The straight pull bolt action rifle represents a unique niche in arms design. From its military origins in the late 19th century to its modern application in hunting and target shooting, this innovative system can be found on some of the rarest and most intriguing firearms in the collecting field.

Some of the most sought after examples of the straight pull bolt action are offered at Rock Island Auction Company. Click on the images throughout this article to learn more about each model.

A U.S. Navy contract Winchester-Lee Model 1895 straight pull rifle recovered from the U.S.S. Maine sold for $32,313 in RIAC's August 2023 Premier Auction.

What is a Straight Pull Bolt Action?

Numerous variations of the bolt action system were explored throughout the 19th century, including the straight pull design. The straight pull action employs a direct, linear motion instead of the rotational movement required by traditional bolt actions, resulting in two fewer steps to operate.

By requiring only a backward pull to unlock the bolt from the barrel and extract the spent cartridge, followed by a forward push to chamber a new round and lock the bolt, the straight pull offers greater speed and efficiency.

A factory engraved German Blaser R93 straight pull bolt action rifle in .300 Win Mag.

The Steyr Mannlicher Straight Pull Bolt Action Rifle

In 1884, Austrian engineer Ferdinand Mannlicher development the straight pull, revolving-bolt action rifle. The following year, Austro-Hungarian Forces adopted the platform in the form of the Mannlicher Model 1886, a straight pull, wedge-lock design. The cartridge clip allowed soldiers to load five or more cartridges with only one grasp.

The improved version of this rifle, the M1888, was similar but chambered to compete with new smokeless powder rounds seen elsewhere in Europe. The M1888 and the updated M1888-90 successors enjoyed great longevity and saw military use in numerous countries as late as 1950.

The Steyr Mannlicher M1886 and its successors were simple, straight pull designs.

The Krnka M1891

Karel Krnka developed a straight pull bolt action rifle in 1887 with his father, famed Czech engineer Sylvester Krnka. The Krnka design employed a similar wedge-lock mechanism to its Mannlicher competitor and was tested by several militaries, but was ultimately never adopted.

The Krnka straight pull bolt action rifle was an impressive design, but viewed as overly complicated.

The Winchester-Lee

From 1895 to 1899, the U.S. Navy was experimenting with a straight pull bolt action rifle designed by James Paris Lee and built by Winchester. Officially called the "Lee Rifle, Model of 1895, caliber 6-mm," the weapon became widely dubbed the "Winchester-Lee."

15,000 of these rifles were produced in total, and the platform saw extensive service with the Navy and Marine Corps landing parties during the Spanish-American War, Boxer Rebellion, and the Philippine Insurrection.

This U.S. Navy Contract Winchester-Lee Model 1895 Straight Pull Bolt Action Rifle sold for $6,463 in RIAC's May 2024 Premier Auction.

The Ross Rifle

Scotsman Sir Charles Henry Augustus Frederick Lockhart Ross developed a straight pull bolt action rifle in the late 1890s. The first iterations of the Ross design, produced in Canada, found a home in the sporting market. In 1902, Ross offered to produce a military version of his rifle for the Canadian government.

The Ross Mark II and Ross Mark III both served in WW1, though suffered from reliability issues when fired at the same rapid speeds as the British Lee-Enfield. Disassembling the Ross was also more time consuming due to the rifle's numerous small parts, a notable detriment during time-sensitive battlefield conditions.

A Ross Model 1905 straight pull bolt action rifle.

Evolution of the Swiss Straight Pull Bolt Action Rifle

The Swiss straight pull bolt action rifle has a diverse lineage that dates back to the Schmidt-Rubin Model 1889. The design, combining Eduard Rubin's 7.5x53.5 Swiss round with Rudolf Schmidt’s straight pull action, was adopted by the Swiss military on June 26, 1889. Testing resulted in numerous refinements, including a stronger bolt with a tighter lock-up, an increased length of pull, and a lighter overall rifle.

An evolution of Schmidt-Rubin, the famed Swiss straight pull bolt action.

Hans Stamm of St. Gallen, Switzerland designed various rifles from 1908 to 1920 as head of his own weapons development department at Adolph Saurer AG. His rifles were demonstrated to the Swiss Army, with the Stamm-Saurer military prototype pictured below reportedly shown prior to the adoption of the Model 1911, the latest refinement of the Schmidt-Rubin series. Chambered for the Swiss 7.5×55mm GP11 cartridge, Stamm's prototype employs a straight pull bolt with two locking lugs and an internal six-round staggered box magazine.

A Swiss Stamm-Saurer experimental prototype straight pull bolt action rifle, serial number 5, sold for $15,275 in RIAC's August 2022 Premier Auction.

The Swiss military continued to favor the straight pull bolt action carbine, though by 1931 they began testing a new design wholly separate from the Rudolf Schmidt lineage. Developed by government-owned arms manufacturer Eidgenössische Waffenfabrik in Bern under the supervision of Colonel Adolf Furrer, the K31 platform became the standard issue service weapon for the Swiss until 1958.

An excellent Swiss Model K31/42 straight pull bolt action sniper rifle with scope.

The K31 straight pull bolt action saw numerous derivatives, including the K31/42 and K31/43 series. Specialized sniper models were developed like the ZFK31/55 in 1955. Modifications include a muzzle brake, a pistol grip stock, a bipod, and 3.5x optical scope, with its entire action rotated approximately 15 degrees relative to a standard K31, facilitating clip loading and ejection without obstruction from the centrally mounted scope.

A Swiss ZFK31/55 straight pull sniper rifle sold at RIAC in June 2020 for $8,625.

Early Semi Automatic Straight Pull Designs

In the early 20th century, certain semi-automatic rifle designs like the Mexican Mondragon Model 1908 and the French RSC Model 1917 incorporated features that allowed them to be manually operated as straight pull bolt action rifles or converted to a straight pull-only action.

The Mondragon employed several unique features such as an early gas-operated system that has an operating rod that extends from the gas port under the front of the barrel to the front of the bolt to cycle the rifle. The charging handle also features a switch that allows the bolt to disengage itself from the gas system, allowing the weapon to effectively operate as a straight pull bolt action rifle. The bolt takes its direct lineage from the Schmidt-Rubin rifles and employs four locking lugs at the front of the bolt and four at the rear that rotate to lock and unlock.

A SIG Mondragon Model 1908 semi-automatic rifle.

The RSC Model 1917 was widely distributed among French infantrymen in the trenches during late WW1. Troops found that the gas port required extra attention to cleaning due to powder fouling. The bolt could be manually cycled by pulling and pushing a handle, allowing soldiers to use it as a straight pull rifle when conserving ammunition or in muddy trench environments, where semi automatic reliability was compromised.

The Model 1917 and the updated Model 1918 were phased out in the mid-1920s after seeing service in the Rif War, with the majority being stripped of their gas hardware and converted to straight pull repeaters.

A WW1 French Tulle RSC Model 1917 semi automatic rifle.

The Blaser Straight Pull

Much of the renewed interest in the modern straight pull bolt action rifle can be attributed to Blaser. Founded in 1957 by Horst Blaser, this German arms maker first established itself with drilling combination guns, or “forester’s guns.” In 1993, the company introduced its radial lock straight pull bolt system.

A Blaser R93 straight pull bolt action rifle with a Swarovski 1.5-6x42 scope, Blaser case, leather sling, tools, and an illuminating scope turret.

Acclaimed writer Rick Jamison praised the R93 design in his 'Shooting Times' article, "The Bolt-Action Rifle of the Century," where he commended the Blaser's speed, innovation, and functionality. About 200,000 R93 rifles were manufactured before the model was discontinued in 2017.

A Blaser GmbH R93 Tactical 2 straight pull bolt action rifle.

Launched in 2008, the Blaser R8 emerged as the spiritual successor to the R93, building on the company's revolutionary straight pull design while introducing enhanced modularity and precision. The Blaser R8 retained the R93’s rapid, smooth cycling but incorporated a detachable box magazine, improved safety features, and a highly customizable platform, allowing shooters to switch calibers and configurations with ease.

A Blaser R8 Professional. The Model R8 straight pull bolt is regarded by many Blazer fans as one of the most reliable rifle actions available.

Modern Straight Pull Bolt Action Renaissance

In 1965, the Browning T-Bolt introduced the world to the straight pull bolt action 22LR, an ideal platform for target shooting and small game hunting. Over the following decades, smallbore straight pull examples from manufacturers like Steyr, Suhl, Izhmash, and Musgrave followed. In the 1980s, Peter Fortner developed the Anschütz Fortner, a popular modern straight pull bolt action rifle designed for the speed of a biathlon.

Olympian Jeremy Teela shoots an Anschütz Fortner rifle, an example of the straight pull bolt action 22LR.

For medium-to-large game hunting options, the modern straight pull bolt action rifle has experienced a renaissance in recent years, including the release of the Heym SR-30 in the 1990s, the Merkel Helix in 2010, the Browning Maral in 2013, the Strasser RS14 in 2014, the Savage Impulse in 2021, and the Beretta BRX1 in 2022.

Straight pull bolt action shotgun models are far more rare, though examples like the Dickinson Arms Templton t1000, the Stoeger SPM3000, and the Sulun Tac-12 have found a modest market in Australia and New Zealand due to restrictions on semi automatic and pump action designs.

For similar reasons, the straight pull bolt action AR15 has developed a niche in those markets as well. An AR rigged for manual straight pull operation by modifying the upper receiver and plugging the gas port offers one of fastest non-semi automatic options available for a target shooter.

'Ozzie Reviews' shoots the Sulun Arms Tac-12 straight pull shotgun, a Turkish design catering to the Australian market.

Shooting the Straight Pull Bolt Action

For hunters and shooters new to the straight pull action, its design might initially seem like a daunting shift from the norm. Matthew Peake, Rock Island Auction Company’s Marketing Director, shares a detailed account of his first experience with the Blaser R8 in the field.

“I had the opportunity to field a great Blaser R8 chambered in 300WSM while hunting a large red stag in the Highlands of Ardnamurchan, Scotland. I was fairly unfamiliar with the Blaser and the straight pull action before this hunt. Due to the strict laws governing firearm importation into the United Kingdom, I asked if I could use the estate rifle.”

Matthew Peake and Niall Rowantree in the Western Highlands of Scotland.

“While sighting in the day before the hunt I was surprised how fast I was able to get used to the motion of the straight pull versus the Remington and Winchester bolt guns I was accustomed to shooting. The efficiency of the motion cuts time off your reload. Though I didn’t need to reload for either of my stags, I was ready for a follow-up shot in record time.”

“When it comes to dangerous game, this rifle is purpose-built for that moment when you need to act fast. Niall Rowantree, famed Scottish Stalker and conservationist, has sworn by the R8 for years and I was honored to carry his rifle on what became a truly unforgettable adventure.”

“If I were to hunt the world with one rifle, it quite possibly would be that Blaser R8.”

A Blaser R8 chambered in 300 WSM.

Straight Pull Bolt Actions for Sale at Rock Island Auction Company

For collectors, history lovers, and gun enthusiasts of every stripe, antique and vintage examples of the straight pull bolt action platform represent rare stepping stones in arms innovation. Modern straight pull rifles have found an increasing niche in the hands of hunters and shooters, and some of the rarest models past and present can be found at Rock Island Auction Company.

A Blaser Model R93 straight pull bolt action rifle.