Bolt-Action Rifles

Nearly all infantrymen in the First World War used bolt action rifles. This type of rifle had been invented by a Scottish immigrant to the United States, James Paris Lee. The bolt is the device that closes the breech of the barrel. The bolt-action rifle had a metal box, into which cartridges were placed on top of a spring. As the bolt was opened, the spring forced the cartridges up against a stop; the bolt pushed the top cartridge into the chamber as it closed. “After firing, the opening of the bolt extracted the empty cartridge case, and the return stroke loaded a fresh round. Cartridges were injected into the magazine by means of a clip.” ("Socyberty") They consisted of open-ended slides or cases within which a number of cartridges, three, five or six were gripped by the spring metal of the case or a spring incorporated in the base.
During the First World War, the bolt action rifle was an infantryman’s best friend. They would eat with it, sleep with it, use the restroom with it, and often die with it. The bolt action rifle was loved by the soldiers because it was an accurate and reliable weapon. There were many types of bolt action rifles but the one that Americans trusted was the Springfield Rife. The bolt action rifle was loved by infantrymen for its ability to put a lot of rounds down over a long distance accurately but it was soon replaced by a more rapid fire gun called the assault rifle.
"Understanding the Bolt-Action Rifle." Socyberty. Socyberty Inc., 3/18/07. Web. 15 May 2010. .