While your 9mm might not prove too punishing, heavier, harder hitting rounds like .40 S&W, .45 ACP and 10mm very well might.
If you have a handgun chambered in one of these rounds and find recoil a bit much to handle, there are things you can do about it. Here are some of the most practical.
Shoot Lighter Loads
The first and most straightforward thing you can do to cut recoil is to change up what you’re shooting, as this won’t require you to make any changes to your gun.
There are two ways to do this; one is to lower the bullet weight and the other is to lower the muzzle velocity. Here’s the cheat: just look at muzzle energy.
Ammo boxes are usually stamped with a muzzle velocity estimate in ft-lbs or joules (J). The lower this number, the less recoil the ammo will produce, holding all else equal.
Install a Compensator
This is probably the most impactful change you can make, all things considered. A compensator, which might also be referred to as a muzzle brake, is a muzzle device that changes how gasses are released at the muzzle.
A good compensator can reduce felt recoil by as much as 50% without having any effect on shower power. An additional effect is that a compensator can reduce muzzle jump, which can help keep your sights trained on target so you can make faster, more accurate follow up shots.
Install a Skeletonized Slide
If your handgun is a semi-auto with a slide action, you may be able to reduce recoil by getting a lighter, skeletonized slide. This will cut felt recoil and also may result in snappier cycling.
Lowering the mass of the slide reduces the gun’s reciprocating mass; the lower the reciprocating mass, the less the felt recoil generated.
The other thing you can do is increase the gun’s static mass - as described below.
Get a Heavier Guide Rod
You may also have the option to install a heavier guide rod, such as a tungsten guide rod, in your gun. This can be particularly effective in guns like Glock pistols, which come with stock guide rods made of a polymer material that, while strong, is very lightweight.
The higher the portion of the static mass of the gun - that is, the cumulative portion that doesn’t move, such as the frame - the more it will fight back against the force of recoil generated. The static mass, by its inertia, helps absorb recoil.
A heavier guide rod is useful, however, not just because it increases static mass, but because it positions mass strategically near the muzzle of the gun. This, in turn, stabilizes the muzzle, the front sight, and helps prevent excessive muzzle flip.
In turn, you can shoot more confidently, will experience less overall recoil and muzzle flip, and may even be able to make faster, more accurate follow up shots.
Get a Micro Conversion Kit
This is one of the more involved adjustments you can make to fight recoil, but be aware it will fundamentally change the handling and ergonomics of the gun.
The change is not, however, permanent, and will not require you to make any physical modifications to the gun itself.
Micro conversion kits are compatible with a wide range of popular handguns, including but not limited to Glock pistols as well as Springfield, Taurus, Smith & Wesson, and Sig Sauer handguns, among others.
Basically, a micro conversion kit, also known as an MCK, is a chassis-like system that will convert your handgun into something more like a carbine or SBR.
Because of this, and the fact that micro conversion kits can be stocked, they enable much more accurate, confident handling and shooting, and, critically, they substantially reduce recoil.
They add mass and because they are stocked and fired with two hands, they can significantly cut back on felt recoil and muzzle flip.
It’s a big adjustment, but if recoil is a legitimate concern for you, it’s an upgrade worth looking into.
Adopt a Better Grip and Stance
Lastly, you can try adjusting your grip and stance.
Start by wrapping your dominant hand fully around the grip of your handgun, with your thumb resting along the base of the slide as far up on the frame as it can rest without getting pinched.
Wrap your support hand fully around your shooting hand with your non-dominant thumb resting alongside your dominant thumb as the base of the slide. Create as much contact between your grip and the gun as possible.
Lastly, lean slightly into the gun at your waist, that way, when you need to absorb recoil, the mass of your body, leaned into the force of recoil, will help absorb it.
Shop Gun Parts and More Here
Here to put some of these tips into practice? We sell a wide range of gun parts, including muzzle brakes, slides, and even micro conversion kits as well as MCK accessories.
Shop our catalog of gun parts and get in touch with us if you have any questions.