Pump-Action vs Semi-Auto Shotguns: Which One’s Better?

If you’ve spent much time with shotguns, you know there are multiple actions and operating platforms for them. Possibilities include break action, pump-action, and semi auto shotguns. Of those, pump-action tends to be the most stereotypically thought of when someone talks about shotguns. 

Mossberg pump action shotgun
Pump-action shotguns are often viewed as the classic or traditional shotgun action. (Photo credit: Mossberg)

Semi-automatic shotguns aren’t forgotten, but they’re often seen as secondary to pump-action shotguns. However, thanks to modern technology and major advances in design, there are now a lot of semi-auto shotguns.

Which is better, semi-automatic shotguns or pump-action shotguns? Read on to learn more about the two most popular—or most common—shotgun action options.

Mossberg 590A1
The Mossberg 590A1 is a popular pump-action shotgun that’s available in a variety of configurations. (Photo credit: Mossberg)

What is a pump-action shotgun?

A pump-action shotgun is a gun you have to manually “pump” to make it cycle—whether it’s to eject a spent shotshell or load a new one. It is a repeating firearm, but not a semi-automatic because it requires you to do the work of manipulating the action in order to fire the next round.

To cycle the shotgun when it’s shouldered, hold the shotgun against your shoulder with your strong-side hand and manipulate the fore-end with your support hand. The fore-end of a pump-action shotgun is located on the underside of the barrel and could be wood, faux wood, or polymer. It must be gripped firmly to manually work the action of the shotgun rearward and then forward in a crisp, clean motion. It’s more of a sliding movement than an actual pump, (saying “pump” brings to mind old water pumps on wells), but they’re called pump-action shotguns.

Regarding the fore-end on pump-action shotguns, there are a lot of different designs for them. Some are ribbed and tubular while others are squared-off with raised edges and serrations.

The claim that pump-actions are a lot slower than semi-automatic shotguns is not entirely accurate, because with enough practice it’s possible to cycle a pump-action quickly. In fact, once the shooter masters utilizing the gun’s own recoil to work the pump-action as they fire, things can speed up a lot.

Beretta A300 Outlander semiautomatic shotgun
The Beretta A300 Outlander is an example of a well-made semi-automatic shotgun. (Photo credit: Beretta)

What is a semi-automatic shotgun?

Semi-automatic shotguns are shotguns that automatically eject spent cartridges and load the next shotshell. They only fire one shotshell for each single pull of the trigger, making them semi-automatic; the trigger must be released forward to reset before the gun can be fired again.

There are multiple types of operations systems for semi-automatic shotguns. They might be gas-operated or inertia-driven and if they’re the former, the gas system does not have one set length but varies by model.

Inertia-Driven

interal workings of an inertia driven shotgun
A look at the internal workings of an inertia-drive shotgun, courtesy of Stoeger. (Photo credit: Stoeger Industries)

Inertia-driven semi-automatic shotguns function by utilizing the gun’s own recoil to cycle. They have two-piece bolts with a spring inside them that uses the gun’s recoil during firing to move the bolt back and eject the spent shotshell cartridge. An action spring then pushes the bolt forward again, closing the bolt and chambering the next shotshell. Pros and cons exist for the inertia-driven shotgun. Proponents point out that they don’t tend to get as dirty and they’re more streamlined in the fore-end. Others say that the felt recoil is typically greater than that of a gas-operated semi-auto shotgun and if you don’t have it tightly shouldered during firing, it’s not likely to cycle reliably.

Gas-Operated 

Gas-operated shotguns utilize an internal gas system to cycle the shotgun. Moving parts of a gas-operated shotgun include the bolt, piston, sleeve, and/or action bar. The system itself might be longer or shorter depending on how the manufacturer designed the gun.

diagram of the action of a gas-operated shotgun
A look at a gas-operated shotgun from Savage Arms. (Photo credit: Savage Arms)

The big pro of gas guns is that they produce less felt recoil overall and tend to cycle a bit more reliably (the room for forgiveness of a less-than-perfect shoulder behind the gun tends to be greater). They do require more frequent cleaning than most inertia-driven shotguns—and that can include parts of the gas system itself—but the trade-off can be worth it.

For simplicity’s sake, let’s just approach gas-operated and inertia-driven semi-automatic shotguns as a whole by referring to them as semi-automatic shotguns (which is exactly what they are).

Capacity of Pump-Action vs Semi-Auto Shotguns

keltec shotgun
Not all shotguns have a small capacity. Some models, like this one from Keltec, hold a lot more shotshells. (Photo credit: Keltec)

The capacity of pump-action shotguns and semi-auto shotguns depends on the specific gun. Some pump-action shotguns may hold only three rounds total while others hold five, but there are also pumps that are fed by a box magazine and capable of holding 16 rounds or more.

Semi-automatic shotguns have varying capacities similar to those of pump-action shotguns. Just like pump-actions, there are tube-fed and magazine-fed semi-auto shotguns, meaning capacity varies wildly.

Browning semi-automatic A5 shotgun
Browning’s semi-automatic A5 shotguns are well-made and reliable performers. (Photo credit: Browning)

Pump-Action vs Semi-Auto

Now that you have a general idea of how the two actions work, which sounds better to you?

Pros of the Pump-Action Shotgun 

  • In keeping with tradition
  • Fewer moving parts
  • Potentially greater durability and longevity
  • More affordably priced
  • Greater reliability due to the simplicity of the system
  • Possibly more reliable cycling of a wide range of shotshell loads
  • Narrower, lighter fore-end, depending on the model, due to not having a gas system located within the fore-end of the shotgun
An old ad for Remington 870 shotguns
An old ad for Remington 870 shotguns. (Photo credit: Remington Society)

Cons of the Pump-Action Shotgun 

  • Old-fashioned and potentially outdated technology
  • Parts are potentially more likely to break or be damaged by rough handling
  • No choice but to manually cycle the fore-end with every shot fired
  • Slower rate of fire
Remington Versamax semi-automatic, gas-operated shotgun
The Remington Versamax is a semi-automatic, gas-operated shotgun. (Photo credit: RemArms.com)

Pros of Semi-Auto Shotgun

  • Less felt recoil
  • Modernized operating system
  • Faster rate of fire than pump-action shotguns
  • Enhanced accuracy
  • Versatility
  • Reliable cycling independent of the shooter’s hand movements

Cons of Semi-Auto Shotgun

  • Larger number of moving parts increases potential breaking points
  • More frequent cleaning, including the gas system if it’s a gas-operated shotgun
  • Higher price point
  • Might be more finicky about specific loads it will or will not cycle reliably
Armory display of shotguns
Not sure which shotgun to choose? Why not get one of each? (Photo credit: Beretta)

Should you get a pump-action or semi-automatic shotgun?

This is the part where we typically make a comment about gun choices being dealer’s choice. After all, guns are purpose-driven tools and you need to select one that best suits your needs. However, there really are a lot of bonuses to running semi-automatic shotguns. If you’d prefer to bow to tradition, or just like the motions of operating a pump-action, more power to you. But if you’d like to shoot clays, ducks, or paper targets more rapidly using a softer-recoiling shotgun, the semi-automatic shotgun is the gun for you.

What do you think? Is the semi-auto shotgun right for you or do you prefer the classic lines of a pump-action shotgun? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section.

Kat Ainsworth Stevens is a long-time outdoor writer, official OGC (Original Gun Cognoscenti), and author of Handgun Hunting: a Comprehensive Guide to Choosing and Using the Right Firearms for Big and Small Game. Der Teufel Katze has written for a number of industry publications (print and online) and edited some of the others, so chances are you've seen or read her work before, somewhere. A woman of eclectic background and habits, Kat has been carrying concealed for over two decades, used to be a farrier, and worked for a long time in emergency veterinary medicine. She prefers big bores, enjoys K9 Search & Rescue, and has a Master's Degree in Pitiless Snarkastic Delivery.

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