Article: Always treat a gun as though it were loaded, even if you know it isn't. This will usually be on the right side of the gun, where the barrel meets the stock. 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.  Be careful: these may be hot if the gun was recently fired. Try not to let your hand touch the metal of the barrel. The business-end of the shell should slide into the barrel. Your gun is now loaded and ready to fire.
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Make sure the safety is on and the gun pointed away from you in a safe direction. Find and engage the barrel breach lever, latch or button. Open the break-action and lower the barrel away from the body of the shotgun. Remove and discard any spent casings. Replace each used casing with a fresh shell. Bring the barrel back up and close the break until you hear and feel it click.