A falling-block action (also known as a sliding-block or dropping-block action) is a

single-shot Single-shot firearms are firearms that hold only a single round of ammunition, and must be reloaded manually after every shot. The history of firearms began with single-shot designs, then multi-barreled designs appeared, and eventually many cent ...

firearm action In firearms terminology, an action is the functional mechanism of a breech-loading firearm that handles (loads, locks, fires, extracts and ejects) the ammunition cartridges, or the method by which that mechanism works. Actions are technically n ...

in which a solid metal breechblock slides vertically in grooves cut into the breech of the weapon and is actuated by a

lever A lever is a simple machine consisting of a beam or rigid rod pivoted at a fixed hinge, or '' fulcrum''. A lever is a rigid body capable of rotating on a point on itself. On the basis of the locations of fulcrum, load and effort, the lever is d ...

Description

When the breechblock is in the closed (top) position, it seals the chamber from the high pressures created when the cartridge fires and safely transfers the recoil to the action and stock. When the breechblock is in the lowered position, the rear (breech) end of the chamber is exposed to allow ejection or extraction of the fired case and reloading of an unfired cartridge. It is a very strong action; when the breech is closed, the receiver essentially becomes a single piece of steel (as opposed to other actions which rely on lugs to lock the breech). This type of action is used in heavy artillery as well as small arms. An additional advantage is the unobstructed loading path, which imposes no limit on cartridge length; this was significant in the late-19th century era of very long "buffalo" and "express" big-game cartridges. Rifles using this action include the

M1870 Belgian Comblain The M1870 Belgian Comblain was a falling-block A falling-block action (also known as a sliding-block or dropping-block action) is a single-shot firearm action in which a solid metal breechblock slides vertically in grooves cut into the breec ...

, M1872 Mylonas,

Sharps rifle Sharps rifles are a series of large-bore, single-shot, falling-block, breech-loading rifles, beginning with a design by Christian Sharps in 1848 and ceasing production in 1881. They were renowned for long-range accuracy. By 1874 the rifle wa ...

Farquharson rifle The Farquharson Rifle is a single-shot hammerless falling-block action rifle designed and patented by John Farquharson, of Daldhu, Scotland in 1872. George Gibbs, a gun maker in Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, ci ...

, 1890 Stevens,

Sharps-Borchardt Model 1878 The Sharps-Borchardt Model 1878 is a single-shot hammerless falling-block action rifle designed by Hugo Borchardt and made by the Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company. It closely resembles older Sharps Rifles but has a firing mechanism that uses a ...

Winchester Model 1885 The Winchester Model 1885 is a single-shot rifle with a falling-block action. It was principally designed by John Browning. Two models were produced, the Low Wall and the High Wall. History In 1878, the 23-year-old Browning designed a falling-b ...

, Browning model 1885, Browning M78 and

Ruger No. 1 The Ruger No. 1 is a single-shot rifle with a Farquharson-style hammerless falling-block action, introduced and manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Co. since 1967. An underlever lowers the breechblock to allow ammunition loading and also cocks th ...

& No. 3. Falling-block action military rifles were common in the 19th century. They were replaced for military use by the faster

bolt-action Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by ''directly'' manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle, which is most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon (as most users are right-handed). Most bolt-action ...

rifles, which typically reloaded from a magazine holding several cartridges. A falling block pistol was also produced in 1847 by the French gunsmith Gastinne Renette. As well as being used for artillery, falling-block action rifles are still manufactured and used for

hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

and

target shooting Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms ( firearms and airguns, in forms su ...

and industrial shotguns (8ga) for shooting clinkers in boilers. The falling-block action is closely related to that of the Martini–Henry rifle, the

Peabody action The Peabody action was an early form of breechloading firearm action, where the heavy breechblock tilted downwards across a bolt mounted in the rear of the breechblock, operated by a lever under the rifle. The Peabody action most often used an ...

(similar to, but not identical with, that of the Martini–Henry), the Ballard action, and the Madsen–Rasmussen (uniquely, a repeater), which use a pivoting rather than a sliding block.

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External links

The Falling Block ActionYost Single Shot Schuetzen Action
{{DEFAULTSORT:Falling Block Action Firearm actions Firearm components

Description

See also

References

External links