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 nails into wood, to shape metal (as w ...

/ striker into a

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...

-loaded ("cocked") "ready and set" position, allowing the operator to open the breech and eject any spent/unwanted

cartridge Cartridge may refer to: Objects * Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition * ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device * Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators Other uses * Cartridge (surname) Ca ...

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 ** Thin-shell structure Science Biology * Seashell, a hard ou ...

from the

chamber Chamber or the chamber may refer to: In government and organizations * Chamber of commerce, an organization of business owners to promote commercial interests *Legislative chamber, in politics * Debate chamber, the space or room that houses delib ...

, and then load a new round from the

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

belt Belt may refer to: Apparel * Belt (clothing), a leather or fabric band worn around the waist * Championship belt, a type of trophy used primarily in combat sports * Colored belts, such as a black belt or red belt, worn by martial arts practit ...

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 Forward assisting is the practice of moving the bolt or bolt carrier of a firearm fully forward when the return spring has not done so (or there is a chance that it will not have done so). Some firearms have a dedicated device to allow forward a ...

(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, a pumped slide or

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 div ...

. The

slide Slide or Slides may refer to: Places * Slide, California, former name of Fortuna, California Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Slide'' (Lisa Germano album), 1998 * ''Slide'' (George Clanton album), 2018 *''Slide'', by Patrick Glees ...

in a pistol performs a similar action as a cocking handle. L85A2 with L123A1 UGL

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 striations on some parts o ...

, and to avoid part breakage, designs attempt to increase the

mean time between failures Mean time between failures (MTBF) is the predicted elapsed time between inherent failures of a mechanical or electronic system during normal system operation. MTBF can be calculated as the arithmetic mean (average) time between failures of a system ...

. Cocking handles must also be easily and comfortably gripped by the hand of a weapon's operator, including when the operator is wearing

gloves A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves usually have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb. If there is an opening but no (or a short) covering sheath for each finger they are called fingerless gloves. Fingerless glov ...

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, elec ...

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 Se ...

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 can be reciprocating or non-reciprocating. The advantage of the former 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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cocking Handle Firearm components

See also

References