The elasto‐plastic properties of piezoresistance gauges influence their response as stress transducers in shock‐wave experiments. In the present article, we discuss these relations for lateral stress gauges upon shock loading and unloading. It is shown that piezoresistance response in the elastic range of the gauge material depends on the properties of the matrix material. On the other hand, these gauges have a unique calibration curve, both for loading and unloading, within their plastic range. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.