Political commentator Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on Sept. 10 during an event at Utah Valley University.

Authorities uncovered a high-powered rifle in the woods and believe it was used against Kirk, USA TODAY reported. The Wall Street Journal and New York Times, citing law-enforcement sources, reported it was an older model Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle .

Here's a look at how bolt-action rifles work and their legality in Illinois.

What is a bolt-action rifle?

Bolt-action rifles require the user to manually reload each time they want to fire. In comparison, semi-automatic rifles use a mechanism to chamber a subsequent round.

The National Rifle Association labeled bolt-action rifles "the quintessential rifle action for military, hunting and target-shooting applicatio

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