Mini Action

A mini action is a scaled-down receiver designed around small cartridges in the .223 Remington class, with a bolt throw and magazine well shorter than a standard short action needs. Trimming the receiver to match a small cartridge saves weight and shortens the stroke, which suits lightweight builds and rifles meant to be carried far afield.

The appeal is the same logic that drives the short action, pushed one size further: match the action length to the round and carry no extra metal. The limit is that a mini action only accepts those small cases, so it cannot be rebarreled to a longer cartridge without a different receiver.