I recently spent a day in Illinois with other enthusiasts of bullpup rifles—guns with a compact design in which the trigger and pistol grip are in front of the magazine well—and discovered a new entrant in that growing market that really stood out. The Australian made Lithgow Arms Atrax drew a lot of attention on the firing line because of its light weight and superb balance in the hand. Shooting the rifle was a real pleasure—even in fully automatic mode—and making hits on target was a cinch. According to the company’s U.S. business development manager, Joshua Whi, the Atrax is a highly modified spinoff of the Austrian Steyr AUG that serves the military Down Under. And here’s the best news: It may soon be coming to America, albeit as a semi-automatic-only and pending review and approval by the BATF. The 5.56 mm NATO-chambered rifle feeds from AUG-style magazines, including a new economical version from Magpul, and offers quick-change barreled uppers.
Video: Lithgow Arms Bullpup Rifle
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