If you can't rationalize, be irrational.Originally Posted by Hieronymous
If you can't rationalize, be irrational.
"Gunfighting is a thinking man's game. So we might want to bring thinking back into it."-MDFA
Beware of my temper, and the dog that I've found...
Love Sonny Crockett, but Karl did it betterIf you can't rationalize, be irrational.
It does look fun & you deserve to treat yourself to one. I've learned in my old age that gun purchases can be fun, and don't have to fill a particular need.
This....
At this point, I think we're all operating off of reports by people who have physically handled them. I see pluses and minuses.
Pluses:
1. Ambidextrous controls. This is a major one. I have an AUG and MSAR Stg556. I'm right handed so the lack of ambi controls isn't a drawback. The AUG will always come up in comparison and it loses here, but taken in the context of 1977, nothing was ambi. Ambi charging handle, copied from the G36. Ambi safety, though it is also a minus (minor, but it will be better explained if you don't already know). Ambi sling points all over the place. That could be listed as a separate plus, but here it is. Ambi ejection. This is a great one and they did it so well. No flaws there.
2. Backup iron sights. By all accounts, they are actually good and better than barely usable. Small sidetrack because it can actually apply here too, but only maybe. Lots of people complain about the plastic sights on a Glock. For issue guns, police, military and the like, they are functional, but in my opinion, still unsat. However, for us civilians, who like to put different sights on damn near anything, you get a cheap, usable sight which only contributed pennies to the cost of the gun. As opposed to good sights that add $50-100. For us, Glock's design is a plus. So what about the Hellion? It is possible that someone will want to put different BUIS on them, but probably not. If you do, then the good (apparently) stock BUIS is too expensive a part.
3. M-Lok polymer handguards. I like these. I'd like to spend some time looking at them and figuring out if you could run a cable from a light on one side to a pressure pad on the other. Through the handguard, not around.
4. Replaceable magwell. The ability to change calibers and magazine systems. If someone makes them.
Minuses:
1. The bolt release might be one. It appears to be a pain in the ass to operate because of its position, the size, and the amount of pressure required. Put it together and it will likely be a problem with wet, bloody or slippery fingers. Magazine changes will never be as speedy as the AR or even the AK.
2. No manual bolt hold open. There is a work around, but it is a work around.
3. Disassembly is more complex than most. Lots of parts. More than most (all?) modern rifles.
4. Selector switch. Very simple error to have avoided and one that will no doubt be addressed by the aftermarket. It is so simple, SA should have fixed it before they accepted the gun. The levers are in the wrong position, making it awkward to use. We've figured out how to make a lever intended to be actuated by the thumb and put it in the right place. We've figured out how to make the levers different sizes so the one on the finger side of the gun doesn't rub against your trigger finger in an annoying and sometimes painful fashion. That can be fixed, but it should have been done right from the beginning.
5. LOP. This is ok at best, a problem at worst, and the adjustable LOP is a sham. As a contrast, I'll point to the Magpul shotgun stocks and even the base Beretta 1301. The LOP is short to start with, you add spacers as desired. The Hellion LOP is long and can only be made longer. The Croatians spent a lot of time and money to make something adjustable that serves no good purpose. I'll give them credit for marketing a mistake as a feature.
6. Weight. The Hellion is heavy. At least an AR is pretty light before you start adding optics, lights, lasers, etc. The Hellion (like the AUG, but more-so) starts heavy and can only get heavier.
Is it a bad gun? I don't think so. It will suit some as is. There will be market driven improvements for the safety, maybe the bolt hold open, etc. The LOP is probably unfixable. Like the AUG. People will just have to live with it. The weight? Accept it and move on, it will never be lighter.
We just received one into the shop today, It is interesting but since I already have several AUG's I'm in no hurry on this one....
"So strong is this propensity of mankind, to fall into mutual animosities, that where no substantial occasion presents itself, the most frivolous and fanciful distinctions have been sufficient to kindle their unfriendly passions, and excite their most violent conflicts." - James Madison, Federalist No 10
What if, instead of owning several AUG's, you only owned a Tavor X95. Would this Hellion peak your interest compared to an X95?
I also have a X95..... it doesn't do anything for me really, I like the AUG's better.... but if all I had was the X95 then I would likely be interested in the Hellion a bit more. As it sits I'd rather let a customer get the one we have now at retail and get one for my collection later at my discounted rate...
There are a few features about it I like. I'm partial to the G36 charging handle and the ease of conversion to left hand since I'm left handed... I don't care for the safety levers....
"So strong is this propensity of mankind, to fall into mutual animosities, that where no substantial occasion presents itself, the most frivolous and fanciful distinctions have been sufficient to kindle their unfriendly passions, and excite their most violent conflicts." - James Madison, Federalist No 10
Living in a county with a DA elected during the 2016 “blue wave,” a weapon named “Hellion” would have to be solely a range toy, if I bought one. I stopped buying range toys some number of years ago.
Retar’d LE. Kinesthetic dufus.
Don’t tread on volcanos!
The more I look at this thing the less I want one.
As someone pointed out this is a more expensive and less proven battle rifle than either the X95 or the Aug. I mean the Aug has 40 years of service history with the only major complaints I know about being that the trigger is kind of bad but it at least can be improved somewhat.
Reply With Quote
