This an absolutely fantastic overview of gas vs inertia shotguns. Lots of information, pros and cons and things to consider when thinking about which way to go. Thank you so, so very much! 👍🏼

I once had a customer who refused to buy a gas operated gun as ammo was expensive enough without having to add gas , I tried to explain to no avail , he purchased a pump gun 😊 . Every year we had a few customers coming back complaining about the 2 big pits in the bore and wanting their money back , more tactfull explanations needed .😊😊

I love my gas gun. I’m getting older and my shoulder seems to appreciate recoil less and less, so I’ll take lower recoil over less cleaning any day. (Cleaning the gun is a cathartic experience that I enjoy anyway.)

I shoot a Beretta A400 Excel Sporting. 4000+ Rounds and runs like a top with everything down to 7/8oz Loads. Given that, I keep it clean; really clean. Especially the Gas System, which gets a full cleaning about every 500 Rounds. Running decent Ammo helps as well. I ran about 1000 Rounds of Aguila 12Ga and it was horribly dirty. I normally run Federal or Remington Gun Club which is cleaner burning. Just one guys .02 cents. Always enjoy TGS!

I'll stick with old long recoil. Love the browning auto 5

Best video I've seen to explain, in detail, the differences. Thank you very much!

Thank you for that TGS. That was just the explanation I was looking for.

Great video. I'm a Beretta homer. So gas is my choice.

Well explained and demonstrated on the differences between the two Johnny. Nice one 👍

I’ve had my old man’s AL-2 for about 20 years, he bought it new in the early 70’s. To this day it’s one of my favorite shotguns to fire. Low recoil and light weight.. even being a 12 gauge. I saw that AL-3 in the video and immediately recognized the internals… pretty much the same as the AL-2. Great vids.

What you have said is all correct. I totally agree with the difference and purposes. Personally, I enjoy cleaning my guns on a cold winter day and Gas all the way for me. Browning Maxus wicket wing. Very soft shooting. 4 years it’s never let me down. It cycles everything. Cheers Mate.

Thanks mate for that video. It says almost everything, the choice is up to preferences. I long hesitated between an M2 Benelli and Maxus 2 Browning (I had 2 Maxus couple of years ago), well I went again for the well balanced Maxus synthetic 12g in 28"barrel. Yes, it defenately requires most upkeep after each shooting clay session, it also give the pleasure to disasemble/reasemble the gun for a better knowledge.

Very good video tutorial! Well explained and easy to follow and understand. It would have been worth to mention that in order to overcome the recoil problem that you normally get with inertia semi-autos, Benelli has develop the "ComforTech® stock and pad which are designed to reduce up to 48% of the felt recoil compared to other semi-auto shotguns.

I have 4 Benelli's including an M2 SP and 2 AL391's and i think that was a very fair video and an honest comparison - Well done!

Thanks, this was good information for me, as I have never owned or used a semi auto shotgun

Very informative. Good vid!

Really like your comparison. Got a lot of good information.

I have a beretta a400 xtreme that is treated with the same amenities as that Benelli you mentioned. Aluminum receiver, treated parts with either chrome or camo finish. I hunt waterfowl in snow and rain and the gun keeps asking for more. Reduced recoil is really nice feature of a gas gun. I have yet to have a Benelli shoot correctly for me. The last one I had was an sbe3 and what waste of money. It shot high and left even after going back to the factory 2 times. In 10 years of duck hunting I have seen a jam in just about every semi auto I can think of. I have seen the most in Benellis by a long shot!

Benelli all the way for me 😎 SBE2 for most of my field shooting, Rafaello for the nice days and clays 😆 Thanks for your videos, especially on autos, they should be more popular here in the UK, great guns. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

A must watch video. Thanks

Really interesting video, thanks! My Franchi Affinity needed a couple of boxes of game loads to break it in but is now super reliable. Definitely more of a kick than my Fabarm Ellegi gas gun. I don’t mind cleaning my guns regularly so that was never a decider. My Fabarm doesn’t like anything less than 28g but otherwise is a fine gun and has stood the test of time.

Great video. Mine Winchester SX4, and I love it. Gas is my choice. Until now it's there is no problem with my SX4. Besides, good handling and easy to lead a target. Anyway, it's my favour to know other shotgun variant...

Inertia action invented by Carl Axel Sjogren a swedish engineer in the early 1900's and applied it to roughly 5000 shotguns from 1908 and 1909 SJOGREN SHOTGUN. in 1980 Paolo Benelli improved inertia action system and patented it in 1986. Winchester had to pay Benelli licensing fees to use parts of their system on the Auto 5 recent reincarnation. Personally I will take Benelli inertia system over gas system any day and twice on Sundays!

Love my Remington 1100. Great video Johnny!

I bought a Browning silver last year for waterfowl. It's a gas recoil, very similar system to the SX3, you had there. Love how it shoots, soft recoil etc., but what I really hate about it is the nasty cylinder burn on the tube (noticed it on your SX3 as well). I clean it after every use, so not a huge problem.

Just getting into shooting and hunting. Great overview. Lots of benefits to both, so it look like both it is.

Very good video. Thank you.

Nice love your vids

Interesting topic. Both have their merits.

Great video and great comparison... it’s funny how you managed to slow down your talking after that comment the other day 😂... on semiautos, I have a few berettas & a couple of benellis and love them all... I find each of them is more suitable for a specific use... all great and all reliable and I’m blessed to have them all. Cleaning is easier on the benellies as you mentioned but it’s still not that hard on the berettas...

Both styles have their benefits really. For me less cleaning is a big plus for the intertia, and also, oddly, that it doesn't chuck empty carts as far as say a Beretta gas design.

Excellent video, now i know what I need 😁.

You'll have to do another video on the SX3 now. use Tribe Oil to soak that piston and clean the outside of the mag tube, it works a treat on mine.

Benelli click. I've hunted with both Benelli and Super x2 back then in the winter on a sand bar and I promise with the only Super x2 in the group, they was second guessing. Action frozen shut until shooting started. The issue with SBE just like now, is the bolt or action not closing. Like pieces of sand in there click. That Super x was just grinding sand for lunch. They are easier to clean and lighter but I think advertising and sponsors got those guys all hype up. Just like Mathews bows. They all are pretty good.

I have a gas beretta A350 and an inertia Benelli M2. Love them both respectively. The Benelli seems to come on the more rugged hunts with me and the beretta gets a slightly easier go as far as some hunting conditions go. Cheers from Canada eh 🍻🇨🇦🤘

My first semiauto shotgun is beretta a302...is great!

great presentation .. thank you

Excellent!

The funny thing about inertia is that it is a much more simple recoil-operated system, so the fact short and long -recoil came first is kinda funny, though I guarantee John Browning or even someone else came up with inertia op. way back then and just did not pursue it for whatever reason, probably due to not liking a system who's reliability can vary depending on how the gun shot and by who.

I've never thought that you talk too fast but I suppose being a Canadian makes the Queens' English not seem foreign to my ear. Welsh... now there's a whole other kettle of fish. Keep up the good work mate, and stay safe and healthy, BG

I have a beretta outlander, though its reliable as a game gun, I wish I had bought an inertia as it is very tiring to clean it every single time after shooting. Great video as usual. Thanks!! Greetings from Athens Greece

I had an old Rem1100 which was great and smooth shooting. My only experience of a recoil semi auto was a Franchi which seemed to suffer quite badly from stoppages even with regular 1 1/16th cartridges. Seemed to improve with some fresh oil..

Thanks Jonny, you helped make up my mind. Benelli it is.

I’d highly I recommend the sbe3 cycles everything heavy loads and low loads perfectly

Nice video thank you

Having no experience of autos I have learned something new today. Thanks

I'm a bit late with this comment but you've summarised exactly what I found with both my autos. I have an AL391 Teknys Gold Stonecoat and a Benelli Raffaello 500th anniversary. The 391 is heavier in the fore end and much nicer at clay grounds even when starting gun down. On the other hand, for wildfowling and pigeons I always take the Raff because it'll swing faster, is less meat to carry and just feels more dependable. The 391 does take an awful lot more cleaning but then I put more through it over the same time period - clays vs fieldwork. For reference, the 391 is the only one that's given me problems, but then it's had probably 10 times the amount through it. it also refuses to cycle anything less than 28g and occasionally won't even do those. On occasion though I will take my Benelli Super Nova pump to either a clay ground or for pigeons if it's raining and that thing is very animalistic. It's a real simpleton and lighter than both autos for obvious reasons. All three are enjoyable in their own ways and the experiences differ hugely from all my traditional O/Us & S/Ss on clay and game days.

Ya nailed it! I had been a gasser most my life with the exception of an old 870 pump back in the 70s. Then turned to 1100s and Super Xs. Then a doctor friend bought an Ethos and let me shoot it. All I remember is wow! So I got a Montefeltro. Best gun I’ve ever owned. I kept the SX4 a week and traded up to the Monty. The Ethos is on the list now too.

A weekends worth of shooting really highlights the difference between gas and inertia wrt cleaning. My 930 Mossberg shovel is filthy after a case while my mates Benelli looks spiffy. The Mossberg coughed on light bird loads until I'd been through a few cases and now it will happily shoot anything from my 535grain handloaded slugs to low velocity 28 gram No7's.

Over here in the US the reason why benelli inertia driven guns are so popular is waterfowl hunting. Typically when hunting ducks and geese you face adverse conditions like lots of water while duck hunting and while goose hunting lots of snow wind and ice can form on the guns. I personally shoot an Remington 1187 3.5" gun but have always have had the gas system freeze up while hunting in cold temperatures even if there is no snow or rain, my hunting buddy has a Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 which is inertia driven gun he has had significantly less amount of malfunctions while hunting together (0) to my 1187 almost every shell being shot I have to manually set the next shell in. This is why my next gun for waterfowl hunting will be an inertia gun and I will never use a gas driven gun for anything but sunny 70 degree days because if not I know mine will malfunction. As for 3.5" inertia guns I have seen that same hunting partner shoot 3.5" to 2.75" shells but typically you can't do that out of the box it took him about a year of shooting 3" and 3.5" shells to break in the spring enough to shoot cheap target ammunition reliably. Typically if I see someone with a semi auto shooting clay's at a club if they are serious about it not just shooting for fun they usually have a beretta or a browning maxus, most of the time it is women who are just starting out and I have seen most of the regulars who shoot them eventually move into an over under very quickly

I've had a shotgun my dad gave me about 2 years ago just realized it's a gas gun lol. I was always surprised with how well it cycled target loads. Now I'm trying to learn up on gas shotguns.

Thanks for speaking more Slowly for us Yanks over here , much Better ! The first Video I watched of yours was tough . Good explanation of the Difference between the two. Keep them coming. Thanks

I have a Remington 1100 12 and 20. Bought both in 68. Shot 10's of thousands of shells through both. Few rings latter and one gas ram. Just the firing pin hitting the primer,no fuss no muss. They just keep going.

Great video....

Why you was having trouble with the SX3 was that on assembly the piston sleeve locating pin was not in it's guide slot on the left hand side of the receiver thus causing a location issue.

Nice video ! Personaly i prefer inertia shotgun like my old browning auto 5 model 1904 a real pleasure to hunt with !

I prefer the recoil one.. I use those shells with biodegradable wads. And from my understanding, is that gas ports and biowads don't do well together. The downside is that the recoil one (I've got one of those modern long recoil shotguns) requires adjusting (ie. tinkering) when switching ammo. Gas operated semis are seemingly less picky about ammo.

Well spoken, bro. 🇺🇸

Did You Do a Video on The Long Recoil Action of The Browning Auto 5 😀

Her name is Benelli, She is the mother of all brothers.

I’ve only had 2 autos, one was a steoger (benelli action) and a Breda Altair (beretta action). The steoger was lighter but way more fussy with cartridges anything less than 32g was a hit and hope, the Breda on the other hand fires everything from 21g to 56g. I got ride of the steoger last year and got a browning 525. I don’t think I’d go near a benelli action ever again. Thanks for the video.

the spring in the magazine cap of the benelli is functional,or just a replacement for the same bolts coil?

I have a Winchester Model 50 that is really a pain to clean but with its heavy receiver does absorb recoil better than most of the type. My front-heavy Ithaca with a light-weight receiver is more comfortable in terms of recoil but slower to get on target though swinging through the target is easier and more consistent. As you indicated: Trade-offs. Isn't that always the case with guns?

My take from this Great video Both have good and bad qualities Lastly Buy BOTH

16:30 What are some examples of Benelli inertia driven semi-autos better suited for clays?

I noticed in your “Keepers Day” video that the young game keeper was shooting his pheasants with a semi auto. I thought that was a hanging offense in Britain? Any way, it seemed he was doing a very good job of it. The recoil handling properties of a semi, especially a gas gun with a good recoil pad, make it a great choice for fast shooting with heavy loads. IMHO

My 391 will shoot 21 gram all day, as always another great review

I have a Beretta UGB25 exel which I assume is a gas system but as the whole receiver and mechanical stuff is different I have no idea how to strip it, if I can at all. Perhaps you could make a video on the UGB25 Jonny??? I love it and fine that as they are so rare these days the value is rising. I often get asked if mine is for sale. It isn't.

Yes the Benelli M2 is a light weight sleek gun, if you want light and sleek get a m2 supersport. Bit unfair comparing to an ulrika which is a beefy version. I have Beretta A300 outlander which is a lightweight sleek gas operated gun.

I have buddies that bought super black eagles and super Vinci's and they are great goose hunting guns. However being 3.5 inch guns they wont cycle light 1 oz target loads. Me and my normal hunting crew all have browning or winchester 3.5 Inch autos that cost half as much and cycle the lightest loads without problems. Active gas system blows inertia system out of the water. Benelli does a great job advertising and hyping up their guns and people eat it up. One of the SBE owners went and bought a second 3 inch gas auto just to shoot skeets with us cause his 2000 dollar benelli becomes an expensive straight pull bolt shotgun

My Benelli M4 ARGO system looks completely different. Lovely gun but I wanna give it to my brother who enjoys it way more than I do. I'll get me an O/U Beretta or if I'm lucky an F16. Also, my friend hates Beretta now because of his 20 ga A400 malfunctioned in such a way that a bolt handle bent the receiver.

That sx3 looks same as ma only browning fushion a had ? Am looking at getting a new auto and it’s toss up beteeen maxus and a sx4 3.5”

Just found this video today as after owning many 12-gauge pump guns I am in the market to buy my first 12 gauge semi-auto and am torn between the two operating systems.... I would be using it to shoot light loads and I know on a gas gun if it doesn't function all I have to do is enlarged the gas ports... Wondering what the process is on the inertia gun to make it function with light loads ? Lighter springs ?

I got tired of having to fill up my 1100 with gas. So I went to an over/under. Saves time and money.

I have a Browning Maxus less than a year old I clean it thoroughly every time I come back from corvid / pigeon shooting also have used on clays with 24 gram 8s fibre with no problem at all I would highly recommend one for clay or vermin control.

In fact the SX3-20 is much easier to disassemble than the 391. What you missed here is it having a small metal plate on the bottom of the bolt, accessible from the loading port. Push it with your finger tip, the charging handle and bolt will come off in one single motion!

have run something like 2000 cartridges (24 gram steel) thru an m2. and oly cleaned it once at 500. has never jamed. only problem i had was luggs not wanting to go into battery after 1500 plus and no cleaning on manualy closing it. so i fell good in saying that claning the chamber on every 1000rnds and it will run anythin you put in it 24g and up. so the benelli isnt fuzzy.

Hi Johnny, would you consider doing a video on how to tune a semi auto please.? My 3” chambered Hatsan Escort ( gas driven ) doesn’t like lighter loads. Basically it won’t reliably cycle anything below 70mm & likes 32/34 gram loads, I’d like to use it for clays as well as hunting.

I have a Benelli 12g Super Sport and just bought a Beretta A400 Xplor 20g. Both are fantastic guns. But then, I'm a semi auto kind of guy.

I see you have a 391 urika in 20 bore how reliable are they I have urika in 12 bore but heard that the 20 is much less reliable what is your opinion . Talked slowly but you still have a habit of repeating your self .. it’s a very nice action ...it’s a really nice action ..

Berreta did build a inert gun so now you have both

What would be best for cold weather,,, hudson bay area canada spring weather ,, inertia or gas,, if it even matters

Buenas con que arma este entras dos se quedaría para disparar arcillas , fabarm ls4 Sporting VS Franchi afinity sporting , espero vuestra respuesta

Do a review on the browning a5 a proper semi auto 👍

I love my Benelli sbe2 and wouldn't change it for anything. Johnny, are you ok mate, you seem to be talking very slowly.

Could you explain to me why my Webley-Scott 810 is, what I can only explain by saying. It is cycling to well, when loaded with three shells(ya know 1 up the spout) and I fire, the remaining two shells try to load thus causing a jam :-( with just two shells in it, it works fine? Any constructive ideas, would be very grateful.

Hi Jonny, I found that technical comparison very interesting. I own a 12g Benelli Supersport which has a large stainless steel mid section to add balanced weight to the ideal mid part of the gun - a very clever idea I thought. Combined with the ported barrel the recoil is quite mild and it's controllable to swing through clays - but it won't cycle any cartridges reliably that are less that 28g. It is quite new and I understand they become more tolerant to lighter cartridge loads as they break in a little?

If you want a shotgun for protection ? Like dangerous animals etc to have in a car … which model or which type should be best ? Like to shoot 00buckshots flite control wads etc ?

Inertia Gun can shot 31 grm cartridge or not w/o any problem? Or 31 would be always be a headache for inertia

Got me a ..benelli Cordoba..simply the best semi auto I have owned .got fed up using half a kitchen roll to clean the gas port system on my A400 xtreme

We all know matching you swing speed to the target is paramount. Both double guns and inertia shotguns are well balanced and the action does not affect your swing. Gas guns have more mass in front of the receiver. Due to the added mass they require sligly more effort and a split second longer to get on target and match your swing speed. I once thought more frontend mass would help with not stopping my swing. I have come to find that keeping the barrel moving is all in your head. Slower recoil is the only advantage I might possibly gain with a gas gun. With what I shoot and how I shoot the recoil reduction is not worth giving up the advantages of a light forend. Upper body exercise to add body mass is the best way to minimize recoil. Too bad eating fried food just goes to by gut

I have a double and a pump, miss me with all this engineering lol

Didnt explain the inertial system correctly. It has a floating weight with a spring between itself and the bolt head. It is pressed against the bolt head during firing then rebounds, unlocking and taking the bolt with it...

I like the reduced recoil of gas guns because i'm a wuss... and a mix snow-goose/honker/duck hunt (total combined limit 36 birds per person) one can easily bang off 75 rounds of 1 1/4oz @ 1550fps in 1-3 hours, which does start to suck at the end. in canada it is completely possible to be bagged out on all 3 in an hour. i've had 7 minute* honker hunts; 8 10-12lb geese within 7 minutes... those are usually early season solo hunts in swaths from a layout when the flight groups are still 3-5 birds/flight, flights are 1-2 minutes apart, and they'll land 5-6 yards from you if you let them. *time does not include setting up decoys or the blind. lol edit: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/q8BintGQqte-lXU.html

Hi Johnny I have a Beretta prevail 1 sv10 game addition and the bead is loose how do I tighten it up mate ?

I'm looking at getting either the M2 or a Winchester SX4 but I'm leaning towards the M2

Remington 1100 all day long.. Older model b4 freedom arms bought em out...

I shot gas guns for several years, versamax, v3, maxus. I just traded in and got a sbe3 last year... I will never go back to a gas gun, inertia is superior in every way in my opinion. I take my sbe clay shooting and i shoot better with it then my 686. 24-25 in skeet consistently with the sbe

How easy are “standard” auto’s to use left handed? There are some models available left handed but most aren’t and very limited choice secondhand. Do the adjustable stocks offer much adjustment in terms of cast?

Ah so an inertia action is basically a direct blow back action with the only difference is that it has a locking bolt. Interesting, that must be why an inertia shotgun has a minimum shell requirement.