Walt, I think I understand what you are saying. However, what I am asking is: Have you tried placing the bullet into the receiver (in much the same position that a bullet just having been elevated out of the clip would be) with the bolt fully open and letting the bolt itself push the bullet into the firing chamber? What your description describes is different in that you describe pushing the bullet into the firing chamber before trying to close the bolt.
The reason I ask this is because both of my bolt action guns had similar extractor/ejectors to the Carcano. And one of them was a single shot with no other option than to manually load each single bullet. The other one had a two-shot clip and a third shot could be loaded manually.
I don’t doubt your problem with closing the bolt if a bullet is inserted by hand and pushed by hand all the way into the firing chamber. But that isn’t how any bolt action guns that I have used is typically loaded. Even single shot bolt action guns.
Before I begin..... Let me thank you for your great help and your honest discussion....
Have you tried placing the bullet into the receiver (in much the same position that a bullet just having been elevated out of the clip would be) with the bolt fully open and letting the bolt itself push the bullet into the firing chamber? A cartridge cannot be placed in the receiver ( there is nothing to support the cartridge ) I've tried balancing the cartridge on the elevator and then slide the bolt forward and I can get the cartridge in the chamber .....The bolt handle will not go down to the latched and ready to fire position ( it stops just like the picture from the Alyea Film.
I believe that a person could manipulate the cartridge and place it on the face of the bolt but it would be very awkward because the clip of cartridges would have to be in the magazine first and that would limit the space needed to manipulate the cartridge....
The Bottom line.... It wouldn't be practical..... If the shooter simply wanted to have a seven shot rifle. It would be much easier to simply fire the six cartridges in the clip and then reload another clip....then he would have twelve shot rifle....
Now back to the Alyea photo....I'm 100% certain that some yokel who thought the carcano could be loaded with a single cartridge simply dropped that live round into the chamber and tried to close and latch the bolt.....but he couldn't get the bolt closed so he left it just as it is seen in the Alyea film.....and hid the rifle by laying it on the floor beneath the pallet of books, and then he stacked boxes of books around and over it.....
