What I think is the most interesting thing about all the rifles we will discuss today is their use as weapons of war. Most people hear that term today and automatically think of something like the AR-15(or M4) or the AK-47 (or AK-74) but in fact the Mauser, Mosin-Nagant, and Straight pull type bolt action rifles were some of the original weapons of war because all three were used in WWII. All three also use what is known as "a Cock-On-Open system" and have some type of handle attached to the rifles bolt. However, all three of these weapon systems have some different features as well. For example, the straight pull bolt types sometimes offer a "Cock-On-Close system" as apposed to the "Cock-On-Open system" depending on the model. The Mosin-Nagant rifle type has a bolt head that rotates with the body of the bolt while others have bolt heads that turn automatically to lock when closed. Finally, the Mauser uses an ejector that is separate from the bolt its-self while the straight pull uses "plunger ejectors that are housed in the bolt head".
I believe each rifle type uses different visual cues that help individuals identify the different rifles. However, some of these ques don't always have anything to do with the bolt types themselves. For example, the straight pull is easier to identify because the bolt handle doesn't rotate to lock and unlock but rather gives the user the ability to just pull the handle straight rearward. Now with both the Mosin-Nagant and Mauser rifles both having rotating bolts, we can begin to look at other features to try to identify them. For example, the Mauser rifle has its rear iron sight mounted by the bolt handle while the Mosin-Nagant has its rear iron sight mounter more forward on the rifle. Also, as long as the rifles stock is standard issue, the Mosin-Nagant rifle has sling mounts in its wood stock while the others use sling mounts that attach to the rifle. All of these rifles have been battle tested and helped to push rifle design and innovation that resulted in the amazing rifles used today.
Citation
https://moodlecontent.s3.amazonaws.com/FTT+Textbooks/2020+Updates/Logo+Update/FTT+100+Intro+to+firearms+5.20+moodle.pdf
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