I know, I know, what kind of pussy needs help taming the obscene recoil of the mighty 9mm, right? But hear me out.

First of all, this is totally just my desire to tinker and experiment with something new, not a solution that I'd consider for a serious defensive purpose. Kind of a range toy "budget race gun" concept to see how soft and flat I can make a service-style handgun shoot on a budget.

I always thought the idea of a comped 9mm was kinda stupid until I shot the P365 XMacro and discovered that you really can feel the difference. I'm not a P365 guy and just don't find that gun to be a good fit for my hands, but it got the wheels turning. I recently got into an AXG grip module for my P320, and while I don't think it makes me shoot the gun any better it feels awesome in the hand and has revived an interest in the platform. I have some spare 320s in the collection, and a little bit of OT money burning a hole in my pocket, and that got me thinking even more.

My full-size 320 already shoots a lot flatter and softer than my compact/carry models, I assume as a function of the longer recoil assembly. I saw that Sig appears to be clearancing out a bunch of AXG Legion integrally-comped P320 slides with the non-enclosed RomeoX mounted. They can be had for about $600 with the dot, and I already have a 3.9" barrel that would fit so I'd just need a recoil spring assembly, bringing the total to under $700. I have heard some reports that the Sig factory mounting solution doesn't include recoil bosses and the RomeoX isn't an exact interference fit in the cut resulting in sheared mounting screws, which isn't a good thing.

The other option I've considered is getting a threaded barrel and an aftermarket comp for one of the 3.9" guns that I already have. This would be cheaper (probably around $250) and avoid any potential screw-shearing issues, but the solution is a bit less elegant than the factory slide with the integrated comp. It also would stick me with the compact recoil spring assembly, which as I noted above I'm assuming is responsible for the less than ideal recoil characteristics of the carry model compared to the full-size.

I know ammo selection is an issue as well, and most reviewers claim the most benefit of the comp is observed with +p or hot 115gr ammo. My go-to handload is a 135gr bullet, but I'm loading it over HS6 which burns relatively slowly, so in theory there ought to be enough gas left as the bullet leaves the barrel to take advantage of the comp.

Other options are to forget about the 320 and buy the threaded barrel and comp for my P226 that already shoots flatter than the 320s without one, or cheaper yet get a generic comp and throw it on my son's P09 that already has a threaded barrel and already shoots flatter than any other 9mm we own.

I've watched the youtube videos and read reviews, but I figured I'd throw the question out here to the forum and see what kind of feedback I get. What are your experiences with compensating any 9mm handgun? Did you have to mess with recoil springs, and if so how did you go about that? Has anybody played with the P320 Legion with the integrated comp and compared it to a non-compensated model, or a similar gun with an aftermarket comp? Any issues with optic screws shearing with the RomeoX? Is this even worth looking into or am I just geeking out and letting autistic curiosity get the better of me? Does the comp actually provide a tangible benefit or is it just marketing hype to take people's money?

I know that compensators are a thing now. My only old fossil experience with any type of compensator was when I Mag-Na-Ported a 3 inch .357 round butt Smith revolver. Not a pleasant experience! This was in the days before low flash powders were in common use, unlike today. It did somewhat reduce muzzle rise but the trade off was a lot of blast and flash. I have no plans to adopt a compensator on a 9mm. You might try to locate a comped 320 to shoot to see if the juice is worth the squeeze.

Oh I completely agree. I've had a couple of Taurus revolvers with their crappy porting (basically a series of holes drilled straight up through the top of the barrel on either side of the front sight), and the muzzle blast was unbearable, especially on the .44. But I think a large part of the issue is dependent upon the caliber and the design of the comp/ports.

My buddy had a Smith 629 Stealth Hunter 6" .44 Mag...same barrel length as my Taurus .44. The first time I shot it I expected to feel the blast in the bridge of my nose like I used to with that Taurus, but that wasn't the case at all. The S&W ports were designed to push the blast out and up at the same time, so it really wasn't unpleasant at all.

On the comped P365 that I shot I really didn't notice any blast. I'm not sure if that was more due to the lower amount of gas from the 9mm chambering or the design of the comp ports, but I was impressed that there was a noticeable reduction in felt recoil (not extreme, but enough that you could definitely tell) without any obvious blast, at least when shooting outdoors.

Armory Craft really knows what they are doing with 320s and 365s
https://www.armorycraft.com/pr...rs-p320-p226-228-229

Have you shot one of those? How did it compare to a non-compensated gun?

I have a Herrington Arms comp on a M17 with a Wilson grip and Grey Guns trigger. It definitely shots softer than my AXG equipped P320. The compensated gun is a hoot to shoot. Not sure which comp I have as it was bought years ago but it has been 100% reliable.

quote:

Originally posted by SigLaw:
I have a Herrington Arms comp on a M17 with a Wilson grip and Grey Guns trigger. It definitely shots softer than my AXG equipped P320. The compensated gun is a hoot to shoot. Not sure which comp I have as it was bought years ago but it has been 100% reliable.

Thanks for the feedback, that's one I've been considering as well.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
Have you shot one of those? How did it compare to a non-compensated gun?

I have not. I have never really felt the need to venture into compensators on pistols but all their other products have been excellent.