COLOR VARIANT HELLIONS: When the Hellion was first released in 2022, it immediately swept into popular feeds as one of the best modern bullpup rifles available to consumers. Based on a proven Croatian design, the fully ambidextrous 5.56mm Hellion quickly established itself as a highly capable bullpup for American shooters.

The Hellion runs on a smooth and reliable short-stroke gas piston system for those unfamiliar with the basic design. You also receive a full set of completely ambidextrous controls, including the safety selector and non-reciprocating charging handle, as well as a reversible ejection system that doesn’t require any special tools or extra parts.

Unique in bullpups, the Hellion features a five-point adjustable buttstock that allows you to adjust the 5.56mm to fit your needs. In addition, a two-position adjustable gas regulator in the gas system features a “normal” and “suppressed” mode selector.

In adapting the Croatian design for the American market, Springfield had numerous modifications and enhancements made to the bullpup. Firstly, it was adapted to feature a swappable AR-pattern pistol grip. It comes with a BCM Gunfighter Mod 3 pistol grip standard. Also, the rifle is set up to run with AR-pattern magazines. Additionally, the forend features M-Lok slots for easily fitting accessories.

A New Take

If you loved the original 16” Hellion in black but you want to spice up your collection even further, Springfield Armory has now released the Hellion in three new color variants. Say hello to models in Desert FDE, Gray or OD Green.

In my opinion, Springfield knocked it out of the park with these. I think the Hellion is one of the coolest-looking rifles on the market, not to mention its impressive performance and benefits. The body of the Hellions features the new color, while things like the controls, optics rail, pistol grip, barrel, etc. are all in black. It makes for a bold look.

The colors on all three of these models are rich and saturated. As an avid fan of all variations of the color tan, I am overjoyed that Springfield went the path of the Desert FDE for one of the colors. Out of the three colors, I had a really hard time choosing my favorite as they all offer a really unique look that will stand out on the range. But, I unsurprisingly cozied up to the Desert FDE color.

The Long and Short of It

For those who may not be as familiar with the bullpup concept, let me break it down for you. A bullpup design is where the action and magazine are located behind the trigger. By moving the action behind the trigger group, you are now able to reduce the overall length of the rifle while still retaining capable barrel lengths.

For example, a bullpup with a 16” barrel will be nearly as short as a 11” short-barreled rifle (SBR) AR-15. The Hellion’s overall length measures in at a mere 28.25” at its shortest with the stock fully collapsed, giving you a compact rifle with potent performance at both close and long ranges.

You looking for a longer barrel? Check out these 18″ and 20″ Hellion models.]

The Hellion sports a slew of modern features, making this rifle well worth the price tag. One of my favorite features is the built-in, flip-up sights on the top rail. These are solid and very usable back-up iron sights. They are spring-loaded, and when they are in the down position they blend right into the rail, not taking up any additional space. The rear sight has a rotating aperture that gives you five selectable settings out to 500 meters, and the front sight has a crisp adjustable front blade that is great at close and long distances for quick target acquisition.

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