Anatomy of a Shotgun

If you're new to shooting sports or just need a refresher, here's a guide to some of the commonly referred to shotgun parts and terms.

The Mossberg® 500® pump-action model is used here as our primary reference source. This guide may not answer all of your questions or explain details like a hunter's education program might, but it should help clarify some of the terms that you have encountered in your quest for firearm knowledge.

Of course, no portion of our web site is intended to replace reading and understanding a firearm owner's manual or attending classes offered by a certified firearms instructor.

The underlined descriptions below offer a link to more detailed product images and explanations.