Perceived Recoil: .45 ACP Softball vs. 9mm?

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Way too many variables to say for sure. "pretty light" is a very relative term.

If you slowed it down enough so that massXacceleration equalled that of the 115 grain WWB, theoretically it should feel identical. But it may not cycle in a semi-auto.
 
I shoot a 200gr plated RN over 6.4 gr Clays Universal, extremely light recoil, especially in a full sized steel 1911. The recoil impulse is slightly heavier than WWB 9mm out of a full sized 9mm (Stoeger Cougar). I would compare it more to a full power .40S&W but much less snappy.
 
I think all .45 ACP is easier to shoot out of full-sized guns than 9mm. The big shove doesn't bother me like the little snap. Shooting 9mm is like somebody poking me with their finger, it annoys me to no end.

I'm not the only one either.

I can shoot 9mm, heck I carry a Rohrbaugh 9 and have a CZ-75B and a BHP, it's just not fun. It's sort of like a yappy dog or having the hiccups or something. I guess I'm just big and slow. :)

John
 
Out of my Glock 30SF, a 230gr FMJ .45ACP has the same amount of perceived recoil and controllability as a 115gr 9mm.
 
Giggity... your experiences are certainly valid. I still feel the .45 out of my G30 is quite a bit MORE recoil overall than any 9mm glock I've fired. I've fired them back to back and was forced to conclude that the .45 is quite a bit snappier.

John, my wife feels similarly to you; she much prefers her .45 1911 to any 9mm she's shot. She says the .45's recoil feels "slower."
 
I just got back from shooting my Glock 19, 20, and 21. My 21 (.45acp) with my softball hand load (200 JSWC @ 725 fps) is clearly softer shooting than my Glock 19 with factory ball ammo.
Shooting my 9mm plinker load (125 HAP @ 1000 fps) in the 19 really softens that up nicely, making the 19 and 21 shoot to about the same level of felt recoil.
The wide frame of the 21 is a big help, and the 19 is rather snappy in general.
A large frame gun like a Beretta 92 or a Sig P226 will make the 9mm feel much softer.
 
Thanks for the replies; keep them coming!

The real issue that I'm getting at is this:

I'm already into 9mm 1911s and I'd like to start reloading. People have said that the .45ACP is easier to load for several reasons. If I were to get a .45ACP 1911 and load up softballs, would it be comparable at all to my 9mms shooting factory WWB?
 
People have said that the .45ACP is easier to load for several reasons
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Why is this? I load both and I don't have problems reloading either. Mark
 
I load 5 cals for handguns - .380, 9mm, .357 Mag, 10mm and .45 ACP......9mm is a real PITA. It's hard to get them to feed reliably in different guns without changing the OAL. IMHO, the other calibers aren't as picky.

As far as recoil between the two, hard for me to say because all the .45s I have shot are 1911s and other steel frames guns, i.e. 3rd gen S&W, Sig, etc.
All of the 9mms I have shot are poly guns like Glock, S&W M&P, Kel-Tec, etc.......and they have more felt recoil and muzzle flip. Maybe it's all about weight?
 
You know, I thought it was just me who thought .45 ACP has less snap than 9mm. When I've said this to other people, they give me the stink eye like I'm nuts. I'm glad to see there are others who agree.......thanks a lot folks, I feel better.
 
The 45ACP is way easier to load, can set the bigger bullets easier, cases size easier, no worries about case capacity. A 230gr plated bullet with 3.8gr Clays, feels like a 9mm:)
 
I reload 9mm and .45acp on my 550B and I certainly wouldn't say either is hard. Seriously, we're talking about a simple operation to load either one. How much harder can it be if neither is hard to begin with?

As for recoil, I'd say if you shoot a good amount and are relatively strong it just feels different. I prefer the feel of the .45's recoil but 9's cheaper.
 
The 9mm, IMO, is more difficult to reload because it's relatively short, has thick walls and is tapered.
 
the way I 'feel' it, the 9MM is more of a 'snap'...a quick pulse, while the .45ACP is more of a push.

I haven't shot a 9MM 1911 style, but I have compared a couple of Ruger 9mm models vs. my KP-90 Ruger in .45ACP, all shooting the famous Winchester White Box ammo in the respective calibre
 
.45 is a slow push, not a quick snap, so even though the recoil impulse is probably greater than 9mm, a lot of people find it more comfortable to shoot. personally, i think 9mm is perfectly comfortable as well. :shrug:
 
I have actually loaded and shot .45 Minor for IDPA ESP. My preferred load is a 200 gr bullet at 660 fps to give the same power factor as 9mm econo-ball 115 at 1150.
That .45 load has a less sharp FELT recoil than that 9mm, even though the computed recoil will be the same for same weight guns. However, I have also shot a lot of 9mm subsonic, 147 at 900 for the same power factor and it is also more comfortable to shoot than the light fast bullet.

To summarize, recoil in the same weight gun with the same power factor ammunition:
.45/200 = 9mm/147 < 9mm/115
At least to my perceptions. I am not exactly in The Princess and The Pea league and a lot of people see differences where I find none. Also, it matters how you are shooting. A lot of the differences are masked by adrenaline if you are shooting fast in competition like IDPA or IPSC.
 
I'll be honest, I'm kind of a wuss when it comes to recoil. I strongly prefer my S&W 439 to my Taurus PT-945. Perhaps it's just because it's a polymer framed gun, but something about that .45 recoil just doesn't feel right to me.

That said, I shoot .357 with no problem, so I maybe I'm just an idiot.
 
That said, I shoot .357 with no problem, so I maybe I'm just an idiot.
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Recoil is a very personal thing.

I hate (as in loath) shooting a light snubby but will shoot a 44 magnum all day long and I love the kick of a 12 gauge. Why do I hate the light snub? Something about the snap and the twist.

Why? I have no idea.

I can tell you, with regards to the 45, that the cycle rate can make a gun seem like it has less recoil.

To me , YMMV, a XD45 slams harder than a 1911.
 
To me , YMMV, a XD45 slams harder than a 1911.
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To me, the opposite is true. Lol. It's funny how personal recoil is for everyone. I'm comparing a full size XD45 to a RIA 1911 tactical, btw, with the same ammo.
 
230gn FMJ loaded down to about 155pf are pretty damn soft. They still actually recoil harder than WWB 115gr 9mm, but it is a very pushy recoil without a lot of flip to it. Most people say it feels softer to shoot, and you don't know it isn't until you are shooting very fast.

That's my $0.02 from messing around with .45 and 9 working up USPSA loads.
 
Jim Watson said:
I have actually loaded and shot .45 Minor for IDPA ESP. My preferred load is a 200 gr bullet at 660 fps to give the same power factor as 9mm econo-ball 115 at 1150.
That .45 load has a less sharp FELT recoil than that 9mm, even though the computed recoil will be the same for same weight guns. However, I have also shot a lot of 9mm subsonic, 147 at 900 for the same power factor and it is also more comfortable to shoot than the light fast bullet.

To summarize, recoil in the same weight gun with the same power factor ammunition:
.45/200 = 9mm/147 < 9mm/115
At least to my perceptions. I am not exactly in The Princess and The Pea league and a lot of people see differences where I find none. Also, it matters how you are shooting. A lot of the differences are masked by adrenaline if you are shooting fast in competition like IDPA or IPSC.
Click to expand...
Interesting. Do you have to change recoil springs or anything?
 
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