Recoil

D

Double Impact

New member
hello

I have been told by many many people the the glock in 45 acp is the softest shooting 45 they have ever shot.

I shoot blocks in 45 a lot and have carried the g30 and g21 for many yrs and think they shoot with a very smooth recoil.

My question to all of you or for those of you that have trigger time behind a glock in 45 and also trigger time with the sigsauer p320 in 45 acp, in your opinion which one seems to shoot softer and smoother?

I have not been able to get my hands on a 320 in 45 to try out yet so just asking for your thoughts.
 
I don't honestly have a good answer regarding the P320, I can say that another good option is the FNX45. I felt like it shot very very smoothly. It felt similar to a pocket 9mm almost. I can't say I care for the G21 myself but I will admit it's a very soft shooting 45. If you like the G21 you might like the FNX.

For some second hand knowledge I have heard good things regarding the P320 in 45 but I couldn't attest to it myself.
 
The heavier the weapon and the lower the bore axis, for the same bullet weight, the less recoil you will experience. An example would be a 45 cal CZ, all steel and the rail is on the slide with the groove in the frame, opposite to most semi auto platforms. I have only ever shot 1911s and G21's in .45acp, but a heavier 1911 is softer.
 
In competition, most people are shooting the heaviest gun that the rules allow.
I've heard soft Glock recoil attributed to both low bore axis, and frame flex.
For a carry gun, a lightweight, flexy Glock is probably preferable to 43oz anything.
 
I have only ever shot 1911s and G21's in .45acp, but a heavier 1911 is softer.
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Not in my experience. The bore is much lower on the Glock. That combined with a much wider grip to spread the recoil over a larger portion of the hand and the flex of the plastic frame makes the Glock much softer shooting.
 
Weight of the gun is the biggest factor...( so an all steel 1911 with a 5" barrel - is a better choice / less recoil).

The bore axis on the Glock can't be much lower, if any, than a 1911. Its not about the overall height of the gun...its the axis of the bore - above your grip.
 
I have shot my dad's Glock 21 gen 2 and several 5" all steel 1911s, never a sig .45 though. I have also shot a few .40s and a glock model 20 10mm I used to have. To me the softest shooting .45 is a 5" all steel 1911. Feels like shooting a 9mm, low recoil shock to the hand and low muzzle flip. Love it. My current Walther PPQ .40 definitely has some recoil with 180gr loads that break 1000fps. I have shot a keltec PF9 several times and it has some recoil as well. Recoil doesn't bother me BUT it can contribute to flinching, gun torque in hand (loss of accuracy) and slow follow up shot times. I like shooting a (my) 1911 the most out of any pistol I have ever shot
 
Curious to hear reports from those that have shot g21, g30, and p320. I have rented a G21 that didn't feel that much worse, if at all, than my G19. I've also rented a G30 that was significantly worse in terms of recoil - more along the lines of KLCR shooting 38+p. I would like to shoot a p320 and p250 (preferably compacts) some time to compare.
 
jmr40 said:
Not in my experience. The bore is much lower on the Glock. That combined with a much wider grip to spread the recoil over a larger portion of the hand and the flex of the plastic frame makes the Glock much softer shooting.
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That has been my experience, too... and seemingly for some of the same reasons cited.

I've had a bunch of .45s -- steel 1911s, a variety of SIGs (DA/SA and SAO), Witnesses (including an older Sport Long Slide), and a CZ-97. Both the 97 and the Glock 21 (which I shot several times but never owned) felt awkward in my hand, but both had very pleasant recoil -- the CZ, I suspect, be cause of its size and weight. I suspect one of the newer versions of the Glock 21 (the 21 SF) might work better because of the refined grip.

The only .45s I own now are a Springfield XDm Competition with the 5.5" barrel (which I haven't shot that much yet, but it seems to be growing on me) and a Glock 38 (.45 GAP) which I have been known to carrry. The Glock 38, in action, feels more like a 9mm than a .45 to me -- and it fits my hand well. It seems to be more recoil-free than the metal-framed guns I've owned.

(People raise a stink about the .45 GAP round, but I like it -- and have no trouble finding reasonably priced ammo. When I buy in bulk, not SD ammo, its generally the same price as .45 ACP. SD ammo is pricier regardless of caliber...)
 
Most recoil associated complaints can be cured with improved techniques.
Then the choice of pistol is far less important.
But it takes some help from an experienced shooter to watch and correct.
Reading articles and watching videos on the subject goes only so far.
It's hard to understand the nuances and details without a hands on approach.
No matter how sure a person is they are already doing it right, it's a real eye opening experience when they actually do.
Just a thought.
 
Well recoil has to be managed, whether its from a .22LR or 10mm, starting with the fundamentals: stance, grip, sight picture and trigger control, but specifically stance and grip.

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People will often say weight is the key. That being a full size steel pistol will recoil less than a polymer pistol. Now the barrel may move less (it's not something I've measured) but to me the felt recoil is always more with the metal framed pistols. The ability of polymer to flex slightly coupled with the wider grips (as others noted) has always left me feeling polymer has the lower amount of felt recoil.
 
It has been a long time since I shot a Glock chambered in .45 ACP so I can't really compare. I have 3 .45 ACP pistols. One is a Government size Springfield model 1911 which has been with a smith so long I am starting to forget how it shoots.

The other two are a SIG Sauer P320 full-size and a Stoeger Cougar 8045F.

I would say that shooting commercial 230gr FMJ loads the perceived recoil of my P320 is certainly no worse and perhaps slightly less than my 1911, but I have not had an opportunity to shoot them back to back.

I have shot the Cougar and the P320 back to back several times. I would say that both handle recoil very well but the perceived recoil of the Stoeger Cougar is slightly less.
 
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