What happens in a shotgun when an ejector is bent or improperly positioned?

A bent or improperly positioned ejector in a shotgun directly impacts the firearm's ability to eject spent shells after firing. The ejector is designed to project the shell out of the ejection port once the action is cycled. If the ejector is not functioning correctly due to being bent or misaligned, it may not provide the necessary force or proper angle to push the shell out of the chamber effectively. This results in failure to eject, which can lead to jams and malfunctions in the firearm's operation.

In this scenario, the other options do not align with the specific function of the ejector. For instance, failure to load a new round pertains to issues with the magazine or feeding mechanism, not the ejector. Failure to cycle the action usually relates to internal or external mechanical problems that prevent the action from moving, while failure to extract involves the rim of the spent shell not being pulled from the chamber, which is a different function typically handled by the extractor rather than the ejector. Focusing specifically on the ejector's role clarifies why failure to eject is the correct response when it is bent or mispositioned.