Download ArticleDownload ArticleThis article was co-authored by Dr. Jeffrey S. Harmon. Dr. Jeffrey S. Harmon is a Firearms Instructor based in Southern New Jersey. He is the Owner and Chief Operating Officer of Ironsights Academy, a firearms education & training organization that he launched to continue his love of teaching and learning. Dr. Harmon is a higher education educator with over 20 years of experience who blended his passion for teaching with shooting sports as he launched Ironsights Academy: Firearms Education & Training. Dr. Harmon is an NRA Certified Instructor in Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Personal Protection Inside & Outside the Home, Concealed Carry Weapons, Defensive Pistol, and a certified Chief Range Safety Officer. Dr. Harmon is also certified by the American College of Surgeons to teach Stop the Bleed courses.
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Shotguns are popular around the world for hunting, shooting sports and home defense. They fire shells of metal shot that are usually loaded one at a time, instead of in a clip. While shotgun technology has advanced over the years, loading most shotguns is still a simple task.
Steps
Make sure the safety is on, the chamber unloaded, and the barrel pointed away from you in a safe direction. This is always the first step when loading or handling any gun. Consult your weapon's instruction manual to locate the safety feature.[1]
Determine what gauge (bore diameter) your shotgun is so you can select the right size shells. Common shotgun sizes are 10, 12, 16, 20, .410 bore, and 28. Shotshell of one gauge may be fired in a shotgun of another gauge, but doing so requires a special tube. Otherwise it is best to just select the proper sized ammo for your weapon.[2]Advertisement
Place the butt of the stock on your left thigh while sitting. You can also secure the stock under your arm with the gun turned sideways. Make sure that the trigger and trigger guard are positioned on the side of the shotgun facing away from you.[3]
Place a single shell against the loading flap just ahead of the trigger guard. The "business end" of the shell should be pointing toward the end of the gun barrel. The business end is the end of the shell that the shot comes out of and is opposite the metal capped end of the shell where the explosive charge is housed.[4]
Using your thumb, push the shell straight up into the loading flap until you hear and feel a distinct click. When it clicks, the rim of the shell should have passed the magazine catch.[5]
Repeat until the magazine tube is full. You can tell the tube is full when you attempt to load a shell but it won't go in.[6]
Hold in the action release button and pump the slide backwards and then forwards with a reasonable amount of force to load the chamber. This will strip a shell from the magazine and load it into firing position. The shotgun is now ready to fire.[7]
Make sure the safety is on and the gun pointed away from you in a safe direction. Always treat a gun as though it were loaded, even if you know it isn't.[8]
Find and engage the barrel breach lever, latch or button. This will usually be on the right side of the gun, where the barrel meets the stock.[9]- Unlike a pump-action shotgun, a break action has no magazine tube to load several shells at a time into. Instead, the gun breaks open to allow you to load a shell directly into the chamber of your barrel (or barrels). This means your gun needs to be reloaded after every shot, or every two shots if you have a double-barreled shotgun.
Open the break-action and lower the barrel away from the body of the shotgun.[10]
Remove and discard any spent casings. Be careful: these may be hot if the gun was recently fired. Try not to let your hand touch the metal of the barrel.[11]
Replace each used casing with a fresh shell. The business-end of the shell should slide into the barrel.[12]
Bring the barrel back up and close the break until you hear and feel it click. Your gun is now loaded and ready to fire.[13]
Expert Q&A
- QuestionHow do I properly hold a shotgun?
Dr. Jeffrey S. HarmonDr. Jeffrey S. Harmon is a Firearms Instructor based in Southern New Jersey. He is the Owner and Chief Operating Officer of Ironsights Academy, a firearms education & training organization that he launched to continue his love of teaching and learning. Dr. Harmon is a higher education educator with over 20 years of experience who blended his passion for teaching with shooting sports as he launched Ironsights Academy: Firearms Education & Training. Dr. Harmon is an NRA Certified Instructor in Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, Personal Protection Inside & Outside the Home, Concealed Carry Weapons, Defensive Pistol, and a certified Chief Range Safety Officer. Dr. Harmon is also certified by the American College of Surgeons to teach Stop the Bleed courses.
Firearms InstructorTo properly hold a shotgun, establish four points of contact. If you're right-handed, your support hand (left hand) should be positioned at the fore-end of the shotgun, using a low C-grip to avoid touching the barrel that may get hot. Simultaneously, your right hand grasps the neck or wrist near the trigger. Ensure the buttstock is tucked into your shoulder pocket, providing a stable third point of contact. The fourth and final point involves placing your cheek on the comb or the top of the buttstock. This grip ensures control, stability, and safety while handling the shotgun. - QuestionDoes a shotgun have to be loaded to put the safety on?
Community AnswerYou can put the safety on regardless of whether or not the gun is loaded. - QuestionHow do I remove shells?
Community AnswerDepending on the make, put the gun on safe and act as if you were putting another round in with the slide, it should pop free.
Video
Tips
- Semi-automatic shotguns load in basically the same manner as pump shotguns, consult your owners manual if you think your semi-auto may load differently.Thanks
- Newer shotguns may have a surprisingly strong magazine spring, and may demand a little more force to get the shell in past the magazine catch.Thanks
- Using the pad of the thumb allows more leverage to push the shells into the magazine tube than a finger.Thanks
Warnings
- Never attempt to force a shotshell into the magazine with any object such as a screwdriver. You could accidentally set off the shell, seriously injuring yourself or others.Thanks
- Guns are not toys! Firearms should be treated with respect and never handled by children without adult supervision.Thanks
- Never attempt to 'mismatch' firearms and ammunition, the round may fit in the chamber, but it could be of a considerably higher power than your gun is designed to handle. Your gun could explode and harm or kill you or other bystanders.Thanks
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about using firearms, check out our in-depth interview with Dr. Jeffrey S. Harmon.
References
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaGMxE6AeHE
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaGMxE6AeHE
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4_HeIOGEaA
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4_HeIOGEaA
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crOUq5iz0rM
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crOUq5iz0rM
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_ufCUSZ27s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_ufCUSZ27s
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kurasn6tp6k
About This Article
To load a pump-action shotgun, first make sure its safety is on, the chamber is empty, and the barrel is pointed away from you to maintain proper gun safety. Then, place your first shell against the loading flap and push it forward until you hear a click. Once your first shell is loaded, repeat the process for however many rounds your shotgun takes. When a shell won’t go into the loading flap, you’ll know the gun is full. When your shotgun is fully loaded, hold its action release button and pump the slide backwards and forwards to load the first round into the chamber. For more tips, including how to load a break-action shotgun, read on!
Reader Success Stories
"Writing a book, my protagonist is attempting to scare an intruder, she's used the shotgun but not for awhile. Thank you for keeping the firearm model consistent, she'll be using the Remington model 870, also shown in a video in the reference links. Thanks."..." more
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