Recoil

[Rich/WIS]

Will be buying a new pistol soon, was thinking of a M&P40fs. Have used 1911s all my life but sold my last one (SA) because of lack of accuracy. Also have arthritis and 100 rounds was about all I could handle at one time (some days more like 2 or 3 clips). Figure the 40 would have less recoil, but have read and been told that the 40 has a sharper recoil than the 45. Now wonder should I get a 45 (which I would prefer) instead of a 40. Either would be the full size. Also curoius if anyone is using less than full power loads in their pistols, would lighter bullet/ lower velocity loads feed and function okay.

If all else fails suppose I could go 9mm, but don't have a lot of love for it.

 

[427mach1]

I have a couple of 40's and have shot a 45; the 40 has a snappier recoil and the 45 is more of a push. If you have arthritis, you will probably be more comfortable with a 45.

I have loaded some minimum loads for my wife to shoot in my 40 caliber Ruger P944 and it cycles just fine. My light loads were 180 grain bullets at about 900 fps compared to 1050 for my normal loads in this gun. Your results may vary, of course.

 

[jaykellogg]

The only .40 I have fired is my brother's Glock. IMO it has a very sharp recoil. You didn't say what you intend to use this pistol for. .40 is a good defense ctg. It has better penetration than .45ACP and the magazines hold more rounds. I have several firearms that have sharp recoil, so I can judge the difference. I actually enjoy shooting the .45ACP.

 

[handgunner356]

The forty is a high pressure round, it will have a sharper recoil than the 45 in the same size gun. Given that they are usually chambered in 9mm framed guns they will seem even more so. If you found a full size 1911 45 recoil excessive you won't want a polymer 40. A full sized 9mm 1911 would probably be the lightest felt recoil followed by a full sized polymer 9mm.

 

[jwalts27]

I also agree with the above, My M&P40FS is way snappier than my Sig1911. My dad is the same boat as you are with the arthritis. He prefers his 1911 also

 

[Rangel]

The 40 is not only snappier than the 45, but it sort of has a little twist to it as well that can be a real pain. As said, the 45 tends to have more of a level (but a little heavier to me) push back. You have to figure in grain count too.

The 9 would be easier overall and of course, the heavier the pistol, the better off you typically are recoil wise, regardless of the load. I realize that if it's for carry, you don't want a forty ounce gun!!

This is a good site for a number of comparisons, including recoil--just enter in a handgun and among other things, it will tell you its typical recoil as measured:

Genitron.com - The Handgun Information Resource - Home Page

Looking up recoil and comparing, there are some guns that may surprise you, although physics is the ruling factor overall--the greater the mass, the lighter the recoil tends to be.

It also depends on where your arthritis is. If it's pretty much just in your fingers, the difference might not seem as great between guns. If it's mainly in the top of the hand in the area between the wrist, thumb and 4 fingers, the 40 would probably be a pain, as mentioned, arthitis typically gets worse and can vary with the weather--I know personally!.

Some of the newer 1911's are quite accurate and a heavy full sized one with a reputation for accuracy might warrant consideration. I'm not talking Kimber or Les Baer prices either.

With the advances in and the variety of 9mm ammo available today, I wouldn't dismiss that round too quickly. For target accuracy and for critical self defense with the right brand, 9mm ammo is pretty potent stuff---9mm doesn't have to 'zip right through' a target any more--I think it got a bad rap a while ago and doesn't really deserve all the negatives.

 

[427mach1]

Thought about this after I posted...

Why don't you go to a range and rent one or two of each caliber and see how you handle the recoil for yourself?

 

[The Sarge]

With arthritis I would strongly recommend taking a serious look at 9mm. Your arthritis will only get worse as you get older and recoil is not your friend. Despite myths and rumors, all of the service calibers work or fail about the same when used on humans. The ability to continue shooting and practice so you can place your shots where they need to go is much more important than caliber. With today's modern ammo, such as Federal HST, Speer Gold Dot, and Winchester Ranger T, the playing field is leveled. Bill

 

[v-13]

Have to agree with The Sarge. People seem to feel that bigger is better. With the modern ammo, the 9mm can put some serious hurt on someone just as much as a 45. Key is shot placement, not the size of the round. If you still want to have a 45, I have noticed that the Glock (Model 21) is much easier on recoil then the .40. JMHO

 

[GRP17]

Thought about this after I posted...

Why don't you go to a range and rent one or two of each caliber and see how you handle the recoil for yourself?

I agree, renting different guns is the best way to go. Even some guns in the same caliber can feel like it has more recoil.

 

[Rich/WIS]

I will carry it while walking around the woods, not as a CCW piece. Want something with enough power if I bump into a coyote or similar, and of course just to shoot at the range. From what I see so far looks like 45 is a better choice than 40 recoil wise. I know that using 200gr bullets really made my 1911 a pleasure to shoot but wonder how well the M&P would handle other than full power loads. Anyone using lighter loads, will it need a different recoil spring to do so, any problem with bullet shapes, etc?

 

[Houdini1953]

The recoil of a 40 is definitely something that is quite different from either the 9mm or the 45. I am just now getting used to my new 45 made January 17, 2012 and just bought it about 3 weeks ago, but already while breaking in this new weapon I shot it almost as fast and as accurately as I do the 9mm which to me is like shooting a .22 compared to a 40 or 357 sig or the 45.

The 45 recoil to me is not an issue since it sort of pushes back but the 40 will rise sharply and takes a different grip to control and more time to place the next shot.

I carry two guns in my vehicle daily the 40 and the 45 I wear the 40 and have the 45 in my console, I am also near 60 years old and do not yet have arthritis but do expect that if and when it comes it will go to my right hand first, which is also the dominant hand and eye for myself so I also try every now and then to shoot left handed as well as with one handed shooting with either hand!

 

[scooter123]

If you found a full size 1911 45 recoil excessive you won't want a polymer 40. A full sized 9mm 1911 would probably be the lightest felt recoil followed by a full sized polymer 9mm.

This is a very good answer. IMO you'll find any polymer handguns painful to shoot simply because they are LIGHTER than an all steel pistol like the 1911. An additional issue is that I've found the M&P line to run on the light side of the polymer selections.

 

[SmilinEd]

I also have arthritis in my left hand. Interestingly enough the worst damage I did to it was with a .22. I was using a Baretta Neos with CCI mini-mags and the recoil was up and to the left rather than straight back like on my 9mm and .38. I shot the box of 100 and the next day the whole hand was swollen and very painful. I was a month before I could use it for anything. Ever try to tie your shoes with one hand?

 

[Kelly Green]

I have mild arthritis in my hands and wrists. I bought the HG80 wrist supports, the kind weight lifters use. It gives great support to my wrists and palms while leaving the fingers free. I shoot more accurately with the supports and the gun recoil does not torque my wrists.

 

[trauma1]

"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" - on of Newton's laws. Somewhere on the shooting sites I saw a "recoil energy" chart and the full power 40 was a "little" more than the nominal 230gr 45acp load. Both can be loaded down some to make them easier to handle though. If recoil is hindering your ability to shoot as much as you would like, then get a steel full frame semi-auto in 9mm. It's not what you shoot, but how well you shoot it in the end.

 

[61woody]

I will carry it while walking around the woods, not as a CCW piece. Want something with enough power if I bump into a coyote or similar, and of course just to shoot at the range. From what I see so far looks like 45 is a better choice than 40 recoil wise. I know that using 200gr bullets really made my 1911 a pleasure to shoot but wonder how well the M&P would handle other than full power loads. Anyone using lighter loads, will it need a different recoil spring to do so, any problem with bullet shapes, etc?

I only shoot full power factory ammo at the end of a shooting session(mostly to clean out any lead residue and simulate my defense load) I'm new here and hope listing home loads isn't against policy but I(disclaimer) run 5.1 gr of 231 with a 155 SWC and it is much milder that 180 gr factory load for sure. This is in the .40c but I also shoot it in my full size XDM which is very light in recoil.Both of those guns function perfectly with a reduced power load.

 

[rsrocket1]

I used full power 1911 loads to prepare myself for the M&P40 with standard loads. The recoils are different, but after full power 45ACP, the M&P40 is quite manageable. That being said, I load the M&P40 down quite a bit for simple target shooting. When using light loads, the 1911 is definitely easier to shoot than the M&P simply because it is so much heavier.

You can download 40's to where they recoil about as light as 9mm. Heck you can even buy a 9mm barrel for the M&P40 and shoot 9mm in it if you want. You can even use the 40 cal magazines, but you won't be able to feed the last round which is OK for range shooting. For reliability, if you buy the 9mm barrel for the M&P40, get the 9mm magazines.

 

[bwd]

Just tonight I ran thru a hundred rounds or so using a Llama 1911, a Kimber Custom and a Colt 1991A1. And I also shot a little over 50 .40cal in a FS M&P and I find that the 1911's have more "felt" recoil than my M&P. The M&P has more muzzle flip but to me the recoil is less than any of the .45 1911's I have shot. If the twist of the recoil is the part that bothers you the most I would suggest the 9mm as well.

 

[gaetor]

I start having issues with my hands about 2 months ago. I went to a training session 4 weeks ago and after 300 rounds of fmj 230 gr I was ready to quit. I shot a M&P 9mm that day to see the difference and it turned out to be a lot. I ordered the 9mm and will try it out at another session next Saturday. I don't expect it to take 2 days for my hand to recover. It also weighs a lot less. I have already shot it at the indoor range and it works better weight wise and recoil wise. I will keep my .45 to use for carry occasionally but will use the M&P for training sessions.
John