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Among today’s autoloaders, the vast majority are of the gas-operated variety. Some of the most popular brand names are gas-operated. Only the Benelli and its subsidiaries Franchi, Breda and Stoeger still continue to market non-gas-operated autoloaders. Today’s gas-operated autoloaders are very reliable, soft shooting, versatile, and well balanced, a far cry from the early versions which had problems handling different loads. As one noted shotgun authority put it recently, the autoloader has reached the zenith of its development in reliability and handling qualities.

The gas-operated autoloader gained its popularity with the appearance of the Remington 1100 in 1963. Prior to that, they were either not reliable or could not handle high and low velocity loads interchangeably. There were the Remington 58 and the 878, the Beretta and LaSalle. The High Standard Supermatic, which was first marketed as the J.C. Higgins Model 60, made its first appearance in 1956. However, the early gas-operated autoloaders tended to be either heavy and bulky like the J.C. Higgins, or incapable of handling all loads like the early Remington and Berettas. The recoil operated autoloader still ruled the roost.