9mm is too snappy.

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Physics, math, budget... manliness? So many variables.

Of all the cartridges in all the platforms that I shoot, 9mm presents the greatest range of real and perceived effects.

Accuracy
Reliability
Felt recoil
Range

Costs can run from near .22 levels to cheap rifle costs.

What's being fed through what gun has often been a source of bemusement for me:

"What the..." "Oh, I loaded 95 grain."
Or: "Oops, that's where that 158 grain went!"

Snap? I get that. Particular firearms with particular loads but not a 9mm symptom in general.

Todd.
 
I can't imagine a 9mm being thought of a "snappy" in a bad way recoil-wise whilst a .40 would not be given the same model handgun. I can see this with .45 ACP as the .45 operates at so much lower pressure, the recoil characteristics are totally different.

A .40 S&W is a modern high pressure round launching moderately heavy projectiles at the same velocities as 9mm. It is gonna have more recoil and the high pressure/same velocity makes it snappier than 9mm in the same gun.

A proper grip on a mid to full size 9mm handgun is very easy to shoot fast and accurate. A full size handgun like my P226? I'm keeping rounds in a 6" circle at 7 yds as fast as I can pull the trigger due to the easy recoil management...and that is with an "evil' high-bore axis Sig!
 
Have you tried subsonic 147's? I find them to be less "snappy."
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These rounds are definitely not snappy; you can shoot these all day from any full-size and most compact 9mm pistols
 
I barely feel any recoil from the 9mm out of a Smith N-Frame, and hardly any recoil using the Glock 17L
 
IMO/IME when shot in the same platform the .40 is the snappiest when comparing 9/.40/.45.

If you want to pick gnat feces out of pepper, you will find many discussions here on THR on what powder/bullet combinations have the least felt recoil. Then you can load your 9mm loads to be even more non-snappy :).

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
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rswartsell said:
I'm surprised that you feel that 9mm is snappy and .40 is not. Other way around for me.
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Ditto.

I dropped 40 S&W from my collection a few years back.

I carry a 9mm every day, more ammo, less recoil, faster shots on target.. what's not to like? :)
 
Zerodefect said:
Any other big bore shooter noticing this?

I dropped 9mm from my collection years ago. .40, .45, and J frame .38's only now. Maybe I'm used to the fit of my pistols, or am used to the boom recoil of the .45.

When I help a newb out with grip or troubleshooting their pistol. I'm startled that some 9mm's are quite snappy. I actually prefer the boom and kick of the larger guns.

Maybe it's the height over bore relationship. This weekend I shot someones Ruger P95 to show them how it's reliable when you grip it properly. (they were holding it low, like a revolver) I started out with that pistol, and have forgotten how crappy it shoots. I think it may be the combination of the smaller round and lighter recoil springs. I don't notice this phenomena with gen 3 Glocks, possibly because 9mm and .40 had the same recoil spring. Try a stiffer fresh recoil spring maybe?

Maybe my Glocks and 1911's are just plain superior, compared to the odd collection of guns brought to me. But I find myself thinking, If a 9mm is this jumpy, why not just use a .40 or .357Sig? People bash .40 for being too snappy, but I can't help but think it might just be the pistol platforms fault, 9mm feels kind of annoying to me after years or .40 and .45. I'm more recoil sensitive with a 9mm than a similar sized and weighted .45.

Could just be the ergo's of my pistols, and muscle memory getting used to them, vs. a 9mm I've never shot before.
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Really?
 
I'm startled that some 9mm's are quite snappy.

...

This weekend I shot someones Ruger P95...
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Interesting. My wife is very recoil sensitive due to some medical issues with her hands and yet the last time she fired a P95 she said it was one of the lightest recoiling 9mms she'd ever fired.
 
9mm snappy? Maybe in a small, light pistol, but in a full sized gun like a M&P 9 or Glock 17 it's a pussycat.

What's the chance the OP is a troll?
 
I just added 9mm to my lineup. Too snappy? Ummmmm nope.

40 S&W was dropped from my collection several years ago. Don't need it.
 
Handloading has its benefits. There is a wide range of available ammo, with a wide range of characteristics. Experiment with a few others. Subsonics are probably a good choice because they are loaded to keep velocity below 1100, which means a light load, even with 147gr bullets.
 
"Snappy" is a very relative term when it comes to defining recoil. It is also very subjective. Other than that, I don't know what to say.......
 
My experiences,
9mm out of a Sig P228 doesn't feel bad.
40 s&w out of a Glock 23 has got the gun going everywhere.
Conversely, 45ACP out of a stainless 1911 has me going "Ack!"
I think it boils down to the individual.
Pick your caliber, your platform, your pill, and practice. And enjoy.
 
Everyone has their own perception of recoil and or snappy. I have not found the 9mm-Luger to be snappy in Browning HP, S&W-Gen3, S&W-MP and Glock pistols. As for the 45ACP the 1911series pistols, S&W and Glock have not been snappy either.

What was and is an attention getter, Winchester Ranger 38Spl +P+ 110Gr JHP fired in a S&W-M640.

We each have our own perception of recoil tolerance.
 
rswartsell said:
I'm surprised that you feel that 9mm is snappy and .40 is not. Other way around for me.
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Generally .40 is considered more "snappy" than 9mm. In a full size pistol a 9mm is pretty tame and in a 1911 or CZ 75 or any all steal pistol almost no recoil at all.
 
Try some Isreal 9mm sub gun ammo for something that is snappy. Not recommended for auto loading pistols but I tried two in a ruger P85. That stuff was really hot.
 
I think I understand what zerodefect was saying. I am no expert pistolero by any means but not too long ago I went to the range and fired a Ruger P95 side by side with a Browning Hi Power MK III. The comparison was startling. The P95 was certainly a soft shooter and not hard to shoot at all but its "snappiness" compared to the Browning was starkly noticeable. It tended to have sharper and more muzzle flip than the Browning. Not hard to control but definitely required more attention than the Browning. Some of that could be attributed to weight, about 27 ounces compared to 32, but I think ergonomics and higher bore axis played a role also. Both pistols were easy to shoot accurately. The Ruger was much easier to rack the slide against the recoil and mainspring than the Browning. As Zerodefect noted, however, the P95 was much "snappier" than the Hi Power, even if it was a light "snap".
 
Factors that will influence felt recoil include: Type of pistol, weight of pistol, bore axis, barrel length, grip types, the shooters hand size, the shooters weight/hand weights, the shooters susceptibility to recoil, the shooters grip, the shooters support hand, how many rounds are in the mag (changes the weight of the pistol), the types of ammunition being fired.

I get a huge kick out of a 35 year old 6'4" tall 280 man with hands like hams snickering at my Wife who is 56 and 5'/120 pound soaking wet having to ice her hands and use analgesics due to the recoil from a pistol that he shoots one handed and can't feel the recoil.

I can't believe it. It's like one size/one caliber/one ammunition fits all shooters and anyone that has a problem with what one other person has no problem with must be an idiot.

VooDoo
 
If the recoil feels snappy, might it be slide slap against the frame? I ask because my CZ52 had that problem until I replaced the recoil spring with a 16# spring. Pistol shoots much nicer now.
 
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