Hi all,

I am making this thread to discuss features which you might think are smart/clever or well designed. It isn't really to discuss the whole firearm (every firearm has something or another that could be improved) but to discuss features you find unique, and distinctive. I am mainly doing this as I have been thinking about firearm design, and trying to come up with my ideas for my own designs (mostly just theoretical, however I am working on designing a .22 magazine at the moment).

For starters one idea I really like is for holding a cleaning rod. The Italianicon M91 Carcanos use a unique threaded portion at the top of the rod that screws into the nose cap rather than a threaded plug at the bottom of the cleaning rod channel. This has two major advantages. One it prevents the threads at the end from being cross threaded/stripped by screwing it improperly into the threaded plug at the bottom of the channel. Secondly it if dirt gets packed into the nose cap threaded portion you can just clean it out, unlike the threaded plug in the bottom of the cleaning rod channel.

The disadvantage is that it requires more machining of the nose cap, and the cleaning rod (however you do not require the threaded plug in the cleaning rod channel or having to cut out that portion).

Another feature I really like is when fixed magazines have a hinged floorplate like a on a Portuguese M1904 or SKS. The advantages being that you no longer need a bullet to empty the magazine if needed, which greatly helps with stoppages. The disadvantage is that it requires more machining.

Those are two I thought I would share for the moment, I am curious as to what others think are nifty ideas.
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