How a Pump Shotgun Works
0Shotshells are loaded into the magazine
through the bottom of the receiver. The compressed magazine spring
keeps tension on the shells. Pressing the ‘action bar lock’
allows the ‘fore-end’ to be pulled to the rear. As it comes back, a shell is fed into the receiver. Pushing forward on the fore-end lifts the shell,
and the ‘bolt’ guides it into the chamber. As the fore-end moves back, a cutout on the
bottom of the slide engages the ‘carrier dog’. As the slide moves forward,
downward force is put on the ‘carrier’, acting as a lever to lift the shell up. The left and right ‘latches’
allow shells into the receiver under the control of the fore-end tube assembly. Notches on the assembly move the
latches in and out at specific times. The left latch holds the shell until
the fore-end is almost fully rearward. After the first shell advances into the
receiver, the right latch catches the next shell. As the fore-end is pushed forward,
the first shell is moved into the chamber and the left latch assumes control of the next shell. When the bolt makes contact with the ‘breech face’, the ‘slide’ pushes up on the ‘locking block’,
locking it into the barrel. With the ‘safety’ in the off position,
the trigger is free to move. Pulling the trigger rotates the
‘sear’, which releases the ‘hammer’. The hammer strikes the ‘firing pin’,
causing it to travel forward and impact the shell primer. The inside of a shotshell contains a primer,
powder charge, a wad, and shot, or a slug. Inside the primer is a primer cup,
priming compound, and an anvil. As these are struck by the firing pin, a chain reaction ignites the powder charge
inside the shell, and the wad is propelled down the barrel. Just after leaving the barrel, the
wad opens so the shot can spread. The ‘extractor’ grips the rim
of the spent shell case. As the fore-end is pulled to
the rear, the bolt is unlocked, and the case is extracted from the chamber. The bolt continues to the rear and the ‘ejector’
kicks out the empty case from the receiver. As the bolt comes back, the ‘hammer’
is reset, and held back by the ‘sear’. When the fore-end is fully forward, the
‘action bar lock’ lowers the ‘connector’. Again, allowing control of the sear
with a pull of the trigger. How a Shotgun Works
