Okay, I know this is partially subjective and kind of a "justify my want" question, but here goes...

Is there really that big of a difference in the recoil of a recoil operated semi-auto, specifically the Benelli's "inertia" system, versus a gas operated shotgun like a Remington 1100 or 11-87? Obviously given same gauge and loads, similar weight guns and so forth.

How about a specific example of dissimilar guns - a 20 gauge Benelli vs. a 12 gauge 1100?

I'm looking at a 20 gauge Benelli M2 to take advantage of a lighter gun with lower recoil vs. my old 1100 12 gauge and one of the proverbial "guys at a gunstore" was saying how even though the 20 would obviously kick a little less there really wouldn't be that much difference due to the 12 gauge gas gun soaking up so much more recoil.

Seemed a bit odd to me but I'm not experienced with a bunch of different shotguns so I thought I'd run this by you guys.

ca'nt anwser your query but the finest semi auto shotgun i've ever owned was the benelli.---cranky72

A recoil gun will naturally kick a bit more as the gas gun bleeds off some of the pressure to cycle the action.

My mom shoots the M2 20 guage and to me it's less then my 12 guage sbe.

Not at all what I would call brutal.

I can't see a situation where the M2 20 would recoil harder than a gas 12 given similar type loads.

Jim,

For all practical purposes a 1-1/4 load at 1,300 fps will general the same recoil in a 20 gauge as in a 12 gauge. To generate less recoil the 20 gauge will have to fire a lighter payload or the same payload at a lower velocity.

Firing the same load, the 5.8 lb Benelli will kick significantly harder than the 8 lb. Remington. The action type doesn�t matter.

I don�t notice any difference between gas and recoil operated shotguns of similar weight and fit. I think recoil guns get a bad rap as kickers because they are most often lighter.

Thanks, your less sentence was the info I needed, having never fired a recoil operated shotgun.

The 20 gauge would be for target games - skeet and sporting clays mostly, so I'd likely be firing 7/8 ounce target loads. But the 12 gauge AA "Sporting Clays" loads I recently bought use a 1 ounce load of 8's, only 1/8 oz difference.

This reinforces the thought that I'd be better off getting a replacement barrel for my 12 ga. 1100 that can use interchangeable chokes, mine came with the built in modified. It would certainly be cheaper.



Now, having said that, I honestly thank you for your advice but have to say you need to work on your enabling skills when someone is contemplating buying a new shotgun.

The correct answer is "Yes, a Benelli M2 20 gauge would only kick about 1/3 as much as your 12 ga. 1100, besides increasing your scores by 50% and probably causing you to lose some weight as well."

My son uses a 12-gauge M2. It's a great shotgun, but a little austere for my tastes. Too much...black.

Now, if I wanted to enable I would tell you to swing a 20-gauge Montefeltro. You'd likely be toast.

The Benelli is the finest Semi-Auto Shotgun made. I love my Super Black Eagle 12 ga and the recoil is not bad at all, not much different than my 1100 and the 20 recoil in the M2 would be nothing .

Sorry, that's what I meant. I didn't mean to say that a 1oz 20 gauge load would recoil less a 1 oz 12 gauge load, I was suggesting that the majority of 20 ga loads are less payload than 12 ga and hence less recoil.

I don't notice any difference between shooting field loads in my Benelli's and field loads in my gas guns. Where I do notice a difference is when I'm shooting heavy magnum loads at waterfowl...the gas guns are softer on the shoulder, not enough to matter to me, but noticeable nonetheless.

That would be my 'feeling' also. It's with waterfowl loads that the gassers make a difference with recoil. It's with waterfowl hunting that the inertia drives make a difference for reliability.

What's the weight difference between the gas gun and the Benelli?

Benelli gets a reputation for kicking more.....They are also a pound or more lighter than most other autos. I�ll take the weight saving over a little more recoil any day. Plus they are a lot easier to clean. I own 8 Benelli autos one of them being the M2 20 ga. You will be pleased with a M2 20 ga.

I use a Benelli Ultra Light for upland birds so I hear ya on the weight savings, but Jim mentioned the 20-gauge would be used mostly used for target games where more weight is often a good thing.

1oz of shot in a 5# gun kicks a hell of a lot harder than 1oz in an 8# gun.

Ive shot the benelli M2 back to back with a beretta A390 (gas) with the same exact loads. difference in recoil wasnt enough to complain about. The inertia has a different "feel" than a gas system, but I wouldnt say it was harder. I favor my 390, especially when shooting heavier, 3 inch duck and goose loads.

Here is another vote for trying a Beretta. In my mind, there are 2 semi-autos brands out there that separate themselves from the pack and those are Berettas and Benellis. Same company now as well. Try an A400 in a 20 ga or even a used 390 or 391 20 ga. Then try the M2 and the Montefeltro. After fondling those, you will fall head over heels in love with one of them and your decison will be made! In fact, you will feel so good over your decision you will want to buy the wife flowers and will even start trimming your nose hairs. Win-win!

I am not sure how you can beat a Beretta 390. IMHO you have to spend a lot more money for little if any gain in performance. The Beretta is great for shooting high volumes of waterfowl loads vs. an inertia system. I hear that the new Beretta A400 REALLY reduces felt recoil. I would love to hunt with one of those.

Find which one fits you better. Go with that one. I shoot a Benelli and can shoot waterfowl loads all weekend and I'm not a guy who enjoys recoil.

The M-1 and M-2 Benelli's are superb field guns at less than 6#s.A friend bought one of the first 26" barreled M-1 20ga to show up at the gunshop. Long story short, it swung to fast for good skeet shooting and he ended up having a machine shop make him a heavy steel plug for the magazine to slow it up swing wise and that help his sc shooting also. You want target guns a little heavier for a smooth swing and less recoil. My M-1 12 ga kicks more than my M1100 but it's damn little to do with the action type and more to do with the weight difference between the guns.I suggest to you to try some 7/8 oz loads in your 1100 and see if it will function reliable. Going to less shot charge allways reduces recoil. 1 oz 1200 fps target loads in a 1100 12 ga. won't beat you either.By trying to compare action types and a 20 ga M-2 gun against the 12 ga 1100 you aren't even comparing apples to oranges more like fruit to vegetables. Just like politicians you can't get everything you want from them. Magnum man

Doesn't feel like enough to really matter, but if placed on a scale, I think the gas gun might be a little heavier than the Benelli.

If you can find a 20 gauge Benelli to try before buying that's the best way to compare recoil and more important how well you can shoot it. Better to find out first if you can, they're not cheap.

If you get the 20 Benelli. I'd still keep the 1100 for a while if you like it and shoot it well. I've owned and used my share of semiauto shotguns including a Benelli Montefeltro and Beretta 391. I ended up going back to 1100s; not saying their better but they work for me. New 1100s cost more than the one you've got.

Didn't see your other thread. Good idea IMO.

All my life I shot an 1100 (with a Pachmayr pad). Then I got an M2 12 ga. At first I thought it kicked a tiny bit more than the 1100 (light field and target loads). After a while I decided it felt like it kicked a little lighter than the 1100. The M2 weighed about a lb. less than the 1100. Carrying in the field, the weight difference seemed more like 5 lbs.

The new Benellis have all kinds of recoil mitigating stuff built in- that said, they will never be as easy to shoot, recoil wise, as a Browning gas gun.

I own one Benelli, have shot several, and own two Browning Golds, one Browning Gold Fusion, and a Browning Maxus. The Benelli I own is a 28 ga. Legacy, and even at under 5 lb. recoil is almost negligible- but is still a sharper kick than the softer push of the gas guns.

This is an old post but thought I'd chime in. About 5 years or so ago, seven of us shot and compared the recoil of the Benelli SBE II, a Browning Gold and a Browning Citori all chambered in 12 gauge 3 1/2 inch.

We fired 2 3/4, 3 and 3.5 inch shells firing one round in each of the guns.

Overall, the gold had the least felt recoil with all loads followed by the Benelli and then the Citori. There were two dissenting shooters with 2 3/4 and 3 inch shells. Those two thought the Benelli kicked the least while the remaining six of us disagreed. Nobody argued after firing the 3.5 inch roman candles. The heavy Browning Gold stole the show.