Heym SR 30

Lore & Background

The Heym SR 30 uses a locking mechanism designed by Peter Fortner junior, who previously designed a similar system for the Anschütz 1827 Fortner rifle. The SR 30's bolt head contains six ball bearings that are forced outward into a continuous semi-round groove in the receiver when the bolt handle is pushed forward. This groove, rather than individual recesses, simplifies production and positions the bolt for headspace. The lockup strengthens with increased chamber pressure. Primary extraction is achieved by leverage from the bolt handle's opposite side. The bolt handle has three positions: open, locked and uncocked, and locked and cocked. The user can manually cock the action by pressing the bolt handle fully forward, or uncock it by pulling it backward for safe carry.

The rifle is offered in three action lengths: normal (SR 30 N), magnum (SR 30 G), and mini (for .222 Rem and .223 Rem, right-hand only). Barrels are hammer-forged in-house and attached with traditional action threads; barrel changes require a gunsmith. Two trigger options are available: a shotgun-style trigger set at 1600 grams, or a set trigger set to 1100 grams that is activated by pushing it forward. The Heym SR 30 locking mechanism was tested by the C.I.P. accredited Suhl proofhouse at a Pmax piezo pressure of 800.0 MPa. In unofficial overload tests, a rifle chambered in .30-06 Springfield was subjected to calculated pressures of 1000.0 MPa and 1070.0 MPa, resulting in a damaged extractor, deformed bolt, and the rifle being rendered unusable, though the bolt remained in the rifle.

The Savage Arms Impulse straight-pull rifle, introduced in early 2021, features a similar locking mechanism with six hardened steel locking bearings that lock into a half-round recess of a steel barrel extension, allowing an aluminum receiver. The Heym SR 30 is also available in a left-hand version.

Reader's Guide

The Heym SR 30 represents a notable application of a semi-rigid ball-bearing locking system in a production straight-pull rifle, building on Peter Fortner junior's earlier design for the Anschütz 1827 Fortner. Its use of a continuous groove rather than individual recesses for the locking bearings is a practical solution to manufacturing precision. The rifle's three-position bolt handle, offering manual cocking and uncocking, provides a safety feature distinct from many conventional bolt actions. The availability of normal, magnum, and mini action lengths, along with left-hand versions, broadens its appeal. The SR 30's locking mechanism influenced the later Savage Arms Impulse, which adapted the concept for a lighter aluminum receiver and user-swappable barrels. The rifle's guaranteed precision of 20 mm at 100 meters (0.2 mrad) for the High Performance Precision variant indicates its intended accuracy. The overload tests, while destructive, demonstrated that the bolt could be retained in the rifle under extreme pressures, though the rifle was rendered unusable.

Did You Know?

• The Heym SR 30 uses six ball bearings as locking elements, while the earlier Anschütz 1827 Fortner uses seven ball bearings located at the back of the bolt.
• The locking mechanism was designed by Peter Fortner junior, who patented it in 1984 for the Anschütz 1827 Fortner.
• The rifle is available in a left-hand version.
• The Savage Arms Impulse, introduced in early 2021, uses a similar locking mechanism with six hardened steel bearings locking into a half-round recess in a steel barrel extension.

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