Reminds me of a Beretta 84 I bought, put 20 rounds through and sold.
Worst Recoiling Handgun You Own
- Thread starter jimmyj
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Reminds me of a Beretta 84 I bought, put 20 rounds through and sold.
scoobysnacker
Member
I'd say it has to be worse.
I picked up a Beretta 81 in .32, it's a very pleasant shooter for me.
I also picked up an identical FEG in .32, hoping to mitigate the discomfort with a lower power round. But since the frame is exactly the same, that little tip will ride into the thumb with that one too. It's not AS painful, but it's still a sharp jolt.
It's just a very odd design. The grip is such, that you get an extremely positive and consistent hold. There's really no shifting, intentional or not... that "thumbhole" forces the gun exactly into place. When I place my finger on DA trigger, I only get my last joint on it, so I'm using my fingerprint to pull. The base of the grip is so wide, that the only adjustment rotationally, is going completely over your thumb; it's too wide to allow you to go the other way. The curve at the top prevents you from sliding down. If you were to go any higher, the beavertail goes inside your webbing and you get nasty slide bite.
I swear, whoever designed it, hated thumbs.
1969 ROADRUNNER
Member
329pd is the worst recoil with 44 mag.
ezrider9
Member
Mine was a Walther PPK/S. The slide would always cut the thumb joint. Couldn't even get through a box of ammo. A court officer got it.
Kronos
Member
For me it would be "owned" since I don't hang on to anything that bites too damn hard,one makes sense the other is a bag of ?? and contradictions...
LCR in .357-little ******* is the only handgun that actually hurt me,decided to shoot some 158gr full-on shells,gave up after a couple cylinders and had a pain in the web of my right hand for a month plus,yea screw that.
The other was a 2 3/4 .460 mag,the Alaska bear gun thing S&W had awhile ago and it was a strange beast never outright hurt me like the Ruger but I did get to experience some of the most vicious recoil...with .454 shells?
Yep I could do the .460 fine but I stuffed some .454 into it and dang near had to pry the thing out of my head!
closest I've ever come to getting hit with a handgun.
I do own a .500 that is easy enough to use so go figure.
*ETA*
The .500 IS a full sized 8 3/4 gun so no handheld flash bang.
LCR in .357-little ******* is the only handgun that actually hurt me,decided to shoot some 158gr full-on shells,gave up after a couple cylinders and had a pain in the web of my right hand for a month plus,yea screw that.
The other was a 2 3/4 .460 mag,the Alaska bear gun thing S&W had awhile ago and it was a strange beast never outright hurt me like the Ruger but I did get to experience some of the most vicious recoil...with .454 shells?
Yep I could do the .460 fine but I stuffed some .454 into it and dang near had to pry the thing out of my head!
closest I've ever come to getting hit with a handgun.I do own a .500 that is easy enough to use so go figure.
*ETA*
The .500 IS a full sized 8 3/4 gun so no handheld flash bang.
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Don't own one, but shot my pals 360 airweight with .357 mags and forget it. Not a fan of snubby magnums to begin with. That gun was just totally painful. Maybe i'm A wuss, but the older I get the less my browning 7 RM agrees with me. My Benelli SBE with 3.5's will make the shoulder ache after a duck hunt, but it's kinda a 'hurt-so-good' sensation.
Autonomous
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4" model 629 with some CorBon 300 gr XTP loads I got 25+ years ago.
Any part of the hand that touches metal stings when they go off.
Any part of the hand that touches metal stings when they go off.
LVSteve
Member
Mine came to me with the big Pachmayrs. The recoil is stout, but I don't lock my elbows and it makes all the difference.
LVSteve
Member
Here's a shot of the grip
edit- to clarify.
This is about the little Feg, I posted above to show where it sits directly against your thumb. I have friends with other guns, including big bore revolvers, 1911's and the above-mentioned Contender.
They all agree, this is the most uncomfortable pistol they have ever shot.
It is ALMOST a Walther, but notice how wide the grip gets? That FORCES you into holding it, so that the beavertail rides directly into the webbing of your hand, and no matter how big or small your hand is, that tip sits directly against the base of your thumb. Any recoil at all is transferred to that joint. That's why there is no muzzle flip, it is braced against the bone.
The frame gets so wide I actually can't touch thumb to index, if I were to slide my grip down. It's practically a thumbhole. And unfortunately for the shooter, it is in the worst possible place, for the base of your thumb.
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Certain proof that we don't all have the same shaped hands. I own a .32 FEG and have no problems with it. My LC9s is another thing entirely. Even a Hogue doesn't help me with that gun.
scoobysnacker
Member
Yeah, I looked, and it seems I edited out in my post- the gun in question is a PA 63 in 9mm Makarov.
It's identical to the .32 in frame and slide, but the larger rd pushes the blowback principle to the limit, more than the .380.
It feels great to just hold (and thus, serves as a warning to go shoot something if you can, instead of just handling it).
I ended up buying a .32 version also, because I liked most of the ergonomics so much, but hate that 9x18 kick into the thumb. I still keep the pistol because it fits in with the other 9x18's I have (and it was dirt cheap), but it isn't high on the list to shoot.
But even the .32 stings a bit, while the Beretta 81 in comparison is like a 22lr. To me, at least.
hivel37
US Veteran
I don't have anything that hurts since selling my last SBH 
bigchuck83
Member
I don't really have any heavy recoiling guns. Although my most unpleasant one is the S&W 1076 with full power rounds. I can only get through about 100 rounds of Sig ammo before the palm of my hand is sore. It is more unpleasant to shoot than 357 magnum in a four inch K frame for me.
There are a few that come up for consideration in order of recoil discomfort:
- 14" Contender in .30-30. With a 168 gr bullet at near max pressure the recoil is notable. But not painful, especially with a well designed grip. That puts it firmly in the "fun to shoot" heavy recoil category.
- FEG SMC in .380 ACP. It's an aluminum framed PPK clone and the recoil is sharp with a full power .380 ACP self defense load. There are few if any grip options for it to ease the recoil. A full box of 50 with it and you're ready to go home.
- 2.125" Model 60 with full power 158 gr JSP loads. The recoil is a both noteable and on the sharp side. You are not going to go through a full box of ammo in one range session.
- 4 5/8" Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt with 255 gr bullets in a 32,000 psi load. The standard grips allow the pistol to come back and smack your middle finger with the trigger guard. I usually wrap the middle segment of my middle finger with Coban before I even get started. I rarely put more than a couple cylinders through it before I switch to lighter loads in order to avoid flinching. I need to find a steel or brass Super Blackhawk grip frame for it to tame the recoil a bit.
- Wichita silhouette pistol in .30-06. The recoil is fierce, even with a well shaped and ample grip. On the plus side you are so distracted by the mushroom cloud muzzle flash to notice your the pain in your hand. It's like having your own miniature 16"/50 naval gun. That one went down the river a long time ago. However, I wish I'd have kept it and just rebarrelled it in a more practical caliber.
- 14" Contender in .30-30. With a 168 gr bullet at near max pressure the recoil is notable. But not painful, especially with a well designed grip. That puts it firmly in the "fun to shoot" heavy recoil category.
- FEG SMC in .380 ACP. It's an aluminum framed PPK clone and the recoil is sharp with a full power .380 ACP self defense load. There are few if any grip options for it to ease the recoil. A full box of 50 with it and you're ready to go home.
- 2.125" Model 60 with full power 158 gr JSP loads. The recoil is a both noteable and on the sharp side. You are not going to go through a full box of ammo in one range session.
- 4 5/8" Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt with 255 gr bullets in a 32,000 psi load. The standard grips allow the pistol to come back and smack your middle finger with the trigger guard. I usually wrap the middle segment of my middle finger with Coban before I even get started. I rarely put more than a couple cylinders through it before I switch to lighter loads in order to avoid flinching. I need to find a steel or brass Super Blackhawk grip frame for it to tame the recoil a bit.
- Wichita silhouette pistol in .30-06. The recoil is fierce, even with a well shaped and ample grip. On the plus side you are so distracted by the mushroom cloud muzzle flash to notice your the pain in your hand. It's like having your own miniature 16"/50 naval gun. That one went down the river a long time ago. However, I wish I'd have kept it and just rebarrelled it in a more practical caliber.
OH I forgot about this one..indeed this is a palm breaker!
BigBill
Absent Comrade
None I can handle what I own up to 44 mag
The worst for my hands is the 340PD with .357 magnum rounds. The worst for my surgically repaired elbow is my S&W 500. It's literally bone-jarring for me.
The 340 PD is not pleasant by any means although I carry it everyday.
terry
terry
I carry it or the M&P340 most days and shoot them regularly, but with .38 Special not .357 Magnum anymore.
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diggler1833
Member
Worst is also the biggest for me. Freedom Arms 83 in .454 Casull. The bisley grip helps, but that revolver still has me flinching hard by the third round.
Thank goodness you can load 45 Colt for them...although one 'should' get a custom fitted cylinder for that.
Thank goodness you can load 45 Colt for them...although one 'should' get a custom fitted cylinder for that.
