Cocking handle on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The cocking handle, also known as charging handle or bolt handle, is a device on a firearm which, when manipulated, results in the bolt being pulled to the rear, putting the 
In designing a cocking handle, both durability and ergonomics must be taken into account. When heavily used, repeated motion of the handle can lead to
The cocking handle, also known as charging handle or bolt handle, is a device on a firearm which, when manipulated, results in the bolt being pulled to the rear, putting the hammer
A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nail (fastener), nails into wood, to sh ...
/ striker into a spring-loaded ("cocked") "ready and set" position, allowing the operator to open the breech and eject any spent/unwanted cartridge/shell
Shell may refer to:
Architecture and design
* Shell (structure), a thin structure
** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses
Science Biology
* Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...
from the chamber, and then load a new round from the magazine
A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
or belt if required. By opening the breech, it also helps the operator to verify that the weapon's chamber is clear of any rounds or other obstructions; to clear a stoppage such as a jam, double-feed, stovepipe or misfire; to facilitate moving the bolt back into battery, acting as a forward assist (but not necessarily); and to release a bolt locked to the rear by a catching mechanism on a firearm equipped with a "last round bolt hold open" (LRBHO) feature.
These devices vary significantly between firearms but may occur in the form of a small protrusion or hook from the side of the bolt, pump
A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes Slurry, slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic or pneumatic energy.
Mechanical pumps serve in a wide range of application ...
, or lever
A lever is a simple machine consisting of a beam (structure), beam or rigid rod pivoted at a fixed hinge, or '':wikt:fulcrum, fulcrum''. A lever is a rigid body capable of rotating on a point on itself. On the basis of the locations of fulcrum, l ...
on manual repeating firearm
A repeating firearm or repeater is any firearm (either a handgun or long gun) that is designed for multiple, repeated firings before the gun has to be reloaded with new ammunition.
Unlike single-shot firearms, which can only hold and fire a sin ...
s. The slide on a pistol performs a similar action as a cocking handle.
In designing a cocking handle, both durability and ergonomics must be taken into account. When heavily used, repeated motion of the handle can lead to metal fatigue
In materials science, fatigue is the initiation and propagation of cracks in a material due to cyclic loading. Once a fatigue crack has initiated, it grows a small amount with each loading cycle, typically producing striation (fatigue), striati ...
, and to avoid part breakage, designs attempt to increase the mean time between failures. Cocking handles must also be easily and comfortably gripped by the hand of a weapon's operator, including when the operator is wearing gloves or other protective equipment
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, electr ...
which may limit their dexterity. An example of this ergonomic design can be seen in the thumb grooves found on the cocking handles of the British SA80
The SA80 (Small Arms for the 1980s) is a British family of 5.56×45mm NATO service weapons used by the British Army. The L85 Rifle variant has been the standard issue service rifle of the British Armed Forces since 1987, replacing the L1A1 Sel ...
family of rifles; these provide extra grip when charging the weapon, preventing the bolt from slipping out of the operator's grip before it is fully pulled back.
Cocking handles may or may not reciprocate along with the action of the firearm. The advantage of a reciprocating handle is that it gives the user complete control over the movement of the bolt and bolt carrier. It enables great force to be used to chamber or extract difficult or ruptured cartridges. However, it adds an extra, fast-moving part on the outside of the gun and may limit the way the gun is handled. Some sources reserve the terms "bolt handle" and "charging handle" for reciprocating and non-reciprocating handles respectively.
Hammer/striker cocker
A similar device, on handguns with single-action triggers such as the H&K P7 and the Shevchenko PSh is used as an alternative to double-action triggers to cock the hammer/striker.https://modernfirearms.net/en/handguns/handguns-en/ukraine-semi-automatic-pistols/shevchenko-psh-eng/See also
* Glossary of firearms terms * Bolt knobReferences
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cocking Handle Firearm components