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Whats the worst handgun recoil that you've experienced?

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  • GLI45GLI45 Posts: 32 Member
    Big Chief wrote: »
    A Ruger .44 Mag Super Blackhawk with original factory tiny grips. I was shootin factory full house loads near Cache Creek outside of Fort Sill OK back in the 80s. It was hot, my hands sweaty and the "Plow Share" grips let my hand slip up with every shot, drew blood. I dreaded every shot.

    Ditto to above. Those small grips are a killer on the hands.
    STI-Eagle (2)/Trojan (2)/Edge/Sentinel/Rogue/Ranger/VIP/Guardian/Tactical/Escort; Sig P238; Ruger Redhawk & Super Blackhawk
  • Make_My_DayMake_My_Day Posts: 7,927 Senior Member
    44 Magnum.....shot one of an uncles friends gun and had the biggest kick I ever experienced. Didn't get hurt, but nearly knocked me over.
    JOE MCCARTHY WAS RIGHT:
    THE DEMOCRATS ARE THE NEW COMMUNISTS!
  • shootbrownelkshootbrownelk Posts: 2,035 Senior Member
    My Ruger Super Redhawk in .454 Casull when it had the factory grips on it. It has Pachmayers now and it's manageable and doesn't try to fracture your hand anymore.
  • Big ChiefBig Chief Posts: 32,995 Senior Member
    Hey, the awesome stopping power of a .410, now if the target feels as much pain as the shooter , they may be on to something :jester:


    twa wrote: »
    AmericanDerringer.jpg

    This one hurts bad with 3" mags. I can't handle more than a few at a time.

    More as CPj mentioned on this one as well, a grip issue, and it usually always leaves a mark.
    It's only true if it's on this forum where opinions are facts and facts are opinions
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  • N320AWN320AW Posts: 648 Senior Member
    Colt Python .357 with a 2 1/2 inch barrel. Uncomfortable to say the least.
  • Mike WeberMike Weber Posts: 91 Member
    My Ruger Super Redhawk in .454 Casull when it had the factory grips on it. It has Pachmayers now and it's manageable and doesn't try to fracture your hand anymore.
    I remember hearing the same complaint from Buford when he first got his Super Redhawk .454 Casull I haven't shot one of these with the original grips but those Pachmeyers do make the recoil managable.
  • JermanatorJermanator Posts: 16,244 Senior Member
    Let us see...
    The Ruger Super Redhawks in 454 Casull with the factory grips suck, scandium .357 Smith and Wessons, my X-frame in .460 S&W (uncompensated) shooting the Hornady 200 gr factory stuff can wear a guy down in a hurry (the heavier stuff actually has less felt recoil). My Smith and Wesson Mountain Gun in .44 mag is pretty peppy with hot loads. I think the worst I ever shot was a TC Contender in 45/70. Second would be the scandium Smith.
    Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
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  • robert38-55robert38-55 Posts: 3,621 Senior Member
    Hi Mike long time how ya been? I had a couple of Ruger's in .44mag a few years ago. That's the biggest handgun for me....
    "It is what it is":usa:
  • jbohiojbohio Posts: 5,618 Senior Member
    Jermanator wrote: »
    Let us see...
    The Ruger Super Redhawks in 454 Casull with the factory grips suck, scandium .357 Smith and Wessons, my X-frame in .460 S&W (uncompensated) shooting the Hornady 200 gr factory stuff can wear a guy down in a hurry (the heavier stuff actually has less felt recoil). My Smith and Wesson Mountain Gun in .44 mag is pretty peppy with hot loads. I think the worst I ever shot was a TC Contender in 45/70. Second would be the scandium Smith.

    I shot a Savage Stryker 308. Once. Ouch. Had maybe a 10" barrel on it.
    Those Buffalo Bore 400gr loads that Blackhawk had for his 454 at the SE shoot a few years back come to mind. WOW!
  • bullsi1911bullsi1911 Posts: 12,419 Senior Member
    Jermanator wrote: »
    Let us see...
    The Ruger Super Redhawks in 454 Casull with the factory grips suck,

    That's strange. I do not mind it in mine, but one of my friends finds it unbearable with the same loads.
    To make something simple is a thousand times more difficult than to make something complex.
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  • JermanatorJermanator Posts: 16,244 Senior Member
    It is the trigger guard that keeps hitting my middle finger that does it.
    Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
    -Thomas Paine
  • softwarejanitorsoftwarejanitor Posts: 241 Member
    twa wrote: »
    AmericanDerringer.jpg

    This one hurts bad with 3" mags. I can't handle more than a few at a time.

    More as CPj mentioned on this one as well, a grip issue, and it usually always leaves a mark.

    I got one just like that except with wood grips... Recoil with 3" .410 shells is PAINFUL. Even with just full bore .45 Colt it is pretty rough.
  • softwarejanitorsoftwarejanitor Posts: 241 Member
    Mike Weber wrote: »
    Agree derringers are not user friendly. I used to own a pair of American Derringers in .44 Special. Recoil would definitely get your attention. Not much to hold onto with those grips either, mine seemed to utilize truck springs as their mainsprings making it nearly impossible to cock those hammers one handed. I was amused watching a guy shoot one of those North American mini revolvers in .22 Mag at the range. With those tiny grips the little revolver would nearly fly out of his hand under recoil.

    I've got one of the .22 Mag NAA mini-revolvers and I don't think the recoil is all that bad. I certainly don't find myself losing control with it. My wife has one with the folding grip and she has no trouble with it either.
  • snake284snake284 Posts: 22,429 Senior Member
    I'm not a hand gun enthusiast, but I have a few. But the worst I shot was not mine, but a friends at a gun club shoot. He had a model 29 6 inch and a model 57 6 inch. Both had very noticeable recoil. But the worst thing about them both was the fire coming from the cylinder-barrel gap. I think the 57 was the worst, even though it's only a 41 mag. But 41, 44, they are both potent.
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  • boomer68boomer68 Posts: 25 New Member
    T/C Contender in 45/70 firing 525gr cast full power with no muzzle brake. Lifted both my arms over my head ;-)

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  • centermass556centermass556 Posts: 3,618 Senior Member
    10 years old, shooting my great grandfather's police colt in .38 special ....

    I don't think I have shot anything over .357 mag... Maybe .44, but I think I would remember that. I want to get a .44 and the. Get a matching lever gun.
    "To have really lived, you must have almost died. To those who have fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know."
  • tennmiketennmike Posts: 27,457 Senior Member
    Worst from least worst to worst-worst.

    .44 Magnum derringer with 240 grain JHPs. Don't know why I bought it; seemed like a good idea at the time. Hammer spur will dig in to hand if you aren't careful.
    .500 S&W with a 4" barrel that belongs to a friend (Holey mother of pearl, that thing HURT!). Barrel was not ported and no brake. It was a little light for the cartridge.
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  • Mike WeberMike Weber Posts: 91 Member
    It was a little light for the cartridge.
    That was my main complaint when shooting the Magnum Research BFR in 500 S&W way too light for its chambering.
  • NNNN Posts: 25,235 Senior Member
    Must have been a Glock 20, it snapped something in my wrist; but, the gun must have been defective
    because it belonged to a forum doggy.
  • 5280 shooter II5280 shooter II Posts: 3,923 Senior Member
    NN.......G20 is rather snappy with Buffalo Bore ammo......love mine.

    If we're limited to handguns...........then it's the .454............recoil feels rather sharp. For that matter, MHS and I shot Freeze's .480 Ruger, and it wasn't much worse than a hot loaded .44, and I can shoot a .44 all day long,..........would love to try a .460 one of these days. For the worst recoil from a handgun cartridge.......it came from one of my rifles.............NEF .500 S&W.
    God show's mercy on drunks and dumb animals.........two outa three ain't a bad score!
  • robert38-55robert38-55 Posts: 3,621 Senior Member
    Back in 2000 I picked up a used Ruger .357 maximum SA revolver.. No commercial ammo for it; had to load my own... Depending on the load this handgun could have some noticeable recoil to it. IIRC the COL for this gun was about 1.900 or something like that.. Ruger manufactured this cal. to try to fit it between the .357 and .44 IIRC. Ruger only made about 1500 total of these guns.. They didn't go over well in our gun world with a lot of gun owners... I haven't seen one since... Unfortunately this little jewel was with my first gun collection, and I had to sell it, along with some others out of my first collection somewhere in the summer of 2006. The only thing I thought that might be a weak point on Ruger's .357 Maximum revolver, was some flame cutting was beginning to develop in the upper portion of the frame strap on the inside just above the cylinder gap and forcing cone..
    "It is what it is":usa:
  • bobbyrlf3bobbyrlf3 Posts: 2,614 Senior Member
    For me, it's a tie between a 2" Ruger SP101, which for some reason was a BEAST to handle with Magtech .38 special loads, and a CZ in 10MM which I hated more than any other pistol I've shot, including a Hi-Point.
    Knowledge is essential to living freely and fully; understanding gives knowledge purpose and strength; wisdom is combining the two and applying them appropriately in words and actions.
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