as it applies to a home defense semi auto shotgun.

would weight make a difference? re:recoil

if one could make the gun barrel heavier along the length , by increasing the wall thickness of the barrel ,

would that in any way decrease felt recoil ?

OO and O buck can be punishing.

Weight definitely makes a difference to felt recoil. Increasing the weight of the barrel might have an effect on muzzle flip (although not like with a handgun), but adding weight anyplace will reduce the effects. There are weights available that can be installed inside the stock for the purpose. They sometimes contain mercury, but others are mechanical systems. Check Brownells: http://www.brownells.com/searc...l+reducers&ksubmit=y

Autoloading shotguns reduce the felt recoil as well because the mechanism absorbs part of the energy. Something to be cautious of with autoloaders, though, is that adding weight (e.g., a “saddle” for extra rounds) can affect functioning.

Semi autos have less recoil due to the auto load mechanism. My wife's 930 with buck is lighter than a pump with bird.

Rr 00 and #4 help too.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

Something to be cautious of with autoloaders, though, is that adding weight (e.g., a “saddle” for extra rounds) can affect functioning.

That's mostly a concern only for the Benelli inertia operated shotguns. Not an issue for the gas operated guns.

As has been mentioned adding weight definitely cuts down on felt recoil. Recoil reducers were mentioned above which help, There are weights made to add to barrels with no detriment to performance so thickening barrel would act the same. If shooting an autoloader changing dynamics of barrel could affect its functioning. A cheap trick I've seen clay bird shooters do is to add weight to the stock by putting lead shot in the screw hole in the stock (won't work on all autoloaders) which is how you install the commercial recoil reducers.

How the shotgun is shouldered, the recoil pad and stock fit are essential too.

Stock too long, felt recoil will be much worse.

Shotgun not held firmly in pocket with cheek firmly on stock, it can jump and smack you in the face. Leaning back instead of slightly forward. Poor form needs to be fixed pronto because if the person gets afraid of the gun it is hard to get them to seriously try it enough to master it.

Good thick recoil absorbing pad, some cheaper or entry level guns don't have this. It is worth adding aftermarket if the gun doesn't come with one.

Also try various lower recoil loads and hopefully find one that functions 100%. We use a 9 pellet Federal 2 3/4 12 gauge low recoil 00 in my wife's Benelli M2 Tactical that cycles flawlessly and isn't as punishing. That load combined with the Benelli's comfortech stock and pad she can shoot all day long.

Adding weight to any gun will reduce felt recoil. Where the additional weight is added can dramatically change a shotgun's handling. Thicker barrels likely aren't an option, unless you find some thick-walled barrels made for slugs. Some higher end competition shotguns are made to fine-tune balance with small weights in the receiver, buttstock, and barrel (especially over/unders). The weights are generally lead or tungsten steel.

Recoil pads make a difference. I'm not so hot on the stocks with mechanical recoil absorption.

Semi autos reduce felt and true recoil compared to O/U and pumps. Gas guns mitigate recoil over a longer period, and thus they have a softer shooting feel then inertia guns. Some inertia shotguns don't cycle reliably if a lot of weight is added to the gun. Added weight doesn't seem to be an issue with gas guns.

Fit is huge with a shotgun. If the gun recoils up into your chin, regardless of any other factor, you'll think the gun recoils harshly. A shotgun that recoils straight back into your shoulder pocket will seem to have less recoil.

The size of the shot has no bearing on recoil. It's all about the ounces of shot and muzzle velocity. Low velocity / low recoil buckshot is available. Look for loads with 1 ounce of shot and MV of no more than 1150 fps. Such loads will essentially recoil just like a skeet load.

quote:

Originally posted by dusty3030:
How the shotgun is shouldered, the recoil pad and stock fit are essential too.

Stock too long, felt recoil will be much worse.

Shotgun not held firmly in pocket with cheek firmly on stock, it can jump and smack you in the face. Leaning back instead of slightly forward. Poor form needs to be fixed pronto because if the person gets afraid of the gun it is hard to get them to seriously try it enough to master it.

Good thick recoil absorbing pad, some cheaper or entry level guns don't have this. It is worth adding aftermarket if the gun doesn't come with one.

Also try various lower recoil loads and hopefully find one that functions 100%. We use a 9 pellet Federal 2 3/4 12 gauge low recoil 00 in my wife's Benelli M2 Tactical that cycles flawlessly and isn't as punishing. That load combined with the Benelli's comfortech stock and pad she can shoot all day long.

How does too long of a stock increase felt recoil? I always thought too short of a stock had that problem, because they may not fully shoulder it, thus allowing it to "slap" the shoulder.