Softest shooting semi-auto in a Significant Caliber?

CZ-75B.
I feel less recoil coz of its all steel construction.

The Beretta 80 series in .380ACP might be a choice. Particularly the mod. 82 which has a slim profile for carry. A specially soft shooting and very accurate gun is the Beretta model 70, but it's a .32ACP which is smaller than what you ask for... but it's probably the most pleasant centerfire handgun I've shot to date.

Heres a pic of one: http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=4619699&postcount=10

I'm almost 60 and a cripple, if losing a leg counts as a cripple. I enjoy full house .44 mags the most.

I feel that unless you stay with a 9mm, the softest recoiling semi auto in a significant caliber would be a Glock 21 in .45acp. I carried one for work for a few years and it had to be the softest recoiling .45 I have ever had or shot, and one of the softest autos of any caliber. The glock 21 even with +p speer gold dot 200gr, which was my carry ammo for work, was still very mild in the recoil department...significantly less than my glock 23 in .40...my friend has an HK USP .45 (full size not compact) and it is probably equal in the recoil department to the 21. Plus you could get a 21C, which of course is compensated and lessen the felt recoil even more, and before somebody says it, not the compensator won't blind you if you shoot at night, especially if you use any quality defensive ammo due to the use of flash suppressed powder...I do low light/night shoots a lot and compensated models never had any ill effects on my night vision or shooting. A good heavy steel framed 1911 is pretty soft in the grand scheme of things also.

I would go w/ something fullsize, probably 9mm -- either a Hi Power -- 92fs -- or USP

If reloading is an option, try an XD .45acp 5" tactical with a hand load at something slightly less than what the hot factory loads go.

If you can get one with the heavier full-length guide rod, even better.

I have one, and I've got to say, it is a joy to shoot. And once it (and I) are warmed up, its pretty damned consistent.

I'm currently shooting Montana Gold 200gr FMJ round nose with 5.4 grains of Winchester 231 and Federal Gold Medal Match primers. It works great through my pistol. But, YMMV please work up your own loads.

Being partial to the 1911 though, I've got to agree, its hard to beat a good full-size steel frame single-stack. Reloads make these a lot of fun to shoot in IPSC/USPSA events.

I have shot my 92F and my buddies PX4 9mm side by side using the same ammo. Both guns shot 115gr. WWB, then some 124gr. Hornady TAPs and then my 90gr gold dot relaods. The PX4 is about 7oz lighter, yet the recoil was much lighter on all 3 types of ammo. Me and my buddy could really tell the difference. I truly believe the PX4 9(havent compared the others yet) is the softest shooting polymer 9mm on the market. I say this because the 92F is famous for being a light recoiling 9mm

Wise statement:

More weight, smaller caliber

Click to expand...

Stick with 9mm in a steel pistol. The CZ-75 is a good choice. Sigs are good, and don't forget the Baby Eagle from IMI, and its close relative, the EAA steel pistols.

I'm almost 60 and a cripple, if losing a leg counts as a cripple. I enjoy full house .44 mags the most.

Click to expand...

LOL! You are da man! I've got a stainless Ruger Blackhawk with a 10 1/2" barrell and hand checkered rosewood grips. With some factory .44 Rem Mags in the cylinder, its a blast to blast with. But, their ain't nothing soft about it. After about 50 rounds of that, my palms are toast.

Browning High-Powers are heavy and easy-shooting. Beretta 92 series might also fill the bill. I used to be a guy that shied away from M1911's due to the big cartridge. However, I started shooting my rarely used M1911 in IDPA matches because I could not easily find a suitable holster for the HP. Its amazing how little recoil the M1911 has. I shoot it better than my high-power, even though my HP remains my favorite pistol.

Another option would be to buy a recoil reducing spring from Sprinco.com


I bought a recoil reducer for my EAA witness match 10mm. They accidentally sent me a washer that was to large, so i called them up. They asked me to measure the size of the hole the guide rod fits in, logged the info for future customers(sometime guns have slightly different measurements) and they sent me another free of charge(including shipping) and included a 1oz bottle of military grade lube.

Their customer service is top notch and their product, IMO, does noticeably reduce the recoil.

CZ75 should be pretty light. Or Beretta 92.

P-01 or PCR.



I actually feel that the 75B's longer slide has more recoil.

------------------------------------------------------------

Having just added a Steve Bedair stainless steel guide rod to my new
P-01.
----------The gun now has a familiar slightly muzzle heavy feel.
______I can't wait to go shoot this thing, both with and without
the tactical light.


--------

I know from my last P-01 that is will be a real pussycat to shoot,
even with Double Tap +P.

-I'll be adding the other Bedair guide rod to my wife's PCR.

More info: www.guiderod.com


http://czrami.angelfire.com/CZ-P-01-4.html
http://www.angelfire.com/amiga/hakan/czp01.html
http://www.angelfire.com/amiga2/czid/CZ-PCR.html

KEV

Cards81fan said:

While finding a BDA to rent at a range would be impossible, the range near me has an 85FS and an 85FS as rental guns at the range. Would they be similar enough to the BDA to approximate shooting one?

Click to expand...

Yes they are sister pistols. Don't know about the re-released version, but the original BDA was actually made by Beretta for Browning. There is a little "PB" rollmark on the slide. The manual of arms is slightly different. Oddly enough the BDA has a slide mounted safety ala the Beretta 92, while the Beretta .380's have a frame mounted safety. They both use the same mags, have the same overall dimensions. Weight might differ slightly since the Beretta has an open top slide.

sidheshooter said:

based on the threads here of late, if you don't have a small .380 and a CZ 9mm of one action or another, ya may as well be wearing a dress, for all the repsect you'll get...

Click to expand...

I prefer to call it a kilt.

Cards81fan said:

I am sure the Beretta 92 is great to shoot, but I am not sure if I can easily keep it on my person.

Click to expand...

PX4, P229, and CZ P01 are smaller options. The latter two are metal framed which will help, yet still small. The first uses a rotating barrel which helps transfers some of the energy.

Just try a PX4 in 9mm before you buy anything else, you'll be surprised and it's concealable where the 92FS, Glock 17, and CZ-75, SP-01 and other "full size" 9mm duty pistols aren't all that concealable at all.

Many .380s are harsh feeling because they operate on the blowback principle, not mechanically delayed recoil unlocking like is used in various forms on all auto pistols 9mm and above.

A last note, I concur with checking out the CZ P-01. You might also want to look at the used Beretta 8000 Cougars out there or the Stoeger Cougars being imported now using Beretta's tooling. Also noteworthy are the SIG P226 and P228, as well as the Third Generation S&W autos, most of which are all steel, though some are alloy framed, and come in double and single stack versions.

And if you are wealthy, give the H&K P7M8 a once over if you can find one.

Sorry for going off topic but you might want to find someone who reloads .40 in your area. Lots of IPSC guys run .40 as a soft shooting major caliber. I bet with a little work you could make some practice ammo that shoots really soft especially if you don't care about power factor and you swap in a lighter recoil spring.

Probably the Desert Eagle in 357 as it pertains to the amount of power the cartridge has compared to the flet recoil of the gun.

Springer Loaded 9mm the most easy shooting handgun i ever shot that isnt a 22

I've found the big Glocks to be good at slowing recoil down. I have both the G20 in 10mm and the G21 in 45 ACP.

The 45cal Glock has significantly less recoil than my 1911's with the same ammo. Even using the hottest Double Tap 10mm ammo is not bad at all in the G20. The grip angle, low bore and wide backstrap combine to help.

Click to expand...

Well said!

I feel that unless you stay with a 9mm, the softest recoiling semi auto in a significant caliber would be a Glock 21 in .45acp. I carried one for work for a few years, and it had to be the softest recoiling .45 I have ever had or shot, and one of the softest autos of any caliber.

Click to expand...

How unusual for the internet! In my experience this is, also, entirely correct!

…… My friend has an HK USP .45 (full size not compact) and it is probably equal in the recoil department to the 21.

Click to expand...

No actually it’s not. I’ve fired both extensively. The USP is a much more uncomfortable pistol for my older hands to have to hang onto and manipulate. After, about, 50 rounds the USP’s narrow backstrap really starts digging into the web of my gun hand. A G-21 will allow me to go for 150-200 rounds before I, even, start to feel it.

Plus you could get a 21C, which of course is compensated and lessen the felt recoil even more, and before somebody says it, not the compensator won't blind you if you shoot at night, especially if you use any quality defensive ammo due to the use of flash suppressed powder...I do low light/night shoots a lot and compensated models never had any ill effects on my night vision or shooting. ……

Click to expand...

Yeah, but can you toast marshmallows over your ports to snack on while reloading? (JK!)

That’s been my own universal experience with shooting ported pistol barrels, too. I really do get sick and tired of reading about all the old, ‘set your clothes on fire and blind yourself’ ported barrel myths. It’s nice to see that another popular, ‘gunzine myth’ is finally starting to be exposed to the realities of everyday use in the real world.

By the way, ‘compensation’ and, ‘porting’ are NOT the same thing. There are, also, significant differences between, ‘muzzle porting’ and, ‘barrel and slide porting’. Each has its own pluses and minuses which, for the time being, I will not go into here.

Finally, when it comes to genuinely smooth (and fast!) pistol recoil management every shooter needs to be able to distinguish between the, ‘sharp’ recoil of: 9mm, 357 SIG, 10mm, and 40 S&W ammunition; and 45 acp ammo. Me? I am very well tuned into and strongly prefer the, ‘slow heavy push’ of the latter over any of the other aforementioned rounds.

45 acp is easier for me to manage and actually cuts down on my front sight dwell time and improves my splits. Consequently, I tend to be a lot faster and more accurate with a 45; and I’m, also, a lot more confident that – if I should ever actually need to defend myself with a pistol – larger heavier bullets (especially in FMJ configuration) will get the job done better.

45 acp bullets may be slower and carry less energy than some other pistol rounds; but they are, unquestionably, easier to control and – in the right hands – leave the muzzle more frequently, more accurately, AND hit harder than any other pistol round I’ve ever used.

I highly recommend the .45 ACP Glock 21 if your hands are large enough.
The G21 is a real pussy cat to fire

Would a 3" 1911 (say, a Kimber Ultra Carry II) have less perceived recoil than an XD40 service?

Click to expand...

This is my carry gun, and the answer is NO!

But the P345 does

Smith and Wesson 4506, softest shooting .45 I've ever run.

I've got 'smith factory hump back grips and it is a honey to shoot.

+P 230gr HST is just fine, running my target 200gr lead truncated nose reloads is like shooting a .22lr pistol.

Mags are $20 a piece, and can be found pretty easily.

I've got night sights installed, its my Going to War handgun to compliment my Glock 19 and my M4gery topped with my CompM2.