A remotely operable machine gun charger is provided for selectively controlling the forward-to-rear movement of a machine gun bolt pin. When the bolt pin is released from its safe position the charger permits the bolt pin to be spring-driven back to its armed position substantially instantaneously by the bolt spring without waiting for pin engagement and drive structure portions of the gun to be returned to their forwardmost positions. The charger permits the gun to be fired during such movement of the engagement and drive structure back to their forwardmost positions, and the charger may be mounted on and removed from the machine gun without the use of tools, or the necessity of removing or adjusting any of the internal components of the machine gun.