A self-loading rifle or auto-loading rifle is a rifle with an action using a portion of the energy of each cartridge fired to load another cartridge. Self-loading pistols are similar, but intended to be held and fired by a single hand, while rifles are designed to be held with both hands and fired from the shoulder.[1]
- ^ Johnson, Melvin M. (1944). Rifles and Machine Guns. New York: William Morrow and Company. p. 3.