a remote switch in favor of using the M640's rear clicky switch. With the M640 installed on the Hellion's handguard, activating the light is easy and intuitive with the tail switch. This also makes it easier to adhere to proper light discipline, reducing the likelihood of an accidental activation of the light.
Next, since every good rifle needs a way to feed it, we bundled 5 DURAMAG gray aluminum 30-round magazines with the Hellion. Polymer mags may be more popular nowadays, but there's something to be said about the simplicity of classic aluminum magazines.
Unlike polymer mags, if an aluminum mag gets dented or damaged, you can usually just bend it back into shape. Since they're the oldest and simplest design, they also tend to work with just about every mag pouch and accessory out there, so you'll never have to worry about compatibility.
The Extras
You can't exactly tuck the Hellion under your arm to make a trip to the range, so we're including one of our own Primary Arms 36" double rifle cases. It's got enough space for two rifles, as well as six magazine pouches and a section of velcro so you can attach labels or patches.
Two rifles, magazines, ammo, and assorted range gear can get pretty heavy, so the double rifle case features a detachable carrying strap so users can sling it over their shoulder if their hands get tired.
Lastly, every firearm enthusiast needs some swag to show off at the range, so we're including a hat and T-shirt from Haley Strategic Precision. The iconic dragonfly logo looks great and is sure to turn some heads at the range.
Summary
The AR-15 may be America's rifle, but variety is the spice of life. Sometimes, you've got to mix things up with something a little different, and the Springfield Hellion is about as different as it gets.
With the ballistics of a 16" barrel and the overall length of a CQB weapon, there's a lot to like about the Hellion. Combined with our carefully curated selection of optics, lights, and more, this build is a versatile powerhouse as capable at 4 yards as it is at 400.
To claim your entry for our Springfield Hellion Giveaway, just click the button at the top of this page. The total value of the giveaway package is $2,781.93. Some terms and conditions apply. The giveaway ends November 30th, 2022, at 11:59 pm CST.
At the end of the giveaway, we will contact the winner via email by December 3rd. The winner MUST be legally able to possess a firearm and pass a federal background check. The winner is responsible for all taxes. Exclusions apply, and no purchase is necessary. A full list of terms and conditions is visible through the Giveaway Landing Page.