In a pump action shotgun, how are cartridges cycled into the chamber?

In a pump-action shotgun, cartridges are cycled into the chamber by sliding the fore-end back and forth. This action is essential for both ejecting a spent shell from the chamber and loading a new cartridge from the magazine tube into the chamber. When the fore-end is pulled back, it activates the mechanism that ejects the spent cartridge. As the fore-end is pushed forward, it chambers a new round, allowing for the continuous firing of shots as long as the shooter works the action. This design allows for quick follow-up shots while maintaining control and readiness without the need for complex mechanisms that can be prone to jam or malfunction.

The other options do not accurately describe how a pump-action shotgun operates. Pulling the trigger only releases the firing mechanism; manually inserting cartridges does not allow for the quick cycling necessary for rapid shooting; and a rotating magazine is not a feature of pump-action shotguns, but rather is commonly found in semi-automatic or automatic firearms.