Since we began adding our original Heckler & Koch G3 parts to the store, I’ve spoken briefly about the six simple machines on several instances. Today, I would like to revisit these six simple items, which you probably wouldn’t recognize as machines that have made all of our lives easier at some point.

In general, a simple machine is a mechanical device that is used to change the direction or magnitude of a force and provide a mechanical advantage. Typically, the term refers to any one of six simple machines as defined by scientists during the Renaissance. They are the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge and screw. Sure, all of them are great, but today we’re going to focus on the lever.

A lever is generally any rigid bar that works in conjunction with a fulcrum or pivot point and is used to increase the force being applied to an object. If you take a minute and think about it, there are probably hundreds of levers you’ve used in your everyday life without realizing it. Some common levers include: the crowbar, scissors, teeter-totter, rake, fork, baseball bat, can opener and even the toilet flushing handle.

Today’s lever of interest is the G3 cocking lever. The G3 cocking lever can be found folded into the left side of the cocking lever tube, connected to the cocking lever support via the cocking lever elbow spring and the cocking lever axle pin. It is an integral part of the rifle, as without it, you would be hard-pressed to chamber an initial cartridge or perform any other tasks that require a retracted bolt. Being that it is a lever, the G3 cocking lever allows you to apply the force needed to pull the cocking lever support back, which retracts the bolt and allows for any of the following:

- Cocking the firearm

- Hand-loading/ejecting a cartridge

- Clearing a jam

- Ensuring a cleared chamber

Ensure you’re not unable to work the bolt on your G3 by picking up one of our G3 cocking levers today for only $5.95.