Final answer:
The steps for loading a shotgun involve checking if it's unloaded, safely pointing the muzzle, opening the action, and feeding appropriate size ammo. Understanding the recoil involves Newton's third law, with recoilless rifles decreasing kickback by releasing gases from both ends of the barrel.
Step-by-step explanation:
The steps that should be followed while loading a shotgun are:
- Check to be sure it's unloaded.
- Keep muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
- Open action to access the loading area.
- Choose the proper shell that fits your shotgun.
- Place the shotgun shell into the action.
- Load the magazine with the proper size ammo.
- Close the action, making the shotgun ready to fire.
It is crucial to handle firearms with care, and these steps ensure safe and proper use of a shotgun. Additionally, it's important to understand the physics behind firearms to anticipate the recoil when a gun is fired. The recoil or 'kick' from an ordinary rifle is a consequence of Newton's third law, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This recoil can be observed when you fire a gun -- as the bullet moves forward, the gun is pushed backward. A recoilless rifle, however, has an open barrel at both ends. When fired, the gases produced by the combustion of the propellant are expelled out both ends of the barrel, allowing for a decrease in recoil due to the equal and opposite force being divided in two directions. Standing close behind a recoilless rifle when it is fired is not safe because of the high velocity gases and potential debris exiting the rear of the barrel.