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Pump action seems to be a faster way to cycle a weapon compared to bolt action and it's a rather simple action, unlike straight-pull bolt which are more prone to malfunction. It almost seems like a direct upgrade to me.

Since we have magazine-fed pump action shotguns nowadays, It's probably possible to do the same with rifles. Even if we only had tubular magazines, the Lebel rifle actually had a tubular magazine with spitzer (pointy) bullets that was designed to prevent cartridges from firing the one in front of it in the magazine.

I know that nowadays this would be a novelty because of the availability of semi-auto rifles but why couldn't it replace bolt-action rifles?

Hawker65
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  • The loading action of the bolt action is less likely to cause any damage to the round so improving accuracy... – Solar Mike Jul 12 '18 at 14:21
  • Could you detail, please? – Hawker65 Jul 12 '18 at 14:35
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    Think about the different loading actions... – Solar Mike Jul 12 '18 at 14:37
  • Again, could you detail and be explicit? – Hawker65 Jul 12 '18 at 14:40
  • No, it was written as a comment and you should be able to do some research and see why I made it... You should also look for the book "A bullet's flight" by Mann F.W. which is very interesting as to the causes of inaccuracy - at competition level - not barnyard door level... – Solar Mike Jul 12 '18 at 14:43
  • I don't see how this is more damaging that a bolt action. Besides, since both actions are manual and only happen after the shot, I don't see how they differ in accuracy. – Hawker65 Jul 12 '18 at 14:45
  • I'd think that if you wanted fast cycling in a rifle, you'd just buy a semiauto rifle. And with a pump action rifle, cycling the pump would put your aim way off target, which with practice, isn't so much a problem with bolt action mechanisms. – BillDOe Jul 12 '18 at 21:43
  • Well, semi-auto are always inherently less accurate than manual weapons because of the action moving as you shoot. Besides, I have seen a lot of pump action shooting where the shooter does not take time to reacquire his target. They usually fired right after pumping and still hit their target, although this might be due to the fact that shotguns are more forgiving. – Hawker65 Jul 13 '18 at 07:54
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    @Hawker65 As soon as you add semi-automatic and full-automatic weapons to the accuracy discussion, you also need to take the difference between open-bolt and closed-bolt action into consideration. Calling semi-auto inherently less accurate for the action moving holds only for open-bolt weapons – OpticalResonator Jul 13 '18 at 10:20
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    Well, most sniper rifles (DMRs excluded) are bolt action to avoid that loss of accuracy. Open bolt rifles is also rare since open bolts are for more fire rate but less accuracy. – Hawker65 Jul 13 '18 at 13:31
  • With a bolt action you're directly manipulating the bolt. It's just a more direct and simple means to an end. – Dave Jul 12 '18 at 19:25
  • Voting to close as this seems to be pretty opinion based, due to the comments I've seen. – Mark Jul 17 '18 at 17:25
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    Well, there are some objective pros and cons to these actions, and that's what I'm looking for. Bonus points if I get historical reasons like in @BillDOe's answer – Hawker65 Jul 18 '18 at 21:07

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I found this "answer" on Quora:

Pump rifles are not popular because a pump action excels at quick shots rather than precise ones. Moving the forend to reload throws off the shooting position. This is fine for shotguns, but kind of defeats the point of a rifle. For people who might need a quick follow-up shot, autoloading (semi-automatic) rifles fit the bill a lot better, because the shooter does not need to move between shots. Also, by the time pump rifle designs became practical, autoloaders cost similar to them, so the only benefit they might have had was gone.


I'd have to say that the main reason why pump action rifles just aren't that popular is that there really isn't a niche market for them. Some manufactures do make them1, but as far as I can tell from articles I've seen in various publications, they're mostly available in small calibers. It's not so much a matter of technology, but of marketing.

And there might be some issues with the locking mechanism. With any single-shot rifle over, say, 30-30, there has to be a reliable bolt-locking mechanism to keep the breech closed until the projectile exits the muzzle and the muzzle blast dissipates. The strength needed to operate the pump on such a rifle would even further cause the shooter to completely lose their original sight picture further obviating the advantage of a pump action mechanism.

In short, there just isn't a market for them.

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1. https://www.remington.com/rifles/pump-action

BillDOe
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When you hold the long arm (rifle or shotgun), there are three places where the gun is held:

  1. The forearm is held with your off hand,
  2. near the action or on a pistol grip with your strong hand,
  3. and the butt of the stock up against your shoulder, which is the fulcrum.

When you work a pump action on a long arm, Pump action rifle, showing fulcrum and where force applied by working action you are introducing much more deviation from the original point of aim, at multiple points along the path of the pump foreend; even though it seems that a fore-and-aft action would result in minimal deviation minimal, the force is exerted out, farther from the fulcrum of stock-butt-on-shoulder, at multiple positions along the path, so any deviation is magnified by that distance. Also, the force of working the action is applied with your off-hand, presumably weaker, and since the off-hand typically is less dexterous (no pun intended), it will take longer for the sight picture to settle down and give you another good alignment to the target.

Lever action rifle, showing fulcrum and where force applied by working action When you work a lever action or bolt action, the force which disturbs your aim is much closer to the fulcrum, so any deviation caused by working the action is much less, so reacquiring the sight picture is much quicker. You're also using your strong hand, which gives you greater dexterity and therefore quicker recovery.

Rifle photographs courtesy Hmaag's Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia.

K7AAY
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Many good points in this thread as to why there aren't many pump action rifles about. But I can come up with two reasons why there should be more pump action rifles.....and why I believe they would be commercially successful:

  1. Semi automatic, centre fire rifles are greatly restricted by legislation in many parts of the world (including my country, Australia). Pump action rifles would be/are VERY attractive to shooters in those nations where semi automatic rifles are just about impossible to get a hold of.

  2. Pump action rifles are a heck of a lot of fun to shoot. I know....I own an old FN Browning Trombone 22lr. And, let's face it, a huge part of the modern gun market is for "fun" plinkster guns, used to plink at targets on the weekend.

I'd suggest that a traditionally styled, pump action rifle in larger pistol calibers (45 colt, 357 magnum, 44 magnum) would be huge commercial success.

I'd buy one!

Oh Lordy
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This is purely speculation on my part, but I think rifles (both military and hunting kinds) are designed partly to be fired from a prone position, and in general from positions where the shooter's elbow is resting on something. It's difficult to work a pump action in those positions, but easier to work a bolt.

Jack O'Connor
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According to List of most-produced firearms, Remington Model 760/7600, which is a pump-action, centerfire rifle with a detachable box magazine, since 1952 has been produced as many as SVT-40 and MP 40.

Schezuk
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I personally am a great fan of the pump & it is used quite widely here in New England. I own Rem. 760's in 30-06 , 308 , 300 Savage , BPR 300Win Mag.,.22lr's(3), .22mag. &32-20 ,& I am posting in response to whomever said the barrel moves more with a pump than a bolt while running the action ....BS!! & I would take that challenge 7 days a week! We are strictly talking hunting because as has been said ...prone , leaning , resting are not positions for apump. I'm currently learning how to shoot long distance and that's where we break out the bolts!

Keith Fleming
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