[8] Angerer expressed that he wanted a rifle which could match those used by Soviet and East German competitors.

[citation needed] The straight-pull mechanism uses seven hardened steel ball bearings evenly positioned around the rear of the bolt as locking elements.

When the bolt handle is pushed forward, it moves a locking piece called the bolt clamping sleeve forward, forcing the ball bearings out to lock into a negative recess in the receiver.

Barrels are not threaded but press-fitted to the receiver,[citation needed] and can be changed by a competent gunsmith.

Like other high end .22 LR competition barrels from Anschütz, the muzzle is choked, presumably to achieve better performance in cold weather.

The current Anschütz design has an adjustable cheek rest and length of pull so that it can be fitted to different athletes.

[18] However, magazines specifically made for biathlon differ by having a special base plate for ease of use with gloves.

However, with the Fortner straight-pull action, the shooter closes the bolt using their thumb, allowing the index finger to get on the trigger blade faster.

[citation needed] Anschütz barrels have been known for their high quality, and was used in production of some Izhmash Bi 7-3 biathlon rifles in the 1990s.