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Secrets of Repeatable Firearms: How Do Different Types of Repeating Action Firearms Work?
In the world of firearms, the term action refers to a functional piece of machinery that is capable of handling ammunition (loading, locking, firing, extraction, and ejection of the casing). Repeating action firearms, in their own way, allow the user to fire without having to manually reload ammunition each time. Let’s take a deeper look at how these actions work and explore the different types of firearms one by one.
Repetitive action firearms are used to describe firearms that can fire continuously and whose action mechanism allows the user to quickly load and fire ammunition.
How repetitive actions work
Repetitive action firearms are designed with a swivel or rotating element that allows the ammunition to be extracted and loaded from an ammunition storage device (such as a magazine, cartridge or repeating belt). This allows the firearm to carry multiple rounds of ammunition and reload when not required. Multiple shots with manual reloading.
Hand-operated firearms
Revolver
A revolver is a firearm with multiple chambers (but only one barrel) in which ammunition is stored in a rotating cylinder. Each time a shot is fired, the cylinder rotates before each round to align the next round with the barrel. Revolvers are usually handguns, but there are also examples of rotary rifles and shotguns.
Bolt action
In bolt-action firearms, the user must open and close the chamber by directly manipulating the bolt, which usually requires rotating the bolt handle. Most bolt-action firearms will use a rotary joining design, which makes the entire loading and ejection process more intuitive. Numerous bolt-action firearm designs, such as the Mosin-Nagant and Lee-Enfield rifles, are well-known examples of this design.
Pump action
Pump-action firearms usually use a sliding grip to drive the chamber in and out. This design is especially common in shotguns. By manually operating the grip, the user can insert and eject ammunition.
Lever action
The action of a lever-action firearm involves a manually controlled lever that, when operated, releases and loads ammunition. This design was widely used on historic firearms such as the Henry and Winchester rifles.
With older lever-action rifles, users were able to not only fire repeatedly but also remain efficient in combat.
Auto-loading firearms
Self-loading firearms use their own power to fire multiple times. Unlike manually operated firearms, this type of firearm automatically ejects the cartridge case and loads new ammunition after firing, allowing a faster rate of fire.
Backflush operation
The recoil operation is a technology that locks the chamber. It uses the energy generated by combustion in the chamber to open the gun chamber, and then reloads the gun chamber after opening it through recoil. Examples of this design include the Gurker M1911 and some modern driven firearms.
Gas operation
Gas-operated firearms automatically circulate ammunition by directing part of the dirty gas. This design allows the firearm to be directly driven by gas to automatically load the next round of ammunition after shooting, saving the user's manual operation time.
The advantage of gas operation is that it can shorten the landing time to a minimum and achieve high efficiency in continuous shooting.
Modern development
Although firearm technology has evolved from the original single-shot design, its diverse repetitive action mechanisms have given modern shooters greater options. As time goes by, new technologies are continuously integrated and applied, which also promotes changes in firearm design. Whether it is a precision rifle for competition or an automatic rifle for tactical needs, each design meets different needs.
In what form will firearms evolve in the future?
