Police found the bolt-action rifle used to kill Charlie Kirk abandoned in nearby woods, a hunting weapon valued for reliability but limited to single shots before reloading.
The gun recovered by authorities in the assassination of Charlie Kirk was a bolt-action rifle — a common hunting weapon valued for its reliability but limited to a single shot before reloading.
Unlike a semiautomatic, the shooter must manually operate the bolt handle to cycle the weapon: lifting and pulling it back moves the spent cartridge, while pushing it forward chambers a new round from the magazine. Lowering the bolt locks the round and seals the chamber, making the rifle ready to fire again — a simple, durable design that has kept it popular among hunters and target shooters.
«This process limits the rate of fire, you can only take one shot at a time», explained retired Marine Lt.
