Removable shotgun magazine

A firearm with removable tubular magazine, the firearm comprising:

• a longitudinal axis defining an axial direction;
• a receiver;
• a barrel coupled to the receiver and defining a chamber for holding a shell;
• an outer magazine housing coupled to the receiver;
• an elongated tubular magazine removably inserted in the housing, the magazine including an internal cavity configured to hold a stack of shells in end-to-end relationship;
• and
• an elongated shell catch lever mounted proximate to an open rear end of the magazine, the shell catch lever laterally movable between an inward closed position for retaining the shells in the magazine and an outward open position for dispensing the shells from the magazine;
• the shell catch lever in a first operating mode being slidable in the axial direction to move from the closed position to the open position;
• and
• the shell catch lever in a second operating mode being also pivotable moveable in a transverse direction to move from the first position to the second position.

A method for loading ammunition into a firearm, the method comprising:

• providing a magazine having a tubular body configured to hold a stack of shells arranged in end-to-end relationship and a biasing member for urging, the stack rearwards toward an open end of the magazine;
• the magazine including a shell catch lever configured and arranged to engage a rearmost shell in the stack when loaded into the magazine, the shell catch lever being spring-biased into an inward closed position for retaining, the shells in the magazine and laterally movable to an outward open position for dispensing the shells from the magazine;
• loading, the stack of shells into the magazine, the shell catch lever being moved to the open position during loading the stack of shells into the magazine;
• moving the shell catch lever to the closed position;
• placing a shell release lever mounted on the firearm in a deactivated position;
• axially inserting the loaded magazine into an elongated outer housing attached to the firearm;
• engaging the shell catch lever with the shell release lever by moving the shell release lever to an activated position;
• and
• moving the shell catch lever on the magazine to the open position by engagement with the shell release lever, wherein the rearmost shell in the magazine is released by the shell catch lever for dispensing to the firearm.