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The Unique Challenges of Self-Loading Shotgun Design (Ad-free)

I think a lot of people under appreciate the difficulty of making a reliable self-loading shotgun. Between the rimmed case, wadcutter-type cylindrical shape, varying shell length, and massive variations in loadings, the variability that a designer has to work around is insane...

The Unique Challenges of Self-Loading Shotgun Design (Ad-free)

Comments

I actually *have* thought about this topic before today and decided that there was a reason that nobody did a semi-auto shotgun until JMB hissef showed that it was possible...

Bruce Brodnax

Your description of the issue with getting an AR15 to shoot different cartridges and different barrel lengths is one of the reasons I love roller-delayed blowback actions. I've got more that 20K rounds through an HK91, firing everything from 110 grain varmint loads to 190 grain, with only 2 issues, both with overly 'hot' reloads.. a torn case head and a popped primer that jammed the action until it could be shaken out.

Steve Colletti

Shotguns are like a cannery or a brewery; designed to move and process small cylinders. Shotshells or beer cans.

Martin Morehouse

Agreed that the form factor of the shotgun shell is what causes reliability issues in semi auto. While a redesign in the ammunition would be ideal, it would likely make the ammo very expensive, to the point it would fail in the market

EyeBall

and I think it pretty hard... . well I gladly keep the plethora of lengths before I opt it for semis. I mean the versatility of, well maybe rather of the simpler desinged, shotguns is THE great thing about them.

Guido Schriewer

Enlightening video. I had not appreciated how difficult it is to auto-load a shotgun shell. Thanks.

Glenn Miller

Good discussion on shotgun loading issues. Watching shotgun videos it is obvious that tube feed shotguns have fewer issues that mag feed. By changing the recoil spring in gas operated shotguns you can get them to run lighter loads. You should look into some of the newer gas designs from Mossberg and Hatsan.

Retired No Bad Days


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