[mugsie]

Don't know quite where to post this so I'll get this group thinking. Why do guns recoil up? Why not down? Left? Right? My wrist bends in all directions yet the recoil is upwards. Why don't they follow the pull of gravity and move downwards which is the path of least resistance? Why do they move 180 degrees to the line of force?:confused:

Sadly these are the kinds of things I think about at night!

[MaterDei]

Because you grip the weapon below its central point of recoil. If the grip on a handgun was above the chamber it would recoil down.

[Novus Collectus]

Most guns have the barrel above the hand if a handgun, or shoulder if a rifle making a pivot point whick takes teh gun in an upright direction. I have never tried it, but if you fired the gun upside down, then the gun would recoil down instead of up.
But I was stupid enough to try to shoot ganster style (sideways) at a gun range once though and the gun recoiled to the side (the side the barrel was now on), but unless you have just one round in the handgun I sugest you do not try this because if the gun fires a second time while it is pointed to the side, a bullet could leave the range or hit the wall and richochet.

This is why many select fire and full auto guns have the but stock in a straight line with the rifle instead of with a bend so the eye can look down the top of the barrel with the cheek resting on the stock (look at an M16 and notice the sights are up high and the stock is almost in a straight line with the barrel).


Try this, take a bolt out of a rifle and stick a chamber flag in it. Hold it to your shoulder like you are about to fire it (without your finger on the trigger) and have a friend push on the muzzle of the barrel. The gun will want to move up.

[shaggycat]

And if the grip was to the right of the chamber, it would recoil left, or if it was to the left, it would recoil right.

It is like a seesaw.

[Skywarp]

Exactly as they said, the small amount of moment arm creates the flip. Having shot sideways you can see how it goes left if you turn it to the left.

[19-3Ben]

Skywarp-speaking of shooting sideways, how funny would it be to watch some punk shooting "gangtsa style" end up punching the guy next to him when the gun recoils. I gotta say, if thery were shooting at me, I might have to stop being scared sh*tless for a moment and just laugh at them.:neener:

[hexidismal]

Since posters insist on repeating the same obvious answer here, I'm going to give you an entirely different one. Why do they recoil up ? Because it's magic, that's why. :neener:

[MD_Willington]

Since posters insist on repeating the same obvious answer here, I'm going to give you an entirely different one. Why do they recall up ? Because it's magic, that's why.


Oh come on now, everyone knows it's the anti-gravity vortex created by the bullet leaving the barrel :scrutiny:

:neener:

[Novus Collectus]

Don't know quite where to post this so I'll get this group thinking. Why do guns recoil up? Why not down? Left? Right? My wrist bends in all directions yet the recoil is upwards. You installed your compensator upside down. :D

[Vern Humphrey]

And if the grip was to the right of the chamber, it would recoil left, or if it was to the left, it would recoil right.

In fact, if you are developing loads for a double rifle, you can see that happen -- if the barrels are cross-firing, increase the charge. This increases recoil and makes the points of impact move together. If they are firing outward, decrease the charge.

[Skywarp]

My P99 shoots nicely sideways. I did pretty good in the desert with it and can keep em in the 8 ring reliably

[Confederate]

That's why the recoil is so different between a Smith 629 and a Ruger Redhawk. The Smith will push straight back into the hand, while the Ruger, whose grip is lower, tends to muzzle flip. Different people have different preferences. The 629 needs nice rubber grips because the old cheese graters will take the skin off the palms. Trying to wrap rubber grips around the large Redhawk grips can be problematic.

[TimboKhan]

I have never tried it, but if you fired the gun upside down, then the gun would recoil down instead of up.

I have tried it, and it does recoil down.

[ripcurlksm]

yup

[WarMachine]

I would be a pretty interesting experience to fire a gun that had the bore directly in line with your forearm. All things being considered, it should recoil straight back. Should make for some nice follow-up shots; it would look crazy as heck though... :D

[Shawnee]

Fig Newton's 3rd Law of Physics states that:

"For every action in one direction there is an equal reaction in the opposite direction."

Obviously then, if your target is going to fall down, your gun has to fall up !! :D

[Michael Zeleny]

Skywarp-speaking of shooting sideways, how funny would it be to watch some punk shooting "gangtsa style" end up punching the guy next to him when the gun recoils. I gotta say, if thery were shooting at me, I might have to stop being scared sh*tless for a moment and just laugh at them. :neener: Shooting sideways is a technique developed by William Fairbairn and Eric Sykes for Shanghai Municipal Police with the 7.63mm Mauser C-96 pistol, which they described as the most feared weapon among their constituents. In proper application, it allows the shooter to strafe multiple targets with the natural flow of recoil.

[shermacman]

I have never tried it, but if you fired the gun upside down, then the gun would recoil down instead of up.

Nonsense.

When I was in Australia and fired a gun, rifle or pistol, it flipped up and we were upside down. :cool:

[BigG]

It would be a pretty interesting experience to fire a gun that had the bore directly in line with your forearm. All things being considered, it should recoil straight back. Should make for some nice follow-up shots; it would look crazy as heck though...

The P08 Luger actually has a pretty low bore axis and kicks as straight back as any handgun I know. The kick comes straight into your forearm instead of flexing your arm at the elbow, as most other hanguns do. It's kind of tiring to get that kick unless you get used to it.

[5Wire]

The P08 Luger actually has a pretty low bore axis and kicks as straight back as any handgun I know.Likewise HK P7 and Glock.

[BigG]

The P08 Luger actually has a pretty low bore axis and kicks as straight back as any handgun I know.
Likewise HK P7 and Glock.

No. Bore axis is probably the wrong term, then. The P08, because it has a bolt concentric with the bore that reciprocates instead of a entire relatively massy top end that reciprocates has a lot less recoil torque than the slide type actions. So the recoil goes straight into your forearm instead of lifting your arm or flexing your elbow, as the case may be.

Not meaning to offend, but to clarify.

I've shot plenty of Glocks and they kick like a typical automatic. A Luger kicks differently than a slide gun.

[Outlaws]

I understand because the CZ 75 has the slide lower than most other pistols, the recoil comes backward more (than most pistols) and the arm absorbs the recoil better and gives a better follow up shot.

I cna't speak from experience, but I intend to by one.