doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Recoil in a Paradox gun?

Same velocity. It must be something related to less friction in the smoothbore section. Holland was quite adamant concerning their rifle weights and recoil. The 8 bore was advertised as reduced weight better handling and increased velocity as compared to a fully rifled arm. Reduced weight because of lighter recoil. I can attest the 8 paradox balances magnificently and shoulders like a much lighter gun.

Ross Seyfried did an article in Rifle/Handloader from maybe 2002 +/- about paradox guns. His contention was that by having freebore, no-rifled section, and then only a short rifle section there was a much reduced recoil effect compared to what he thought should normally happen in a big bore of similar velocity/projectile weight.

Try oldwestgunsmith.com/whatsnew.htm for an example. There are others that seem to be easy to search, but the author of this example likely has some credibility. It's a similar theme, some bore obstruction, usually a squib load, and then some actions and barrels manage to contain/vent multiple shots, bulge or no bulge. I thought it was a take on your original recoil comment.

Kind of an extreme example and not mentioned in this account was the thought I was trying to bring across. I suspect mass, bullet and gas, has to separate from the gun (out the muzzle with velocity) to feel what most folks consider recoil. Maybe, the near equal force of stopping the bullet within the gun and venting gasses laterally somewhere, doesn't 'recoil' the rifle in a familiar way even though the bullet could be shown to have accelerated. I'd be pretty sure movement could be felt by the shooter, but I don't know if they would call it 'felt recoil'.

Assuming favorable weather conditions scoped TarHunt is good to 200 paces. What is practical range of English-made Paradox gun?

With ammo like this


In a rifled choke gun like this



Your hunt is possible.

'Scuse me, I have a problem understanding this issue of a Paradox having less recoil than a bore rifle all things being equal.

1. A Paradox has less friction in the smooth section of the barrel.

2. Less friction means either:

2.1. Bullet will go faster with same amound of powder

2.2. Less powder is needed to start the bullet with the same velocity.

3. In 2.2 the pressure will also be lower, allowing to make barrel thinner and gun lighter.

4. Provided that recoil is function of Newtonian action-reaction law, same charge (2.1) = more velocity out of Paradox = more work (mass by velocity) produced by the Paradox: there's also the same total amount of powder gases, and probably more leftower gases at muzzle in the Paradox (less time in the barrel for them to burn).

5. All of 4 = more, not less recoil out of Paradox with 2.1.

6. Now, in case of proportionally smaller charge in Paradox (2.2), there's same work (same velocity), less powder gases in Paradox, and similar amount of leftover gases at muzzle = less recoil and pressure in Paradox.

7. But same velocity and less recoil with same charge? Something doesn't add up.

Query: what factor am I missing?

UPD: The Rocketman's comment above wasn't there when I was typing this.

Ross worked up loads for my Evans and it shoots an honest 3 to 4 -inch L/R x L/R four round group at 100 yards. I bet it would do three if my eyes were younger. I have never fired a group at paper farther than that. I can personally testify that it will roll a warthog at eighty and drop sand grouse at forty. Perceived recoil is like any normal twelve of a pigeon weight gun. It is a different art than shooting a double rifle, and I believe that has everything to do with barrel dwell time - a combination of relatively long tubes and slow velocity compared to something like a .470. One really has to consciously follow through much more than one would with an express rifle.