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59-620: M320 Grenade Launcher Module ( GLM ) is the U.S. military 's designation for a new single-shot 40 mm grenade launcher system to replace the M203 for the U.S. Army , while other services initially kept using the older M203. The M320 uses the same High-Low Propulsion System as the M203. In 2004, the Army announced a requirement for a commercial off-the-shelf 40 mm grenade launcher. It had to be more reliable, ergonomic, accurate, and safer than

118-521: A Javelin, it is cheaper than anti-tank missiles and powerful enough to blast through walls and other barriers. While the M203 would have to be modified to swing out far enough to accept the round, the Pike can be fired from other launchers such as the break-open, M79 and large breech M320. The Pike is already in service with Canadian special forces, using an underslung H&K M320 40 mm grenade launcher—rifles equipped this way use laser designators on

177-743: A Low-Wall design, and the .243 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield were of the High-Wall design. The most faithful of the reproductions are the Traditional Hunter Limited Series Model 1885 Single Shots, as they have the original style steel crescent butt plates, and folding steel tang rear sights, with full-length octagon barrels. The Traditional Hunters are chambered in the 19th-century calibers of .45-90 Sharps , .45-70 Government , .405 Winchester , and .38-55 Winchester . Test firing of some of these Winchesters showed that they are high quality in construction, using

236-530: A firing pin that used the existing percussion hammer, so no changes were required to the lock. After firing, the act of opening the bolt would partially extract the fired case from the chamber, allowing it to be removed. In 1866, the United States standardized on the Springfield Model 1866 rifle and .50-70 cartridge, chambered in trapdoor conversions of rifled muskets that had been used in

295-416: A hand held Laser Range Finder (LRF). Some of the benefits are: The M320 is based on the earlier Heckler & Koch AG-C , but with some Army-specific modifications. It includes a folding foregrip and shorter barrel for a more compact package. The sights had to be reconfigured to shoot accurately with the slightly different ballistics from the shorter barrel length. The system was supposed to be lighter than

354-506: A hinge. When a locking latch is released, the barrel assembly pivots away from the receiver, opening the breech and sometimes on higher quality firearms, partially extracting the spent cartridge. In a rolling block action, the breechblock takes the form of a part-cylinder, with a pivot pin through its axis. The operator rotates or "rolls" the block to open and close the breech; it is a simple, rugged and reliable design. Rolling blocks are most often associated with firearms made by Remington in

413-424: A man." The .32-40 and .38-55 were able to buck the wind better at 200 yd (180 m), and not wear the rifleman out by heavy recoil, all while sustaining great accuracy. In the end, though, it was the .32-40 single-shot rifle that became the dean of match shooters, as the recoil from the .38-55 took its toll after hundreds of rounds had been fired during a match. In 1878, John Moses Browning patented arguably

472-567: A screw thread to attach the chambered barrel to a receiver with some sort of breech and firing pin. The user unscrews the barrel from the receiver to expose the chamber to load a cartridge. The RN50 .50 BMG single-shot rifle uses a similar screwthread breech cap to allow an otherwise simple break-action to contain a .50 BMG cartridge . Although non-cartridge single-shot firearms are still made in hobbyist contexts (for example, replicas of antique guns), this discussion focuses on newer designs employing cartridges. The modern era of single-shot firearms

531-459: A small propellant to "kick" it 2.5–3 m (8.2–9.8 ft) out of the tube before the nearly smokeless motor ignites, and range is dependent on firing angle. The munition is effective against fixed and slow-moving mid-range targets, using a 6 ⁄ 10  lb (9.6 oz; 0.27 kg) blast fragmentation warhead with a 10-meter lethality radius. Raytheon developed the weapon for three years in collaboration with Nammo Talley , which developed

590-455: A standard 40mm grenade , but is powered by a rocket motor to propel it 2,000 m (2,200 yd; 1.2 mi) to give infantrymen improved extended-range precision capabilities. The weapon uses a digital, semi-active laser seeker to guide itself to within five meters of the target; it can operate in a two-man shooter/spotter team or by the grenadier alone lazing after firing, as it can fly for 15 seconds before homing in. When fired, Pike has

649-438: Is 16.8 in (43 cm) long, too long to fit in the breech of the M203 grenade launcher . At AUSA 2015, Raytheon revealed they had performed two successful test firings of the Pike. After its unveiling, Raytheon received permission to market the Pike to foreign governments, several of which have shown interest for infantry forces and special operators. While it is more expensive than unguided RPGs and less powerful than

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708-487: Is a bolt-action, anti-materiel, or large-caliber sniper rifle. With a buffered slide in the receiver, the barrel can recoil inside the frame, allowing for large rounds to be fired with relative ease by the user. It is chambered for 20×82mm Mauser , 14.5×114mm , and 20×110mm Hispano-Suiza round. Specifically, it is only a single-shot when chambered to the 20mm Hispano-Suiza round, while the remaining chamberings fed from 3-round magazines. The original version of Steyr HS .50

767-460: Is a single-shot bolt-action sniper rifle. It is chambered in .50 BMG (or .460 Steyr) and can reach ranges from 1,500 to 2,500 m (1,600 to 2,700 yd). Pike (munition) The Pike is a precision-guided mini-missile or grenade munition designed by Raytheon . It is a 40 mm guided munition that can be fired from the barrel of a Heckler & Koch M320 Grenade Launcher Module and FN Enhanced Grenade Launching Module (EGLM) like

826-504: Is most visible in the realm of pistols. Remington introduced the single-shot bolt-action XP-100 pistol in 1963, which heralded the era of high-performance, high-velocity pistols. The .221 Fireball cartridge lived up to its name by reaching velocities of 2,700 ft/s (820 m/s) from a 10.5 in (27 cm) barrel. Essentially a shortened .222 Remington , the compact .221 Fireball delivered accuracy exceeding many rifles, out to ranges unheard of for other handguns. Even bigger than

885-421: Is often referred to as a "kitchen door gun" or a "farm gun" due to its low cost as a self-defense weapon. The earliest metallic-cartridge breechloaders designed for general military issue began as conversions of muzzle-loading rifle muskets. The upper rear portion of the barrel was filed or milled away and replaced by a hinged breechblock which opened upward to permit loading. An internal angled firing pin allowed

944-598: Is perhaps the most well-known of these. As the era of single-shot rifles faded, so did these early single-shot pistols. In 1907, J. Stevens Arms, a maker of inexpensive break-open single-shot rifles in pistol calibers, started making pistol versions of their rifles. This pistol was chambered in .22 Long Rifle and came with adjustable iron sights and grips designed for target shooting. These models were discontinued in 1939. Single-barrel shotguns have always been popular as an inexpensive alternative to double-barreled shotguns . They are almost always break-open designs, like

1003-438: Is the "trapdoor" or Allin action used in early cartridge conversions of 1863 Springfield muzzleloading rifles. The conversion consisted of filing out (or later milling out ) the rear of the barrel, and attaching a folding bolt, the "trapdoor", that flipped up and forwards to allow the cartridge to be loaded in the breech. Once loaded, the bolt was closed and latched in place, holding the round securely in place. The bolt contained

1062-457: The .50-110 Winchester , and were used for hunting large game, often bison . Later production rifles would be in popular smokeless powder cartridges, such as the .30-40 Krag . Single-shot rifles co-existed for some time with the lever-action rifle, but they began to fade out of manufacture with the advent of reliable bolt-action rifles. The handgun began as a single-shot weapon in China in

1121-688: The American Civil War . The trapdoor mechanism continued usage in 1873 with the adoption of the Springfield Model 1873 rifle and .45-70 cartridge. The Springfield Model 1873 rifle stayed in service until 1892 when it was replaced by the Krag–Jørgensen bolt-action rifle from 1892 until 1903. Another muzzleloader conversion similar in concept to the Allin action was the British Snider–Enfield , also introduced in 1866, which hinged to

1180-800: The Berdan Type II introduced by Russia in 1870, the Mauser Model 1871 , and a modified Chassepot, the Gras rifle of 1874; all these were single-shots. Today most top-level smallbore match rifles are single-shot bolt-actions. Single-shot bolt-actions in .22 caliber were also widely manufactured as inexpensive "boys' guns" in the earlier 20th century; and there have been a few single-shot bolt-action shotguns, usually in .410 bore. The OSS stinger pen pistol and several other clandestine pen guns, as well as homemade zip guns often made using plumbing parts, and cane guns used for both defense and poaching use

1239-531: The Brown Bess , Charleville and Springfield Model 1861 muskets, the Kentucky and Mississippi rifles, and the duelling pistol . There were also early breech-loading single-shot rifles, such as those manufactured by Hall , Ferguson , and Sharps . Almost all of the early cartridge-fed rifles were single-shot designs, taking advantage of the strength and simplicity of single-shot actions. A good example

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1298-510: The Farquharson rifle , and the modern Ruger No. 1 . Although bolt-actions are usually associated with fixed or detachable box magazines, in fact, the first general-issue military breechloader was a single-shot bolt-action: the paper-cartridge Prussian needle gun of 1841. France countered in 1866 with its superior Chassepot rifle , also a paper-cartridge bolt-action. The first metallic-cartridge bolt-actions in general military service were

1357-454: The hand cannon and arquebus , then multi-barreled designs such as the derringer appeared, and eventually many centuries passed before breechloading repeating firearms became commonplace. Although largely disappeared from military usage due to insufficient firepower , single-shot firearms are still produced by many manufacturers in both muzzleloading and cartridge -firing varieties, from zip guns and ultra-concealable pocket pistols to

1416-630: The "trapdoor" Snider–Enfield was the standard British Army rifle of the later Victorian era, and the Martini was also a popular action for civilian rifles. Charles H. Ballard's self-cocking tilting-block action was produced by the Marlin Firearms Company from 1875 and earned a superlative reputation among long-range "Creedmoor" target shooters. Surviving Marlin Ballards are today highly prized by collectors, especially those mounted in

1475-544: The 14th century. In its many versions, it remained a muzzle-loaded weapon until the advent of the metallic cartridge in the first third of the 18th century. Such single-shot cartridge-firing pistols were short-lived, as revolver technology evolved rapidly, and cartridge conversions existed for the common models of cap and ball revolvers. Two forms of single-shot pistol, however, remained: single-shot derringers , and target pistols, which were essentially single-shot rifle actions cut down to pistol size. The Remington Rolling Block

1534-522: The Browning name. Although the rifle gained fame under the Winchester brand name, it was John Moses Browning that designed the rifle, selling the rights to Winchester in the early 1880s and was in production from 1885 to 1920. The majority of rifles made by Cooper are single-shot bolt-action rifles. Many of their rifles are specially crafted to suit long-range varmint hunting, where the accuracy of

1593-618: The Colt-manufactured Russian Berdan Type I . All of these designs save the 1863 Tarpley date from the period 1865–1869, and all but the Tarpley and the Russian Berdan were conversions from muzzle-loaders. Perhaps the most common type of single-shot action, usually found in shotguns, small pistols, and black-powder "elephant" guns, a break action connects the barrel assembly to the breechblock with

1652-499: The M203 (it is actually slightly heavier) and does not require specific mounting hardware. Breech loading allows the grenadier to load a shell while keeping the sight on target. It weighs 3.57 lb (1.62 kg) in its base configuration, 3.89 lb (1.76 kg) with the LRF and electronic sight, and 4.8 lb (2.2 kg) with the stock attached. The sights on the M320 are located to

1711-523: The M203. It had to be able to fire all 40 mm low-velocity grenades but be loaded from the breech to accept future longer projectiles. Heckler & Koch 's submission was selected in May 2005. After the U.S. Army at Picatinny Arsenal conducted a competitive bidding process for a new 40 mm grenade launching system, Heckler & Koch was awarded a contract to provide the XM320 beginning in 2006. The M320

1770-436: The M320 operator merely has to pull the trigger again. The M203 used a single-action mode, which cocks the weapon as the barrel is opened. The M203 operator has to open the barrel by unlocking it and pushing forward to cock the weapon and then re-close the barrel, then pull the trigger again. The problem with this is that in opening the barrel, the grenade is designed to eject and the operator must ensure that it does not fall to

1829-588: The Peabody, the Peabody–Martini, and Ballard actions. The original Peabody rifles, manufactured by the Providence Tool Company, used a manually cocked side-hammer. Swiss gunsmith Friedrich Martini devised an action that resembled the Peabody but incorporated a hammerless striker cocked by the operating lever with the same motion that pivoted the block. The 1871 Martini–Henry which replaced

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1888-638: The XP-100, the 1967 introduction of the Thompson Center Arms Contender pistol changed handgun sports forever. The Contender was a break-open design that allowed barrels to be changed by the shooter in minutes. Available in calibers from .22 Long Rifle up to .45-70 , and in barrel lengths of 8 to 14 in (20 to 36 cm), the Contender could, in the right hands, handle any type of game, and delivered rifle-like accuracy to match

1947-469: The XP-100. Many other manufacturers make single-shot pistols, most based on the bolt-action rifle, with barrels generally ranging from 10 to 15 in (25 to 38 cm). Single-shots dominate handgun metallic silhouette shooting and are the most common type used for hunting. Single-shot pistols have sometimes found popularity among insurgents , resistance fighters, and street gangs . The mass-produced, low-cost Liberator pistol of World War II , which

2006-564: The current popularity is due to the film Quigley Down Under that featured a Sharps Model 1874 rifle. The popularity of Cowboy action shooting has also affected the availability of single-shot rifles, with many replicas of the old black-powder rifles, particularly the Sharps , now being available. The Barrett M99 is a single-shot, bolt-action, bullpup sniper rifle. It is chambered in .50 BMG, and .416 Barrett round that has 0.5 MOA accuracy at ranges that far exceed one mile. The Denel NTW-20

2065-413: The double-barreled designs, but far less expensive since they do not require the precise aligning of parallel barrels. Single-barrel shotguns are also lighter, which can be an advantage if they are carried hunting, though it does mean they have more felt recoil . They are not widely used in shotgun sports, as most events require the ability to quickly fire two successive shots. The single-barrel shotgun

2124-488: The early 20th century. After the advent of high-powered repeating rifles, single-shot rifles were primarily used for target shooting matches, with the first official match shooting event, opening at Creedmoor, Long Island in 1872. From about 1872 until the U.S. entry into World War I in 1917, target shooting with single-shot rifles was nearly as popular in America as golf is today. During that golden age of match shooting,

2183-495: The elaborate Swiss-style Schützen stocks of the day. In a falling or sliding block action the block does not pivot but rather slides vertically in a slot milled into the receiver. Falling blocks are among the strongest small-arm actions ever produced, and are also used in heavy artillery. Well-known falling block designs include the Sharps rifles and carbines, the Browning/Winchester Single Shot ,

2242-468: The falling block action cuts about 4 in (10 cm) off the length of the rifle for a given barrel length. From 1972 to 1987, Ruger also made a less expensive version of the #1, the #3. The #3, which sold for about half the price of a #1, used a simplified, non-locking lever for the falling block action, and came with an uncheckered stock. In 1985, Browning re-introduced the famous Winchester Model 1885 single-shot rifles in popular calibers but under

2301-666: The greatest single-shot rifle ever produced: after Browning sold his design to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company it was brought out as the Winchester Model 1885 Rifle. Although fewer than 200,000 Model 1885 Single Shots were built, they remained in production from 1885 to 1920. Remington , Sharps , and Browning all made single-shot rifles using different actions, such as the rolling block and falling block . These rifles were originally chambered in large black-powder cartridges, such as

2360-522: The ground. The M320 is one of two 40 mm grenade launchers capable of firing Pike Missile (developed by Raytheon ) without modification—the other being the FN EGLM (Enhanced Grenade Launching Module) developed for the FN SCAR . Nonetheless, the weapon's introduction was not without criticism: Single-shot The history of firearms began with muzzleloading single-shot firearms such as

2419-421: The hands of criminals and insurgents, especially when manufactured firearms are difficult to acquire. In 1966, Sturm, Ruger introduced their first true rifle, Ruger No. 1 , which uses a falling-block action and is available in a wide selection of calibers from .22 Hornet to .458 Winchester Magnum . The No. 1 has always been sought after by shooters who appreciate the compact size of a single-shot rifle, and

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2478-500: The highest-quality hunting and match rifles. The vast majority of firearms before the introduction of metallic cartridges from the 1860s onwards were single-shot muzzleloaders . However, multi-barrel, breechloading , revolving, and other multi-shot firearms had been experimented with for centuries. Notable pre-cartridge era single-shot firearms included matchlock , wheellock , snaplock , doglock , miquelet lock , flintlock , and percussion cap firearms. Muzzleloaders included

2537-556: The later 19th century; in the Remington action the hammer serves to lock the breech closed at the moment of firing, and the block, in turn, prevents the hammer from falling with the breech open. An interesting variation of the rolling block was the Austrian M1867 Werndl–Holub , in which the pivot pin was parallel to the barrel and the block rotated sideways. These are actions wherein the breechblock lowers or "drops" into

2596-472: The latest technology and modern steel, they are stronger and safer than their 19th-century predecessors, and accuracy from their factory (non-custom) barrels were exceptionally good; especially at 200 yd (180 m). Sharps rifles were a staple of the buffalo hunters in the late 19th century. Recently, they have had a resurgence in popularity for hunting large game as well as historical firearms events and black-powder cartridge (BPCR) competitions. Much of

2655-594: The launcher was reattached to the rifle. The LRF helps eliminate range estimation errors common in shots greater than 100 meters, thus increasing first round hit probability. The M320 can fire all NATO high-explosive , smoke , and illumination grenades. Its breech opens to the side, allowing it to fire a variety of newer rounds which are longer, in particular certain non-lethal rounds, such as Federal Laboratories' "exact impact" (brand name) non-lethal sponge batons or sponge grenades . The M320 operates in double-action mode, with an ambidextrous safety . In case of misfire,

2714-483: The most popular target rifles were made by Bullard , Stevens , Remington , Maynard , Ballard, Farrow, and Winchester . Calibers used by some of these rifles during matches ranged from the .25-20 Winchester , .32-40 Winchester , .33 Winchester , .35 Winchester , .38-55 Winchester , .40-50 Winchester, .40-70 Winchester, .44-105 Winchester, etc. for over 600 yd (550 m) shooting at Creedmoor. But two calibers maintained consistency throughout their tenure during

2773-770: The preferred tools of big-game hunters in the late 19th century. The buffalo hunters of the American West used Sharps, Remington, and Springfield single-shots; ivory and trophy hunters in Africa and Asia used Martini and break-action "express rifles" and "elephant guns." These rifles were designed for very large black-powder cartridges, from military-issue .45-70 on up to the enormous .50-140 Sharps and .500 Express ; early repeating actions were not capable of handling rounds of this power and physical size. The single-shot big-game rifle would only be displaced by bolt-action repeaters firing high-velocity smokeless-powder cartridges in

2832-698: The re-use of the rifle's existing side-hammer. The Allin action made by Springfield Arsenal in the US hinged forward; the Snider–Enfield used by the British opened to the side. Whereas the British quickly replaced the Snider with a dropping-block Peabody-style Martini action, the US Army felt the trapdoor action to be adequate and followed its muzzleloader conversions with the new-production Springfield Model 1873 , which

2891-446: The receiver to open the breech, usually actuated by an underlever. There are two principal types of dropping block: the tilting or pivoting block and the falling or sliding block. In a tilting or pivoting block action, the breechblock is hinged at the rear (in contrast with tilting bolt , which is not hinged). When the lever is operated, the block tilts down and forward, exposing the chamber. The best-known pivoting block designs are

2950-405: The side of the launcher, avoiding the problems that the M203 had with its sight design, which were mounted on top of the launcher and could interfere with the rifle's sights, so they had to be attached separately. This meant two separate operations had to be performed when adding the grenade launcher to the weapon, and since the sights were not integral to the M203, they had to be re-zeroed every time

3009-538: The side rather than forward. Unlike the US Army, which kept its trapdoors for decades, the British soon moved beyond the Snider to the more sophisticated dropping-block Martini action derived from the Peabody action . Martini–Henrys were the standard British rifles of the late Victorian era, and Martini–Enfield conversions continued in second-line service until the Second World War. Single-shot rifles were

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3068-697: The single-shot action is helpful. Remington has once again made their No. 1 Rolling Block rifles available through their custom shop. One of the most common single-action rifles would be the New England Firearms' inexpensive break-open rifles, which are built on their 12 gauge break-open shotgun actions. The rifles, however, are made on a heat-treated steel action, and the shotgun actions are not heat-treated. Any rifle frame may accept rifle or shotgun barrels. The shotgun frames, however, are only safe for shotgun barrels. These were originally built by Harrington & Richardson starting in 1871. H&R

3127-411: The single-shot era: the .32-40 and the .38-55 calibers. The minimum standard in the beginning of the sport had been 200 yd (180 m) firing from the standing position (off-hand position). No rifle scopes, no bench rests, no prone (lying down on the front) positions, but shooting, as famed rifle barrel maker, Harry Melville Pope (1861–1950), once stated, "standing on his hind legs and shooting like

3186-569: The warhead and propulsion system. The Pike is intended to be more accurate with a longer range than rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and standard rifle grenades, while being far lighter and more cost-effective than current infantry guided weapons like the $ 78,000 each FGM-148 Javelin . Further improvements could include different fuses, multiple-round simultaneous programming and targeting with data-link capabilities, and platform integration onto small boats, vehicles, and small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Pike weighs 1.7 lb (0.77 kg) and

3245-640: Was developed from but is not identical to the Heckler & Koch AG36 (a key distinguishing feature being the addition of a folding foregrip ahead of the trigger for use when the weapon is in stand-alone configuration, a feature the AG36 lacks). The M320 entered production in November 2008. Fielding of the M320 was planned to begin in February 2009, with 71,600 GLMs planned to phase out the M203 by 2015. The weapon

3304-581: Was later acquired by NEF, and both are now part of the Marlin Firearms family. Rifles are sold both under the NEF and the H&;R names. These rifles are quite accurate, and often less than half the price of a bolt-action rifle in the same caliber. In 2005, Winchester re-marketed their legendary Model 1885 Single Shot Rifle , under their Limited Series category. The modern calibers of .17 were offered in

3363-445: Was manufactured and distributed by U.S. forces to Allied resistance forces and guerrilla fighters as an assassination pistol, is the most common example of a mass-produced single-shot pistol. More than a million units were produced and distributed freely, and many remain in private hands. A few varieties of zip guns could also be considered single-shot pistols. In recent years, these improvised firearms have become more common in

3422-576: Was officially fielded in July 2009 at Fort Bragg by the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division . In June 2017, Bravo Company, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion became the first U.S. Marine Corps unit to be issued the M320. Following initial experiments, the Marines expect to issue 7,000 launchers between 2019 and 2022. The M320 has three major parts: a grenade launcher with rifled barrel, Day/Night Sight (DNS) produced by Insight Technology , Inc and

3481-835: Was the principal longarm of the Indian Wars and was still in service with some units in the Spanish–American War . Other trapdoor actions include the rare Confederate Tarpley carbine , the Austrian Wanzl , the Belgian Albini-Braendlin rifle and Terssen conversion (some of which were made from French 1777 pattern flintlocks), the M1842/59/67 Swiss Milbank-Amsler, the M1859/67 Spanish Berdan, and

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