Recoil question

[TKG]

How does the .40 Cal. compare to the .45 ACP recoil wise. I shoot a .45 ACP but have never fired the .40 caliber in a short pistol. My wife thinks she may want a pistol and I don't know if the .40 will be too much recoil for her. Is the recoil that much less on the .40. Any ladies that have fired the .40 cal feel free to give your opinion. I'm trying to sort some things out before I sink 900 to 1200 bucks into a new Springfield EMP. I know the 9mm is less recoil but it is also a bit light in stopping power. Thanks

[44man]

With a lot of autos, it is the heavy slide coming back that gives the impression of recoil when the little cartridge really has none to speak of. I can't see the .40 hurting a lady.

[David2011]

The weight of the gun is everything. My 12 oz. (unloaded) Kel-Tec in .40 S&W is very harsh; the same load in my STI Edge is great for fast action pistol shooting. I have a slight personal perception that the .40 in general snappier and the .45 ACP gives more of a rolling push and seems a little more pleasant.

David

[missionary5155]

Greetings
I agree that gun weight is a factor.
My wife of average stature handles a Springfield P9 in 40 S&W (180 PB grainers at 1050) with no problem. This pistol is a copy of the CZ 75. The Glock 40 S&W she does not like as much with the same load as she preceives it as more harsh. Pistol ergonomics may also have something to do with it in her hand.
My wife does not like any 45 ACP we have. Just too big for her hands. Well she does enjoy shooting one of those 45 ACP carbines that uses the 1911 frame as the trigger unit but that is a different item. I sure would not want to be down range of her aim with that Micro-Dot. She likes that as much as the Kel-Tec 2000 Carbine in 40 S&W with Glock mags.
Mike in ILL

[fecmech]

I would suggest you load your .45 with .40 level loads and see what she thinks. The EMP in any caliber is going to be way "snappier" than your full size .45 acp and .40 cal muzzle blast will be more apparent. If you can't find one to try I would suggest get the .45 acp and load it to whatever level the lady can tolerate.

[BCRider]

In the variety of pistols I've shot chambered in .40S&W I found that the recoil is a snap like with 9mm but stronger. The .45's feel a little more like a push but in the end the recoil from .45 and .40 seem to be about equal in terms of how much the gun kicks. It's mostly a snap vs more of a sharp shove.

So if your wife has found that she's fine with your .45's then she'll be fine with the .40S&W in the same style gun.

[subsonic]

It is difficult to say for sure, but the gun has as much to do with it as the cartridge does. Take her and have her rent one and try it somewhere if possible before buying it.

My experiences have been that my wife much prefers a .45ACP in a 1911 over any other autopistol including 9mm, .380, or anything other than a .22lr. My G27 in .40 was more difficult and less pleasant to shoot than my G20 in 10mm.

Handling brisk recoil has more to do with a strong mind than a strong body.

If she wants to, she can totally handle most medium-sized or larger .40 pistols. A 14oz pocket gun in .40 is probably not a good idea.

[Walt]

I would shy away from a small 40 for a lady, unless she is an avid handgunner. I think, as others, all other things being equal, the high pressure forty has a snappy recoil and the low pressure 45 is more of a push. Most any 1911 chambered for 9mm is a ***** cat and would be great for a ladies carry gun.

[Alan in Vermont]

A neighbor bought a .40 XD-M for his wife. She's a bit on the dainty side and had never shot a handgun, maybe never shot anything. She says the recoil doesn't bother her at all.

As others have noted, I don't sense a lot of difference between my 1911 and the several .40s I have fired. Then again I'm pretty well desensitized to handgun recoil. Only things that have ever rattled me were a Contender and a BFR, both in 45-70 (same masochist owner) and both with lever rifle loads, the BFR was also pitching 500 gr. boolits. (OUCH!!!!)

[Bwana]

How does the .40 Cal. compare to the .45 ACP recoil wise. I shoot a .45 ACP but have never fired the .40 caliber in a short pistol. My wife thinks she may want a pistol and I don't know if the .40 will be too much recoil for her. Is the recoil that much less on the .40. Any ladies that have fired the .40 cal feel free to give your opinion. I'm trying to sort some things out before I sink 900 to 1200 bucks into a new Springfield EMP. I know the 9mm is less recoil but it is also a bit light in stopping power. Thanks

You are not familiar with some of the ammo out there, are you. https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=119

And, if you reload, you can make your own like that. My G19 carry loads crono at 1330fps with a 125gr JHP. Don't make the 9mm round the scapegoat.

[williamwaco]

How does the .40 Cal. compare to the .45 ACP recoil wise. I shoot a .45 ACP but have never fired the .40 caliber in a short pistol. My wife thinks she may want a pistol and I don't know if the .40 will be too much recoil for her. Is the recoil that much less on the .40. Any ladies that have fired the .40 cal feel free to give your opinion. I'm trying to sort some things out before I sink 900 to 1200 bucks into a new Springfield EMP. I know the 9mm is less recoil but it is also a bit light in stopping power. Thanks

If you are thinking about a small .40 you are going to get in trouble. I own 3 full size .40s. I have never fired one of the small ones. I notice very little difference between the recoil of say a SIG 229 or a Browning HP in .40 cal, and a full size 1911 in .45 ACP with equivalent loads.

Of course either can be loaded down.

[375RUGER]

let her shoot the 45 and go from there. Let her shoot as much variety as you can get your hands on. She will let you know what she likes. My wife shoots/carries a full size 1911 and currently shoots 230g HB in it. It is by far her favorite gun.
In my experience a medium size .40 is about the same in felt recoil force.

[freedom475]

Recoil (IMO) is something that takes Power, Force and Foot pounds... It is a large rainbow of reward force and power...The 40 cannot generate this rearward thrust.

What is does do is VERY fast, so if she doesn't shoot ... the 40 will sure get her attention. The highpower POP is just something to get used to. You have to like shooting..or it will not be fun for her.

The 40 doesn't recoil...it POPS It is fast, violent, and over-with in an instant.

My wife is NO handgun shooter, she is 110lbs, 5'2" and wears a size 6 shoe... and she shoots a 1911 10MM (40S&W on roids)...it seems to startle her more than anything.

[MtGun44]

Multiple female students have told me that a steel 1911 in 45 feels
better in recoil to them than a Glock 40 cal.

Bill

[btroj]

A 40 will be much louder and have more muzzle blast than a 45. Noise makes a big difference in perception of recoil to newer shooters.
My wife doesn't like my 45 and I certainly wouldn't get her a 40. She far prefers a 357.

[freedom475]

A 40 will be much louder and have more muzzle blast than a 45. Noise makes a big difference in perception of recoil to newer shooters.
My wife doesn't like my 45 and I certainly wouldn't get her a 40. She far prefers a 357.

My wife also prefurs the 357 (and she shoots a 10mm a lot) and the 357 is much more powerful than the 40...but it is the high pressure POP (and grip shape) that makes the auto "seem" more discombobulating.

[subsonic]

When my wife picked out her own gun, she chose a 4" S&W Model 28 .357. I'm noticing a trend here. Full size 1911s in .45 and .357s[smilie=1:

[subsonic]

Despite it being a so-so idea, most women are going to carry in their purses. And a full size handgun will EASILY fit in most of the enormous duffles that women carry today. My wife carries a "medium" sized purse and my 8.25" .475 BFR with red dot and all will fit in it!

[SciFiJim]

My wife's carry pistol is a Kahr P40. It is light, accurate, and dependable. She is a better shot with it than I am. It is not however, a pistol to spend the day at the range with. After about 12-15 rounds it becomes painful to shoot. Any defensive situation would not be a running fire fight, so the "light, accurate, dependable" are more important than perceived recoil. My .45 on the other hand is fun and comfortable to shoot all afternoon, but considerably heavier.

[44man]

A neighbor bought a .40 XD-M for his wife. She's a bit on the dainty side and had never shot a handgun, maybe never shot anything. She says the recoil doesn't bother her at all.

As others have noted, I don't sense a lot of difference between my 1911 and the several .40s I have fired. Then again I'm pretty well desensitized to handgun recoil. Only things that have ever rattled me were a Contender and a BFR, both in 45-70 (same masochist owner) and both with lever rifle loads, the BFR was also pitching 500 gr. boolits. (OUCH!!!!)
A Tender in 45-70---YIKES, the worst grip for recoil EVER! I hate the things.
The BFR in 45-70 loves 300 to 420 gr boolits best and recoils way less then a .44 so to put 500 gr boolits in it just adds pain.
My little wife used to shoot full power .44's from an original FT Ruger. She said they were louder then the other loads! :Fire:
I shoot my .475 and .500 JRH, BFR with one hand. 440 gr boolit at over 1350 fps but I would not shoot a Tender like that. It is cheaper to use a sledge hammer!

[Silver Jack Hammer]

The .40 and .45 give identical wound profiles. How does a smaller boolit give the same wound canal in test gelatan as a bigger, slower boolit? Pressure. The .45 operates at 21,000 psi and .40 at .35,000 psi. Shooting the .40 the shooter experiences more "blast" from the release of pressure at the muzzle and the action and slide comes back more violently, or quickly. The .40 was created to be better than the 9mm but a lot of gun manufacturers just bore larger holes in their 9's and put stiffer springs in. That turned out to be a failure. Law enforcement has gone to the .40 because it adapts to a smaller frame firearm than a .45, has more power than a 9mm and can be purchased in plastic at a cost savings. But most .40's have high cap mags therefore large grips and don't suit females very well. When our females come to the range and feel the recoil of a .45 they say "Is that's all it kicks?" The .45 can be had with a single stack mag, smaller grip, better for people with small hands such as a lot of females. I'm 6' 4" and use a 1911. A friend of mine was shooting a compact .40 plastic frame American made handgun with American ammo and it blew up on him. The market had driven firearms into too much power into too small a package and something had to give.

Another consideration is what was the gun designed to be. A really good .40 is that Smith and Wesson 4006. A really good 9mm is the Beretta 92FS. A really good .45 is the 1911. Don't buy a Beretta 96 in .40 or a 1911 in 9mm.

Women really like the HK P7 grip cocker. For small hand don't overlook the revolver, a K frame with standard grips is easy for many to shoot well. The qualification failure rate is up at our State police academy, the Academy published a memo that high cap semi autos and small hands do not work well together. They said a semi auto is easier to qualify with yet the failure rate is up due to the large grip high cap and small hand combination. I am a firearms instructor and work with females at our range and deal with this issue on an individual basis.

Another reason I like the K frame .38 is that they do not fail while the shooter is trying to learn how to shoot. She can shop around for a semi auto she likes while working on group size at the range and getting familiar with marksmanship.

[TKG]

Thanks for all he replies. Alot of good advice in the posts and I do appreciate it. I believe I already have the pistol that the woman needs. It is a 4 inch stainless Springfield 1911. I will get her some experience on it soon. Thanks again, TKG

[bucklind2]

My wife had never shot a pistol in her life till I bought my Springfield XD 45. I took her to the range and she had no problems. We have since been to the range with my son and took his Taurus 9mm, compact 40 Glock 27 (I think) can't remember all the Glock models, and his Springfield XDS. To no surprise she like the 9mm best and the XDS was the least comfortable for her to shoot.