H. Larsen repeating boltaction
One of the really exciting things about collecting Larsen rifles is the almost complete lack of documentation on many of his models and that he at the same time is the best documented of all Norwegian gunsmiths (well, he made a serious number of designs!). As far as I know, he has more than 60 firearm patents registered.
I have found several patent applications on his bolt-action repeating rifles, but never on this one – and it has “H. Larsens patent” written all over it.
This might just about be any single shot bolt-action rifle from the late 1870’s or early 1880’s. There are seemingly a couple of strange things hanging around on the receiver, but there often were in those days!
Lifting the handle of the bolt creates no surprises. The L-formed lever on the side just behind the handle does seem a bit out of place, but?
Pulling the bolt back, this is strange? There is a large hole where you would expect solid ground for the cartridge to lay before being moved into the chamber. Could it be a two-round mechanism of some sort?
Pulling the bolt a bit further back, an “elevator” lifts up from below as the little hook catches on to the one side of the L-formed lever. A closer look shows that there is a five or six shot tubular magazine is the butt of the rifle.
Pulling the bolt forwards is seemingly as expected, but – when the handle is lowered, it hits the other end of the L-formed lever. This brings the “elevator” down again to collect the next cartridge.
Closing down the handle of the bolt completely, the little hook enters its “garage” in the stock and you are ready to fire without any risk of ripping your clothes on the hook.
Why do it simple, when you can do it Larsen? He should have been German – perhaps there is a connection somewhere? This particular rifle has seen a lot of serious use. The sights have been changed and the mechanism is more or less completely worn down – so it must have worked – for a long time.
