Folding firearms have a first portion including a shoulder stock having a free end butt surface and a trigger assembly including a trigger lever, a second portion including a frame defining a bolt passage, a bolt received in the bolt passage, and a barrel connected to the frame, and the first portion and second portion being pivotally connected to each other to pivot about a pivot axis between an operating position in which the barrel extends in a first direction and the shoulder stock extends in an opposite direction, and a folded position in which the barrel and shoulder stock extend in a common direction. The pivot axis may be perpendicular to a bore axis defined by the barrel, and oriented parallel to a medial plane defined by the firearm, the medial plane being vertical during normal firearm operation.