Push Feed, Control Feed, Horse Feed?

[Skofnung]

Hello again.

I have been looking into getting a modern bolt action rifle for some time now, and I have come across some terms that I do not understand.

Control round feed is said to be a design feature on Mauser (and clone) rifles. What the heck does it mean? How is the round under "control?"

What is "push feed" and what type of guns feature this type of feed?

What are other types of "feed" in the bolt action realm?

What are the advantages/disadvantages of all of the systems?

Thanks for the help folks.

 

[Jaywalker]

Here's where I posted Gallery of Guns great overview of bolt action rifles' differences.

Jaywalker

 

[Skofnung]

Thanks Jaywalker. That answers my question perfectly.

 

[Jim K]

Most writers, like the one cited, miss the main point of controlled feed. For one thing, it allows the rifle to function better under abnormal handling, such as upside down or pointing into the air, conditions which could occur in military use.

But also important is the situation in which a round is fed into the chamber and the bolt closed without being locked, and then the bolt worked to feed another round from the magazine. If this happens with controlled feed, the unfired round is extracted and ejected. But if it happens with push feed, and the feed lips are not perfect, the bullet nose of the round coming out of the magazine can strike the primer of the round left in the chamber. Unpleasant results will follow VERY quickly!!

That is the real reason for controlled feed, and why it was not important until bullets became jacketed and pointed.

Jim