Welcome everyone to the 12th edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you missed any one of our other articles, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this gat a sweet deal or simply just fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

In our last edition, our poll showed that you, the readers, found the Cobray Ladies Model Street Sweeper to be a hot gat. But only just. The margins could not have been any thinner for this victory.

Despite the narrowest victory for another Hot Gat, this wasn’t enough for someone to take the Ladies Model Street Sweeper home.  As such the Ladies Home Companion remains for sale on GunBroker.

In this week’s edition of HGFC, we look at a bullpup arm pistol made by Gwinn Firearms. As always, this gun is currently up for sale on GunBroker with a starting bid of $1,999.  

HOT GAT or FUDD CRAP?  Multi-Purpose Weapon or Useless Lemon?

Let’s see what the Staff had to say about this week’s offering:

I say it is prison Ingenuity at its finest, 11 out of 10 would blaze from my cockpit. – James Reeves

Well, it’s quite a piece of firearm history. Hot Gat for me.  – Giorgio O.

Definite wrist rocket – Matt M.

Compact, ambidextrous, and canted sights all the way back in the 70’s, as well as one of the progenitors of Bushmaster.  Hot Gat. -Rusty S.

It looks like a G11 had sex with a Famas and this is their misbegotten lovechild. I want one. – Benjamin F.

Selling this very obscure bullpup on GunBroker is stevesoutdoor, located in Magnolia Arkansas.  Let’s see what they had to say about this Gwinn Firearms Bullpup.  

This is the earliest variant of the Gwinn Firearms Bullpup, serial number 002271. It was manufactured in the early 1970’s.

Gwinn Firearms later became Bushmaster. This is a very rare firearm. It is in the original box and is UNFIRED. The shipping label on the box is from Gwinn Firearms to Aqua Supplies Co. in N.J. (see picture). The gun is fully functional and uses regular AR 5.56 magazines. It comes with one aftermarket magazine.

The Gwinn Firearms Bullpup is one of those few firearms that’s design seems more sci-fi than reality. Looking over the gun seems to raise more questions than answers. There is an AR pattern grip and STANAG type magazines.  Then you turn your attention to the receiver and things start to get even more confusing. Yes, this truly was marketed as a pistol.  

Back in 2014, Nick C did a brief article on this particular firearm and its function:

Back in the 70s, this was originally the Individual Multi-Purpose weapon or IMP. It was chambered in .221 fireball and was designed for the Air Force. A PDW for pilots. It was designed to be shot from the arm, but they also did consider shooting it from a sling. Similar to SAS technique, the shooter would press out and the tension from the sling would stable the firearm. Bushmaster took the design and chambered it in .556. It is gas piston driven. Barrel length is 11.5″ weighs 4.25 lbs. OAL 20 inches. Retail back in the 70s was $299.50 and was offered in semi as well as select-fire.

And of course, if you want some inspiration of what you can do with your very own Gwinn wrist rocket, here’s a photo of Nick’s:

The idea of a firearm where the rear of the receiver moves freely is certainly intriguing.  This of course is necessary as the Bushmaster Arm Pistol ejects spent casings through the top of the receiver.  I guess this makes the arm pistol semi-ambidextrous in a rather strange way.    

One of the most interesting things about the Gwinn Firearms Bushmaster Arm Pistol is its legacy.  While production of the firearm ceased in 1988, Gwinn Firearms bankruptcy would not be the end of the company. In 1990 Gwinn Firearms would be acquired by Quality Products Company.  They would then go on to re-brand the company as Bushmaster Firearms International.

That’s right, in a strange twist of fate the roots of Bushmaster can be traced back to this strange bullpup. I don’t know if this makes it cool by default, or necessary failure before Bushmaster could come into fruition. Personally, I think this firearm would be the ultimate conversation piece and would be fantastic to own.

As it is a bullpup I am sure the trigger on this arm pistol is far from refined. If the rest of the firearm works correctly it would an interesting design to see in action. It’s unclear why the Air Force decided to opt out of this design, but it certainly helped shape some of today’s modern firearms landscape.

But what do you think?  Is this Gwinn Bullpup an early model Hot Gat or just some lame bullpup Fudd Crap?  Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to cast your vote and let us know if this Gwinn Firearms Arm Pistol is Hot Gat or Fudd Crap: