TexasCHLforum.com

The Annoyed Man wrote:

JRG wrote:Wow! Again I say Wow!

You guys and girls are great! So many great comments and suggestions. I am not a shotgun guy at all and really have no idea the recoil involved in either the 12 gauge or the 20 gauge. I just assumed that the 20 gauge would be less due to it being a smaller shell. I did not think about the gun being lighter and thus there would be more felt recoil.

So, the 12 gauge option is back on the table.

What is your take on the semi auto shotgun? Is it worth the extra money?

Joe

There's really no right or wrong answer here. With a semi auto, you accept a small possibility of reliability issues in exchange for quicker cycling when compared to a pump action. Semiautos tend to recoil more softly than pumps, but not ALL of them are soft relative to one another. Some people complain that the recoil of the Benelli inertial system semis is worse than those that are gas-operated, but I have not had any issue with mine. A pump will transmit ALL of the recoil into your shoulder, but so does a bolt action rifle, and it just isn't that bad. If you've ever fired a .308, .30-06, .270, or similarly powered cartridge out of a bolt action rifle, you have a rough idea of what 12 gauge pump action recoil is like........in other words, much ado about nothing. No, you would not want to fire 200 rounds of 12 gauge; but let's be honest....... in a HD scenario, are you seriously likely to shoot more rounds than are already in the magazine tube? If the answer is "YES", then an AR15 with its 30 round magazine and negligible recoil is a better choice for you.

Don't get me wrong.......I love my 12 gauge Mossberg pump; but I'm swapping it out for a suppressed 10.5 SBR in .300 Blackout I'm building, shooting 208 grain subsonic ammo. It's a package that is shorter and lighter than my Mossberg, shooting a cartridge that approximates a +P .45 ACP in performance, with 30 rounds in a magazine without reloading, without having to worry about ear protection inside the house and deafening myself, my wife, or my dog........and with less concern about a stray piece of buckshot exiting a window or tearing up a valuable antique. My Mossberg is going to be relegated to Trunk Monkey status.