jkh@jade.BERKELEY.EDU (Jordan K. Hubbard) (10/10/86)
Article: 10:3 [ ... questioning recoil of .45 vs. .357 ... ] I own (and occasionally even have time to shoot) .38, .357 and .44mag revolvers, and .22, .380 and .45 autoloaders. You are correct in your evaluation of the .357. I find that it's fun, but very hard on the hands. I've developed a flinch with it that I'm still trying to "untrain" because of the heavy recoil. My .44mag is quite comfortable to shoot. Where the .357 has a 4" bbl, the S&W 629 .44 has an 8 3/8" bbl which I had Magnaported (only $70 a couple of years ago and worth every penny). I also have an Aimpoint sight on it and rubber grips. Although it looks like something from Star Wars and causes a lot of fireworks when it goes off it's quite comfortable. Summary: it's not the caliber (necessarily) but also the barrel length and setup. You specifically asked about the .45: I have a Colt Combat Commander which is easily my favorite handgun to shoot. I find the recoil very acceptable. It's more comfortable for me to shoot than my snub nose .38. I have small hands, and I find the Colt easy to hold and control. Consequently I am more accurate with it than with any of the other handguns (of course I shoot it more often too). Since I don't keep handguns specifically for home defense, I can't comment on your concern about the single action and having to keep the hammer back. BTW, I'm sort of nosing around for a .9mm autoloader. The S&W "chopped" .9mm auto looks interesting. Can't remember the model... 659? Any comments on it?