Thorneycroft to SA80: British Bullpup Firearms, 1901 – 2020 is a reference work for all those interested in the history of military firearms. It charts the British love affair with the ‘flipped’ bullpup rifle and machine gun - weapons with their firing mechanism positioned behind the trigger - from a faltering start in the Edwardian period, through the controversy of the NATO rifle trials, to the troubled history of the current SA80 family. The book covers the following arms in detail:

• Thorneycroft rifle

• Godsal rifle

• Korsak’s Light Automatic Gun, 7.92 mm, (E.M. 1)

• Thorpe’s Automatic Rifle, .280 inch, (E.M. 1 aka ‘Cobra’)

• Janson’s Automatic Rifle, .280 inch (E.M. 2) aka ‘Mamba’)

• Rifle, 7 mm, No. 9 Mk. I; Rifle, 7 mm, X1E1; and Rifle, .30 inch, X2E1

• 4.85 mm Enfield Weapon System (Individual Weapon and Machine Gun)

• SA80 Individual Weapon (L85A1, A2, A3) and Light Support Weapon (L86A1, A2)

• SA80 Carbine (L22A2) and grenade launchers

• Several more civilian, prototype, developmental, and other weapons

Each chapter describes the weapon's conception, development, trial and intended role. Essential technical aspects of design and operation are framed in their historical context and the whole is laid out in a clear, logical, and chronological manner. These stories are lavishly illustrated with top quality photography of key examples from the world’s best collection of these exotic and poorly-understood weapons. As the contemporary debate over the relative merits of bullpup and conventional small arms builds pace, this work is a timely reflection on the efforts of the most prolific of the bullpup nations. Thorneycroft to SA80 is both a comprehensive reference work to support serious research, and an aesthetically pleasing illustrated publication for the firearms enthusiast.

More About The Author

Many of our readers will know author Jonathan Ferguson from his YouTube video series: ‘Firearms Expert Reacts’ on the GameSpot channel, and ‘What is This Weapon?’ on the Royal Armouries channel. He has touched on firearms from his book on both of those channels, and we know many of you have followed his work closely. Here is one of our favourite videos from Jonathan where he looks at a rifle from his book!

Thorneycroft to SA80 is Headstamp’s most meticulously researched and referenced volume, and an important work of original firearms scholarship. We are also delighted to be able to say that the book has been very well received. Here are a few excerpts from reviews around the web:

“I was absolutely blown away by the quality and content of this book … [it] has it all: top calibre research, beautiful presentation, phenomenal photography and more than enough academic sources to satisfy the curious mind. … It is quite possibly the best firearms history book I have ever encountered. Bravo!” – Michael McIntyre, RA Shop

“To get straight to the bottom line: ‘Thorneycroft to SA80: British Bullpup Firearms, 1901–2020’ is an exceptional book that is extremely well written and superbly photographed … soon to become the classic work on the subject of British bullpup firearms and the go-to source of information on many of the weapons it describes.” – Mel Carpenter, Small Arms Review Vol. 26 No. 1

“Exhaustive, fascinating, and passionate. Great photography, amazing research, and authoritative.” – Caleb Somerville, Goodreads

“Whether you are interested in British military firearms specifically, or the development of weapons, this book is highly recommended. At nearly 600 pages, it’s a weighty tome and the quality of research and information within is second to none.” – hatchfive, Tales from the Supply Depot

On top of all that, Thorneycroft to SA80 was awarded the prestigious HBSA President’s Cup! Presented by the Historical Breechloading Smallarms Association of the UK each year since 1994, the Cup recognises outstanding scholarship in the field of firearms research.