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For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction; that is one of the physical laws of our universe. This means that the momentum of a handgun's reaction will exactly equal the momentum of the bullet and powder gasses ejected from the barrel. In the shooting sports we call that reaction recoil or "kick." Recoil energy determines how hard the blow to the hand feels and recoil velocity determines how abrupt the blow feels. These can be measured or computed empirically and have been for this recoil table.

Do not forget that gun weight is a crucial factor in the recoil equation, inversely proportional to recoil. Increase the gun weight by, say, 25% and the recoil goes down by 25%. In the real world, firearms chambered for smaller cartridges are traditionally lighter than firearms chambered for more powerful cartridges. A dramatic increase in kick results (and accuracy suffers equally dramatically) when powerful cartridges and loads intended for full size service pistols are chambered in lightweight, subcompact pistols. Choose a gun weight appropriate for the loads you intend to shoot.

However, perceived recoil, what the shooter feels, is a highly subjective matter. It is influenced by many factors. One of the most important of these, in addition to gun weight, is the fit and shape of the grip and the shooter's personal hold. These sorts of things cannot be accounted for in a recoil table. Also, please understand that there are dozens of possible loads for any given bullet weight in a given caliber that will produce the same velocity, but a different amount of recoil. Therefore, the figures in any recoil table should be taken as approximate. Never-the-less, the table below should give a reasonably accurate comparison of the recoil of most popular handgun cartridges and loads when fired in pistols of typical weight.

The following recoil figures are taken from various sources including online recoil calculators, the Remington Shoot! program or calculated from the formula given in the Lyman Reloading Handbook, 43rd Edition. Note: All bullets in the table below are jacketed unless otherwise noted

Note: For an expanded version of this table with more entries, see the Expanded Handgun Recoil Table.