Pistol Recoil by Caliber
- Thread starter mikey12
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It depends on too many factors to really be able to record.
One thing you could do is factor in:
Pistol build material [polymer, steel, aluminum]
Cartridge pressure
Presence of ported barrel
Handgun size and barrel length
Generally, though, I've found that 9mm tends to be "snappy" while .45 is more of a blunt "push". I base this on the fact that .45 ACP cartridge pressures tend to be on the low side while 9mm and 40 SW and 357 SIG are near the high range for cartridge pressure. Factor in the weight of the projectile being expelled and you can roughly guess what the recoil would be like.
Richard Lee's reloading manual lists pressures for typical loads, which is a good place to start.
One thing you could do is factor in:
Pistol build material [polymer, steel, aluminum]
Cartridge pressure
Presence of ported barrel
Handgun size and barrel length
Generally, though, I've found that 9mm tends to be "snappy" while .45 is more of a blunt "push". I base this on the fact that .45 ACP cartridge pressures tend to be on the low side while 9mm and 40 SW and 357 SIG are near the high range for cartridge pressure. Factor in the weight of the projectile being expelled and you can roughly guess what the recoil would be like.
Richard Lee's reloading manual lists pressures for typical loads, which is a good place to start.
The previous poster is right on. I owned a 44 mag Ruger single action and the gun would roll painlessly in your hand. The S&W 44 mag would smack my middle finger with each shot. I sold that after firing 12 rounds. Both guns weighed about the same. That said, I'll take a .357 or .45 in a mid size gun any day. I owned a steel Seecamp .32 torture devise at one time also. Then I shot a Keltec .32 which was lighter and polymer framed ... it was a pleasure to shoot.
I saw a handgun recoil chart in a magazine years ago. The year was about the same time the S&W Scandium 357 was introduced. The results were in ft lbs of recoil. The best way to gauge your recoil tolerance is shoot someone elses gun.
Rifle recoil charts are easy to find online. Here is one: http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm
I saw a handgun recoil chart in a magazine years ago. The year was about the same time the S&W Scandium 357 was introduced. The results were in ft lbs of recoil. The best way to gauge your recoil tolerance is shoot someone elses gun.
Rifle recoil charts are easy to find online. Here is one: http://www.chuckhawks.com/recoil_table.htm
Recoil impulse is simply a product of bullet and gasses in one direction meaning an equal and opposite effect in the other.
Rifles tend to direct it generally along the axis of the barrel, and deliver it (pretty much) straight back at you.
Pistols add a barrel higher than your hands, introducing a rotational aspect to the recoil that may be handled better by one design or another, giving the appearance of a different result.
Rifles tend to direct it generally along the axis of the barrel, and deliver it (pretty much) straight back at you.
Pistols add a barrel higher than your hands, introducing a rotational aspect to the recoil that may be handled better by one design or another, giving the appearance of a different result.
It is difficult to give exact figures for any caliber because recoil will vary according to weight of gun, barrel length, weight of the projectile and weight of powder in the cartridge.
I recall some general figures listed for some calibers in duty sized guns. The duty sized guns range from 2 to 3 lbs in weight and barrel lengths from 4-6 inches.
A 38 special in a duty sized gun was about 2-3 ft/lbs.
A 9 mm parabellum about 3 ft/lbs
a .45 ACP about 5 - 5.5 ft/lbs
a .357 magnum about 6-7 ft/lbs.
A .44 magnum about 14 ft/lbs.
I don't have any figures for the real bruisers like the .454 Casull or 500 Smith & Wesson, but it is fair to say their numbers are probably up there with a 300 or 338 magnum.
I recall some general figures listed for some calibers in duty sized guns. The duty sized guns range from 2 to 3 lbs in weight and barrel lengths from 4-6 inches.
A 38 special in a duty sized gun was about 2-3 ft/lbs.
A 9 mm parabellum about 3 ft/lbs
a .45 ACP about 5 - 5.5 ft/lbs
a .357 magnum about 6-7 ft/lbs.
A .44 magnum about 14 ft/lbs.
I don't have any figures for the real bruisers like the .454 Casull or 500 Smith & Wesson, but it is fair to say their numbers are probably up there with a 300 or 338 magnum.
Perfect! Suppose I should have included the qualifier of typical recoil as other posters are correct about the gun itself playing a major role in the perceived recoil of a given round. Just an interesting bit of info to have around when comparing, in general terms, the typical recoil of various calibers.
Oldies but goodies.
www.hellfire.com has some good muzzlebrakes,I THINK. What's the "kick" on a Serbu .50? You can see these on youtube
Originally Posted By: daves66nova
www.hellfire.com has some good muzzlebrakes,I THINK. What's the "kick" on a Serbu .50? You can see these on youtube
wrong site!
www.hellfire.com has some good muzzlebrakes,I THINK. What's the "kick" on a Serbu .50? You can see these on youtube
wrong site!
I would add that the weight of the gun and the style? for example I have shot a 240 gn 44 mag out of a Ruger Super Blackhawk with a 6ish inch barrel that the recoil really sucked and the same bullet in a double action Ruger 44 mag 6ish barrel I can't remember the models name [Redhawk?] and the recoil "feel" seemed way, way less. Then again the same 240 44 mag in a semi auto pistol a Desert Eagle [? on the name] makes the recoil feel like a 45acp in my opinion
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