Inertia gun vs Gas gun

BigBraz15

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
100   0   0
Location
N.W. Alberta
Just looking for the pros and cons for both gas and inertia guns from actual field use perspective.

I have a gas gun that was jamming up on me on a hunt last year. Got home and stripped it down and found that it was my fault... the action spring bolt had backed off a few turns in the stock and wasn’t compressed properly. A quick fix and it was good as new.
 
I would maybe pick an inertia gun if I was looking for a dedicated autoloading Upland gun. Something I was going to carry for ever and in my case lately shoot little compared to time carried. But for every other instance where I consider a semi ie waterfowling or clay targets, or if I ever lived somewhere with a slug season I’d take a gas gun each time.
 
Gas guns all the way for me. From water fowl and turkey to small game to upland the beretta a400 xplor seems perfect to me. Having the 28 20 and 12 i match the needed payload to the game sought. The subgauge a400 xplors are so trim and light they can easily be carried all day
Gas guns will work even if shouldered improperly. Ive seen inertia guns fail when not held against the shoulder.
Gas guns will also generally shoot a wider range of loads. Most are auto compensating and if not have valves or rings to swap
Gas guns have lighter slower recoil impulses which leads to smoother faster follow up shots
 
Each to their own, my O/U wood stocked Sporting guns don’t get used in inclement weather. Bought new in 2007 my Benelli Supersport hasn’t missed a beat. Have a Browning semi Sporting gas gun as well getting regular use. For wet weather use and clean up afterwards a inertia action , synthetic stocked , gun is my go to.
 
Had a Beretta 391 synthetic stocked 12 gauge out in the rain several years ago for a Sporting Clays shoot. Liked the gun but totally unreliable in rain for failing to cycle. The inertia Benelli SuperSport has been flawless.
 
Cannot speak for the newer inert guns,but the old Browning Auto 5 with the long recoil system always worked perfect for myself, if kept clean.All self loading guns need to be kept clean, to be sure they work as they should.
 
In Argentina where they shoot hundreds of thousands of rounds every year all inertia. I have had both like inertia better although my 20 browning gold is a gas. Have had all of them fail so Ford Chevy, Ram .:)
 
Inertia gun also has jamming issues.

If it works, it will need little less cleaning comparing with gas version.

But if it does not cycle (jamming), sometine it will be much harder to resolve. Inertia break-in is always the mystery story.

It might sound funny. It happened to me before. Same gun but different size people,one will make it cycle and one will not...
 
Its kinda like an Ar15 vs. AK47 ... Gas guns are more reliable with lower recoil, but need to be cleaned more often and are more susceptible to weather ... but inertia guns are more picky on ammo and with more recoil, but they run forever without cleaning
 
Its kinda like an Ar15 vs. AK47 ... Gas guns are more reliable with lower recoil, but need to be cleaned more often and are more susceptible to weather ... but inertia guns are more picky on ammo and with more recoil, but they run forever without cleaning

Are both of your examples not gas operated ?
 
My experience as I have both. They are turks, not high end.
They run great.
The gas one ran flawlessly from day one.
The inertia one had to break in to run reliably with the same ammo. After one flat of shells and it was good.

The inertia can be left dirty for a long time, will always run and very easy to clean.
The gas one will look filthy after a few hundred rounds and if I don't clean it will start to fail.

Using Winchester Target loads I cannot tell the difference in recoil.
 
Cannot speak for the newer inert guns,but the old Browning Auto 5 with the long recoil system always worked perfect for myself, if kept clean.All self loading guns need to be kept clean, to be sure they work as they should.

While the long recoil guns are inertia actions, I don't think they are in the spirit of what the OP is asking.

I do love long recoil guns......my Franchi 48’s are especially dear to me. And yes, even a beauty in 28 gauge!
 
I will always take a gas gun over inertia. Two of our waterfowl group used to use inertia guns, but now we all use gas guns.

Same. I prefer my gas gun to an inertia. Honestly I have seen as many failures with inertia as gas guns. None will run if they are not cleaned and lubed regularily and from what I've personally witnessed in the field(hunting out of dust choked stubbled layout blinds) it seems the modern inertia guns are much more susceptible to failure if they are not lubed often compared with a gas gun. Of course that statement will draw negative remarks from those who have never hunted the prairies and have no idea how dust filled grain stubble can be out here! I carry a can of Remoil in my blind bag and have never had to use it on my SX/Silver or Gold series guns but every hunt my buddy is borrowing it as his SBE2 quits working and needs to be sprayed down to get working again.
 
Last edited:
Prairies last year 3 inertias 3 gas No failures..
3ME7IjB.jpg
 
Back
Top Bottom