The horror! A bullpup without a side cocking lever!!

Yes you can reverse the oever, but rear cocking is simply clumsy and outdated.

I do not need a fast second shot, but I don’t need to be a contortionist to cock my rifle either.

I bet they could do a lot more business if they modernized the design, another design that needs a overhaul is the Benjamin m-rod and p-rod.

That rear cocking always kept me from buying a Taipan, although I have had 2 rear cocking rifles, a Bulldog and a Skyhawk, the Skyhawk has been converted, rear cocking it is just a clumsy system for me.

Shooting a converted mid cocking bullpup that was a non reversable lever gun for years is enlightening.

Regards,

Roachcreek_

bfloyd1095 said:

The vets are Great little guns.
Tried and true, all be it outdated.
I have owned a few over the years and really enjoyed them.

With that said i am down to just 2 bullpups, i have owned Many of them but find myself going back to the traditional stock style, it's a comfort and a nostalgic thing for me...

The last 2 pups in the collection are 2 of my Favorite guns and to be honest i can Not believe these don't get more recognition. With just a small bit of tuning they are on par/better than some of my most accurate long guns, and guess what they do Not require Any cocking!
They shoot pellets as well as they shoot slugs too....

2021 .25 Limited Edition on top
2022 .22 Synthetic on bottom

View attachment 300694

Click to expand...

What are they?

I do wonder, if Taipan where to put out Veteran 2 tomorrow with a forward cocking lever and no other changes, how many of those that are currently defending the rear cocking lever would be ready to buy the V2?
I am with @L.Leon with this, certainly don’t care what others want and like, and I can see that if you are just target shooting that maybe the rear cocking lever is a non issue, but with so many other quality choices that have the up front where I want it the Taipans are an immediate no FOR ME.

I guess what I don’t understand is why they (Taipan) have not yet updated the design with a forward cocking lever. It seems like not a very difficult change to engineer, even Ed was able to figure it out . If they are concerned about loosing business (which they most definitely are currently with the rear lever) they they could continue to produce the rear cockers.

Redtick12 said:

I guess what I don’t understand is why they (Taipan) have not yet updated the design with a forward cocking lever.

Click to expand...

Because it works, the current design is 6 or more years old and the rifle has remained unchanged. I literally had a rifle produced in 2015 and one produced in 2022 next to eachother and aside from anodizing and stock. It was the same. It performed.. the same. Why change something that isn't broken? Many who own these rifles will tell you how boring they are because they literally do the same thing every time you pull them out for YEARS. Some have gone 4, 5, 6 years without even as much as an oring replacement.

I think a forward cocking lever would pull away from the simplicity but if they were to make a rifle with forward cocking , have it be as robust AND smooth as a Taipan lover I would be ALLL OVER IT.

I have owned ALMOST all major brands and NOBODY has a trigger and cocking lever that feels as smooth, crisp, and robust all in the same, regardless of position. I say that with complete confidence.

If Taipan did make a forward cocker they should simply call it the Veteran and the rear cockers could be Retired Veterans

CTairgunner1288 said:

Because it works, the current design is 6 or more years old and the rifle has remained unchanged. I literally had a rifle produced in 2015 and one produced in 2022 next to eachother and aside from anodizing and stock. It was the same. It performed.. the same. Why change something that isn't broken? Many who own these rifles will tell you how boring they are because they literally do the same thing every time you pull them out for YEARS. Some have gone 4, 5, 6 years without even as much as an oring replacement.

I think a forward cocking lever would pull away from the simplicity but if they were to make a rifle with forward cocking , have it be as robust AND smooth as a Taipan lover I would be ALLL OVER IT.

I have owned ALMOST all major brands and NOBODY has a trigger and cocking lever that feels as smooth, crisp, and robust all in the same, regardless of position. I say that with complete confidence.

Click to expand...

That would explain why they would not stop making the current Veteran, not necessarily why they wouldn’t also make a new rifle with forward cocking.

Redtick12 said:

That would explain why they would not stop making the current Veteran, not necessarily why they wouldn’t also make a new rifle with forward cocking.

Click to expand...

I guess I get it. They currently make a high quality great rifle that has a market share they are comfortable with. If you produce a new gun, especially two different guns at the same time manufacturing costs go way up and sales may not go up enough to balance that. So from a business standpoint I do get it, if they are happy with their current sales and product why change.

With all the love behind taipan. I’m sure they had something in the works for a newer model. I think the current situation may have put a temporary hold on it, but let’s hope things get better and they get back to the design table. I for one, would be first in line to try it again, even if it wasn’t a deal breaker on my first vet. If they can put with a synthetic or cf stock, even better!!!

Voice of the customer.
If folks want a Forward cocking lever, then that's what they should make. I vote with my dollars and want what I want.

Know why I bought a Cayden, vs. a Marauder??? Because I did not want a bolt action, I wanted a side lever.

Know why I didn't buy a Walther reign??? Moderator could not be removed. Guess what they did, offered a M2 version with a removable one.

other Bullpup makers figure it out.

Taipan should as well.

madeintheuk said:

With all the love behind taipan. I’m sure they had something in the works for a newer model. I think the current situation may have put a temporary hold on it, but let’s hope things get better and they get back to the design table. I for one, would be first in line to try it again, even if it wasn’t a deal breaker on my first vet. If they can put with a synthetic or cf stock, even better!!!

Click to expand...

+1 for synthetic stock!

Redtick12 said:

I guess I get it. They currently make a high quality great rifle that has a market share they are comfortable with. If you produce a new gun, especially two different guns at the same time manufacturing costs go way up and sales may not go up enough to balance that. So from a business standpoint I do get it, if they are happy with their current sales and product why change.

Click to expand...

I run a business in repurposing superduty parts. My partner and I have talked about growing it larger and we weighed things out, we are happy where we are. We don't need to grow. If we did we would actually make more money, but not at the cost (labor, tools, transport, etc) we are comfortable with.

Unsocial said:

Can someone elaborate on this? What quality choices are there that:
- Are a premium quality bull pup
- Have an excellent trigger
- Simple design with no need to tinker with it
- Built tough and can take abuse with no worries about poi shift
- Wood stock
- Tube air reservoir

Please enlighten me. I'm looking for all options that meet this criteria.

Click to expand...

Dropped my taipan from 5.5 feet in the air, picked it up and kept shooting. No poi shift. Had that been the impact I was using before this rifle, not a chance.

Unsocial said:

Can someone elaborate on this? What quality choices are there that:
- Are a premium quality bull pup
- Have an excellent trigger
- Simple design with no need to tinker with it
- Built tough and can take abuse with no worries about poi shift
- Wood stock
- Tube air reservoir

Please enlighten me. I'm looking for all options that meet this criteria.

Click to expand...

I own the Short Vet in .25. I could echo all the positive remarks so far. My only gripe is that its somewhat heavy. Top it off with a 20-23 oz scope, well, it doesn't lend itself to easy portability (grab and go). Some other options I've looked at: (I'm not selling my Vet anytime soon, but....)

1) FX Wildcat III with the air tube, comes in at about 6 lbs. FX has its fans and detractors on this forum. I've owned a few different FXs, no complaints from me.
2) RTI Prophet, another one at about 6 lbs. I can't comment on the performance, but there are many members here that like them. Kinda spendy for my pocket book.
3) The new Airmaks Krait, ditto on the weight. Sounds like the early models have had some regulator creep. Airmaks in the process of upgrading new inventory and sending out new regs to previously sold guns. Price point some where between the Prophet and FX WC.
4). Technically not a bullpen, but close as a carbine: Daystate Regal. That could check all your boxes.
5) Lots of good things to say about the Brococks, too. Kinda heavy for me.

I've seen used Taipans lately in the classified section for $900ish. And they sit there. That kinda tells me that people are not spending their discretionary monies, due to the current economic state of affairs.

I guess it all depends on your budget, too.

Good luck!

Unsocial said:

Can someone elaborate on this? What quality choices are there that:
- Are a premium quality bull pup
- Have an excellent trigger
- Simple design with no need to tinker with it
- Built tough and can take abuse with no worries about poi shift
- Wood stock
- Tube air reservoir

Please enlighten me. I'm looking for all options that meet this criteria.

Click to expand...

Why not just the gun in this post? If it suits you. There are plenty of as high quality PCPs. They don’t have to be listed for you. Do you own research. Seems like some Veteran owners are defensive about “their” choice. Its just one model of a gun, not the end all, be all. Rear cocking sucks for some, them are facts. The lever on the extreme rear of a gun, no thank you. No one needs to take offense.

These rear-cocking Vet discussions always go the same way. And it's usually the same core group of guys involved.

We get a handful piling on the rear-cocking as a negative and a handful counterarguing that it's not nearly as bad as the naysayers make it out to be. Interesting thing is that, with very few exceptions (mostly Goldwing) the naysayers havent ever shot or even been in the same zip code as a Veteran. While the other side of the isle (that say the rear-cocking is a non-issue) are the guys that own at least one and sometimes more Veterans.

I tend to give more weight to the opinion of people with direct experience to a product.

Here's my take:

• In the most extreme of speed events, a mid-cocking airgun will kick the trash out of a Veteran. I went against an Impact at the informal speed portion (dueling paddles) of the Wasatch Extreme Field Target Grand Prix/100yd benchrest/etc etc last summer and got destroyed. Just takes so much longer to reach back and cycle, even with the technique where the offhand reaches over the top to cycle.
• The rear-cocking is still plenty fast in all other situations.
  • In about 5 years and over 20,000 pellets (I keep all my empties and just added them up), I've yet to be able to blame the rear-cocking for not getting a pest.
  • I also finished each of the lanes at the EBR Extreme Field Target in less than half of the time allotted (I think it was 5 minutes allowed for 8 shots). And was able to come up with a 3rd place finish. (From the list I saw, there were about 80 competitors, roughly 40 in each of the two classes. Only 5 or 6 people scored higher than I did, and I was using the lowly rear-cocking Veteran.)

Franklink said:

These rear-cocking Vet discussions always go the same way. And it's usually the same core group of guys involved.

We get a handful piling on the rear-cocking as a negative and a handful counterarguing that it's not nearly as bad as the naysayers make it out to be. Interesting thing is that, with very few exceptions (mostly Goldwing) the naysayers havent ever shot or even been in the same zip code as a Veteran. While the other side of the isle (that say the rear-cocking is a non-issue) are the guys that own at least one and sometimes more Veterans.

I tend to give more weight to the opinion of people with direct experience to a product.

Click to expand...

I guess that is exactly my point in the business decision on not updating to a forward cocking lever. There are clearly people out there that are not willing to even try the gun because of it. True I haven’t shot the gun. I would be willing to shoot some else’s, but not willing to put down the cash in hopes I will be okay with the rear lever. Not when I can get an Edgun Matador, Kalibrgun Cricket, AGT Vulcan, FX Wildcat, Brocock Ghost, Daystate Alphawolf and others that have what I want.

Sure if someone is interested in the Veteran and is okay with the rear cocking lever they absolutely, without a doubt, give FAR more weight to what those that own one say, but if the rear cocking lever is a game stopper to begin with then 0 weight should be given to those that like it.
It’s like electric vehicles…I don’t want one. At least with current batter tech. It make absolutely no difference how many EV owners say they love theirs, it just doesn’t fit the bill for me.

So I absolutely agree, if I wanted a rear cocking gun I would put a lot of faith in those that have them, but me and apparently other don’t. If I were building a high quality, high dollar anything I wouldn’t take it as a plus if a large segment of potential customers decided they weren’t interested without even trying it out. This is the reason I question why Taipan has not developed a forward cocking Veteran. With all the very good things I have heard about the Veteran, and the way those that own them seem to love them, if they came out with a forward cocking Veteran it would jump to the top of my list for next gun.

The choice of an electric vehicle over a gasoline engine as being similar to choosing a rear-cocking Veteran over a mid-cocking gun is an absurd comparison.

Electric vehicles are proven trash, without the horse power, range, torque, longevity, etc etc etc of a gasoline powered vehicle.

Rear-cocking Veterans are time-tested, fully functional, rock-solid, and sometimes actually preferred by those who've shot one.

I'm just going to say this.

It was mentioned that it seems that Veteran owners have to defend their purchase , I'd also say that non Veteran lovers or people who dislike the rear cocking have to defend their distaste for it.

Think about that statement for a second.....they are one in the same just different side of the coin. So I do think it's crazy to get upset at someone for pointing out that most who gripe about it being rear cocking have never shot it (or at least take some sort of offense to that) I also think it's crazy for people who do defend their beloved veterans to tell someone they MUST own one, however I do think it's fair for someone who does own one to say "don't knock it till you try it" ... without getting into other topics I think that's pretty fair.

So to say the least im a little shocked , just a little, at the abrasiveness within the whole thread .

Then I'll also say, I've yet to shoot a compact rifle similar in size to the taipan that can break 4 inch clays consistently shot after shot (didn't mention grouping, I dont know if it would , I don't think it would) at 115 yards with 18.13s but hey , that's me tooting my taipans horn now.

Being defensive, isn’t the same as “having to defend. I don’t believe anyone here is “attacking” Vet owners for their choice of a fine gun. Me? Personally? Whether I shot a Veteran or not, I still wouldn’t own one, whatever the other attributes of the gun. Just don’t like rear cockers. Do I have to defend that I don’t personally like an attribute on a gun? Of course not… Why would that be perceived as a distaste or dislike of the gun itself? We all “adapt” somewhat to our guns. So I definitely understand how many Veteran owners love theirs. I draw the line with rear cockers and PCPs with bottles as a stock, like the Vixen. If ever given an opportunity to shoot a Veteran and be shown the “error of my ways” I would definitely jump at the chance.

Franklink said:

The choice of an electric vehicle over a gasoline engine as being similar to choosing a rear-cocking Veteran over a mid-cocking gun is an absurd comparison.

Electric vehicles are proven trash, without the horse power, range, torque, longevity, etc etc etc of a gasoline powered vehicle.

Rear-cocking Veterans are time-tested, fully functional, rock-solid, and sometimes actually preferred by those who've shot one.

Click to expand...

Off topic, but electric vehicles don’t have the power or torque of a gas vehicle?