Straight pull bolt action hunting rifles are extremely popular in Europe for multiple reasons. They are manual repeaters which makes them legal in most countries, and they are pretty much as reliable as a regular turn-bolt bolt action yet are much faster. These rifles are a great blend of reliability and speed, perfect for a driven hunt which is a very popular type of hunting in the Old World. No wonder why the majority of straight pull rifle makers are from Europe (Blaser, Strasser, Merkel, Heym, Beretta, etc) although American companies have a presence in this market too (Savage, Browning, etc.). In this article, we’ll take a look at a new German straight pull bolt action rifle, the Jakele J1.
Straight Pull Rifles @ TFB:
One of the key features of the Jakele J1 rifle that sets it apart is the cocking lever located under the trigger guard. This lever cocks the main spring when pulled back and decocks it when released. So the rifle always has a decocked striker until it’s gripped and the cocking lever is squeezed. This cocking/safety mechanism makes the J1 rifle extremely safe and also allows a second strike capability without a need for working the action.
The cocking lever of Jakele J1 rifle
Jakele J1 rifle features a 4-lug (two rows of two lugs) bolt with a 90-degree rotation. The action is available both in right and left-handed configurations. The rifle is offered chambered in one of the following cartridges: .222 Remington, .223 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, 8×57 IS, 9.3×62, and .300 Winchester Magnum. The two-round magazine is non-detachable but there is a mechanism to quickly unload it. The trigger has two preset weights which the shooter can switch between. The Jakele J1 is also pretty lightweight weighing from 5lbs 12oz to 5lbs 15oz (2.6 to 2.7 kilograms) depending on the configuration.
Jakele J1 All-Terrain
Jakele J1 Alpin
Jakele J1 Spirit
Jakele J1 is a modular rifle with interchangeable barrels and furniture. The company offers a variety of stock and forearm options, both polymer and wood. The barrels are hammer forged, have a finish called BDC (Bavarian Diamond Coating), an integrated scope mounting system called BPM (Bavarian Precision Mount) and are available in four length options ranging from 17″ to 23″ (44 to 58 cm). There is a 3D configurator tool on the company’s website to help customers build the exact configuration of the J1 rifle they want. Per that configurator, the basic version of this rifle with a polymer thumbhole stock costs €4,400.
For more information, visit the Jakele website: www.jakele-j1.de
Pictures by Jakele Jagd+Natur GmbH & Co., www.jakele-j1.de