Straight Pull Actions

[marchx]

I shot Blaser 93, Blaser r8, Heym SR30, Haenel Jaeger, Merkel Helix. All straight pull actions. First off, it requires a lot of effort to manufacture smooth operating straight pull action. Even Blaser is not as smooth as custom made Remington footprint action. or Sauer 93 action. Secondly, it is even more difficult to produce a safe and reliable straight pull action. See the well known site of Lutz Moeller

http://lutzmoeller.net/Waffen/Blaser/R93/Blaser-R93.php

There are at least a dozen well documented incidents with straight pull action rifles, including but not limited to Blaser.
In terms of competition like Benchrest or F-class, I see is little merit of using a straight pull action because of other geometry of reloading movement. I personally find it more disturbing and breaking my shooting position to reload a straight pull action than a regular Remington.

I played with a Savage impulse and the action is not a disaster, however it is nowhere near a stock Mannlicher, Tikka or Howa. You have to use some serious force to reload this rifle which is a no go for a competition rifle.

 

[SweaterDood]

Could someone incorporate a lever like the Archimedes to help the primary extraction?

I was wondering the same. From the sound of it, the Blaser model uses a very similar approach to this. I think the ARC Archimedes style primary extraction could make for a very rapid operation by having an optimally oriented bolt handle. It would also lend itself to to being potentially “in the way” or highly likely to snag on everything possible.

My main concern is still regarding lockup. Traditional rotating bolts won’t have the lugs pushed out of battery, as a rotation is needed first. AR platforms require the same via force exerted on the carrier which then cams the bolt lugs around. I am not familiar enough with the straight pull functionality, but my thought is that the bolt assembly would need some sort of independent carrier, operated by a camming lever to ensure stiff lockup. Not sure if the lever can pull double duty to release lock and primary extract, efficiently, in a straight pull. On the surface it seems that in increasing the ergonomics via straight pull, the mechanics are made more complex by trying to make all motion linear.

Honestly, if anyone out there would be willing to take a crack at this kind of thing, Ted at ARC would be the guy. This would be a fun conversation to have between engineering minds.

 

[shoot4fun]

I was wondering the same. From the sound of it, the Blaser model uses a very similar approach to this. I think the ARC Archimedes style primary extraction could make for a very rapid operation by having an optimally oriented bolt handle. It would also lend itself to to being potentially “in the way” or highly likely to snag on everything possible.

My main concern is still regarding lockup. Traditional rotating bolts won’t have the lugs pushed out of battery, as a rotation is needed first. AR platforms require the same via force exerted on the carrier which then cams the bolt lugs around. I am not familiar enough with the straight pull functionality, but my thought is that the bolt assembly would need some sort of independent carrier, operated by a camming lever to ensure stiff lockup. Not sure if the lever can pull double duty to release lock and primary extract, efficiently, in a straight pull. On the surface it seems that in increasing the ergonomics via straight pull, the mechanics are made more complex by trying to make all motion linear.

Honestly, if anyone out there would be willing to take a crack at this kind of thing, Ted at ARC would be the guy. This would be a fun conversation to have between engineering minds.

Daily Bulletin -- Savage's New Straight-Pull PRS Rifle
My main concern would be lockup as well but the article I read on the Impulse said when the Bolt handle was pulled the bolt rotated 15 degrees to unlock. It would be interesting to me to see an article that went into depth on how Savage tested their design for safety and what results they got.
I think the public perception(spending our money on them) of not only the new Impulse but the European straight pulls available to us is the only way any action designing genius would ever bring an action of the design and quality that would be of the quality we expect from custom actions.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Anybody thats ever ran a fortner action from anschutz will turn their nose up to this

 

[jackieschmidt]

Could someone incorporate a lever like the Archimedes to help the primary extraction?

In a way, that is how the Swiss K-31 unlocks the lugs.

The ball bearing locking concept was used in the German MG 42 machine gun.

 

[TIMO]

Just looked at my rifle and run the bolt some, (this is a hunting rifle). It is smooth, but not as smooth as a higher quality regular bolt gun, just different. Here are a few images.
Tim

 

[AlNyhus]

Anybody thats ever ran a fortner action from anschutz will turn their nose up to this

The Ishmash Biathlon rig is pretty sweet and I'd grab another if one came up. Fondled a new Browning Target T-Bolt the other day. -Al

 

[Tim Slater]

The Ishmash Biathlon rig is pretty sweet and I'd grab another if one came up. Fondled a new Browning Target T-Bolt the other day. -Al

Aren't those toggle locks rather than true straight pulls?

 

[Laurie]

Aren't those toggle locks rather than true straight pulls?

Yes.

I'd imagine toggle locks only work with .22LR and similar that need hardly any primary extraction effort and don't require a strong, hence heavy, locking-mechanism. 308 Win or even 223 Rem size cartridges and cases? I think not!

 

[AlNyhus]

Aren't those toggle locks rather than true straight pulls?

Yes....toggle locks. -Al

 

[Tim Slater]

Yes.

I'd imagine toggle locks only work with .22LR and similar that need hardly any primary extraction effort and don't require a strong, hence heavy, locking-mechanism. 308 Win or even 223 Rem size cartridges and cases? I think not!

At least manually operated. If Colonel Furrer was involved with the development of the K31, it's a miracle that didn't have a toggle too.