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Handgun calibers...
Funshooter
Member Posts: 4 ✭✭
I've just started shooting handguns this past year. I now have a Ruger 22LR, Beretta 9mm, Springfield XD 3" S&W40 & Smith & Wesson 1911 45 ACP. As far as felt recoil, where does a 357 (S&W 629) and a Smith&Wesson 6" 44 mag. fit in?
Thanks!
PaulK
Thanks!
PaulK
Comments
Way above any 9mm or 40, 45ACP
I've just started shooting handguns this past year. I now have a Ruger 22LR, Beretta 9mm, Springfield XD 3" S&W40 & Smith & Wesson 1911 45 ACP. As far as felt recoil, where does a 357 (S&W 629) and a Smith&Wesson 6" 44 mag. fit in?
Thanks!
PaulK
WELCOME TO THE FORUM.
DO you mean a S&W 686 .357 mag and a 629 .44 mag?
The .44 is a bit snappy with full bore loads. The .357 with 125 JHP's is the number one man stopper in a handgun. It's recoil is sharp but manageable for quick second shots with a single hand hold. The .44 is a lot tougher to tame for a second shot shooting single handed. It tends to roll back in your hand from recoil making it necessary to regrip the gun.
The .44 mag is very powerful. It is the most powerful handgun cartridge that is commonly produced. There are more powerful rounds such as the 454 Casaull, 475 Wildey, 475 Linebaugh, 480 Ruger, 500 Smith, and 50 AE. However, these rounds are hard to find and expensive. If you have a long barrel, you can hunt much game from close range with a .44 mag The loadings for 44 mag have quite a power range.
The 357 on the other hand is not that much more powerful than a .40 All handgun loadings I've seen are less than 700 foot pounds. A .357 is about on par with a 10mm for semi autos. They are more powerful than standard ammo, but not to the extent the 44 mag is.
If you have a 44 mag, you're probably going to want to fire it in single action mode unless you have a heavy gun with an 8 inch ported barrel. Your accuracy in double action mode (except for your first shot) will likely be poor due to flinching or anticipation.
The amount of actual kick of the gun doesn't change between wood and rubber grips - HOWEVER, it has been my experience that wood grips tend to sting your hand more. The blow back force is still the same, it is just being transferred through a harder material, which in turn absorbs into your hands.
Is there a big difference in felt recoil between the wooden grip and the molded polymer?
That's a little subjective, but I'd say with similar style grips, I think rubber (vs wood) definitely takes some of the sting out.
I think equally important to grip material is grip design.
Ideally, in a hard kicking gun you want grips that have rounded edges (not square or pointy). You also want grips that fill up your whole hand and provide maximum gripping surface area. That way the recoil impulse is spread out over more surface area meaning less sting to any individual part of your hand. Palm swells are good for this. So are finger grooves.
Also, checkering provides a nice grip BUT its abrasive in hard kicking guns, and is probably best avoided. Instead you want a contoured grip with smooth (or maybe pebbled) surfaces. Again, palm swell and finger grooves will help keep the gun from twisting or slipping.
EDIT:
To answer your earlier question, .44 magnum recoils the most. Full .357 magnum loads kick more than .45 ACP (though its a different "kind" of recoil in a revolver). But in either revolver, you can fire light loads (.44 or .38 specials in the .44 and .357 magnums, respectively) that will greatly reduce recoil.
.44 special out of a big heavy .44 magnum gun is really not bad at all, nor are .38 specials out of a .357 magnum.
.22, 9mm, .40 S&W, .45ACP, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum.