cocking gun
A general term for a variety of actions used to chamber/prime guns before firing them. This may include:
- Manually pulling back the hammer of a revolver
- Racking the slide of a semi-automatic handgun
- Racking the slide of a pump action shotgun
- Cycling the bolt of a bolt action rifle
Usually performed after loading a magazine to chamber the first round, but can also forcibly remove an existing round or clear a jam. May also depict a handgun slide being forced back during normal operation for dramatic effect.