Gas-operated rifle system

A handheld rifle capable of firing short wide pistol cartridges, said rifle comprising:

• a lower receiver having a magazine housing, a trigger and hammer assembly, a handgrip, a buffer assembly, and a buttstock assembly;
• an upper receiver pivotally connected to said lower receiver;
• a barrel attached to said upper receiver, said barrel having a rifled bore, a cartridge chamber adapted to receive a short wide pistol cartridge to be fired therein, said chamber communicating with said bore, and a breech chamber having a forcing cone formed therein;
• a non-rotating bolt assembly slidably located in said upper receiver in a forwardly biased relationship by said buffer assembly and axially aligned with said barrel, and having a conical end adapted for close-fitting, non-locking sealing engagement in said forcing cone;
• an extractor located resiliently in said bolt assembly and arranged to grip the rim of a cartridge in said cartridge chamber;
• a firing pin slidably located in said bolt assembly and arranged to be activated by said trigger and hammer assembly to fire a cartridge located in said chamber;
• and
• an ejector assembly located in said upper receiver and arranged to eject cartridges from said bolt assembly upon rearwardly movement of said bolt assembly;
• wherein said bolt assembly conical end has a recessed bolt face adapted to receive a short wide pistol cartridge therein, an ejector groove extending at least partially therethrough, and a cartridge feed shoulder extending. downwardly therefrom.