.40 s&w recoil

Levergun_lover94 · February 13, 2018, 03:22 AM

Hey everyone I was just wondering how much recoil a glock 22 gen3 in .40 s&w has. The most powerful handgun I've shot is a ruger security six .357 magnum with standard power factory loads and I want to know how the recoil compares. I want to know this because a buddy of mine offered to trade me his gen 3 glock 22 for $200 any feedback would be appreciated, thanks.

HistoryJunky · February 13, 2018, 04:22 AM

.40S&W out of a full size hand gun like the Glock 22 isn't bad at all. I put a couple mags through a friend's GEN3 a couple weeks ago and it was manageable.

I haven't shot .357 Magnum in quite awhile but I would say the Glock would have less recoil. And it's only $200!

Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk

Brit · February 13, 2018, 04:57 AM

In representing Glock of Smyrna GA, in the sale of 5000 Glock Pistols, to Toronto Ontario, Canada Police Force. When Revolvers were replaced. The Chief Firearms Instructor bent the results of a general testing of the rank and file, found that the .40 S&W recoiled less than the 9mm?

The small statured Officers shot the G22 easier than the G17? Yea right.

Still better than a 4" S&W Revolver.

The thousands of $s in the extra cost of training ammunition, .40 S&W versus 9mm?
A drop in the bucket. And no Company loaded .40 Ammunition in Canada at that time! In fact, .40 was really scarce during the Gulf Wars.

I was working with a Deputy Chief at the time, he could not change the results, his expert, knew best?

dontcatchmany · February 13, 2018, 06:40 AM

I have 4 40s. Two FN (X and S) are full sized pistols. Also a G27 and a Shield 40.

All have a 9mm barrel and three have a 357 Sig barrel. I do not notice much of a difference between the 40 and the 9mm recoil. The 40 is only slightly more of a muzzle rise.

In the two smaller guns the recoil of both 9mm and 40 is felt a little more, but even with that, they are both carried concealed.

I also have arthritis in my hands and the only gun that give me any pain is another snubbie 357 magnum when I shoot 158 gr in it.

When I shoot my 357 magnum and, especially, my 44 magnum and then shoot the 40s I hardly feel the recoil of any of the 40s.

If possible, shoot your friend's 40 before doing the trade. I think you will like it.

My guns are teaching me that with age and a loss of physical abilities that I should have paid more attention to grip and trigger pull and hand/arm positions years ago to minimize recoil and shoot more precisely. When I was younger physical abilities probably mitigated improper techniques.

Good luck!

74A95 · February 13, 2018, 11:24 AM

You can do the math and see which has more recoil. Use the recoil calculator at the link below for your comparison.

http://kwk.us/recoil.html

You'll need to know gun weight, bullet weight and speed and the amount of powder. You can look up the first three values on the web and get actual values for the ammo and gun you're considering.

For powder weight use 5-7 grains for the 40 S&W and 15-20 grains for the 357 Magnum. Those will give approximate values for most loads in those calibers.

tallball · February 13, 2018, 01:00 PM

I have that exact pistol. The recoil is no big deal to me, certainly less than full-power 357's. It's a nice big pistol. The weight and size help mitigate the recoil. I doubt if I would like 40 caliber in a pocket pistol, but in a full-sized service pistol like that it's very manageable. $200 is a screaming deal. You should jump right on that.

Kvon2 · February 13, 2018, 01:46 PM

Of course it depends on the gun, load, and shooter but as others have said out of a full size gun I think most people can handle .40sw just fine.

However, if you decide not to go through with it tell your buddy I might

Longhorn1986 · February 13, 2018, 04:17 PM

The .40 SW I have (Px4 Compact) has no where near the recoil of my .357s (M60 & M65). To be honest, I don't perceive much difference between a .40 & a 9, recoil-wise, but then my primary handguns are .45 acp & .357.

DaleA · February 13, 2018, 05:16 PM

Disclaimer: I'm not a big Glock fan...lukewarm at best.

Recoil of the Glock 22 .40 S&W will be less than the .357 magnum you shot.

That said, you should know that ammunition varies. You could buy powder puff target loads for the .357 that may recoil less than some of the full bore chest thumping rounds you could buy for the .40 S&W.

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...duct_list&c=25

And that said, $200 for a Glock 22 3rd gen is a pretty good deal unless the gun is all beat up...maybe even if it is beat up. Glocks have a good reputation to keep on shooting.

One thing you might or might not be interested in is that Glock has a program where you can send in just the slide and they'll put a decent set of night sights on it for around $70. Because you send in just the slide you don't have to go thru FFL's and 'special firearms rates' shipping. Some review info is here:
https://www.glocktalk.com/threads/gl...ights.1677735/

jmr40 · February 13, 2018, 05:19 PM

If a 357 doesn't bother you, you'll never notice 40 S&W. For that matter even the hotter 10mm loads will be softer shooting.

HighValleyRanch · February 13, 2018, 05:29 PM

^^^^^^^^THAT!^^^^^^^
Not even close, no matter what the calculator says.
The semi auto cycles the slide taking away any of that hard snap that you get with even the steel frame .357 revolvers with the exposed backstrap.
I've shot some of the hottest 10mm and the hottest .357 and the .40 and 10mm are WAY SOFTER!

reddog81 · February 13, 2018, 05:45 PM

Were you shooting .38 Special or .357 Magnum in the Ruger? The Security Six can shoot either.

The .40 will have less recoil than .357, but probably more recoil than a .38.

Old Stony · February 13, 2018, 05:49 PM

Recoil of ..40 S&W's is way over rated as far as I am concerned. Too many folks on the forums act like it just too much to handle for normal folks, but it ain't necessarily so..

Capt Rick Hiott · February 13, 2018, 06:07 PM

,,,,,,,,,grow a set!

Buy the gun and shoot it!

COSteve · February 15, 2018, 09:41 AM

I have a number of Glocks as well as 1911s and SA pistols in various calibers so I'm use to different recoil feels. I shoot 40s&w, 45acp, 45 Super, and 10mm from my Glocks in a G20L custom, G21, G21L custom, G22, G23, and G24 custom. I don't own a 9mm because I handload and can make my ammo the way I want it.

I've found that the best combination of performance and lower snap in recoil is found in 180grn loads, especially in my CCW piece, my G23. However, with their polymer frame that flexes under recoil, none of the Glocks have the sharp recoil of my 1911s with full power 230grn 45acp+P loads, not even my Custom 6" G20L shooting 165grn 10mm at above 1,500fps.

Bore axis plays a part in that the Glock's bore axis is lower than the 1911's and considerably lower than my SA revolvers as well. My only heavy recoiling Glock is my G21L shooting my 230grn 45 Super handloads at 1,300fps.

Iron bottom · February 15, 2018, 10:02 AM

When I was a kid, I had about zero possessions. I was grateful for anything I got. And if you weren't grateful, you better act like you were. There was no "this don't fit my hand" or "this kicks too much". Chances were your gun would be taken back and given to someone else.

I think some people need to harden up.

RUT · February 15, 2018, 11:18 AM

>>Recoil of ..40 S&W's is way over rated as far as I am concerned<<

I agree. It's a bunch of hooey.

zipspyder · February 15, 2018, 11:29 AM

Anybody that shoots a short barrel 380 acp through 45 acp can handle a 40 easily.

doofus47 · February 15, 2018, 01:04 PM

I took a friend shooting for his first time a couple months ago.
We started with a .22. Did a single stack 9 and then a compact 9, then a full size walther p99 in 40 last.
Hands down he liked the 40 best.

A person's impression of 40 recoil is completely dependent upon his or her grip imho.

TruthTellers · February 15, 2018, 02:24 PM

I've shot both Gen 3 and Gen 4 .40 Glocks and I feel that the Gen 4 and the dual recoil spring does reduce felt recoil because when I shot the Gen 3 Glock... there was more recoil. It could have been that the recoil spring was worn, it was a range rental.

Then in a Glock 27 Gen 4... the recoil is there, but it's not so much a snap as it is a bounce. I think if you've shot .357, you'll be just fine with the Glock 22.

But, if anybody offered me a Glock 22 for $200, you bet your ass I'm buying that.

TailGator · February 15, 2018, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Recoil of ..40 S&W's is way over rated as far as I am concerned.

Another agreement. I'm not a big fan of .40, but the recoil difference is exaggerated by a lot of people. I feel it a little bit more than a comparable 9 mm, but not much. I prefer 9 mm for a variety of reasons, but the recoil is not a big one.

Kilrb · February 16, 2018, 05:33 AM

I just bought a CZ 75 in. 40 and it shoots good at least to me. It's not bad like everything you read, but I shoot metal guns gave up the polymers.

dwhite · February 16, 2018, 11:42 AM

Also, I ran THOUSANDS of home reloaded ammo with lead bullets through mine. Never had a problem.
Did not seem to lead any worse than my conventionally rifled guns. I'd be sure to wire brush it out though at no more than 200 rounds.

All the Best,
D. White

chaim · February 16, 2018, 03:01 PM

As I get older, I find I enjoy recoil a lot less than I used to. I don't enjoy shooting .357mag as much, and it used to be my favorite caliber. Shooting 9mm in a smaller gun is no fun anymore. Heck, even .45ACP in a lightweight gun (alloy Commander sized 1911 or a polymer pistol) gets old after 100-150 rounds in a range session. That said, .40S&W in a Glock 27/S&W M&P40c sized gun and up is no problem whatsoever. It is starting to become one of my favorite calibers and I need to pick up some more guns in that caliber soon (maybe a .40 Springfield EMP).

Ruger45LC · February 17, 2018, 12:13 AM

I like .40's and Glocks, and daily carry a Gen4 27. The G22 is a very good shooter and recoil isn't bad at all. Back when I had both a Gen4 19 and a Gen4 23 (same size gun, one 9mm, one .40) I shot them side by side and the recoil of the .40 was a little more, but honestly barely worth noting. The 357 Mag can recoil decently, but it's not bad either, although a warm 357 Mag from a security six will kick more than a .40 from a G22, but both feel nice and powerful.

February 13, 2018, 03:22 AM	#1
Levergun_lover94 Junior Member Join Date: February 12, 2018 Posts: 1	.40 s&w recoil Hey everyone I was just wondering how much recoil a glock 22 gen3 in .40 s&w has. The most powerful handgun I've shot is a ruger security six .357 magnum with standard power factory loads and I want to know how the recoil compares. I want to know this because a buddy of mine offered to trade me his gen 3 glock 22 for $200 any feedback would be appreciated, thanks.

February 13, 2018, 06:40 AM	#4
dontcatchmany Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2010 Posts: 460	I have 4 40s. Two FN (X and S) are full sized pistols. Also a G27 and a Shield 40. All have a 9mm barrel and three have a 357 Sig barrel. I do not notice much of a difference between the 40 and the 9mm recoil. The 40 is only slightly more of a muzzle rise. In the two smaller guns the recoil of both 9mm and 40 is felt a little more, but even with that, they are both carried concealed. I also have arthritis in my hands and the only gun that give me any pain is another snubbie 357 magnum when I shoot 158 gr in it. When I shoot my 357 magnum and, especially, my 44 magnum and then shoot the 40s I hardly feel the recoil of any of the 40s. If possible, shoot your friend's 40 before doing the trade. I think you will like it. My guns are teaching me that with age and a loss of physical abilities that I should have paid more attention to grip and trigger pull and hand/arm positions years ago to minimize recoil and shoot more precisely. When I was younger physical abilities probably mitigated improper techniques. Good luck! Last edited by dontcatchmany; February 13, 2018 at 08:57 AM.

February 13, 2018, 05:19 PM	#10
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,808	If a 357 doesn't bother you, you'll never notice 40 S&W. For that matter even the hotter 10mm loads will be softer shooting. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

February 13, 2018, 05:29 PM	#11
HighValleyRanch Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2005 Posts: 4,066	^^^^^^^^THAT!^^^^^^^ Not even close, no matter what the calculator says. The semi auto cycles the slide taking away any of that hard snap that you get with even the steel frame .357 revolvers with the exposed backstrap. I've shot some of the hottest 10mm and the hottest .357 and the .40 and 10mm are WAY SOFTER! __________________ From the sweet grass to the slaughter house; From birth until death; We travel between these two eternities........from 'Broken Trail"

February 13, 2018, 06:07 PM	#14
Capt Rick Hiott Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 376	,,,,,,,,,grow a set! Buy the gun and shoot it! __________________ Capt Rick Hiott Charleston,SC

February 13, 2018, 04:22 AM	#2
HistoryJunky Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2010 Location: Freeport, IL Posts: 833	.40S&W out of a full size hand gun like the Glock 22 isn't bad at all. I put a couple mags through a friend's GEN3 a couple weeks ago and it was manageable. I haven't shot .357 Magnum in quite awhile but I would say the Glock would have less recoil. And it's only $200! Sent from my SM-G930R4 using Tapatalk

February 13, 2018, 04:57 AM	#3
Brit Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2005 Location: Orlando FL Posts: 1,934	In representing Glock of Smyrna GA, in the sale of 5000 Glock Pistols, to Toronto Ontario, Canada Police Force. When Revolvers were replaced. The Chief Firearms Instructor bent the results of a general testing of the rank and file, found that the .40 S&W recoiled less than the 9mm? The small statured Officers shot the G22 easier than the G17? Yea right. Still better than a 4" S&W Revolver. The thousands of $s in the extra cost of training ammunition, .40 S&W versus 9mm? A drop in the bucket. And no Company loaded .40 Ammunition in Canada at that time! In fact, .40 was really scarce during the Gulf Wars. I was working with a Deputy Chief at the time, he could not change the results, his expert, knew best?

February 13, 2018, 11:24 AM	#5
74A95 Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2016 Posts: 1,568	You can do the math and see which has more recoil. Use the recoil calculator at the link below for your comparison. http://kwk.us/recoil.html You'll need to know gun weight, bullet weight and speed and the amount of powder. You can look up the first three values on the web and get actual values for the ammo and gun you're considering. For powder weight use 5-7 grains for the 40 S&W and 15-20 grains for the 357 Magnum. Those will give approximate values for most loads in those calibers.

February 13, 2018, 01:00 PM	#6
tallball Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2014 Posts: 2,444	I have that exact pistol. The recoil is no big deal to me, certainly less than full-power 357's. It's a nice big pistol. The weight and size help mitigate the recoil. I doubt if I would like 40 caliber in a pocket pistol, but in a full-sized service pistol like that it's very manageable. $200 is a screaming deal. You should jump right on that.

February 13, 2018, 01:46 PM	#7
Kvon2 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2016 Posts: 757	Of course it depends on the gun, load, and shooter but as others have said out of a full size gun I think most people can handle .40sw just fine. However, if you decide not to go through with it tell your buddy I might

February 13, 2018, 04:17 PM	#8
Longhorn1986 Senior Member Join Date: July 12, 2016 Location: Fort Bend County, Texas Posts: 173	The .40 SW I have (Px4 Compact) has no where near the recoil of my .357s (M60 & M65). To be honest, I don't perceive much difference between a .40 & a 9, recoil-wise, but then my primary handguns are .45 acp & .357.

February 13, 2018, 05:16 PM	#9
DaleA Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2002 Location: Twin Cities, MN Posts: 5,313	Disclaimer: I'm not a big Glock fan...lukewarm at best. Recoil of the Glock 22 .40 S&W will be less than the .357 magnum you shot. That said, you should know that ammunition varies. You could buy powder puff target loads for the .357 that may recoil less than some of the full bore chest thumping rounds you could buy for the .40 S&W. https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...duct_list&c=25 And that said, $200 for a Glock 22 3rd gen is a pretty good deal unless the gun is all beat up...maybe even if it is beat up. Glocks have a good reputation to keep on shooting. One thing you might or might not be interested in is that Glock has a program where you can send in just the slide and they'll put a decent set of night sights on it for around $70. Because you send in just the slide you don't have to go thru FFL's and 'special firearms rates' shipping. Some review info is here: https://www.glocktalk.com/threads/gl...ights.1677735/

February 13, 2018, 05:45 PM	#12
reddog81 Senior Member Join Date: October 16, 2014 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,634	Were you shooting .38 Special or .357 Magnum in the Ruger? The Security Six can shoot either. The .40 will have less recoil than .357, but probably more recoil than a .38.

February 13, 2018, 05:49 PM	#13
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	Recoil of ..40 S&W's is way over rated as far as I am concerned. Too many folks on the forums act like it just too much to handle for normal folks, but it ain't necessarily so..

February 15, 2018, 09:41 AM	#15
COSteve Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2009 Posts: 1,344	I have a number of Glocks as well as 1911s and SA pistols in various calibers so I'm use to different recoil feels. I shoot 40s&w, 45acp, 45 Super, and 10mm from my Glocks in a G20L custom, G21, G21L custom, G22, G23, and G24 custom. I don't own a 9mm because I handload and can make my ammo the way I want it. I've found that the best combination of performance and lower snap in recoil is found in 180grn loads, especially in my CCW piece, my G23. However, with their polymer frame that flexes under recoil, none of the Glocks have the sharp recoil of my 1911s with full power 230grn 45acp+P loads, not even my Custom 6" G20L shooting 165grn 10mm at above 1,500fps. Bore axis plays a part in that the Glock's bore axis is lower than the 1911's and considerably lower than my SA revolvers as well. My only heavy recoiling Glock is my G21L shooting my 230grn 45 Super handloads at 1,300fps.

February 15, 2018, 10:02 AM	#16
Iron bottom Member Join Date: May 26, 2005 Posts: 52	When I was a kid, I had about zero possessions. I was grateful for anything I got. And if you weren't grateful, you better act like you were. There was no "this don't fit my hand" or "this kicks too much". Chances were your gun would be taken back and given to someone else. I think some people need to harden up.

February 15, 2018, 11:18 AM	#17
RUT Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2004 Location: NH, USA Posts: 812	>>Recoil of ..40 S&W's is way over rated as far as I am concerned<< I agree. It's a bunch of hooey. __________________ Liberals don't care what you do... as long as it's mandated.

February 15, 2018, 11:29 AM	#18
zipspyder Junior member Join Date: June 13, 2017 Posts: 429	Anybody that shoots a short barrel 380 acp through 45 acp can handle a 40 easily.

February 15, 2018, 01:04 PM	#19
doofus47 Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2010 Location: live in a in a house when i'm not in a tent Posts: 2,483	I took a friend shooting for his first time a couple months ago. We started with a .22. Did a single stack 9 and then a compact 9, then a full size walther p99 in 40 last. Hands down he liked the 40 best. A person's impression of 40 recoil is completely dependent upon his or her grip imho. __________________ I'm right about the metric system 3/4 of the time.

February 15, 2018, 02:24 PM	#20
TruthTellers Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2016 Posts: 3,887	I've shot both Gen 3 and Gen 4 .40 Glocks and I feel that the Gen 4 and the dual recoil spring does reduce felt recoil because when I shot the Gen 3 Glock... there was more recoil. It could have been that the recoil spring was worn, it was a range rental. Then in a Glock 27 Gen 4... the recoil is there, but it's not so much a snap as it is a bounce. I think if you've shot .357, you'll be just fine with the Glock 22. But, if anybody offered me a Glock 22 for $200, you bet your ass I'm buying that. __________________ "We always think there's gonna be more time... then it runs out."

February 16, 2018, 05:33 AM	#22
Kilrb Member Join Date: September 20, 2017 Posts: 25	I just bought a CZ 75 in. 40 and it shoots good at least to me. It's not bad like everything you read, but I shoot metal guns gave up the polymers.

February 16, 2018, 11:42 AM	#23
dwhite Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2007 Location: Wake County, N. Carolina Posts: 379	Also, I ran THOUSANDS of home reloaded ammo with lead bullets through mine. Never had a problem. Did not seem to lead any worse than my conventionally rifled guns. I'd be sure to wire brush it out though at no more than 200 rounds. All the Best, D. White __________________ 10th Amendment - The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

February 16, 2018, 03:01 PM	#24
chaim Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2001 Location: Maryland Posts: 2,095	As I get older, I find I enjoy recoil a lot less than I used to. I don't enjoy shooting .357mag as much, and it used to be my favorite caliber. Shooting 9mm in a smaller gun is no fun anymore. Heck, even .45ACP in a lightweight gun (alloy Commander sized 1911 or a polymer pistol) gets old after 100-150 rounds in a range session. That said, .40S&W in a Glock 27/S&W M&P40c sized gun and up is no problem whatsoever. It is starting to become one of my favorite calibers and I need to pick up some more guns in that caliber soon (maybe a .40 Springfield EMP).

February 17, 2018, 12:13 AM	#25
Ruger45LC Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2005 Location: Kentucky Posts: 768	I like .40's and Glocks, and daily carry a Gen4 27. The G22 is a very good shooter and recoil isn't bad at all. Back when I had both a Gen4 19 and a Gen4 23 (same size gun, one 9mm, one .40) I shot them side by side and the recoil of the .40 was a little more, but honestly barely worth noting. The 357 Mag can recoil decently, but it's not bad either, although a warm 357 Mag from a security six will kick more than a .40 from a G22, but both feel nice and powerful.