Recoil 40 vs 45

[Roland Thunder]

I am getting ready to buy my first gun. I recently tried the Glock 17 and the Glock 23. The 23, being a 40 cal had more recoil to it. I am thinking of trying something that shoots a .45. I assume that will have even more recoil than the .40 for a similar sized gun.

Would that be true?

[towncarblue]

it depends what you consider to be recoil.
a 40 cal is more of a muzzle flip
a 45 cal is more of a push back.

i can double tap quicker using a 45 cal because the muzzle does not flip too much.

with practice i could double tap using a 40 cal but i personally cant stand that muzzle flip.

you need to go to the range and rent a 45 cal firearm .

also since this is your first firearm i suggest you get a DA/SA firearm {such as the fnp/fxp } the glock is more of a intermediate pistol. my first gun was a glock 19 and i had to modify the trigger to shoot that thing correctly

[Roland Thunder]

yeah, I didn't like it either when shooting the Glock 23.

[fallingrock71]

^^^That's been my experience as well.

I much prefer the recoil of the .45. It may more recoil, but it is a different and more manageable type of recoil.

I wish this was not the case as the .40 makes possible smaller and higher capacity pistols. Sadly the .40 is a no go for me.

[gregdry]

I have a Glock 27 (40 cal.) and a Kahr PM40 - yes, there a little more recoil, but it's not that bad. The Kahr is a little worse than the Glock (obviously 'cause it's smaller) - but I like having the extra firepower of a 40 cal. I also have a Pf9 (Kel-Tec); the Glock and Kel-Tec (though different calibers) are about even in recoil. The little PM40 barks loud enough that you just know it's gonna do some serious work! Just MHO.

[Pico]

All relative dependent on gun weight. With equal gun weights, the .40 will recoil more unpleasantly since it is a +P round. Standard pressure 9 mm and
.45 will flip and push less, respectively.

I usually like 9 mm and .45 but would not turn down a good deal on a .40. The Glock 22/23 guns are not wildly popular without good reason. Not trying to flame a caliber war, I just prefer 9 and .45 personally. The short 10 mm
(.40) is a great mid-caliber for both.

In reality, all three calibers are manageble and easily handled with adequate range time by any shooter as long as the platform is a good fit in the hand.

AND

Happy New Year!



Pico

[That'll Do]

In my experience, the recoil of a 40 S&W is "snappier" than a 45 ACP. However, my 1911's weigh about 40 oz. empty, whereas my XDm 40 only weighs 32 oz, and the weight of the gun affects how recoil is felt.

Given the choice between the two, I'd go with the 45 ACP, but I still like the 40 S&W.

[HKGuns]

The recoil of a .40 for me is obnoxious to the point that I won't buy one.

9mm and .45ACP work just fine for me.

[amprecon]

I at first accepted the recoil of the .40, but over time, between shooting the G23 and G21, that I didn't want to experience that anymore. I sold off the G23 and now use the G21 exclusively. I am much more accurate with the G21, maybe because of the size differences or maybe because of the recoil differences, or maybe because of the longer barrel on the G21.
Either way, I can live without the .40.

[bullspotter]

Their is alot of factors that can affect the felt recoil-snap of a round, The wieght and make of firearm, your grip, and the way your arms are rotated when shooting it, hand and arm strenght.... ext. You need to find one that you like and works for you, learn to use it properly and you will be good to go. With todays ammo, I feel anything in 9, 40, or 45 will get the job done if the shooter dose his part. Best thing to do is find a club or range that rents guns, and go shoot several of them, find the one YOU like.

[lambertiana]

When shooting similar size/weight platforms, the .40 will be snappy, and the .45 will be more of a shove. I have fired my father's G23 next to my G30, and I prefer the G30. It is more comfortable for me to shoot.

[Roland Thunder]

I tried a Sig Sauer P220, a 45 caliber...........sweet. I much prefer the 45 caliber to a 40. So, I am either going to get a 9mm, probably a Sig 226 or Ruger SR9 or a 45 cal Sig 220R. 40 Cal is not an option now.

The lower proce of the 9mm ammo may be a factor.

[Edsal17]

Lump in the 40 cal hater category. The mussle flip it produces is off putting and for me it takes longer to get the sites realigned.

[insolentshrew]

40 cal is a high pressure round, it tends to be "snappy" per se.
45 is a low pressure round, hence the less muzzle flip and more of a push back. The slow push back comes from having to push a heavy bullet out the barrel. Equal size guns, generally speaking the 45 will probably have less "felt recoil" - but much of it is personal preference. I have a 40, but I tend to shoot 45s better, although my favorite caliber thus far is still the classic 9mm.

[demigod]

I can't believe the number of people here who find the 40 to be too much.

It's a little snappier, but Jeez. Are we men or am I in the women shooters forum?

[fallingrock71]

I can't believe the number of people here who find the 40 to be too much.

It's a little snappier, but Jeez. Are we men or am I in the women shooters forum?

It's not that I can't handle the .40. I can and have handled a lot more powerful and punishing handguns. Tiny little lightweight .357 snubbies with full house rounds and .44 magnums with hot loads come to mind. I've shot em and enjoyed them.

My issue with the .40 is that I can't get the fast follow up shots or the accuracy that I can with the .45 or the 9mm. I don't think I'm alone on this. Sure with enough time, money, training, and practice I might be able to shoot the .40 just as proficiently as the .45 and the 9mm.
I could also probably learn to ride a unicycle just as good as a bicycle if I really applied myself. Why?

Or perhaps you are just more of a "MAN" than I

[varoadking]

Tiny little lightweight .357 snubbies with full house rounds and .44 magnums with hot loads come to mind. I've shot em and enjoyed them.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...haven't we all?

Or perhaps you are just more of a "MAN" than I

No, no...it sounds like you da man...

[fallingrock71]

Ok, I must confess. I enjoyed them IN MODERATION. lol

[BODAME]

Opinion of a Few Old Shooters
40 S&W Good Defense Caliber
45ACP Better Match Round.
We used the same gun in different calibers.
Loading Rounds with same bullet wt. and powder amount to meet a 165,000 Power Floor.
Using 2 Chronographs we shot 5 Strings of 10 Round Lot of each Caliber.
to verify both calibers were at the same Power Floor
Each of us then Shot Rapid Fire 7 Round Mags 5 Times each person each caliber.
Hands Down we all had Much Better Scores with the 45.
Also: We are all Long Time USPSA-IDPA-SASS Shooters.

[IMightBeWrong]

In my experience the recoil is very similar but feels a slight bit different. I haven't noticed much difference in muzzle rise, but if I had to guess I'd say the 40 may have a slight bit more due to it's greater velocity. To get an idea of the feeling, if you hold a pistol empty in a shooting position and have somebody hit the muzzle to simulate recoil, the 40 would feel more like someone slapped the muzzle and the 45 would feel like somebody made gentle contact with the muzzle and then shoved it back.

[varoadking]

Ok, I must confess. I enjoyed them IN MODERATION. lol

Well put...

[gc70]

Originally Posted by demigod

I can't believe the number of people here who find the 40 to be too much.

It's a little snappier, but Jeez. Are we men or am I in the women shooters forum?

A lot of people have realized it is more effective to shoot a caliber that satisfies their needs rather than their ego.

[Officer's Match]

I got no problem shooting the 40, but comparing a G23 (40SW) to a G38 (45GAP), I find the GAP more accurate and faster back on target.

[Shane Tuttle]

Originally Posted by Pico

All relative dependent on gun weight. With equal gun weights, the .40 will recoil more unpleasantly since it is a +P round. Standard pressure 9 mm and
.45 will flip and push less, respectively.

Standard .40SW ammo is NOT a +P round.

I am getting ready to buy my first gun. I recently tried the Glock 17 and the Glock 23. The 23, being a 40 cal had more recoil to it. I am thinking of trying something that shoots a .45. I assume that will have even more recoil than the .40 for a similar sized gun.
Would that be true?

We can only tell you what the truth is for our own eyes. Neither has more felt recoil, only different felt recoil. .40SW does seem a bit snappier and the .45ACP seems more of a push. Muzzle flip? Oh, I think there's a bit more with the .40SW. Thing is, I personally like it. The perceived muzzle flip comes as a plus due to the gun feeling like it rotates on one, singular axis for the most part. The muzzle seems to come back to rest on target faster and more accurately than some of my firearms chambered in .45ACP. It isn't much, but after a long time shooting my guns I see a little bit of difference.

[Sarge]

In like platforms, I could never tell any significant difference between the 10mm and .45 Auto. A good number of .40 autos are compact/lightweight so it stands to reason that their recoil, particularly with hotter loads, will be more noticeable.

The smallest .40 I've shot with full-snort loads is a Kahr CW40 and I didn't find it bothersome in the least. It's a pussycat with 170 grain SWC's running 850 fps. It's important to remember that whatever caliber you choose, you have some leeway in load selection.