In automatic guns is there an advantage to using a gas tube to push the bolt back instead of just recoil?

Question

Well some guns don't use a gas tube so I'm just curious if it provides some advantage.

Answer 1

phvswbs has summed it up, generally high pressure loads are not suited to recoil operated mechanisms.
Some form of delay is required to hold the breech closed until the pressure in the barrel has dropped to a safe level before the breech opens.
This can be achieved quite simply by gas operation, as the port that bleeds off the operating gas is approx. half way up the barrel and the bullet is well on it's way before anything starts to unlock.
With recoil operation the delay is mechanical.

Answer 2

Generally speaking gas operated weapons can handle more powerful cartridges. That is why the vast majority of of semi automatic and fully automatic weapons that handle centerfire rifle cartridges are gas operated. Recoil operated weapons in heavy round have a fairly complicated system call "Long Recoil" in which the barrel and bolt must recoil back against a spring for several inches. Most handgun cartridges requier some mechanical linkage to delay the recoil briefly other wise the recoil who be to violent or require a very heavy spring that would make a pistol difficult to operate

Answer 3

Gas operated semi-autos do provide less felt-recoil and more control, but the only problem you can have is that these guns (at least in rifle and pistol form) have to utilize at the very least half-jacketed slugs in order to keep from clogging a gas port. I do not think shotguns have this potential problem. Someone stated that "pistols will be next". This is an old idea (China and South Africa have marketed 9mm pistols like this, as well as American big-bore automag outfits) that would have "taken over" already if it were a real answer.

Answer 4

As the Ret. Sgt. said, recoil is the advantage. Find some folks that have a pump action 12 guage and a semi-auto 12 guage. Fire a slug round out of each gun. That pump is going to boot you a lot harder than the gas operated semi auto will.

Answer 5

Ret.Sgt nailed this question. Gas tubes not only reduce felt recoil but the are consistant,focused on a much smaller surface and much more reliable than recoil operated guns. Fewer jambs, smoother cycling of ammunition. Thats why most of the existing Rifles, Shotguns and shoulder fired weapons being produced today are gas or gas tube operated actions. Pistols will be next.

Answer 6

The advantage is recoil. Recoil operated guns have more recoil. Gas operated have less felt recoil.