Odd question: what techniques have been used to reduce recoil in handguns?

[farscott]

Lots of tricks for reducing felt recoil including the ones stated by the OP.

1) Reducing reciprocating weight. That is the practical reason for slide lightening.

2) Increase non-reciprocating weight with things like steel or tungsten guide rods, heavy grips, and heavier frames.

3) Ported barrels so that the whole pistol is pushed down by the ported gas.

4) On some designs, notably the 1911, increasing mainspring weight and/or adjusting where the slide impacts to cock the hammer. This is the reason for the flat-bottom firing pin stop on the 1911-pattern. The leverage point is lower, slowing the slide velocity.

5) Changing recoil spring weights. Too strong and the muzzle dips when the slide returns to battery.

6) Gas-retarded blowback like on the HK P7. The gas retardation keeps the slide from moving and allows the usage of a lighter slide and/or spring than regular blowback. In general, felt recoil is less with a locked breech versus blowback.

7) Cushioned grips.

8) Recoil buffs like the Wilson and CP Buff.

9) Rotating barrel actions like Grand Power and Beretta use.

10) Polymer frames that flex more than steel, absorbing more of the recoil energy. Note that this works against the heavier frame method.

11) Wider and taller backstraps to allow the recoil to be absorbed by a larger surface, lowering pressure on the shooter. Too big and the pistol becomes hard to control. Too small and it feels like a hammer.

12) Changing powder burn rates or going to lighter bullets.

[CleverNickname]

I wonder, has anyone done the opposite: techniques to increase felt recoil? I know a lot of people like using .22LR firearms for training, and increasing recoil might make a .22 feel more like a centerfire. I'm not really coming up with anything though, other than maybe an upside-down compensator to make the muzzle rise more than it would, naturally.

[Bergeron]

Regarding increased recoil, there's the Colt Ace floating chamber. It still doesn't recoil like a centerfire, but it does help to work the action of a full steel slide in .22.

[farscott]

I wonder, has anyone done the opposite: techniques to increase felt recoil? I know a lot of people like using .22LR firearms for training, and increasing recoil might make a .22 feel more like a centerfire. I'm not really coming up with anything though, other than maybe an upside-down compensator to make the muzzle rise more than it would, naturally.

In addition to the floating chamber, pressure restriction devices like suppressors force more gas into gas-operated actions. If the actions do not have a method to port excess gas, felt recoil can be increased. AR pistols are good examples of this phenomenon.

Other ways to increase felt recoil include increasing reciprocating mass (heavier slide), decreasing non-reciprocating mass (lighter frame), heavier bullets, and different powder burn rates. On the 1911, larger radii on the firing pin stop, decreased mainspring weight, and increased recoil spring weight can increase felt recoil.

[Greg Bell]

Honestly, I was imagining how we could get handguns more powerful than the 9mm back in play. I hesitate to even mention this because I know the current, not to be wavered from, belief is that 9mm is all you need. But I just enjoy the thought of some insane .48 Super round that propels a 250 grain bullet at 1350 foot per second out of a G19 sized gun that kicks like a Beretta 92.

I remember Ken Hackathorn saying that when FN designed the FNX .45 they had done something with the locking action which delayed the recoil impulse slightly to create less felt recoil. I remember wondering why everyone isn't doing it. I know there must be a trade off.

[19852+]

Heavy bullet, fast powder loads.

[peterb]

I remember Ken Hackathorn saying that when FN designed the FNX .45 they had done something with the locking action which delayed the recoil impulse slightly to create less felt recoil. I remember wondering why everyone isn't doing it. I know there must be a trade off.

If you’re trying to spread a mechanical impulse over time, you usually have to spread it over distance.

[HCM]

Hey guys,

I was thinking about what tricks have been used to reduce recoil (felt or otherwise) in pistol. Help me out if you can think of anything else...

1. Weight (duh)
2. Reducing "bore axis"
3. Compensators
4. The H&K USP full size recoil gizmo.
5. The Haarts Recoil gizmo (did this work?)


Are there any other gizmos or techniques that have been used?

Is any action better at reducing recoil than another (say falling lock versus Browning)

The Harrts guide rod worked but was fragile. The hotter the ammo the better it worked. It was just a mini version of the mercury recoil reducers in some shotgun stocks.

You do need to distinguish between “recoil” and “muzzle flip” some do both, but bore axis for example is only relevant to muzzle flip.

[rob_s]

But with 45 a 200 grain round seems to have lower recoil then a 230 grain round.

I reload my own practice ammo so I’m sure that’s part of it.

I was shooting a match the other day and got nostalgic about when I shot a 1911 with 200 grain SWC loaded to just make power factor. The recoil impulse was next to nothing and the SWC cut holes in the paper like a cookie cutter...

[Whirlwind06]

I was shooting a match the other day and got nostalgic about when I shot a 1911 with 200 grain SWC loaded to just make power factor. The recoil impulse was next to nothing and the SWC cut holes in the paper like a cookie cutter...

Yep I run that load in a Bullseye style league.