Repeating firearms are guns that have a mechanism that, only when physically manipulated by the shooter, will allow the shooter to fire multiple shots without reloading the gun.

Nearly all repeaters fall into the following categories:

Bolt-action

Lever-action

Slide- or pump-action

Revolving action



Bolt-action guns are typically rifles of the sort that rotates to lock and unlock the bolt. The handle is typically located convenient to the shooter's right hand, the same hand used to pull the trigger. To cycle the mechanism, the shooter first rotates the bolt counter-clockwise, then yanks the bolt rearward as far as it can go. This extracts and ejects the loaded cartridge, fired or not. The bolt is then pushed forward, which strips a fresh cartridge from the magazine and inserts it into the barrel, and in some designs, cocks the firing mechanism. Finally, the bolt is rotated clockwise, which lock the bolt in place and, in many designs, cocks the firing mechanism. These types of bolt-actions are called "turnbolt repeaters". There are some designs that are simply pulled straight back and pushed forward, but those are not common.

Bolt-action guns are almost all rifles, and are typically fed from a stacked magazine that may be fixed or detachable. Rifles the fire rimfire ammunition are often made with fixed tubular magazines that hold cartridges nose-to-tail underneath the barrel.


This turnbolt repeater has a fixed stacked magazine with a hinged floorplate for quick, safe unloading. It does not protrude from the rifle.




This turnbolt repeater has a detachable stacked magazine for quick, safe loading and unloading. It protrudes from the rifle.






Lever-action guns are typically rifles that use a lever with a loop for the shooter's hand to cycle the mechanism. The lever is located where the shooter holds the rear grip, and the shooter uses his or her trigger hand to work the lever after pulling the trigger. To cycle the mechanism, the shooter slips his or her hand into the loop below the grip and pushes down with the top of the hand. The lever moves down and forward, unlocking the bolt and moving it rearwards while extracting and ejecting the loaded cartridge and cocking the external hammer. The shooter then pulls the lever up and rearwards, causing the bolt to move forward, loading a cartridge from the magazine into the barrel, and locking the bolt closed. The gun is now ready to fire.

They are typically fed from a fixed tubular magazine attached to the underside of the barrel that holds the cartridges in a nose-to-tail configuration.


This lever-action rifle features a tubular magazine loaded through an opening just below the bolt. Some designs can be loaded by unscrewing the front of the magazine instead.





Slide-action/pump-action guns are typically shotguns with a foregrip that is used to operate the firing mechanism. The shooter uses his or her non-trigger hand to slide the foregrip back and forth after pulling the trigger. To cycle the mechanism after firing a shot, the shooter pulls back briskly on the foregrip. This causes the shotgun's bolt to unlock and slide rearward while extracting and ejecting the loaded shotshell and cocking the firing mechanism. Then the slide is pushed forward briskly, causing to bolt to move forward, strip a fresh shell from the magazine, and load it into the barrel, then finally locking the bolt closed.

Shotguns are almost always fed from a tubular magazine attached to the underside of the barrel that holds the shells in a nose-to-tail configuration.

This pump-action shotgun features a tubular magazine loaded though an opening located underneath the gun and in front of the triggerguard.





Revolving action guns are typically handguns called "revolvers", which have a cylinder behind the barrel which has holes bored in it for holding and firing cartridges. Unlike a magazine, which only holds cartridges until they can be loaded into the barrel, the cartridges in a revolver are fired in the cylinder. The cylinder acts as an array of separate firing chambers for the barrel.

Revolver mechanisms come in two types: single-action and double-action. Single-action revolvers have triggers whose only purpose is to release a cocked hammer. If the hammer does not cock, the gun will not fire. To fire a single-action revolver, the shooter draws back and cocks the hammer, typically with the shooter's thumb. This also causes the cylinder to rotate, putting a fresh cartridge in line with the barrel, then locking itself in place. With the hammer cocked, the shooter then pulls the trigger, which releases the hammer and fires a shot. For the next shot, the shooter must manually cock the hammer again.

Double-action revolvers have a mechanism that allows the trigger to both cock and release the hammer. There are two ways to fire a double-action revolver. You can shoot it like the single-action revolver described above, or you can simply keep pulling the trigger. Each time the trigger is pulled, the hammer is drawn backward while the cylinder rotates a fresh cartridge behind the barrel. One the fresh cartridge is aligned, the cylinder locks itself in place. Further pressure on the trigger will cause the drawn-back hammer to release and fire a shot. This type of trigger pull is longer and heavier than the single-action one.

Single-action revolvers typically have a fixed cylinder that is loaded and unloaded through a loading gate, while double-action revolvers typically have a swing-out cylinder for rapid loading and unloading.

This single-action revolver has a loading gate (shown closed) between the hammer and cylinder. An under-barrel hand ejector lets the shooter push out cartridges one at a time.




This double-action revolver has a cylinder that opens up. Cartridges are inserted into the rear of the cylinder. The rod protruding from the front of the cylinder is the ejector. Pushing this rod rearwards briskly will eject all of the cartridges simultaneously.