gas operated or inertia driven ?

[1911crazy]

what do you prefer i want to see what you think not gun suggestions.please only comment if you have shot both

 

[oneounceload]

I have shot both and own a gas gun as my priorities are clay targets, not geese.

A gas gun is heavier due to the parts and the gas action slows down the recoil impulse a few milliseconds so the perceived recoil seems less to most folks

The inertia gun is a little lighter and seems to have issues shooting light target loads reliably. It has LESS moving parts, and with no gas ports, is easier to clean

If I was primarily a duck/goose hunter, I would get the Benelli
If I was primarily a clay target shooter, I would get the Beretta gas gun

 

[Virginian]

I do not and will not own any inertia OR recoil operated gun. I have, but no more. The inertia action requires the receiver to move rapidly to the rear in order to compress the back of the bolt and throw the whole bolt to the rear. They kick like a mule unless equipped with two piece stocks and such. Yes, they are simple, they do work with the right loads, and they will go a long way between cleanings. A certain manufacturer has done a magnificient job building a cultural mystique around their guns, and charges premium prices for a simple action to produce, and is now outsourcing parts to a less than usually highly respected area of the world. Since the original patents have expired, more manufacturers are jumping on the inertia bandwagon.
I now own nothing but gas autoloaders. They are available from a number of good manufacturers in numerous gas system designs. They spread the recoil pulse over a longer time by the nature of their action, and they are available in any weight range to suit your fancy. They do need cleaning, but the situation is not nearly as dire as the non gas lovers would have you believe. They are available that will shoot anything from mouse fart loads to 3-1/2" Roman candles interchangeably, hence the same gun can and oftentimes is used to shoot clays and everything else. I am primarily a waterfowler, but I usually shave and have a real paddle, so I don't find the need to own an "inertia driven" gun.
In truth, either action works, I just don't like one. I'm not a real lover of the I-talian guns with either action.

 

[rcmodel]

+1

Gas gun, or any other recoil operated shotgun except an inertia driven one.

I have shot a long-recoil operated Browning A5 for over 40 years.

Then a few years ago, I bought a New Benelli for my "perceived" turkey hunting needs?
Guess I had been watching too many of those TV turkey hunting shows.

Anyway, the son of a gun kicked like a Stud Mule on Crack with magnum Turkey loads, compared to my old long recoil Browning.

I sold the Benelli about three months after I bought it, because recoil headaches are not my thing anymore.

rc

 

[Zach S]

Pump guns here, so my experience with autoloaders is limited.

That being said, I'd take a gas over inertia any day. At one range session, I had the chance to fire an 11-87, a Benelli, and of course, my 590.

The 11-87 I shot had less recoil than my 590, and the Benelli had quite a bit more. All guns were fired with the same load.

I've never been kicked by a mule, but I imagine that Super 90 (or whatever it was) was pretty close to it. As rcmodel said, recoil headaches are not my thing.

 

[Oxide]

Super Black Eagle is inertia driven. Super 90. the M4, is a gas gun.

I like the gas recoil system of my M4, and I do like the Browning Gold system,
and even the Saiga 12.

 

[Fastcast]

My I-talian (GAS) auto loader loves me!

It works just fine in the duck marsh.....Mud, rain, ice or snow, it has never failed me, ever.

Oh, and it works just fine on clays too, even 7/8 ounce loads....What's not to love?

 

[Milkmaster]

+1 Gas gun every time.

 

[Birdhunter1]

i went through this 7 years ago. I had narrowed my choices (all 20 gauge) down to a Remington 1100 (gas operated) that has very little recoil and has a LONG proven track record, the other was a Benelli Montefeltro (inerta driven) and the Beretta 391 Urika (gas operated). I chose the Beretta as the Remington is heavier and the Benelli has more recoil. My dad has the Benelli Legacy and an 1100 (both 20 gauges) and I had shot each many times. The Beretta I bought blind having never fired it and 7 years later I can't complain.

I only use it on upland game and doves, heaviest loads I have shot are 3" Fiocchi golden pheasant loads and the recoil was minor, typical load is a 2 3/4" 1 oz or 7/8 oz of # 7 1/2 shot.

 

[BP44]

I have owned both and shot both for several duck bird/goose seasons and I traded in my 1100's for a SBE II. They both worked fine and felt good but the benelli takes a beating and keeps rolling. It's true the gas guns recoil less but as I said I hunt and never feel the recoil when the birds flair For me the SBEII felt better and I shoot it better, Different strokes for different folks is all.

 

[mhuegerich]

I own both, Remington 1100 and Benelli M2. I used the Remington for dove and clay pidgeon shooting for 20 years until I bought the Benelli 5 years ago. The gas system of the Remington has a less abrupt recoil compared to the Benelli, but both are fine. I think some of the perceived recoil difference comes from the weight differences of the two guns. Both shotguns have never had a failure to feed, fire, eject, etc... They have been 100% reliable, although I do clean my guns after every outing.

I'd choose the Benelli over the Remington because it's much lighter and points more naturally. Not to turn this into a Remington versus Benelli thread, but recoil does not enter into this decision becuase it's really not a factor.

To reinforce this point, here's a picture of my 9 (almost 10) year old shooting my Benelli. He didnt' mind the recoil. He did get a bit tired holding the weight of the Benelli for an extended period of time. In fact, he shot about one box of shells and only had a little red spot on his shoulder.

 

[1911crazy]

thank you about mentioning that the recoil is a none issue i have shot a benelli SBE and a remington 11-87 and recoil was a little less with the benelli. also why do i here people complaining about recoil. my pump has more recoil than any auto i have ever shot

 

[jmr40]

I've owned them all. Since going to the inertia Benelli M-1 I'll never go back to gas. The guns are lighter, simpler, more reliable, and easier to keep clean. I think of it as a pump that cycles by itself. Haven't found a load mine doesn't cycle at least as well as the gas guns I've owned. In fact the gas guns are much more sensitive to barrel length. Many gas guns won't cycle light loads from shorter barrels. Barrel length does not effect reliability on inertia guns.


Yea, they recoil SLIGHTLY more, but certainly no more than any pump or double. Folks shoot them without complaining about recoil. The newer hi-tech recoil pads take most of the recoil out of any gun anyway.

 

[PT92]

mhuegerich,

To reinforce this point, here's a picture of my 9 (almost 10) year old shooting my Benelli. He didnt' mind the recoil. He did get a bit tired holding the weight of the Benelli for an extended period of time. In fact, he shot about one box of shells and only had a little red spot on his shoulder.

Always great to see the youngsters involved in the shooting sports.

-Happy Holidays

 

[Virginian]

Before the better non-toxics came along, I shot a specially lightened (read machined) BPS 10 gauge with the stoutest things I could buy or build, so I guess you could say recoil doesn't normally bother me. But I shot an SBE (original - not a II), and that thing kicked worse than a Mossberg 835 pump. I am not a masochist.
Going lighter with an inertia gun won't hurt the cycling, but don't go hanging any lights and rail stuff on one (which is unlikely for hunting anyway). Like I said, they have to move to the rear to work.

 

[rbernie]

I seem to recall that the high-volume Argentinian dove hunt rental guns are mostly inertial, due to their reliability under the extreme stress of the hunts.

I have only one inertial semiauto - a Benelli 12ga Vinci - and think well of it. It kicks no worse than any fixed breech gun, and is 100% with 1oz loads or heavier.

 

[HKGuns]

I-talian gas for me. Although I've been jonesing for an SBE2 for quite a while. Just never figured it would perform better than my already perfect 391 and Xtrema2.

 

[oneounceload]

I seem to recall that the high-volume Argentinian dove hunt rental guns are mostly inertial, due to their reliability under the extreme stress of the hunts.

They have both Beretta and Benelli; your bird boy will clean the gun during lunch for the afternoon

 

[paintballdude902]

always been a fan of inertia

 

[Girodin]

Gas--more comfortable to shoot and does better with light loads. However I have considered building an SBS from an inertia gun as it shouldn't have an issue with less barrel like a gas gun can.

 

[sedona]

I prefer the benelli inertia systems to the gas systems of an 1100.I would rather hunt with a browning A-5 light 20 than either of them.

 

[Ole Humpback]

I'd look long and hard for a long recoil operated Browning A5 before I even considered modern day inertia driven systems. They are just too finicky for load ranges. Now, the A5 has a huge downside in that you need to set the friction rings properly for light or heavy loads which means that the action won't cycle reliably if you start swapping shell loads based on game.

For the all around gun, my money is on a gas operated action. However; if you can spare the coin for a pair of long recoil operated Browning A5's, set one as a range gun and the other as the field gun.

I made due with my Sweet 16 because all the good loads are High Brass, which my action was setup for.

 

[DAP90]

I'd look long and hard for a long recoil operated Browning A5 before I even considered modern day inertia driven systems. They are just too finicky for load ranges.

I have around 500 1oz, 250 1 1/8oz and a box each of 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 through my Vinci without an issue of any kind. I haven’t tried any 7/8 but even still, that’s a pretty good range.

 

[BP44]

I left out some information from my previous post....

My Benelli SBE II runs any kind of bulk 12 ga shells ya can throw at it and has only been down twice since I have owned it. First time it failed me the safety had frozen "I dunked it at the dock that AM'' it shot fine but I needed to run with the safety off for the AM shoot. and just recently it stove piped a 3.5'' goose load. I feel pretty good about the run we have had so far as I have ran a TON of shells through the old girl. I will say I have heard the inertia guns can be picky about light loads, I guess I got a good one and the heavy duck loads might have loosened it up.

 

[1911crazy]

I prefer the benelli inertia systems to the gas systems of an 1100.I would rather hunt with a browning A-5 light 20 than either of them.

problem with recoil operated is that they cycle slower than both gas and inertia