3 issues I'd like to address, here. First, Monte Cristo, the reason why we are FORCED to engage the enemy in Iraq at close range, is that they use the terrain they have to FORCE us to go in after them at close range. If we "stand off" and snipe them, we become the Air Force, just killing everything that looks suspicious.

Second, none of the semi-auto precision rifle options are good ones. Both the M-21/25 and SR-25 systems have functional issues. While you may find the odd one that works well and accurately on the target line, they are difficult to maintain in the field with stoppages and failure to feed. Bottom line: You can have functionality or you can have accuracy, but you must choose.

Third, bullpups are fatally flawed. Their ergonomics are Not Good(tm). Combat magazine changes are crucial to the CQB fight, and while the top-loading magazine bullpups have good ergo, they require an overly complicated and fragile action. And the bottom-loading ones are hard to change, compared to the M4. Also, the only way left-handed firers can shoot bullpups is to teach right-handed firing, eject through the bottom, which has significant problems, or introduce a fragile and complex system for changing which side they eject from.

There is a certain amount of parallax which is built in to the basic bull pup design over and above the M4 type. The higher you make the sight, and the closer to the muzzle the sight it, the more you have to compensate for parallax, which confines your combat range.

I am continually getting in peeing matches with folks who argue "bullpup uber alles", but generally speaking, they do not understand the role that basic ergonomics plays in infantry combat, nor do they understand parallax.

I don't think small arms are that relevant to the Small Wars issue, anyway. While equipment shortcomings and PERCEIVED shortcomings can become part of the I/O battle (And, obtw, Russia, Iran and China are fighting an I/O battle over military equipment right now against the west) I think it matters not what your soldiers are equipped with, it is how they use it.