Walther RS3, new straight-pull rifle in bullpup design

What will hunting look like in the future? How will gun technology, new calibers and innovative optical aiming aids affect the way we hunt and what we hunt with? The hunting community is generally regarded as, well, traditional, conservative, and sticking to the tried and tested. This is not necessarily wrong, but recent years have shown that the younger generations who have joined the hunting passion have brought about new developments in equipment, such as new calibers or the dramatically increased use of thermal imaging technology in hunting.

When a renowned firearms manufacturer like the German company Carl Walther presents a hunting rifle like the Walther RS3, which is innovative in many details, at the leading hunting fair in Europe (as we show in our video), it can be assumed that this world premiere for the hunting public was preceded by meticulous planning, both in terms of technical design and implementation, as well as marketing.

Founded in 1886 by Carl Walther in Zella-St. Blasii near Suhl as a small workshop and producing in Ulm and Arnsberg since the 1950s, the global company has repeatedly designed hunting firearms throughout its history, even if the focus of production may be on sporting and defense guns. This company experience with hunting guns may not be so familiar to some. So it's not new territory, but perhaps the ambition to make every single aspect of a new design a little better than the other hunting rifles on the market. The industry knows that Walther not only wants to be at the forefront with new models, but also strive to be at the top, and the Walther RS3 is no exception.

Walther RS3: short, safe, silent – The advantages of a modern bullpup design with straight-pull action in a hunting rifle

To this end, the Ulm-based company sought the advice of one of the world's best-known hunters, among others, in order to make the new design as practical as possible: Franz Albrecht zu Oettingen-Spielberg is considered one of the most prominent hunters in Europe. With his videos on YouTube and Instagram, but also with his seminars and lectures, "FASO", born in 1982, reaches the young target groups that are important in the truest sense of the word. His speed on driven hunts, for example when repeating, shooting and hitting, is legendary, which is precisely why his opinion on the new Walther hunting rifle carries so much weight.

Even when it comes to breaking up old traditions and rethinking. In recent years, hunting barrels have had to be shortened because silencers fitted to the front would otherwise have made the rifles unwieldy. However, other cartridges had to be developed for the shorter barrels in order to compensate for the ballistic disadvantages of the missing centimeters. A series of compromises in design is the usual result.

However, there is a construction method for rifles that results in a shorter overall length despite a normal-length barrel: the bullpup design, whose action runs virtually under the cheek piece. This means that the barrel also starts there and can be fitted while the overall length remains the same. The Walther RS3 measures just 104 centimeters from the butt pad to the front end of the silencer, making it extremely manoeuvrable and compact. "FASO" comments: "Designed for intuitive shooting. the RS3 aims where i look, shootspenwhere i aim and cycles as fast as i think."

Of course, this is nothing new: various companies have already tried their hand at such bullpup solutions, but hardly any of them have managed to achieve more than exotic status. Partly because these rifles no longer looked classic, but rather clunky and were not accepted by the more conservative customers. This is because the other components also have to be harmoniously integrated into the overall concept. And the Walther designers faced this "challenge", as it is called, with the Walther RS3.

Walther RS3: most important features of the new bullpup hunting rifle at a glance, plus all four variants

You can find out more about the philosophy and emotions surrounding the new Walther RS3 in the video above, but we'll first look at the hard technical facts here:

• Straight-pull action with 58-cm barrel and silencer, overall length only 104 cm
• Available calibers: .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 WinMag
• Aluminum action housing milled from solid billets (64 cm)
• Hand cocking in the pistol grip
• Adjustable Walther Performance Trigger, factory set at 800 grams
• Walther QSA silencer with Zerolock quick attachment, optionally also as muzzle brake (depending on local laws)
• In-line magazine in the buttstock, 6+1 cartridges in standard calibers, 5+1 for magnum ones
• "Pointability": the weight is between the hands, the center of gravity on the pistol grip
• Patented FIXLOCK mounts for riflescope or red dot
• Choice of walnut stock (Sevenstar or Fourstar) or RS3 Pro Pine and Pro Chestnut with synthetic stock, also with additional bipod interface in the forend
• Prices (RRP including silencer):
  - RS3 Heritage Sevenstar 6,999 euro
  - RS3 Heritage Fourstar 5,399 euro
  - RS3 Pro Pine or RS3 Pro Chestnut 3,999 euro including silencer (or muzzle brake)
• Expected to be available in Q2 2026, starting with .308 Winchester (other calibers to follow)

Walther RS3 straight-pull rifle technical specifications

Picture gallery: classic gun production "in the old days" at Carl Walther

You can find out more about the well-established firearms manufacturer and its products on the Carl Walther website.