Shotgun - basic terminology

This weblog entry will illustrate the basic components of a shotgun. The shotgun used in this illustration is a 12 gauge Benelli.

There is no other firearm as unique as a shotgun. Highly powerful, yet very easy to use for a novice, a shotgun makes for a excellent home defense weapon.

Some of the major components of a shotgun are illustrated in the photo below.



Starting from top left moving clockwise...

The STOCK is a solid piece at the rear of the shotgun that adds stability and allows an individual to better handle the weapon. A stock can be made of many materials, but the most popular style is wood. Some shotguns do not have a stock, but instead come with a modified pistol grip.

The RECEIVER is the center piece of the shotgun and is sometimes referred to as the FRAME

The EJECTION PORT is where the spent cartridge casings will emerge when the PUMP is used.

The REAR SIGHT is used in conjunction with the front sight to align the firearm on target. Not all shotguns have a rear sight.

The FRONT SIGHT is used in conjunction with the rear sight to align the firearm on target. The front sight on many firearms is a simple bead on the tip of the barrel.

The BARREL guides the shell as it is discharged toward the intended target.

The MAGAZINE of a shutgun is a long cylinder located parallel to the barrel. This holds the ammunition for the firearm. A longer magazine on a shotgun will hold more ammunition.

The PUMP (also known as a Fore-end) is used to load and unload ammunition from the magazine to the barrel. The PUMP is manually powered on most shotguns, but some varieties come in an automatic variety. The use of the PUMP is what causes that definitive "cha-chak" sound on most shotguns.

The LOADING PORT is where you load ammunition into the magazine of the firearm

The TRIGGER discharges the weapon.

The SAFETY SELECT SWITCH allows or restricts the shotgun from discharging, depending on what it it set to.

Here is a closer photo of the shotgun.



You can see some of the details in the previous photo much easier.



A shotgun's LOADING PORT is very unique among firearms. In a later blog entry, I will show how to load this shotgun through the loading port.

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