The present invention relates to firearms.
In particular, the present invention relates to that type of firearm, such as a semi-automatic shotgun, which has a bolt capable of moving axially between a forward firing position and a rear retracted position as well as capable of rotating between locked and unlocked positions. Such a bolt, which forms part of the action of the firearm, is housed within a receiver which is formed with an ejection port through which a cartridge case of a spent cartridge is ejected. The movement of the bolt is brought about at least partially by way of a sleeve which surrounds the bolt, and in addition to its other functions, this sleeve serves to close the ejection port when the bolt is in its forward firing position.
Because the ejection port is relatively long and because it must be covered by this sleeve, the sleeve also is undesirably long, and in addition the receiver must be made of a length sufficiently great to receive the relatively long sleeve when the bolt is retracted in order to uncover the ejection port at least to an extent sufficient to permit the cartridge case to be ejected.
Thus, these factors result in an undesirably long action and receiver.