[SHOT 2025] Fifty-State-Legal Taipan X Pump Rifle: Now In .300 BLK

Want a fast-shooting rifle with box magazines, pistol grip, familiar control layout and all the other features of an AR—but you live in a so-called Ban State? The Taipan X pump-action rifle is on display at SHOT Show again this year, with a big upgrade: It’s now available in .300 Blackout.

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Enter The Taipan

According to Wikipedia, the taipan is a snake that’s “large, fast-moving, highly venomous, and endemic to Australia and New Guinea.”

In the case of the Taipan X rifle, it’s a fast-shooting pump-action/straight-pull hybrid with spring-assist forend (see the photo below—that spring is visible inside the handguard). The Taipan X rifle is designed and made in Australia by Southern Cross Small Arms, in a country that makes it difficult to obtain modern semi-auto centerfires. The same features that make it desirable there also make it desirable in U.S. states that make it difficult or impossible to legally own an AR.

The Taipan X comes with M-Lok slots on the forend, QD sling swivel slots, a 16.5-inch barrel with a 1/2x28 threaded muzzle, a shell deflector, A2-style grip, TSP X buttstock with adjustable comb height and LOP, AR-style controls. It is compatible with AR-pattern magazines as well. Available colors are Black, Bronze, Flat Dark Earth, and Tactical Gray.

As we told you in our initial look at the rifle, the hybrid pump-action/straight-pull design makes it particularly desirable for shooters looking for a rifle that shoots well off the bench along with offering practicality in the field.

Now, with more hitting power

The first Taipan X rifles to come to the U.S. were chambered in .223 Wylde—a desirable chambering, as it allowed shooters to use either .223 Remington or 5.56 NATO ammunition. But for shooters who want heavier bullets (hunters, in particular), Taipan said a .300 Blackout version was coming. Now, it’s here.

This would be particularly appealing to shooters who want a fast-shooting rifle in .300 Blackout that's very easy to mount a suppressor. The Taipan action has no gas system to malfunction, and bullet weight doesn’t matter either. It would be worth a look for hunters looking to quieten down their rifle’s report, due to its simplicity. MSRP starts at $979 for 2025; keep an eye on the Legacy Sports website for updates on the line.