How Does It Work: Toggle Actions
Toggle action firearms, though rarely made today, are iconic in early self-loading designs like the Luger and Maxim gun. This mechanism uses a 'knee joint' linkage that locks straight when fired, preventing premature opening. It typically relies on short recoil to initiate unlocking, cycling the action for ejection and reloading. While offering a safe locked breech, toggle actions require precise machining and are susceptible to fouling, leading to their obsolescence by the 1930s.









