Colt 1911 vs a S&W 357 mag

I generally agree with everything here. With but one exception, all .45 ACP Colt automatics seemed to have milder recoil than any .357 magnum revolver I have fired. The one exception was a Colt lightweight Officer's ACP that was a real handful to shoot. It didn't hurt by any means and there was nothing particularly bad about the blast, especially when compared to any .357, but the little thing really jumped. I always thought .357 magnums had rather severe muzzle blast.

But there is another difference not mentioned so far. The dynamics of recoil in a Colt 1911 or Government Model is different from any revolver and probably more pronounced in the full size Colt than in any other pistol. It almost seems to have a mild "kick forward" aspect. It isn't all that noticeable but it may help with faster follow-up shots.
 
I have two 686 .357 mag S&W revolvers. One is a 6'' barrel and the other is a 5''. I also have a 5'' Colt government. I, myself, feel little difference in recoil between the two using appropriate ammo. The recoil of the DA revolvers is straight back, while the 1911 tends to have more muzzle flip. FWIW........My wife and daughters in law prefer to shoot the Smiths.
 
Either one. This question was raised over and over again in the gun mags of the 60's, 70's and 80's. Both have their pros and cons, but either one (provided it's a quality brand and hot load), will deliver a potent stopping round.
 
To the op: Because you have access to both handguns, it would seem that the best way to discern how the recoils compare to you is to take both to the range with an assortment of ammunition, shoot them and make your own judgement. As 44 AMP pointed out, recoil is both actual and subjective (often times referred to as "felt"). Perceived (felt) recoil is probably the most relevant factor in terms of how an individual shooter reacts to it. Of course, in this instance, that individual shooter would be you and only by you shooting each of the "contestants" will you ever know which firearm recoils the most (or least) to you.
 
Below are my comparison guns. The recoil is about the same. If I had to pick one, it would be the revolver and only slightly.
 

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If you have small weak hands you could try one of these.
 
The revolver has more recoil.

Working the action of the auto-loader soaks up some of the recoil. This becomes very obvious when shooting the same 10 MM round through both a 1911 and a S&W 610 side-by-side. The 1911 seems to yank or twist my hand/wrist up. The revolver just plain pounds my hand a good deal harder.
 
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