Pump action weapons have been used by man for more than a hundred years. The ancestor and inventor of the movable forend is Christopher Spencer. It was he who, in 1882, proposed a mechanism in which, with the help of a pump (pump), a shutter for a weapon was controlled, an ejected cartridge case was ejected, and a new cartridge was sent. Subsequently, the famous gunsmith Browning improved the design, making the pump-action shotgun an indispensable assistant not only for hunters, but also for military and police officers.
Strange as it may seem, pump-action weapons gained popularity among representatives of such diverse professions as the military and the hunter because of the same properties:
1. The speed of the shot. It is usually higher than that of similar models of semi-automatic semi-automatic weapons.
2. Faster reloading of the forend than the top shutter. Although the design of the pump-action shotgun allows you to charge and lock the shutter with the movement toward you, the following algorithm is more comfortable for the human hand: hand with the forearm toward you — the shutter is unlocked and the fired sleeve is thrown; reverse movement (from oneself) - sending a cartridge and locking the bolt mechanism. That is, it does not require a hand interception ( trunk fracture ) - everything is done in the most natural way possible for a person.
3. The ability to fire several types of ammunition. Basically, in all models, the pump-action shotgun uses a five-chamber chamber. This makes it possible to combine loading or quick change of ammunition. For a quick change (fractions on the buckshot, etc.) it is enough to have 3 cartridges in the chamber and, if necessary, throwing the spent cartridge case out quickly send the necessary cartridge to an empty place. He will be shot next.
4. A simplified and, therefore, cheaper design makes the pump-action shotgun an affordable purchase for a novice hunter or saves the budget when arming paramilitary units.
5. Uniform, clear and heaped battle.
6. A large number of options for execution, which increases the possibility of using weapons in different situations. This includes all sorts of muzzle nozzles, removable and folding stocks, patch trunks.
7. Modification of the shotgun for the military has the ability to fire without pressing the trigger again. If in such a model to keep it pressed, the shot is fired immediately after sending a new cartridge into the chamber.
It has weapons and some flaws that should be mentioned:
1. Shooting from the "pump action" involves aiming for each shot. After reloading, the movement of the hand will necessarily make a vertical displacement of the barrel and a second shot “without sight” will be inaccurate.
2. The mechanical rods to which the forend is attached noticeably make noise when moving and twisting the forearm. This should be taken into account when hunting from an ambush or a farmhouse, as well as when moving quietly to a hunting object.
3. The design of the pump action weapon does not exclude the possibility of small litter and moisture getting into the mechanism, which will make shooting difficult or impossible.
The proliferation of pump action weapons in Russia and other post-Soviet countries at the end of the 20th century. To date, the most popular shotgun company Mossberg. Less common are models of Beretta and TOZ.
Hunters use a pump-action shotgun to catch poultry. It is when hunting for it that you can get the maximum advantage from using this type of weapon. Special paramilitary units use pump-action weapons in conflicts where fast shooting with a high degree of destruction is required.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is perhaps the most famous pump-action shotgun. It was with such weapons that we could see him in the role of the Terminator in the second part of the film of the same name.