You comparing recoil between a semi-auto and a pump?
If a Saiga is no different than any other semi-auto, then yes.
I have only fired a pump, never a semi-auto, that's why I ask.
mmmm Saiga 12
I was told by a dealer that they're of questionable build quality.
I have only fired three or four semi-auto shotguns in 12ga.(Berettas, Charles Daly and Saiga). None of them kicked as hard as the Saiga. I could see how the AK style system would absorb some recoil but the main problem is that the Saiga is only reliable with 3 inch shells. My friend who owns it was told that it would feed and fire all shell sizes in 12ga. He found out really quickly that it was only reliable with the pricey stuff. He also found out that people were having similar problems and there was supposedly a recall in which a few guns were assembled with an undersized gas port. When we tore it down, we found nothing unusual and the adjustable gas block seemed to be in perfect working order. Now he is content just to buy the 3 inch shells and let them fly. Also the term "perceived" recoil says it all. It's all in your head !