Wow does this thing kick !!!

mrt949

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One of the greatest phrases ever told by handgun shooters . What do you think a pistol is going to do! It puts a :D on my face every time I pull the trigger. How about you?
 
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Pain and pleasure

Some do, some don't. A rap on the hand reminds me of parochial school.
I much prefer my model 58, and the impulse from the .41 mag. I'd like to sit in a boat, and shoot my way across a lake. .45 Colt handguns are like that as well.
 
Some guns recoil more than others and some recoil harder than you'd think. My Ruger LCP gave me a bit of a surprise due to its small size and my large hands being unable to get a solid grip on the gun. Recoil happens and you never exactly know how a gun will do to you fire it the first time.
 
Yes, some handguns kick a lot, others, not so much. But it has to be experienced, that is, if you're going to know what it really is.

Most .380 pistols have a surprising kick. But the old Colt .380 Government Model had the recoil of a .22 rimfire. The older Colt pocket models, however, did have a kick. I always thought the Makarov (in 9mm Mak) was even worse.

The Elmer Keith special, a Model 29 with a 4-inch barrel did in fact have a kick. Make no mistake about it. But I thought the Model 58, which was a .41 magnum with a 4" barrel, was no different, though some claim the .41 would (or should) last longer. Don't know about that myself.

The .357 can have a terrific muzzle blast with some loads, particularly with shorter barrels, yet I never thought the recoil was so bad, at least with the lighter bullets, considering the performance. But generally speaking, you only notice the worse thing about something and never notice anything else. What with the recoil of a .44 magnum, I don't think I noticed whatever blast it may have had. At any rate, these were all guns that could easily be fired with one hand.

People always say the .45 automatic is difficult to shoot and I suppose some folks are a little put off by the reputation, which may have got them interested in it to begin with. At any rate, a .45 automatic, Colt Government Model, almost has a recoil like no other. At least that's my impression. It kicks back (not so bad) and then kicks forward (though not so much). It is an odd sensation. Presumably it's present in other automatics but I've never noticed it so much in other guns.

Then they came out with a so-called "Officers' ACP." Nice gun but a real handful to shoot. Not the blast or muzzle flash, there not really being much of either, but the little thing (mine was a lightweight model) was something else when you shot it. You really had to hang on. There wasn't going to be any double-taps. And now they're even smaller. Oh, and this is still one-handed shooting.

I suppose you don't get something for nothing but really, the recoil and blast do not make it more pleasant.
 
On range trips, I usually bring my 9mm since I reload for it. Others are a matter of ammo availability, but the .357 goes most often.

No trouble feeling the difference between them at all - the .357 sends a satisfying shockwave right into my arm:D

My first time shooting .44 mag was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be
 
I always take plenty of rounds for the 357s, Sig and magnum. I can shoot hundreds of rounds through them. Even the magnum is a pussycat. The 454 is an entirely different animal. It is fun and people's reactions are often entertaining but I usually only shoot about 50 rounds through it at a time. That is mostly because it is more expensive and partly because even with hearing protection, I will end up with a headache if I shoot it enough.

I have offered to let a lot of people, who were interested, fire a few rounds but very few accept the offer.
 
AFTER SIXTY YEARS OF SHOOTING, I am convinced that recoil is 90% between our ears, NOT between our hands.
Wise man. I agree with that to a large extent, especially as it concerns handguns.
 
Recoil: it's all part of the ride!


My thoughts exactly.

Used to be recoil was the measure I used to determine a guns potential for devastation. But with a Compensated X-Frame that weighs close to 7 lbs empty, and has no more recoil than my short barreled 629s, I have come to the realization that concussion and muzzle blast also show potential. When the cartridge boxes fly off the shooting tables two rows down from you at the range with your first shot, you know you have gotten folk's attention.......:D
 
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AFTER SIXTY YEARS OF SHOOTING, I am convinced that recoil is 90% between our ears, NOT between our hands.

Still.... squeezing the trigger on my new XDs .45 is like squeezing the jewels on a little pit bull. You get a reaction! I just needs skinnier fingers so I can get a GRIP!
 
Since the mass of a boat and a man, plus the drag of the water won't be overcome by the recoil of any pistol, I think trying to "shoot" oneself across a lake would be pretty futile. But it might be fun trying.

Jim
 
Since the mass of a boat and a man, plus the drag of the water won't be overcome by the recoil of any pistol, I think trying to "shoot" oneself across a lake would be pretty futile. But it might be fun trying.

Up until I started to reply to this thread i thought a battleship moved when firing all of its guns, but while looking for photos I found this is a myth. Found some cool photos anyway. I guess if you could get one of these guns in small enough boat it might move it.

http://www.google.com/search?q=batt...5BoPK9gSX_4CADA&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=1366&bih=533
 
AFTER SIXTY YEARS OF SHOOTING, I am convinced that recoil is 90% between our ears, NOT between our hands.

Hmmmm.... sooooo.....

Even though my Browning Buckmark .22 barely jumps when it's fired, and my friend's .44 mag nearly flies up to heaven... "it's all in my head." :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Nothing against you personally, but I totally disagree with your post. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE :cool:
 
Chadio, you are missing his point. Obviously some guns do indeed recoil more than others but people often perceive recoil to be worse than it is and much of people's fear of powerful handguns is based on muzzle blast. Muzzle blast is far more responsible for flinching than recoil is. I have had many adults shooting service caliber pistols jump when my 454 goes off and grown men who want no part of it after firing one round yet I have had a 12 year old grin from ear after shooting it. It isn't the shove to the hand that bothers people as much as it is the blast.
 
A friend has a j-frame, that I don't remember the maker, but this things flat out "hurts" like crazy to shoot. He says he'll buy lunch for anyone who can / will shoot five shots out of it. Almost no one does, it hurts that much. I would compare it to laying your hand flat and someone hitting it with a hammer as hard as they can. Terrible gun.

I shoot .357's all of the time, including j-frames, and have never seen anything close to being as bad as that gun.
 
All in the eyes of the shooter. First time I fired a single action 44 thought it was a hand cannon! Now it feels like a pretty mild gun compared to others I've fired.
 
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