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B.L.E. · January 1, 2009, 08:22 AM

The recoil engery of a gun is the recoil energy of the bullet divided by the ratio of the bullet's mass to the gun's mass.
If the gun weighs 100 times more than the bullet, the gun will have 1/100 the energy of the bullet. If the gun weighs 50 times more than the bullet, the gun will have 1/50 the energy of the bullet. This does not include the gunpowder gasses which also contribute to recoil.

This is how energy divides up, the momentum of the gun is always equal to the momentum of the bullet.

When you shoot both barrels at once, you not only double the bullet energy, you also double the bullet weight so the recoil doubles twice.

If instead of doubling a double barrel, you had shot two single barrel shotguns at the same time, then the bullet weight and gun weight both would be double and you would experience double the recoil energy.

January 1, 2009, 08:22 AM	#3
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	The recoil engery of a gun is the recoil energy of the bullet divided by the ratio of the bullet's mass to the gun's mass. If the gun weighs 100 times more than the bullet, the gun will have 1/100 the energy of the bullet. If the gun weighs 50 times more than the bullet, the gun will have 1/50 the energy of the bullet. This does not include the gunpowder gasses which also contribute to recoil. This is how energy divides up, the momentum of the gun is always equal to the momentum of the bullet. When you shoot both barrels at once, you not only double the bullet energy, you also double the bullet weight so the recoil doubles twice. If instead of doubling a double barrel, you had shot two single barrel shotguns at the same time, then the bullet weight and gun weight both would be double and you would experience double the recoil energy.