VHS: Croatia’s Unique Bullpup Carbine

By G&A Staff

Croatia is a leading developer in the growth of small arms design.

The development of the VHS started in 2005, and an early prototype surfaced in 2006. It features an all-polymer exterior and chambers 5.56x45mm NATO. The rifle weight is a feather-light 5.06 pounds empty. From the outside, the early VHS prototype somewhat resembles a bullpup variation of the HK G36. The influence is probably due to the Croatian military use of the German-made G36 and G36K by its uniformed elite. These troops are serving UN missions and fighting the War on Terror in Afghanistan as the newest member of NATO. Most of the Croatian military is still using locally produced AKMs.

Interestingly, the early Croatian VHS design used a direct gas-impingement action with a multilug rotating bolt. The bolt carrier rides on two parallel guide rods to eliminate any carrier tilt. The gas tube passes between these two parallel guide rods. Unlike the Stoner impingement system on the M16/AR-15, excess gas does not vent out of the rifle through an ejection port. Instead, the patented Croatian system vents the gas into a tubular chamber behind the action. …Read the Rest

Source:: Guns and Ammo