.40 recoil snap - any truth?
- Thread starter tackleberry45
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.40 recoil is a little snappier than 9mm and .45, with recoil being somewhere in between the two. It's definitely not objectionable. If you like the ballistics of the caliber go for it. It's not something I'd want in a tiny gun though. A glock 27 is about the smallest gun I would want in .40.
RancidSumo
Member
Yes it is an issue for me. I have a bad wrist (it cracks when it moves all the time) and I cannot shoot a Glock 22. It destroys my wrist after only a few rounds to the point where I can't even move it. It is more manageable out of a High Power but I still prefer a .45 and most of all a 9mm.
Coltdriver
Member
A Kahr MK40 is really tough to shoot well. A Glock 27 is a piece of cake by comparison.
No two pistols are the same. Go rent a couple and see what you think.
No two pistols are the same. Go rent a couple and see what you think.
Yes, there is truth to this. Of the 3 (9mm,.40, 45acp) calibers, It is my least favorite. A close friend of mine has BHP in .40 which, I've put many rounds through and I dont like it in that (heavy, fullsize, all metal frame gun). I could just imagine it in a poly, sub-compact weapon. Get my drift. As for my opinion, there are plenty of people who like this cal. (maybe they got a gun in this cal. and dont want to admit it sucks 
). Like the cal. or not, the ballistics speak for themselves (hence all the LE adoption) . Is it as fun to shoot, no. Is it as cheap as other cal., no. Will it stop a foe, absolutely. It wouldnt be my first choice. Thats not to say I wouldnt pick one up for s***s and giggles if the price was right. My thoughts.
P30
). Like the cal. or not, the ballistics speak for themselves (hence all the LE adoption) . Is it as fun to shoot, no. Is it as cheap as other cal., no. Will it stop a foe, absolutely. It wouldnt be my first choice. Thats not to say I wouldnt pick one up for s***s and giggles if the price was right. My thoughts.P30
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To beat a dead horse...shoot it yourself.
I chose a g23 as my first. Yes there is a little more snap than 9mm but I didn't really care. I adapted. Since that's my current one and only I practice with it every weekend and now I don't notice it at all.
I chose a g23 as my first. Yes there is a little more snap than 9mm but I didn't really care. I adapted. Since that's my current one and only I practice with it every weekend and now I don't notice it at all.
carbuncle
Member
.40 has a little more meat that the 9mm, but it doesn't hurt or anything and it's not uncontrollable. Personally, I love .40 but your experience may vary.
BigN
Member
I've got a 40 auto I haven't shot in years, it's just not fun. Not all that much recoil but the barrel does snap up. I guess I just don't like to shoot it. Both the 357 and 44 mags have much more actual recoil but are funner to shoot for that precise reason.
As is so often the case, it depends on you. My son has a H&K .40 which he has no problem with; I hate the wretched thing. The difference is probably because he's a lot bigger than I am. I don't mind full-size .45's at all. Nobody seems to deny that .40's snap; the differences are about whether they are bothered by it.
This whole caliber comparison is wrong. It's the pistol that makes the recoil.
40 recoil is about equivalent to 45ACP, as it should be. It's the size of the gun and the precise load that makes the rest of the difference. Is .38 special snappy out of your GP100? Is it snappy when you shoot it from your scandium snubnose?
If you like shooting a G36, you probably won't mind a .40. If you compare a 42 oz 1911 .45 to a 40 cal Glock, then there's your problem. There's no reason that a 40SW SHOULD have less recoil than .45ACP. So if you make the gun smaller, it will recoil more. Put a .45 into a 9mm frame and see what happens!
I've never heard anyone complain that a 1911 in 40SW is snappy. Although I have heard some complain that their .40 conversion barrel makes their G20 more snappy. I don't think they're delusional, but I think what they're experiencing is ammo-related. I can make my .45 snappy with a fast powder. Their full house 10mm ammo is probably using a slower powder. That does change the characteristic of the recoil. I still bet they can shoot 40 faster than full house 10mm loads, and can shoot more before getting fatigued.
Shoot a .45 derringer and tell me the recoil is a "push," yet 40 is intolerably snappy. Heck, shoot any full size 22 oz .45 (if you can find one), and tell me there's a significant difference between that pistol's recoil and a Glock 23.
40 recoil is about equivalent to 45ACP, as it should be. It's the size of the gun and the precise load that makes the rest of the difference. Is .38 special snappy out of your GP100? Is it snappy when you shoot it from your scandium snubnose?
If you like shooting a G36, you probably won't mind a .40. If you compare a 42 oz 1911 .45 to a 40 cal Glock, then there's your problem. There's no reason that a 40SW SHOULD have less recoil than .45ACP. So if you make the gun smaller, it will recoil more. Put a .45 into a 9mm frame and see what happens!
I've never heard anyone complain that a 1911 in 40SW is snappy. Although I have heard some complain that their .40 conversion barrel makes their G20 more snappy. I don't think they're delusional, but I think what they're experiencing is ammo-related. I can make my .45 snappy with a fast powder. Their full house 10mm ammo is probably using a slower powder. That does change the characteristic of the recoil. I still bet they can shoot 40 faster than full house 10mm loads, and can shoot more before getting fatigued.
Shoot a .45 derringer and tell me the recoil is a "push," yet 40 is intolerably snappy. Heck, shoot any full size 22 oz .45 (if you can find one), and tell me there's a significant difference between that pistol's recoil and a Glock 23.
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CZ57
member
The .45 GAP!
First, shoot several guns until you find the FRAME that fits your hand. 1911, Glock, XD, M&P, USP Full size or compact.
Now, once you find the fit then work the calibers.
I have had 4 or 5 small handguns. I have big hands I hated shooting ALL of them except one. for me I shoot the M&P 40c the best. Does it snap, you bet. Is it a comfortable/accurate to shoot as my Glock 21c? no way.
The M&P it is small, easy to hide, has a thumb safety, and is accurate. For me a S&W M&P 40c is the best small carry gun caliber. It snaps but I can handle it and it is controllable.
Now I LOVE hot 357 loads and my 41 mag loaded hot but I wouldn't carry either.
Now, once you find the fit then work the calibers.
I have had 4 or 5 small handguns. I have big hands I hated shooting ALL of them except one. for me I shoot the M&P 40c the best. Does it snap, you bet. Is it a comfortable/accurate to shoot as my Glock 21c? no way.
The M&P it is small, easy to hide, has a thumb safety, and is accurate. For me a S&W M&P 40c is the best small carry gun caliber. It snaps but I can handle it and it is controllable.
Now I LOVE hot 357 loads and my 41 mag loaded hot but I wouldn't carry either.
My Springfield XDM 40 has very little recoil in comparison to my Kel Tec P40 but then again its barrel is probably twice as long and the gun itself twice the size. Every .40 I've ever shot has noticeably more muzzle flip than the 9mm variant of the same gun but you get used to it pretty quickly.
Just expect much more recoil from a small gun than a large one.
Just expect much more recoil from a small gun than a large one.
Lvl21nerd
Member
this is just my humble opinion from personal experience and as always, YMMV, but i dont even notice a big difference between 9mm and .40...this could be that im not recoil sensitive but i am generally more focused on what im shooting at than what im shooting with...if it doesnt make my hand hurt, i dont care how much it recoils
Huh? And here I was about to believe that the precise definition of "snappy" IS "muzzle flip".
If not muzzle flip, exactly what does "snappy" mean? I own and shoot an number of mostly full-sized 9mm and .40 autos (none of them polymer or true "compacts"), and while I will argue that the .40 indeed does have more muzzle-flip in any given platform than a 9mm, I'm still trying to figure out exactly what "snappy" means.
jbr
Member
I have a Beretta 96. Heavy solid pistol. Recoil isn't too bad but the muzzle flip does make it a little slower on follow up shots. It shoots very accurate regardless of the "snappy" flip. For SD - i prefer something i can handle without much concentration. That's a 9 for me! But hey - i'm a small guy. I do love shooting that .40 though
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I would consider the 40 to have a snappy recoil. I am issued a glock 22 and have a 27 for off duty/back up. I likew my 27 as it is easy to conceal hip carry with jacket IWB tshirt weather. The recoil is not too bad. As far as double taps in the range that most shootings occur (within 7 yrds) will not be aa problem with proper training. You most likely will have not have time to get the proper grip,stance,and sight picture before you start firing.
That's fine. Compared to 9mm in the same gun, it has more recoil. What's a "snap" vs a "pop" anyways? It's just a "bigger pop." No mystery, here. It's a hotter round.
G22 vs G21 is not too different, granted. So the round with equivalent energy in the lighter gun has sharper recoil. Still no mystery. If you could swap them, you'd probably see the same thing the other way around. Esp if you used similar energy ammunition.*
*I tried to google an energy comparison, which Ive seen data for before. Failing to find it, I calculated the energy for the hottest 180gr 40SW load on hogdon's reloading center. It has over 20% more energy than the hottest 185gr or 230gr 45ACP load on their site. It is over 100fps faster than the top 185gr 45ACP load. I know that's not a big sample, but I'm just making the point. 40SW is going to recoil more than 9mm for sure. It will also recoil more than 45, because it's the same energy (actually fairly higher energy with most common loads than standard pressure 45) in a smaller gun, period. People get wrapped up in the recoil, because they expect it to recoil less than .45. There's no reason to expect that. That's like complaining that 9mm is snappy compared to the "larger" 38 special. Of course it is.
**just for more kicks, I looked up the first common training ammo I could think of. Blazer. They list only one 45 ACP load. 230 grains. They list three 40 loads, from 155 to 180 grains. Ready? The 40 loads range from 9.5% to 30% more energy than the 45 load. This isn't hot-rod 40SW ammo. It's training ammo, for crying out loud. In fact, the weakest of the Blazer 40SW training rounds (the 180gr) has only 5% less energy than the hottest 230 gr 45ACP round listed on Hogdon's reloading center. To face the facts, the 40SW auto pistol is the titanium .357 snubbie of the auto world. The strongest round of the "big three" in the lightest package. (Actually, it outperforms .357 out of a short barrel!)
http://www.blazer-ammo.com/blazer_chart.aspx
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hardluk1
member
You will know better if the 40 is for you after you get to shoot one in the size and frame you are looking at. I have owned several 40's with no real preference in caliber tell i got my glock 27. I guess it just does not fit my hand well for me to control quick DT's and instead of selling it I bought a 9mm convesion barrel and wow what a difference it made. The full sized glock is fine . So just try and see what you think. Most ranges have rentals .
Onward Allusion
Member
It's all about what you practice with. For me 9 & 40 are virtually identical in recoil. 45 has a little more push but all 3 are totally manageable. My wife's everyday is a 1st gen Sigma in 40S&W (please no bashing 'cause she has about a 3,000 flawless rounds through it and it was carried by a policewoman for a few years as well). She does 1.5" to 2" groups (like 10 to 15 shots at a time!) at 10 yards. If she can do it any guy in good health can handle the 40.
contender
Member
the 40 is more "snappy" than a 9mm in like weapons.....it is a matter of physics.........and as mentioned, with any cartridge, the size/design of the pistol is a factor along with the individual shooter as to what is tolerable.
As for LEO's and the 40...........I still believe the 40 is just a compromise round between the 9mm and the 45........
more capacity than a 45
more power than a 9mm
and offered in a 9mm format size weapon.
On another note, when LEO's transitioned from the revolver to the 9mm, qualification scores went up. Now that the 40 is established and on the scene, qualification scores are going down.
Now you can point your finger at the weapon, the caliber, or the shooter.........
many an officer failed qualification with a 357 but could pass with a 38 spl.
comparing the 357 to the 38 and the 40 to the 9 is apples and oranges, but its as close as i can explain it.
the 40 is probably the most successful new cartridge introduction since the .223..........and it is the current flavor of the fbi and other federal agencies..........so many naturally mimic those depts in equipment and caliber................if the fbi was to change to the 9mm next year as std issue, many would follow.
As for LEO's and the 40...........I still believe the 40 is just a compromise round between the 9mm and the 45........
more capacity than a 45
more power than a 9mm
and offered in a 9mm format size weapon.
On another note, when LEO's transitioned from the revolver to the 9mm, qualification scores went up. Now that the 40 is established and on the scene, qualification scores are going down.
Now you can point your finger at the weapon, the caliber, or the shooter.........
many an officer failed qualification with a 357 but could pass with a 38 spl.
comparing the 357 to the 38 and the 40 to the 9 is apples and oranges, but its as close as i can explain it.
the 40 is probably the most successful new cartridge introduction since the .223..........and it is the current flavor of the fbi and other federal agencies..........so many naturally mimic those depts in equipment and caliber................if the fbi was to change to the 9mm next year as std issue, many would follow.
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