Shooting 7/8 ounce loads at 1150 fps in an 8 1/4 pound side by side should not be a recoil problem for anyone, adult, kid, wife, whatever. There is really no reason for any side by side shooter to go to a gas gun or to send his progeny to gas gun purgatory. Gas guns today sell for Parker prices and have absolutely no collector or resale value. And they are ugly and have no character. Why does a new gas gun sell for $2700 when my $200 1100 will do the same.
I have never been recoil sensitive, and dont even like pads on my guns. But now I have a torn rotator cuff tendon in my right shoulder. Doc is a hunter and told me to stop shooting. Being pretty stubborn, or maybe just stupid, I started back with a .410 and worked my way back to a 12. Found that 12s and even 20s, with light loads, left me with a sore shoulder. So I bought a couple of gas guns and now I can hunt ducks and geese again with mild steel loads, and minimal pain. I still shoot some of my old doubles a bit with light loads, but the gas guns allow me to hunt seriously. I already had a couple of 1100s, but they were not configured for waterfowling and I couldnt find a new or used 1100 configured the way I wanted, so I got plastic fantastic Win SX3s. They are just a tool, they work well, and they meet my needs. There are reasons for SxS shooters to go to gas guns.
