Cold air, hot barrel (Patreon)

Continuing what's becoming a series of drawings with anthro MLP  characters test firing various late 19th and early 20th century pistols. However along with testing and adopting a new smokeless powder pistol, Equestria is looking into a new service rifle to fire this new smokeless powder. This is one of those cases. Although here the cursory test is being conducted outside Equestria's own borders.

To: The Offices of her Highness Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. The Lustrous Co-Rulers of Equestria.

From: Antebellum of Office of Ordnance Design and Research. Currently acting as Junior Military Liaison of the Royal Equestria Army to the Kingdom of Yakyakistan.

Greetings. As requested in your last communique I have been able to arrange a informal testing of the new rifle the Yakyakistian Army is starting to field for their elite units. Much thanks to Prince Rupert for making the necessary arrangements.

The yaks have taken a rather unorthodox path in their development and selection of their new service rifle. Abandoning the current trend of bolt action, or even some of the more experimental self-loading designs. They've instead thoroughly embraced the lever action. This presented them with several design challenges since they've rejected tubular magazinesin any form.

To their credit, the yaks have come up with a clever solution to this design requirement. They've developed a rifle with a 5 round, single stack magazine that permits them to chamber a rifle that fires a potent 7.62x54mm rimmed cartridge. This comparable to cartridge under development in Equestria. The magazine is located centrally to the receiver, and lever swings down while straddling either side of the magazine. Cartridges are loaded via a 5rd stripper clip that is inserted in the top of the action when open. Guide lips located on either on either side of the receiver to help hold the clip securely while cartridges are loaded into the magazine. Once loaded the clip is removed from the receiver and is either pocketed or discarded.

When in proper working order the lever action permits one familiar with the rifle to fire it as fast, if not faster, than any existing bolt action. Its rapidity of fire is only exceeded by the mostly experimental self-loaders. Sights consist of a windage adjustable blade front and an adjustable U notch open rear sight. They are adequate sights under most lighting conditions and are calibrated from a point blank 300m to a maximum 2200mm. Although realistically the maximum effective range is 1000m.

When the action is closed the rifle's innards are relatively safe from mud, sand, dust, and other types of debris that can compromise the rifle's ability to carry out its duties.  However, when the action is open it presents many large point of ingress for foreign debris to enter the system. Also system does not look like it will tolerate rust or excessive field use for extended periods of time without servicing from field armorers. In fact one yak armorer off the record told me that they had to perform routine inspections to confirm that the actions were staying within tolerances.

The comb of the stock is low and as a result it amplifies the effects of recoil when firing. The rifle has no form of trigger safety and only possess a half cock notch. While yaks find the rifle to be light and handy I think many ponies will find it encumbering.

If either of your Highnesses feel the rifle is deserving of a formal evaluation I can submit a request to see if Prince Rupert can send me back with a few rifles and a meaningful amount of ammunition. I await your reply to this report.

Your always loyal and obedient subject:

Antebellum.

This is a patron reward for Spypone. Antebellum is their OC.

The rifle shown here is actually a Winchester Model 1895 Russian Contract. C&Rsenal has done an excellent video on it. Link