How much kick does a .45acp 1911 have?

I very much prefer the recoil of a full size 1911 chambered for .45 over any of the hotter .380 rounds through my P3AT. The 45 gives a nice slow push, while the little gun gives a very sharp snap. I'd place a 9mm as about the same as .45, with a little more snap. .357 ranks a bit higher on my recoil scale. Not gentle, sharp and quick.

It's my impression that the recoil of .45 ACP is *much* more user friendly than .357, or even really hot +P 9mm loads.

I had the opportunity to shoot the brother-in-laws sub-compact glock .45 just this afternoon, and even with almost no mass to counter it, the recoil was limited to a light push and a little muzzle flip. With a full size steel gun, it's almost neglible.

Not to hijack the thread, but how would the 45 recoil charecteristics be compared to rifles and shotguns?

would it be more like shooting a 50 cal inline/30-30/win 94ae using 44 mag cowboy loads compared to shooting a 30-06 as a stand in for the 357?

I too am in with the "more 'push' than 'snap'" crowd. I own a SIG 1911 and have owned a SIG P220 and a Glock 30. None of them are harsh, punishing or even uncomfortable to shoot. They do have a little more muzzle flip (i.e., an upward torque) than the 9mm. I still prefer them over any .40 S&W-chambered gun I've owned or shot (more "snap" than "push"), to say nothing of a .357 Magnum small-frame revolver.

The first shot may be a bit stiff, but since you'll be chanting "Jack, rack, slap, shoot" or some such nonsense before every other shot, recoil shouldn't be much of a surprise afterward.
Runs for cover

I'll say right up front that I've never shot anything bigger than a .44 mag (Super Blackhawk) but I've just never found any handguns uncomfortable to shoot.
I thoroughly enjoy shooting a 9mm (Glock, BHP,CZ), .357 (Python) and .45 (Colt Gov.).
I hear all this talk about uncomfortable recoil but I've never experienced it.
Maybe it's just my choice of guns, they are heavy enough to absorb it ?

I've had a G19 and G26 (9mm), a Ruger 101 .357 and a 1911 4.25" .45acp. To me the 45 has more kick than the 9mm, is slightly more than a .38 but no where near as bad as a .357.

I also think it depends on the model gun you have. My 1911 is scandium and seems to absorb the recoil very well, albeit not as well as an all steel model. But out of everything I've shot the .357 is punishing to me. The only thing being as uncomfortable to shoot was my Keltec 9mm, which was also abusive (for me anyway).

To me the .45 (in a 1911 especially) has more of a "sudden push" than a snappy recoil. It does buck some, but after a few mags, most people get used to it no problem.
I like the recoil of the 45 and the relatively quick follow-up shots (nowhere near my 9mm CZ75 though ).
Oddly, I do tend to get the ".45 shakes" after a couple of boxes. Other calibers don't seem to effect me though.
Anyone else experience this?

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I also run into the same problem. Somewhere around 100 rounds my hands start to get shaky. Anyone know what causes this?

A much more pleasant recoil than .40S&W, but you do feel it more than 9mm (either in an all-steel gun like a 1911 or CZ, or in something like an M&P).

Somewhere around 100 rounds my hands start to get shaky. Anyone know what causes this?

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Sore hands? I know I get a sore hand after doing a good bit of rapid-fire with the .45... happens a day after.

As for comparison to .357 or .38... only fired .38s, and they are extremely comfortable to fire in a 4" K-frame - much less than my 1911. A .357 Magnum... guessing recoil is close, with the possible nod to the Magnum round.

Well, any other weapon I'd have issues with in my weak-hand, but a .45 1911 is no problem, other than the to-be-expected weak-hand issues. I'd rather handle a full-power .45 1911 in my weak hand than a short-barreled .357Mag in my strong hand, that's for sure. Just my two cents, though...

IME, the .45 is closer to a 9mm than a .40 or a 10mm. Along with my list, I tried to include what I've shot them from for reference.

• .38 felt like a 9mm with a lighter bullet that left the barrel quicker, before pressure could build up. Well, that's what it FELT like. (Old cowboy gun)
• 9mm felt like a pop, a cap gun with some kick (G17, S&W 5906)
• .45ACP felt like a longer pop, with solid but predictable push (5" & 3" 1911s)
• .40S&W feels like a quick boom (Sig 239, S&W4013, XD40, G27)
• 10mm seemed underwhelming, like a .40 w/ 10-20% more muzzle flip (G20)
• .50AE dunno how to describe it, like a heavier, slower 9mm (Desert Eagle)
• .44mag like a small cannon, where the wick burns then the powder ignites. Still controllable for 155lb. me (S&W revolver)
• .500S&W felt like: Aim, close eyes, pray, squeeze trigger, feel explosion all around you, open eyes and see if you hit the target (S&W Model500 8 3/8" bbl)
• .454 Casull Hard and Fast earthquake, I couldn't control this to save my life (Taurus Raging Bull 6.5" bbl)

I shoot mostly 45acp, and mostly 1911. The felt recoil is mild compare to a 40S&W, 357mag, 44mag....It is almost like a 9mm except 9mm jumbs, and 45acp rolls. I think my bersa 380 has more kick. Just because the bullet is bigger dose not always translate to high recoil. You have to look at the weight of the pistol, the bore axis, the type of work that went into the pistol, even the type of grip and how you grip the pistol affact felt recoil.