Were these .45s all stainless-framed? I thought MANY of them had alloy (aluminum) frames, with some models in stainless. (The ones in the photos above look like they're alloy-framed, due to the different color of the frame.)
I WOULD expect the steel-framed models to be softer shooting than the alloy versions. I've owned both in other calibers.
Yep, you are correct, those two are alloy frames with stainless slides.
The Chief's Special line was either blued steel or alloy/stainless for weight benefits.
Still, they have a little heft, which cuts down on perceived recoil a little,
but the main thing that does it with S&W's is those Hogue Rubber Grips,
which soak recoil like nothing else
Another thing that helps perceived recoil is hand strength,
one of the reasons to give even your fingers a good workout on a regular basis!
The Star M-45 (lower pic) is all steel with a "Starvel" (nickel/alloy coating),
and a rubber grip, which feels almost as good as the CS's.
It has the same length slide, but more barrel inside the slide,
as the controls are in the frame as opposed to the decocker in the S&W slide...
which means it tends to make slightly smaller groups
What all that means is that because my right is stronger than my left,
when packing with Smartcarry or Thunderwear, the CS45 is on the left,
& the M45 is on the right, which balances them out nicely as far as recoil.
This is particularly important when shooting Ambi,
as you want a similar feel so your accuracy doesn't suffer.
Why Ambi? Was an SASS shooter long before I got into semi-auto competitions.
Shooting two guns with precise aim is a learned skillset...also fun as heck
And since you never know what the heck will happen in a gunfight,
ya might get hit, so you better be able to shoot with either hand equally well.
