Thanks for the reply all!

If I buy, I want new, as it is so hard to judge surplus.

The reason I want a cock-on-close bolt action is the Mill Specs. that were done by the British on contracting for their battle rifles say it works better for smoother repeat loading. This would be an advantage for follow-up shots on a bolt action.

I have found that reloading a bolt action rifle while prone gives me less power in the lifting up of the bolt handle and pulling back than I have when standing. Pushing forward and down does not seem to lose as much power while prone.

I know there are many good hunting cartridges out there, and the 30-06 is a front runner except that I would prefer a short throw bolt. The .308 is in great supply in the US and should be avalilable for some time to come in many different loads.

Bountyhunter

As far as I know, there are no cock-on-closing current rifles. The closest you can come to that is the Ishapore Enfield mentioned previously - the Enfields are cock-on-closing and that one is available in 303 or 308.

All cock-on-closing rifles cock on the forward bolt stroke, not on downward bolt rotation. All cock-on-opening rifles cock on upward bolt rotation. So alternative descriptions might be "cock-on-bolt-push" and "cock-on-bolt-rotation" There is one currently made straight pull rifle that I am aware of and I do not know when it cocks - the previous straight-pull rifles (with one exception) were never safe to shoot - and still are not.

Cock-on-closing is mechanically simpler, FWIW, but you're pretty much out of luck for a new one, I'm afraid.

Tom

Is the one exception the K31? I have never heard of a problem with one.