A semi-automatic rifle is an autoloading rifle that fires a single cartridge with each pull of the trigger and uses part of the fired cartridge's energy to eject the case and load another cartridge into the chamber. In contrast, a bolt-action rifle requires the user to cycle the bolt manually before they can fire a second time, and a fully automatic rifle fires continuously until the trigger is released.
SKS Type 56 - 7.62×39mm
Prague Castle Guard carrying the Czechoslovak vz. 52 rifle
The Fusil Automatique Modele 1917 was an early French semi-automatic rifle issued in limited number to the French Armed Forces during World War I.
The M1 Garand, designed by John Garand in 1936 and initially produced for the United States military.
Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by directly manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the firearm. The majority of bolt-action firearms are rifles, but there are also some variants of shotguns and handguns that are bolt-action. A firearm using bolt-action mechanism is colloquially referred to as a bolt gun.
The AWM sniper rifle, a bolt-action rifle
A US Marine extracts a fired cartridge from an M40A3 using a bolt-action mechanism
A disassembled Karabiner 98k action
Close-up of the action on an SMLE Mk III rifle, showing the bolt head, magazine cut off, and charger clip guide.