pump-action

American  

[puhmp-ak-shuhn] / ˈpʌmpˌæk ʃən /

adjective

1. (of a shotgun or rifle) having an action that extracts the empty case, loads, and cocks the piece by means of a hand-operated lever that slides backward and forward; slide-action.

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pump-action British  

adjective

1. (of a shotgun or other repeating firearm) operated by a slide-action mechanism feeding ammunition from a magazine under the barrel into the breech

2. spraying or dispensing liquid by means of a pump rather than using a propellant

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Etymology

Origin of pump-action

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

Example Sentences

The firearms are described as a Mossberg 12-gauge, pump-action shotgun and a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38-caliber pistol.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

Allen was found in possession of a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and a Rock Island Armory 1911 .38-caliber pistol, the document alleged.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

Firefighters used an excavator to remove broken glass and gnarled metal strewn across the site as policemen with pump-action rifles patrolled on motorbike to prevent looting.

From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026

Authorities said Butler had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 4, 2024

I wasn’t ready to buy a gun of my own, so Angelo had borrowed a fairly basic pump-action rifle, a .270 Winchester.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan