The details

At first glance it appears to be a relative conventional bolt action system. It uses a 2 lug bolt and, as with 99% of the bolt action rifles, it is a “cock on open system”. However, what makes this system so unique is the following:

• The “cock on open” movement is separated from the “primary extraction” movement. This means that the bolt can be fully turned, and cocked at the same time, without engaging the primary extraction. Due to this the system moves more subtle and simpler. Also, this allows the lugs to dial clear from the action BEFORE the primary extraction takes place.
• The primary extraction is engaged with a linear motion as opposed to the more traditional radial motion. In this case the bolt handle acts as a lever that is manipulated towards the rear of the rifle. Not only does this allow for more force on the primary extraction, it also allows to exert force on the bolt via the barrel in case of stuck case. As described earlier, the lugs are now free from the ramps in the action and are therefore free to move rearwards. This offers an advantage in the case of a defect extractor.
• The system is more “true” to the bore axis of the action in a cocked condition without causing any tolerance issues. To clarify:
  • * In a conventional system the bolt needs a certain amount of clearance in relation to the action. This is to maintain functioning in case of a fouled up system. As a consequence the bolt is not true to the bore of the action when in a cocked condition. As an effect the boltface is not perpendicular to the cartridge which causes reduced accuracy.
  • * In a more expensive system a very tight tolerance is maintained to make sure the bolt stays as true as possible. However, as can be expected this often results in a jammed bolt.
  • * The Ascalon system has a ring to accommodate the unique primary extraction. This ring has a double function and also creates a more true to bore positioning of the bolt and thus alignment in relation to the chambered cartridge WITHOUT the risk of a jammed up system.
  • * As an effect of the separation of both the cock on open motion and the Primary extraction the entire construction of the system has been drastically simplified. The only helical machining is to create the cocking cam on the bolt body so no complicated EDM machining is needed inside the action. This also eliminates complicated calculations to ensure proper timing for the bolt movement. Next to a more hassle free manipulation also the production process has become a lot easier this way.
• On top of this a trigger connection was designed that allows for a lot of different trigger systems to be applicable as well as a relatively simple way to exchange and/or remove the trigger from the action.