Let's start a list of the minimim power loads that you know, with first hand experience, will reliably cycle in your semi auto shotgun.  Where do you draw the line reliability wise?  What configuration is your gun and if recoil / inertia what accessories do you have on it?

Let's see if we can create a data base as to the minimum power loads that will reliably cycle in each gun.

I'll start.

Benelli M2 Tactical: 18.5" barrel w/ 7+1 mag extension, mesa tactical side saddle w/ rail combo, simple websling.

Will cycle 100% (with gun and side saddle fully loaded):

Any 1+ ounce load at 3 dram (1,200fps or faster)
Any 1 1/8th+ ounce load at 2 3/4 dram (1,145fps or faster.)

Will not reliably cycle 1 ounce loads under 1,200fps or 1 1/8th ounce loads under 1,145fps.  
I'm sure if I emptied the side saddle of shells (~ 10 ounces of weight) that may change it though!

Only auto I own any more is a Benelli monifeltro (sp).  It shoots everything, but light target loads cycle slow, so slow my break points in skeet drastically change when shooting doubles.

"Light target loads" isn't very descriptive or helpful, which is why I started this thread!

What shot weight and velocity combos are the min your gun will reliably cycle so those of us can know which guns can work with what.

My Panzer M4 will reliably cycle 2 3/4” shells 1145 fps or faster.

Mods to the shotgun:

Benelli factory extractor, spring, pin, cartridge latch spring, and Taran Tactical AccuGuide Extended Carrier.

"depends on the gas setting"

Lynx Siaga clone - with the gas wide open, I think the slowest stuff I've tried was 1145FPS, but I may have had something slower. All I can say for sure is it operates with the slowest, junkiest 12ga I've bought all the way up to slugs and buckshot.

Never tried some of the exotic loads or stuff like rubber slugs.

I usually turn the gas down to the lowest or second to lowest setting for slugs and buckshot, to cut odwn recoil.

The only failures I've has was with light loads and the second to wide open gas setting.

That's a pretty good description of where I draw the line with my Benelli.  I don't have anything mounted to it, but mine does have the pistol grip stock.  I generally use Sporting Clays loads for 3-gun.  The thing with inertia operated guns like the Benelli is that the shooter plays a big part in what loads will cycle.  A big guy can hold the gun very tight which can prevent the gun from reliably cycling a load that might cycle 100% for someone smaller and lighter, or someone who holds the gun looser. The best modification you can make to an inertia operated gun is a soft gel recoil pad.  It allows the gun to move a bit more under recoil so it will cycle lighter loads.

So far, in my testing, I've found the deciding factor, whether it will or will not cycle properly, is High Brass shells vs. Low Brass shells.

My 940 Pro Tac will cycle anything High Brass, the lowest FPS so far being 1150 FPS (Hornady Versa Lite 8 Shot Buck)
I don't recall it ever properly cycling any Low Brass shells I've tried so far.

I haven't tried low power low brass in my 1301, but every thing I've read so far, reads that it will cycle low power low brass.
I also did watch a guy with a gen 1 1301 Tac, run Low Brass 1130 FPS Winchester Target Load, that I have a ton of, during a two day Rob and Matt Haught class, with no problems.

The 1301 easily cycles the High Brass 1150 FPS Hornady that the 940 cycled.

Jay

I just want to point out that whether the shell's brass is "high" or "low", has no bearing on the power of the load.  Traditionally, higher power loads were loaded into higher brass shells but it's not a requirement, nor is it consistent.  I've seen and bought plenty of 00 buckshot that was loaded in "low brass" shells.  

Also, that "high brass" Hornady load is actually very low power for buckshot.  8 pellets (around 1 ounce) of shot at 1,145fps / 2 3/4 drams is a low power load. Usually that would be considered a light trap load (with birdshot of course).  My benelli wouldn't reliably cycle that with how I have it configured now.  

In contrast, that "low brass" Winchester target load might actually be a more powerful load if it has 1 1/8 ounces of shot (as most trap loads do).  My benelli will reliably cycle loads at that velocity if they have that extra 1/8 ounce of shot weight to them.

That's why I am creating this thread, to get some hard data on light loads that work in each person's gun.  Specifically what shot weight and velocity as there is waaaay too much deviation and variation between "light target loads".

my vepr 12 loves the Walmart federal 12 red box at 37 bucks for 100

TLDR;
Remington 1100. It has cycled everything since the 1970's.
I did replace a gas ring before some tactical shotgun classes just to be sure.
(Speed loader/mag ext/ 18" barrel for classes)

My 1970 1100 eats my 3/4oz reloads on the skeet field like a champ.  

3/4oz of #9
16 Grains of Red Dot, or Clays, or, or...
3/4oz claybuster wads
Cheddite primers in Remington hulls.

My clays buddies have A400's.  One has an Xcel and the other an Extreme plus.   They both run 3/4oz target loads like a champ.

930spx
Anything except these, which are generally the bane of gas guns in my experience:
Win Universal
Win Super Speed
Win Super Trap

Estate, federal, target, high brass, everything else I've tried runs just fine.

The operating systems of the two semi's I mentioned, are factory configured.
1130 FPS High Brass cycles reliability in them: 1150 FPS Low Brass does not.
Edit: Still not sure if my 1301 will cycle low brass low FPS, because I haven't tried it, but I expect it to.

I have no plans on configuring my semi auto's in a manner, that they would not cycle shells that they currently do.

I guess I misunderstood exactly what the purpose of your original post was.

Jay

Both of my MAC 1014's require a minimum of 3 Dram loads at 1200 FPS or faster. The 2 3/4 Dram 1200 FPS loads are iffy at about 80%.

These are the ones that cycle...