Self-locking firearm bolt action

Abstract

A rifle with a cartridge chambering mechanism, the rifle having several components including: a rifle barrel with a breach and a muzzle; a receiver, wherein a stock, magazine, grip and trigger are in mechanical communication with a lower portion of the receiver, wherein an upper portion of the receiver is in mechanical communication with the rifle barrel and the upper portion of the receiver comprises a carriage chamber; a bolt which secures a cartridge from the magazine in a breach of the rifle barrel, wherein the bolt is positioned within the carriage chamber; a bolt carriage in mechanical communication with the bolt, wherein the bolt carriage is positioned within the carriage chamber, wherein the bolt carriage translates the bolt between locked-closed and unlocked-open positions relative to the breach, wherein a spent casing is extracted from the breach only by manual operation of the bolt carriage; and a charging action positioned within the stock which biases the bolt toward the locked-closed position.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A rifle cartridge chambering mechanism, said mechanism comprising: 
 a bolt which secures a cartridge in a breach of the rifle;    a bolt carriage in mechanical communication with said bolt, wherein said bolt carriage translates said bolt between locked-closed and unlocked-open positions relative to the breach, wherein a spent casing is extracted from the breach only by manual operation of said bolt carriage; and    a charging action which biases said bolt toward the locked-closed position.    
     
     
         2 . A rifle cartridge chambering mechanism as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said bolt rotates within said bolt carriage and along a path controlled by a bolt cam, wherein the bolt cam extends between said bolt and said bolt carriage.  
     
     
         3 . A rifle cartridge chambering mechanism as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said charging action comprises a spring.  
     
     
         4 . A rifle cartridge chambering mechanism as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said charging action comprises a gas-filled chamber.  
     
     
         5 . A rifle cartridge chambering mechanism as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising: a receiver having a carriage chamber, wherein said bolt and said bolt carriage are positioned within the carriage chamber.  
     
     
         6 . A rifle cartridge chambering mechanism as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising: a charging handle in mechanical communication with said bolt carriage.  
     
     
         7 . A rifle cartridge chambering mechanism as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising: a charging handle in mechanical communication with said bolt carriage, wherein said charging handle protrudes from a forward portion of said receiver.  
     
     
         8 . A rifle with a cartridge chambering mechanism, said rifle comprising: 
 a rifle barrel with a breach and a muzzle;    a receiver, wherein a stock, magazine, grip and trigger are in mechanical communication with a lower portion of said receiver, wherein an upper portion of said receiver is in mechanical communication with said rifle barrel and the upper portion of said receiver comprises a carriage chamber;    a bolt which secures a cartridge from the magazine in a breach of said rifle barrel, wherein said bolt is positioned within the carriage chamber;    a bolt carriage in mechanical communication with said bolt, wherein said bolt carriage is positioned within the carriage chamber, wherein said bolt carriage translates said bolt between locked-closed and unlocked-open positions relative to the breach, wherein a spent casing is extracted from the breach only by manual operation of said bolt carriage; and    a charging action positioned within the stock which biases said bolt toward the locked-closed position.    
     
     
         8 . A rifle as claimed in  claim 7 , further comprising a charging handle in mechanical communication with said bolt carriage.  
     
     
         9 . A rifle as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said receiver is more than twice as long as said charging handle.  
     
     
         10 . A rifle as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said charging handle comprises a handle which extends only from one side of a forward portion of said receiver.  
     
     
         11 . A method for reloading a rifle, said method comprising: 
 gripping the rifle in a firing position with the rifleman's head immediately proximate a stock of the rifle;    manually sliding a bolt carrier away from the breach against a biasing force imposed by a charging action; and    releasing the bolt carrier, whereby energy stored in the charging action drives the bolt carrier toward the breach,    wherein said manually sliding and said releasing are performed without removing the rifle from the firing position or removing the rifleman's head from its position proximate the stock.    
     
     
         12 . A method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said gripping comprises: pressing the stock against the rifleman's shoulder, griping a grip of the rifle with a first hand of the rifleman, and positioning the rifleman's head in line with sites of the rifle.  
     
     
         13 . A method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said manually sliding a bolt carrier comprises 
 engaging a portion of the bolt carrier with a hand of the rifleman and pulling the bolt carrier.    
     
     
         14 . A method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said manually sliding a bolt carrier comprises 
 engaging a charging handle with a hand of the rifleman and pulling the charging handle,    wherein the charging handle is in mechanical communication with the bolt carrier.    
     
     
         15 . A method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said releasing the bolt carrier comprises 
 releasing the charging handle with the hand of the rifleman, whereby energy stored in the charging action drives the charging handle and bolt carrier toward the breach.