Took my new S&W 325TR to the range for the first time yesterday.
This is a Scandium-framed 45 ACP six-shot revolver with a four inch barrel from S&W's Performance Center. Factory trigger job, only 31 ounces, about as heavy as my Beretta PX4 composite semi-auto .45 with a magazine.
I am a fan of .45 ACP. I consider it almost a perfect handgun round.
I brought my Beretta and my S&W 686 Plus along to shoot back-to-back to compare recoil.
Anxious to try the 325TR, I shot it first. I'm big and reasonably strong and didn't notice the kick this has until I shot the Beretta next. The PX4 has a cam-action rolling barrel action, making for a low bore axis and smooth and light recoil. The 325TR has considerably stronger recoil.
I then moved to my 686 with .357 loads. This revolver is SS with a 6 inch full underlug barrel. Recoil a little harder than the lightweight Beretta. This revolver weighs in at 43 ounces. With .38 Special rounds, this gun is very comfortable to shoot, hardly any recoil at all.
So, no surprise, this exercise displayed three key factors concerning recoil. First, revolvers have a higher bore axis than probably all common semi-autos, contributing to the increased recoil of the 325TR over the PX4, even thought they are shooting the same round, are very close to the same weight and both have 4 inch barrels.
The 686 was noticeably tamer than the 325TR, even with the much more potent .357 Magnum rounds, but it did kick a little more than the PX4. Even considering the higher bore axis of the revolver, the heavy stainless steel revolver carries much of its weight well forward due to the full underlug 6 inch long barrel. The 686 with the .38 Special rounds was, by far, the softest shooting.
Trigger feel for the Beretta is not quite "breaking a glass rod" as the revolvers are, but fairly light. I don't have a trigger pull gauge, but by feel the Beretta has the heaviest trigger (SA), noticeable but not objectionably so. In double-action, the Beretta is a little heavier but "grittier", similar in feel to the difference between my AR (with an aftermarket trigger even) and my Accutrigger-equipped Savage bolt-action.
The 686, with about a thousand rounds through it, has a remarkably light trigger, feels ever-so-slightly lighter in single-action compared to the brand-new 325 TR with the Performance Center trigger. All in all, the 686 is extremely enjoyable to shoot, with the .38 or the Magnum load.
I suspect the 325TR in single-action will eventually match or slightly surpass the lightness of the 686 as everything breaks in with more use. In double-action, the 325TR feels very slightly lighter as the cylinder rotates, and feels slightly but noticeably smoother.
All these were heavily researched before I purchased (the 686 Plus was my first handgun, the Beretta my second) and I couldn't be more pleased with all of them.
Blue
This is a Scandium-framed 45 ACP six-shot revolver with a four inch barrel from S&W's Performance Center. Factory trigger job, only 31 ounces, about as heavy as my Beretta PX4 composite semi-auto .45 with a magazine.
I am a fan of .45 ACP. I consider it almost a perfect handgun round.
I brought my Beretta and my S&W 686 Plus along to shoot back-to-back to compare recoil.
Anxious to try the 325TR, I shot it first. I'm big and reasonably strong and didn't notice the kick this has until I shot the Beretta next. The PX4 has a cam-action rolling barrel action, making for a low bore axis and smooth and light recoil. The 325TR has considerably stronger recoil.
I then moved to my 686 with .357 loads. This revolver is SS with a 6 inch full underlug barrel. Recoil a little harder than the lightweight Beretta. This revolver weighs in at 43 ounces. With .38 Special rounds, this gun is very comfortable to shoot, hardly any recoil at all.
So, no surprise, this exercise displayed three key factors concerning recoil. First, revolvers have a higher bore axis than probably all common semi-autos, contributing to the increased recoil of the 325TR over the PX4, even thought they are shooting the same round, are very close to the same weight and both have 4 inch barrels.
The 686 was noticeably tamer than the 325TR, even with the much more potent .357 Magnum rounds, but it did kick a little more than the PX4. Even considering the higher bore axis of the revolver, the heavy stainless steel revolver carries much of its weight well forward due to the full underlug 6 inch long barrel. The 686 with the .38 Special rounds was, by far, the softest shooting.
Trigger feel for the Beretta is not quite "breaking a glass rod" as the revolvers are, but fairly light. I don't have a trigger pull gauge, but by feel the Beretta has the heaviest trigger (SA), noticeable but not objectionably so. In double-action, the Beretta is a little heavier but "grittier", similar in feel to the difference between my AR (with an aftermarket trigger even) and my Accutrigger-equipped Savage bolt-action.
The 686, with about a thousand rounds through it, has a remarkably light trigger, feels ever-so-slightly lighter in single-action compared to the brand-new 325 TR with the Performance Center trigger. All in all, the 686 is extremely enjoyable to shoot, with the .38 or the Magnum load.
I suspect the 325TR in single-action will eventually match or slightly surpass the lightness of the 686 as everything breaks in with more use. In double-action, the 325TR feels very slightly lighter as the cylinder rotates, and feels slightly but noticeably smoother.
All these were heavily researched before I purchased (the 686 Plus was my first handgun, the Beretta my second) and I couldn't be more pleased with all of them.
Blue
