All of this takes place without the need of a gas-handling system, and this offers a couple of advantages to the shooter. For one, it gives the manufacturer the opportunity to build a lighter shotgun simply because adding gas-handling apparatus increases weight. A 20-gauge Benelli M2 Field with a synthetic ComforTech stock I just weighed went an ounce over six pounds on my postal scale; that's darned light for an autoloader. My recoil-operated Franchi 48-AL of the same gauge has a wood stock, yet it weighs only 5.5 pounds. Due to the additional hardware required by its design, building a gas gun that light would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to do.

The recoil-absorbing insert in the comb of the ComforTech stock and the ergonomically shaped recoil pad contribute to shooter comfort.

More important than the weight factor is the question of reliability. Due to its simpler design, a good recoil-operated shotgun usually requires less frequent cleaning than a gas-operated gun. This is why the rental batteries of South American outfitters who offer high-volume dove shooting often consist of recoil guns. When both are cleaned as needed, the two types of autoloaders are equal in reliability, but assuming equal quality, the recoil gun will go longer without cleaning.

But as it goes with any firearm design, we often sacrifice one thing to gain something else. As a rule, perceived recoil is less with the gas gun than with the recoil gun. Its heavier weight soaks up part of the recoil, and its gas operation tends to prolong recoil delivery to the shooter, making the gas gun feel like it is kicking less than it actually is. Actual recoil remains the same, but recoil as perceived by the shooter is lighter.

SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer:	Benelli USA
Model:	Cordoba
Operation:	Intertia Driven
Gauge:	20
Barrel Length:	28 inches
Overall Length:	49.6 inches
Weight, empty	6 pounds
Safety:	Two positions
Sights:	Red bar
Stock:	Synthetic
Magazine Capacity:	4 rounds
Finish:	Matte black
Price:	$1665

Fortunately, when it comes to shotguns, we can have our cake and eat it, too. My 5.5-pound Franchi would kick me into the next county if I fed it extremely heavy loads, but that's not the important role it serves in my upland battery. I use that gun a lot for shooting flushing birds fairly close over pointing dogs, and its lightning-like handling qualities make it ideal for early-season grouse hunting when the trees still wear their leaves and shooting is close and quick. None of that requires the use of heavy loads, and when used with relatively light loads, that gun is quite comfortable to shoot.

The ComforTech Advantage
Using light loads is one way to tame the recoil of a recoil-operated shotgun. Another is to come up with a way of isolating the shooter from recoil. A really good recoil pad helps a lot and so does the addition of adhesive-backed padding to the comb of the stock. Incorporating cushioning inserts into the sides of a synthetic stock also helps, as does forming the wrist and forearm of the stock into shapes that are friendly to the hands of the shooter. There are two ways of accomplishing all of this.

One way is to round up the materials, get out your hacksaw and glue, and make various and sundry modifications to the stock of your gun. Another way is to let somebody else do all the work and buy a Benelli with a ComforTech stock. For a time it was offered only on 12-gauge guns, but it's now available on 20-gauge Cordoba and M2 Field guns. Combine the latest in recoil-reduction technology with the relatively light recoil of the 20-gauge shotshell, and you've got a combination that's easy on the shoulder and great fun to shoot.

Made of a lightweight synthetic material, the ComforTech stock has an extremely thick recoil pad made of a super-shock-absorbent, rubber-like material developed for the medical industry. The rear surface of the pad is grooved to prevent slippage, and it is ergonomically shaped to rest comfortably inside the shoulder pocket of the shooter. Dimpled areas at the wrist and forearm of the stock (called Air-Touch) serve to absorb shock and partially isolate the hands from recoil. Rather soft, the dimples offer a positive grasping surface, yet they are not at all abrasive to the hands during recoil.