Finding Recoil Statistics

**Charlie De** · June 26th, 2009, 03:34 AM

In checking manufactures technical information on various guns, I'm not seeing recoil in foot pounds listed. Where would i find this information? I know that it will vary from one bullet weight to another but I would guess that there must be a standard load. I want to be able to compare one gun to another. For instance a Glock 22 to a Glock 27.

**Pizza Bob** · June 26th, 2009, 06:48 AM

I'm not aware of any manufacturer that does this. You can compute recoil impulse by knowing the projectile weight and velocity as well as the weight of the firearm, but that still is no basis for comparison. Felt recoil is a subjective factor and many variables come into play - the size and weight of the shooter; how tightly the gun is gripped; where on the actual grip the gun is held; and non-variables that play a part, like: distance of the bore centerline above the VCG of the gun; the HCG of the gun. The only valid way to compare two guns is to shoot them both and determine how they feel to you. Your quest is analagous to trying to pick a particular round to use for SD based solely on lbs-ft of energy generated - it doesn't tell the whole story.

HTH

Adios,

Pizza Bob

**Pete D.** · June 26th, 2009, 07:00 AM

Yep - what Pizza Bob said. Exactly,
If you want to compute free recoil figures for a particular weight gun and a specific load, there is an online recoil calculator at Hanloads.com. Try this link: http://www.handloads.com/calc/recoil.asp

That will give you "free" recoil data. Remember that what most folk are concerned with is "felt" recoil and that, as Bob wrote, is much more complex.
Pete

**bert** · June 27th, 2009, 07:47 AM

Felt recoil is proportional to the weight of the gun. Taking into consideration the bullet load. i.e. factory load in a .44 magnum w/ 8" barrel compared to a 4 inch barrel. Recoil will be noticeable. Shooters condition is the other factor, build up your grip and forearms. If you are impervious to recoil there are compensators and magna-ports. But you probably know that. Most reloading manuals give you ft/lb rating at muzzle and various distances. Get out the physics book and convert that to felt recoil?

**Pete D.** · June 27th, 2009, 11:47 PM

Felt recoil is proportional to the weight of the gun.

Almost. Free recoil is proportionate to weight; the weight of the gun is one of the elements in the formula (vg = 32.2 x I/WG. vg is the velocity of the gun, I is recoil impulse (another formula) and wg is the weight of the gun)
Even the online recoil calculator linked above requires that the weight of the gun be entered.
Felt recoil is almost completely subjective as pointed out by Pizza Bob and yourself - that detail about conditioning oneself to recoil. Give the same gun to two different shooters - one new to shooting, thin bony build and the other shooter - experienced and 100 lbs heavier. They will most probably report different sensations firing the same gun and load.
Pete