Savage IMPULSE Straight Pull Rifle
BY Herschel Smith
3 years, 10 months ago
Savage Arms has announced the latest addition to their lineup of firearms, and it’s a style of gun Americans may not be entirely familiar with.
The new Savage IMPULSE has just been unveiled, and we’ve got all the details straight from the source.
The American-made IMPULSE rifles feature a unique straight-pull bolt action, popular in European markets, that refines the basic function of the conventional bolt into one quick movement. Instead of twisting the bolt handle up, pulling back, pushing forward, then twisting back down, a straight pull rifle like the IMPULSE only requires a straight back, then straight forward manipulation of the cycling process.
The key to IMPULSE’s lightning-quick functionality is the new action, which is built around Hexlock, an innovative new style of lockup that allows for IMPULSE’s reliability and speed, not to mention safety and accuracy.
Hexlock holds the key to the unique straight pull action, and operates in a rather interesting way. Six hardened steel ball bearings combine to lock the bolt in place inside the receiver’s barrel extension. When pressure increases, Hexlock’s hold strengthens, making sure that the bolt can’t move rearward.
Once the round has left the barrel, the pressure eases up, and the action can open safely with the straight pull of the bolt handle. In addition, the bolt handle’s position can be adjusted to several different angles, which helps ensure you’re clearing optics or satisfying your personal preference. You can even switch from a right hand to a left hand bolt operation without any special tools or skills.
This model has an MSRP of $1379. I have to confess that I’m not familiar enough with European designs to know much about straight pull systems. Gunsmiths can weigh in.
But the MSRP (which will doubtless be higher than what you see in stores) is enough to buy a classical bolt action gun, and a very good precision one at that. Savage is making some very nice equipment, but some of it is still a bit pricey.
On January 6, 2021 at 12:34 am, BRVTVS said:
Straight pull rifles used to be American. The Lee Navy performed well during its brief service.
On January 6, 2021 at 1:04 am, Emmel said:
I’ve owned a German Made Blaser R93 for 20 years, they build fantastic rifles and the follow-up shots are fast, at top speed is sounds like a semi auto.
This is great news to see an American company finally get into this market.
I’d expect to see other mfg. follow suit.
On January 6, 2021 at 5:42 am, anonymous said:
Swiss K31 Schmidt-Rubin carbine (7.5×55 cartridge, similar to 7.62 NATO power) uses the straight pull action as well. It’s parent is even older, turn of the 19th century.
Smoooooth action and often very accurate.
On January 6, 2021 at 7:12 am, Rocketguy said:
I have a K-31 and a M-95 Steyr – both straight pulls – and love them. Always interesting to chat with folks at the range who aren’t familiar and they’re both decent shooters.
The only down side I’ve encountered – primarily with neck-sizing cases for the K-31 – is, when you get sloppy with checking case growth and encounter a round where the shoulder needs pushed back a skosh, you don’t have the mechanical advantage to close the bolt those last few thousandths.
On January 6, 2021 at 9:55 am, TRX said:
I have a Ross straight pull rifle. It’s a rotating-bolt setup like most, not like the ball-bearing lock.
There are four main disadvantages to the that system:
1) since the bolt is turned with internal cams, the bolt travel must be longer to provide for that
2) the “primary extraction” and “closing” cams are part of the same internal ramps, meaning the power to operate that comes from the longitudinal movement of the bolt. You simply don’t have the power of the rotating bolt handle to force a balky cartridge in or out.
3) the internal cams and ramps require more, and more-precise, machining, thereby increasing expense
4) the bolt is complex, often hard to disassemble or clean, and for military rifles, can be a problem in freezing weather or powdery-dust environments.
Not all deal-breakers, as there have been several successful straight-pull rifles, but it makes them more expensive and doesn’t offer any real advantage over a standard turning bolt, which is why their replacements were always of conventional design.
The ball-bearing system as used by some European rimfires and the new Savage requires extremely precise machining, and each ball engages the receiver and bolt in point contact, not line contact or a plane surface. That means material choice and heat treatment are critical. Not deal-breakers, but I’m curious as to how it will handle dirt, unburned powder granules, ammunition out at the limits of spec, etc.
I love $NEW and $SHINY, but there are good reasons why ball locks aren’t used with nontrivial cartridges. If Savage has pulled a rabbit out of its hat, good on ’em, and I’ll cheer… but I’m not going to be an early adopter.
On January 6, 2021 at 10:21 am, Don Curton said:
Being a lefty, the only part of the description that grabbed me was the ability to switch the bolt to a southpaw approved side. The gun industry seriously does not cater very well to non-right handed persons. I own exactly one bolt-action rifle and that’s only because it’s a military collectible. Everything else is lever, pump or auto. Even the auto’s can be finicky and several designs consistently put empty cases, exhaust gases, and unburnt powder directly in my face. Of course the M1a that put hot brass down the sleeve of my jacket and left multiple burns on my right arm was just peachy.
On January 6, 2021 at 12:07 pm, Ned said:
Don, I have a number of left had bolt rifles from Savage, Browning and Ruger. They’re not that rare. Try one sometime.
Rocketguy – ditto on K-31 and M-95.
Bonus – you can have a loaded Steyr M-95 as a wall hanger/emergency backup rifle and next to no one will know how to load the thing.
On January 6, 2021 at 2:54 pm, Jimmy the Saint said:
Didn’t Parker-Hale make a straight pull rifle? Somebody in Canada did, if I remember right.