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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 semi-automatic, 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.

CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION SUSPECT EVADES MANHUNT AS INVESTIGATORS RECOVER RIFLE IN WOODED AREA

“This process limits the rate of fire, you can only take one shot

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