Claims of Gas Operated Being Less Powerful than Pump or Recoil Operated

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Dragline45

New member
So in my other thread asking opinions on semi-auto defensive shotguns under $1000 this was posted, which I don't buy. Hoping someone more knowledgeable could clear this up and confirm or deny this. Basically the claims are that since a gas operated shotgun uses the gasses from the round just fired, that means the shot coming out of the barrel will have less power or velocity as a result compared to a pump, single shot, or recoil operated shotgun.

That being said a thing I have seen and have shown others many times is take metal 5 gallon buckes and heavy field loads with a Remington 1100 and Browning A5 at 25/30 yards . The 1100 will rock it back and forth maby knock it over while the A5 send it flipping end over end . Its a trade off there is still plenty of energy left on the recieving end but you lose alot for that smooth firing weapon . The A5 will recoil like a pump gun while the 1100 gives you a fast follow up .
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No you are wrong . The A5 is recoil operated the 1100 is gas . The A5 hits nearly as hard as a pump or single barrel . The 1100 bleeds of gas , thats why dove hunters prefer them for long shooting days less recoil and a little loss of power is not a bad trade off for felt recoil . If you do not have a A5 try it with a non simi shot gun instead of saying you dont buy that . Any one that has hunted with both can tell the differance . 2 of the same movable targets and same ammo. Genarations of hunters and the reaction of moving targets say the A5 action puts more power down range than the 1100
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Iv shot side by side with a guy shooting a gas operated shotgun and we were shooting tv's he shot one 3 times and it barely did damage I shot it once and there was quite a bit of difference and we were shooting shells out of the same box
 
Thanks, but I'm looking for more scientific explanations than what happens when you shoot 5 gallon buckets of water or TV's. Not trying to be a smartass, I really am interested in Knowing if there is any truth behind this. I wouldn't call either of those definitive tests. The barrel length and choke used can make a big difference in spread, and since you were likely shooting at different tv's it doesn't mean much.
 
Basically the claims are that since a gas operated shotgun uses the gasses from the round just fired, that means the shot coming out of the barrel will have less power or velocity as a result compared to a pumpm single shot, or recoil operated shotgun.
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If the muzzle velocity is the same and the payload is the same, the impact will be the same. A gas gun does bleed some gas off to work the action - but not enough for that claim to be true - all those ducks and geese all those years and all that.

And if the two guns weigh the same, the actual recoil will be the same - the felt recoil might not be however.
 
I ran over 2,000 heavy factory and handloads over a chronograph several years ago using Remington 1100s and 870s for 12 gauge and Browning BPSs and Ithaca Mag 10s for 10 gauge, and there was NO - none, zero, zip - difference in velocities between the actions when the barrel lengths were the same.
A 10 gauge load of BBs if THE thing for clean one shot kills on skyscreens.
 
72-cj5

Hope you cleaned up the shattered tv parts. Many shooting areas are being trashed by shot-up trash.

Land should be kept clean regardless whether it is private or public.
 
I'd never heard of a gun losing "power" due to a gas system. As others have said, chronograph tests give the most scientific answer.

As for those personal experiences of one gun seeming to hit harder than another (w/ same ammo & barrel length), I would ask those people to compare the patterns of the two guns. My hunch is that pellet distribution could be the difference in how "hard" or destructive a shot was.
 
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Almost all the differences between guns that seem to hit harder than others are attributable to the shooter behind the gun. Something hit with the fringe of the pattern versus the core. A very slight difference in feel or fit can make a difference.
Bore size can have an effect also, but it is not huge. Unless you have the right payload and powder combination you can lose velocity with an overbored barrel for example.
 
What those accounts prove is that people see patterns where none exist. Their tests are unscientific and unrepeatable.
 
I've heard these claims all my life but have no actual proof one way or the other.

I've owned both, Browning A5's and Remington 1100's never had a problem filling my limit with either.

However this makes me think of something an older gent said about the Browning A5 when I was in a gun store looking to purchase one, his comment was "best dam duck and goose gun there is, if it killed them any farther out the meat would be spoiled by the time you walked out to retrieve it", I chuckle every time I think of that day.:D
 
Tuzo yes me and my friend cleaned up all the stuff we shot and the owner was fine with the glass cause he just used the pit to burn brush piles
 
Total recoil may be the same, but peak recoil, which translates heavily to felt recoil, will be less with a gas gun. Pure physics. A recoil action properly adjusted and maintained will alleviate a very little recoil, and an inertia action does nothing for recoil reduction.
 
Actual recoil in three guns that weigh the same firing the exact same loads will be exactly the same.

Felt recoil is a subjective matter dependent on action type (and not just for semis), but mainly due to fit of the gun.

Too many try to fit themselves to a stock gun instead of getting the gun fitted to them, which is why some guns beat folks up even with light loads......
 
Technically correct, but there is no doubt that a gas operated gun of equal weight is going to be more comfortable to shoot. This is because the recoil is spread out over a longer period of time. to a degree recoil pads do the same thing.

Imagine I quickly punch your shoulder with 25 ft lbs of force. Then I place my fist in your shoulder and gradually increase pressure until I reach 25 ft lbs. It is the exact same force, but one is more comfortable than the other.

Gun fit certainly comes into play and it can be subjective. But the difference between gas guns and other actions is not subjective. Maybe hard to put into numbers, but is very real.
 
Gentlemen (and ladies?) the topic is not recoil, percieved or otherwise. It's downrange energy and destructive potential.

That perceived recoil is less in a semi-auto is almost universally accepted. I am following from the other thread, so I am familiar with the OPs concern.
 
Thanks 75-cj5 for tidying up your shooting area.

About two years ago a video of tannite blowing up a washing machine size of equipment was posted. Locale was a wide stream bed in a clean wooded area. The poster had no intention of cleaning up the mess, leaving shrapnel in the stream bed and surrounding area. We must all be aware and practice good housekeeping of our shooting sites.

Thanks again for cleaning up.
 
Since gas is bled off to operate the action, the velocity will be less than in the pump gun if all else is equal. This would be hard to prove due to all the variables involved. Kind of like one revolver giving higher velocities than another even tho all specs. including cylinder to bbl gap are the same. Bottom line is it doesn't make any difference to the bird or clay target you shoot with either gun. Just like when you kill a deer with the bullet going 2700 fps or 2800 fps, neither you or the deer knows the difference.
 
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