Guns with gas actions, or guns with slides and springs like the 1911 absorb/soften some of the recoil operating the action.
Soften, yes. Store, yes. Lessen, no. The principle of "For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction" applies to the moving parts within a firearm as well as to the firearm itself.
When slides, bolts or carrier groups are pushed back by recoil or gas, there is an equal but opposite reaction pushing forward. The energy isn't absorbed and dissipated by springs, it's transferred and stored in the spring until released.
When released, the spring pushes the slide, bolt or carrier group forward. In response, the reaction pushes to the rear.
None of the dissipates recoil. It simply redirects and delays part of it. This has the benefit of stretching out the recoil over a longer period of time so it feels softer.
There are three basic types of recoil.
First is Free Recoil, which is the recoil generated by the firearm when fired. The factors for calculating free recoil is weapon mass, payload mass including mass of the gun powder, muzzle velocity and the velocity of the gas exiting the muzzle. This generates a number that's the same regardless of action type.
The second is called (if I recall correctly) recoil energy. It's simply how much energy the cartridge itself generates before transferring recoil to the firearm. I don't remember what factors are used to figure that out.
The third type is Felt Recoil. Many factors affect how recoil feels- attack, sustain and fade; stock shape; buttpad type; clothing worn by shooter; shooter sensitivity to recoil; shooting position and so on. The feel of recoil can be radically changed without increasing or decreasing it.
A 10 pound bolt action 30-06 with a wide, soft recoil pad, it will generate the same free recoil as a 10 pound bolt action 30-06 with a half inch wide butt with a steel plate. Guess which has softer felt recoil?
Guess which rifle will have softer felt recoil if the half inch wide butt rifle is rechambered to 243? My money is the 30-06 will have softer felt recoil. Although the 243 with the narrow steel plate butt generates less free recoil, it will be much more painful to shoot.