Handgun Recoil Table - Eye opener

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  • 2cool9031

    Grandmaster
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    43   0   0
    Mar 4, 2009
    6,569
    38
    NWI
    Much depends on the length of the barrel and the weight of the gun. On a revolver some of the power escapes between the cylinder and the barrel, not so with guns like the Thompson Contender. My .44mag contender has more kick than my Ruger. My older Contender .44 Mag kicked hard enough to throw the little snap-on forend over my head....I decided to put a rubber band around it....it worked for a couple of rounds till it broke in half.
     

    edsinger

    Master
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    6   0   0
    Apr 14, 2009
    2,541
    38
    NE Indiana
    It was an eye-opener for me. I remember the first time I was shooting a .38 and didnt know a .357 was loaded, shared the **** out of me.
     

    Roadie

    Modus InHiatus
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    17   0   0
    Feb 20, 2009
    9,775
    63
    Beech Grove
    How does the 500 Magnum compare to the .50 Action Express on the chart? (be gentle, gun n00b here, lol) If it is close, that would certainly quantify the difference in recoil I felt going from a Bersa 380, to trying out a 500 Magnum a couple weeks ago. :eek:
     

    RelicHound

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Apr 30, 2009
    10,961
    38
    SW IN
    I bought a TC encore pistol a few years ago with a 45/70 barrel on it. I think I was able to force myself to shoot it a total of 4 times,after the 3rd round my wrist was killin me,shot it the forth time and and almost lost it...took the gun in and traded the barrel for a 44mag barrel...after shooting that 45/70 the 44mag felt like a sissy round:):
    the only 454 I have ever shot was in a ruger {red hawk I think?} it had some recoil but was managable.
     

    cosermann

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    14   0   0
    Aug 15, 2008
    8,372
    113
    Physics is physics. It's a helpful table from that perspective and a good starting point. The tricky part is in translating the "physics" recoil to "felt" recoil. For example, something like a Glock 30 and a lightweight compact 1911 style 45 "feel" significantly different due to factors such as bore axis and slide velocity.

    It's a good starting point though.

    (btw - He has tables for rifle and shotgun recoil as well.)
     

    cce1302

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 26, 2008
    3,397
    48
    Back down south
    Much depends on the length of the barrel and the weight of the gun. On a revolver some of the power escapes between the cylinder and the barrel, not so with guns like the Thompson Contender. My .44mag contender has more kick than my Ruger. My older Contender .44 Mag kicked hard enough to throw the little snap-on forend over my head....I decided to put a rubber band around it....it worked for a couple of rounds till it broke in half.
    I shot my dad's .44 mag contender when I was 12 or so. First shot, the gun took off over my shoulder because it was winter and I couldn't hold on tight because of the gloves I was wearing. He wasn't mad at me because I had just watched him shoot it, and said, let me take off my gloves because I can't get a good grip on it, and he said no. He was behind me and was able to juggle the gun to the ground, so it didn't get damaged. Then he made me shoot it again, but this time let me take my gloves off, and I was fine.
    How does the 500 Magnum compare to the .50 Action Express on the chart? (be gentle, gun n00b here, lol) If it is close, that would certainly quantify the difference in recoil I felt going from a Bersa 380, to trying out a 500 Magnum a couple weeks ago. :eek:
    No comparison. 500 S&W is way off the chart compared to the 50 AE.
     

    JosephR

    Shooter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Apr 12, 2008
    1,466
    36
    NW IN
    How about the 357Sig vs. .40S&W? Did anyone notice that?

    This is just velocity of the slide though, right? Does not take into account acceleration which plays a big part. Your hand can move 25 fps and it feels like nothing but to be not moving and quickly accelerated to 25fps will be noticeable.
     

    cosermann

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    14   0   0
    Aug 15, 2008
    8,372
    113
    These tables are strictly mass velocity = mass velocity. HOW, that mass moves (i.e. slide velocities, torques, etc.) is not accounted for and is why numbers like these are only a starting point to determine FELT recoil.
     
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