Recoil---pump vs. auto

[another Todd]

I own (4) 12 ga pump shotguns. Because of a shoulder injury I am leary of firing them anymore, so I bought a 20 ga pump and havent fired it yet. But it got me to thinking, does a 12 ga auto kick signifigantly less than a pump 12 ga? I like them for home defense, however I have a slew of handguns also including:
Ruger 357 mag 4" revolver
S&W 9mm 8 round mag.
Beretta 22lr tilt barrel semi auto 7 or 8 round mag
Sigma 40 cal 15 round mag (dbl action only) don't like it much
Ruger 22lr semi auto 8 or 9 round mag
I also have a mini 14 in 223 which I just love.

Is a 12 auto worth looking into (I have never fired one), or should I stick with my current arsenal.

 

[wwillson]

I've shot trap for about 20 years with both pump and semi-auto shotguns. Semi-auto have much less recoil then pump action.... So much that when you're used to firing a pump, when you fire an auto you think something went wrong.

Wayne

 

[rg200amp]

A 12ga auto will kick way less then a 20ga pump.

But if your not hunting or skeet shooting this 12ga auto and only plan on useing it in home protection, the price dose not justify it.

Use what you have. Heck, use one of your 12ga pumps. If some one breaks in your home, your shoulder will feel no pain shooting 00 with all that adrenadlin(pardon spelling) pumping in your system!!

 

[1sttruck]

Semi-autos kick less, recoil pads help, as does weight. 12ga rounds seem common, 20ga less so. I've been looking at a 20ga pump for my son as they seem handy, but they still cost the same as a 12 ga so I'm still on the fence.

 

[greenaccord02]

The reason semiautos kick less is that some of the energy that would have been transferred to your shoulder is absorbed by the autoloading mechanism's springs. Limbsaver pads are high (as a kite) but you might consider one. They're the softest pads on the market, probably with Pachmayr Decelerator's being a distant #2. Just don't get the slip on kind - they look trashy. You might also consider a shoulder pad vest. I've never used one but they're pretty cheap and apparently effective. Finally, choose the heaviest gun you're comfortable with. I can shoot a big .45 all day long, but I can't shoot more than a few shots with a featherweight .38 snubnose.

I bet if you did all of the above you'd think you were shooting a .22 Of course, I'f you're doing it for home defense I wouldn't buy anything. Just rack one of your pumps really hard, then pick up a pistol. I've heard of would be robbers jumping out windows at the sound of a Mossberg 500 racking one in.

 

[another Todd]

Excellent comments and suggestions. Thank you. Do all autos kick about the same, or are there differences in how the auto action mechanism works that make a difference.

 

[Gregory]

gas autos kick less than recoil operated.

 

[1sttruck]

Something else that helps a lot is a shooting jacket. In target shooting it's really designed to isolate the rifle from body movements, but it does help a bit with recoil.

 

[Smoky14]

Reduced recoil "tactical" loads are proving to be as effective as full power loads in PD use. I shoot them all the time and like the lower recoil.
Smoky