Name a pistol, shotgun, or rifle, or all three, that from the factory, has a pleasant recoil impulse compared to its competition.

I haven’t fired enough shotgun models to make a fair statement, so I’ll leave that to those with more experience.

As far as pistols go, the Walther PPQ and the Beretta 92 feel like they run on ball bearings. The Browning Hi-Power gives these two a good run for your money also.

When it comes to rifles, the M1A is about as sweet as I have found.

My old REM 11-87 is a sweet shooting shotgun.
I replace the recoil spring when needed and I shoot it wet for ease of cleaning.
It has never failed to fire.
Everything from 26gram low noise/low recoil AAs to full strength 3” mags, it just keeps running.

My AR10 is a pig (especially after the Krieger barrel) but that gun is such a joy to shoot.
The adjustable gas block took all the “violence” out of the system.
It used to fling empties to hell and gone, now it just purrs along.

Browning Gold/Maxus are very soft shooting compared to competitors. The HK P7 would be another example.

For handguns, Grand Power w/ their rotating barrel lock-up. It feels as soft as a my comp'ed Glocks but cost me less than a Radian Ramjet+Afterburner.

Smith and Wesson 4006 TSW. Specifically the CHP model. The gun is an absolute tank, it absorbs the 40 like its powder puff rounds.

POF Revolution/Rogue rifles

You'd expect the recoil from a ~6 pound .308 AR to be fairly noticeable, but the combination of the chunky muzzle brake and the adjustable gas system makes them surprisingly soft shooting.

HK Mark 23 with KAC suppressor. Recoil is actually pleasant.

For me the good old cz75b (mine was made in '01, purchased early in 2002) is the most fun firearm to shoot. It's pretty hefty and it just seems to have the softest recoil of any centerfire calibers I've ever fired. And unless I'm just having a bad day it's almost like I can just point it at the target and hit the 10 ring. The only thing I ever did to it was buy a stronger recoil spring when it was new since I had read on some cz forums back then that they ran better with a heavier spring. I have enough mags for it I can load up 200+ rounds up in mags and my last range trip where I took only the 75b I blasted through 250 rounds pretty quick and when I left I noticed I was only inside the range for maybe 40 minutes.

quote:

Originally posted by BB61:
Browning Gold/Maxus are very soft shooting compared to competitors. The HK P7 would be another example.

That’s funny, and drives home the point that different folks perceive things differently. Mrs. slosig really doesn’t care for my P7M8 and says that it is “too snappy”. For whatever reason, it seems to me like it wants to rise up more (rotational impulse) than the P228 for instance. However, that thing is a laser beam and I don’t find it unpleasant at all.

The P229 in 40 S&W seems nicer than many others. I can’t say why, but it seems to handle that cartridge very well. In 357 Sig,

I can easily tell you the most UNpleasant recoil impulse I've ever experienced, a S&W 340PD with full house .357s. It weighs 11.4 oz. and kicks like hell.

Honestly I ignore recoil and it is usually the next day when I realize how bad it was. This is with handguns and rifles - I tend to like shooting large calibers.

For light I would say my CZ Shadow 2 and my Seekins 6ARC rifle.

The heaviest hitting rifle I ever owned was a Weatherby Vanguard in 7mag with no muzzle brake. It would leave my shoulder bruised. Even the 50 Beowulf with no muzzle brake was not as bad as that 7 mag. My Ruger #1 in 375 H&H was tame compared to it.

For heaviest hitting revolver it was my Freedom Arms in 454 Casull prior to sending it off to be Mag-na-ported. It hurt to shoot and even my 3” S&W 500 was easier to shoot.

quote:

Originally posted by NOCkid:
I can easily tell you the most UNpleasant recoil impulse I've ever experienced, a S&W 340PD with full house .357s. It weighs 11.4 oz. and kicks like hell.

Oh I’m dumb enough to try it. But for a Sunday afternoon, that is masochistic.

Beretta PX4 Storm pistol platform.

Chiappa Rhino. 38’s out of my 2” feel like you are shooting a 22. 357’s feel like 38’s.

Vepr12. I took it to the range once with my M4 for a side by side test with various loads. The Vepr had a softer recoil impulse.

Beretta ARX100. The piston system in that thing is something else. Very soft shooter.

Due to neck damage, I had to stop using fixed breech shotguns! I switched to gas-operated
Beretta’s - soft recoil, extending my clays shooting for decades!

I do miss my O/U’s choke flexibility for Sporting Clays…

Try firing a SIG PE57 or AMT. They are very soft shooting. Then try an HK 91. It has recoil to break your shoulder. How two rifles so similar in construction have such different recoil is mindblowing.

One that hasn't been mentioned yet, a SIG SP2022 in .40 was very mild shooting when I rented it at the indoor range years ago. Even milder than the above mentioned P229 that I also had.

H&K P-7’s are pleasant (well, until they get hot)
I’ve had awesome experiences with 2011 platforms, especially Staccato!
I’ve shot some nice, custom 1911’s with hand loaded rounds that are super smooth!
A S&W Mod 52-1 also comes to mind.

Some nice, custom AR’s that have excellent recoil!

A P226 in 7.65mm is freaking awesome!

I also happened upon a box of 2011 parts and built a pistol that runs a 6 1/2 pound progressive recoil spring with .38 Super.

Don't just settle for anything as it came from the box.

It is also fun to shoot a G40 in .38 Super.

BEST
Pistol-STI full sized 2011 in 9mm(not mine, but I shot it) smoother than my BHP

Rifle-M16A1 20” HB, the heavy barrel makes the 5.56 feel like a toy

Shotgun-Remingtons copy of the browning A5, IIRC it’s a model 11( there was some kinda patent infringement case) I’m not a Semiautomatic shotgun guy but I’ve shot a few and the one I shot was set for birdshot and it was like a slow push, not a severe recoil for a 12 ga at all)

WORST
P-S&W scandium 357 2”-carried it for backup gun and had to shoot 50 day & 50 night to qual. It was a beast.

R-8Mm Yugo Mauser. Worse than a 375 H&H…don’t know how this guys fought in WWII

s-single shot no name 12 ga that was my grandfather’s. No pad, no weight to it…uggh

My Staccato P is my softest shooting 9mm pistol, a joy to shoot. My Beretta 1301 Mod 2 is soft compared to my Mossberg and 870 pumps, and more fun to shoot.

But my wife's Sig P365 Luxe in .380 is the softest shooting centerfire pistol I have ever handled. No other .380 comes close and she loves it.