Bolt Action Rifle of the Future! Or past. Or something.

[tommer]

The Enfield action cocks as the bolt is closed, rather than when it's opened, as is the case with maybe every other action ever made. This difference makes the Enfield easier and faster to operate.

The M1 action is very strong and durable. I've read excerpts from (Army/Ordnance Dept/whomever) reports that said that the bolt and receiver were rated to last for over a million rounds, and that pressures up to 120,000PSI failed to destroy the rifle. If you work the action by hand, it's easy to see that the bolt rotates hardly at all -- maybe fifteen degrees or so.

Is there any reason why a bolt action, cock on close, fifteen-degree-rotating-bolt rifle could not be made?

 

[Cosmoline]

You could do it with a straight pull, but with a standard bolt action there would be a danger of knocking the rifle out of battery. It seems like this could be corrected though.

 

[Slamfire]

No, it could be made, but first I recommend you try operating your M1 Garand as a bolt gun first.

You will be missing the rotation to give you decent primary extraction and then, if the cartridge is a bit fat or long, you won't have much cam angle to close the bolt. As the rifle gets hot, and the cartridge cases stick, you will have even more fun.

 

[GunTech]

Cock on close rifles are actually much easier to build than cock on open, since you don't have to deal with a helical cam cut on the rear of the bolt. Early Mausers were also cock on close, BTW.

 

[browningguy]

This difference makes the Enfield easier and faster to operate.

I don't think so, I have both cock on close and cock on opening Mausers and I find the cock on opening much easier. Of course I do have a little arthritis, but that makes it even more noticeable. But for almost anyone it's easier to put upward pressure on the bolt to cock it, rather than additional downward pressure.

Anything is possible of course, it just takes money.

 

[ArmedBear]

http://www.weatherby.com/products/performance/markv_action.asp

Weatherby Mark V actions have a short and snappy 54 degree bolt tilt. You probably wouldn't want less than that.

 

[cracked butt]

Cock on close actions also put a lot more pressure on the sear/trigger group making for trigger that's harder to tune.

Some people think that cock on closing actions are faster or somehow betetr than cock on opening actions. I tend to think otherwise. Mr. Mauser wouldn't have made his perfected bolt action rifle (mauser 98) a cock on opening action if it weren't better than his earlier iterations that were cock on closing, especially considering that the Mauser 98 required far more complex machining than the earlier models.

 

[Hoppy590]

Cock on close actions also put a lot more pressure on the sear/trigger group making for trigger that's harder to tune.

i believe the firing pin and spring are still pushing on the sear with the same amount of force wether its COO or COC. when you close a COO bolt, the pin is released to rest on the sear ready for fire.

 

[Funderb]

I think it's less to do with the timing of when the bolt cocks, and more to do with how well built the action is, and how much mechanical advantage you get. A lighter firing pin spring always does the trick, and a shallower bolt groove for COO will take up the difference.

That's one thing that makes mosins so fun.
Steep bolt cocking groove and firing pin springs that would shoot the round just the same without gunpowder.

 

[Hoppy590]

That's one thing that makes mosins so fun.

fixed that for ya

rifles like the m1917 halfcock the pin on open then full cock on close. it has a nice feel to it if youve never handled one. feels easier to exert force into the close, instead of the open.

 

[Funderb]

I did notice that a springfield I have (30-06 chamber to .22 bbl trainer with adapter shell)
that there is an incredible amount of ease with which the bolt moves.