Loading a shotgun

Loading a shotgun is completely different from loading revolvers and automatic handguns. Loading a shotgun is relatively easy, though, and requires a minimum of practice to become proficient at.

Although the shotgun used in this photo blog is a Benelli 12 gauge, the information generally applies to most shotguns with a bottom loading port.

Before loading, make sure the pump of the shotgun is all the way forward and the safety select switch is on SAFE. And as always, when loading any firearm, remember the four rules!


The next step in loading a shotgun is to locate the loading port on the base of the shotgun. It is usually in front of the trigger housing and behind the pump. It is usually made in a contrasting metal color from the rest of the shotgun. This is where you will insert the shotshells (ammunition for the shotgun).


When you load a shotgun, if you have all your shotshells the same type, there is no problem with shot order. But if you want to load a variety of shotshells in your shotgun, remember that shotshells will fire in the reverse order you load them.

For example, let's say in the photo below, you want to fire #1 first, then #2, #3, #4 and end with #5. To do that, you would load #5 first into the shotgun, then #4, #3, #2 and #1.


It helps if you think of it like boarding some commercial airlines. The first ones in will get sent to the tail section, and they will be the last ones to get off.

To load the first shotshell, just push it up into the loading port, and then up again into the magazine. It does not take much force to do this.



Continue pushing the shotshell into the magazine until the base of the shotshell 'clicks' into place in the magazine.


Once the shotshell has been locked into the magazine, it will stay in place by itself. You can proceed to load additional shotshells in the shotgun.


Loading additional shotshells follows the same pattern as the first. Press up on the loading port and up again into the magazine. Additional shotshells will push the ammunition already loaded further into the magazine of the shotgun and will 'click' in place the same as the first one did. There really is nothing to it!


Most shotguns only hold around 8 shotshells of ammunition. If you try to load one more, the shotshell will not enter the magazine, just like the photo below.


A future blog entry will show how to load a round of ammunition from the magazine into the chamber. Once you do that, you can go back and load an additional round of ammunition into the magazine of the shotgun.

This is usually referred to in firearm pre-sales information along the lines of...

MAGAZINE CAPACITY : 8 (+ 1)

Meaning the magazine of that particular firearm can hold 8 rounds of ammunition, but if you load one round of ammunition in the chamber, you can add an additional round of ammunition back to the magazine, making the total rounds of ammunition available for discharge in the firearm 9. (8 rounds of ammunition in the magazine + 1 round of ammunition in the chamber).