Recoil comparisons between the .357, .45acp, .44Mag.

M

MikeS

New member
At an indoor range, I've had the chance to
shoot a rental S&W .357 and a .44Magnum. Both
had 6" barrels. I can't be specific on the
range ammo. What I can't find at any range
in San Diego County is the 625, .45acp.

I know this is subjective, but I would like
opinions on the comparative recoil of the
.357 to the .45acp and the .45acp to the
.44Magnum. This info will help in my first
revolver purchase. I like the 686 and know
of its versatility. I have no problem with
the .44 and in fact shoot it as well (if not
better) than the .357. The N frame is a
slightly better fit for my hand. This leaves
me curious about the one caliber I can't try.

Any information will be appreciated. Thanks
for your time.

Mike
 
Mike S.- The .45 ACP would be the lightest recoiling of the cartridge's that you mention; even in the aluminum alloy frame
weapons, such as the Sig P220. A 6" non
ported .357 Magnum with factory 158 grain
JSP loads would have moderate recoil; as
well as report. I would compare it as to
being about 75% of that of a .44 Magnum
with a 6" non ported barrel. :eek: Any Smith
& Wesson Magnum with a tapered barrel will
have more recoil than say one of the S&W's
with a full lugged barrel :) On the other
side of the coin, a Smith & Wesson 625
would have a lot milder recoil than either
full house .357's or .44 Magnums. But, if
you choose to shoot the milder .38 Specials
in your .357 Magnum; they would have even
less recoil than the .45ACP's. :D

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member
 
Without getting too technical, the recoil impulse will be determined by the weight of the handgun, the weight and speed of the projectile, and the height of the barrel above the grips. My .44Mag Redhawk, with factory 240gr equivalent ammo (about 1200-1300FPS) was MUCH less punishing than my .357 SP101 with Federal 125gr JHP. The larger gun weighs more, absorbing and distributing the recoil impulse over a longer period of time, and because of the large frame size, placed the barrel higher above the grips. This translates the recoil impulse into torque, causing the muzzle to rise. This too lessens the smack you feel when you touch off ol' Betsy. By comparison, my puny Makarov has quite a respectable recoil signature. I attribute this to the "low" barrel, and the blowback operation, in which the slide gets a good running start backward before it smacks the frame (and the hand holding it). Autos just feel different, and locked-breech autos, like .45's and 9x19's feel very different from revolvers in the same caliber.

FWIW, YMMV, etc.
 
Subjective:

.45ACP: Long, slow push.
.357 Mag: Short, sharp push.
.44 Mag: Long, sharp push.

I can shoot .45 all day long, but I can only do .357 and .44 in small doses.

YMMOCV. :)
 
I like all three cartriges and have a Smith&Wesson N frame revolver in each caliber. Shooting full power loads the . 45ACP is relatively hild. The .357 Magnum is moderate and the .44 Magnum is severe.

I tend to do about two thirds of my firing from the .44 Magnum using .44 Special cartridges, This gives a mild recoil in an N frame.
 
Depends on weapons and barrel lengths. At any barrel length the 45 acp will be mild and milder in a revolver yet. The 357 magnum in a snub nose is just plain vicious. It will make you wish you were shooting a 44 magnum. 44 magnums are generally not bad if you are standing or sitting. Bench rest a S&W Model 29 6 1/2 inch and shoot it for an hour with full loads. You will think that you are Don Knotts. Regards, Richard.
 
Thanks one and all for your informative
comments. They are quite helpful for a
newcomer. As I do research trying to decide
what is the "best" gun of the three calibers
to buy as my first and only purchase, I'm
beginning to believe what someone mentioned:
Don't worry about it. If you're like the
rest of us, you'll own all of them in the
next few years.

Thanks again.

Mike
 
MikeS, if this is your first and possibly only purchase, I would go with the .357 for it's versatility. You can practice with cheap .38s, use .38 +P for home defense without overpenetration worries or blowing your hearing away, and when the going gets tough, you got the .357 mag.
 
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