380 Guardian Recoil and Sheared Grip Screws

[cedarview kid]

Why not? fit a heavier recoil spring to any gun and you will feel more recoil.

I've had this same discussion many times over the past decade or so in different forums and the answer has always been that the reduced recoil is because of the locked breach, not stronger recoil springs. I can't explain the physics of what's happening, but I can't believe that suddenly the answer has changed.

[cfsharry]

I went to a local mystic to see if she could channel John Moses Browning as I thought he might provide the answer. Unfortunately, she said she has trouble reaching the spirits of Mormons, Rastafarians and Sufi Muslims. Don't know if that was her shortcoming or if problematic to all mystics. Thought it was a good idea though.

[lohman446]

I don't know if it is accurate or not but I heard that a good deal of the "felt" recoil in direct blowbacks is the slide hitting the slide stops harder because of how they operate. 

[cedarview kid]

.

[cfsharry]

I keep coming back to time, or more correctly, the recoil impulse being spread over a longer period of time. An analogy: if you suddenly punched me in the nose you might very easily break my nose. if you used the same amount of force but slowed your punch, my head would be moving backwards with your blow, lessening your fist's impact. The mechanical unlocking of the breech and the duration of time incorporated might serve the same purpose. Sound plausible?

[lohman446]

I think that sounds reasonable.  Maybe Sandy will share some knowledge on the subject. 

[longhunter]

Well, as the instigator of all of this, I'll just say I still love my G380, I liked the Bersa Thunder, the little Sig P238, even though one of the "Lady" models was sweet to shoot, If I had it to do over again, I would still buy the NAA. It's just a great, reliable, durable little pistol. Thanks all for the insight.

[longhunter]

This was sounding very familiar, and it is obviously a physics issue. I got my 35 year old textbook off the shelf and there it was. I found a website that does a good job of explaining it. dx/dt = v (velocity),which we all know. Acceration, a=dv/dt. Which is why I'm so annoyed by idiot news talking head saying "high rate of speed", pulse = da/dt. Was the vehiclal moving at the time of the crash?

Here's where it gets intesting, da/dt= the very good explanaition in this link:


Dattp://physics.info/kinematicalculus/

The collective wisdom on this forum figured this out, I'm almost as impressed by all, well most of you as I am with the little stainless steel beauty in my pocket!

[redhawk4]

Why not? fit a heavier recoil spring to any gun and you will feel more recoil.

I've had this same discussion many times over the past decade or so in different forums and the answer has always been that the reduced recoil is because of the locked breach, not stronger recoil springs. I can't explain the physics of what's happening, but I can't believe that suddenly the answer has changed.

Looking inside several semi auto's there is definitely nothing in the mechanisms themselves that would redirect forces to reduce recoil in any way that could be discerned during shooting. A heavier recoil spring will give you more recoil that is certain. Beyond that there may be something in the slide also having less energy because the slide doesn't come back until the bullet has left the gun with a locked breach and that may also give you a recoil energy that is spread over a longer interval as in the "nose analogy" above - the recoil energy is the same but might be dissipated over say twice the time (plucking a figure from the air).

I too have seen the same story told many times, but feel this is something people repeat because they heard someone else say it, not because they actually understand it or because it is correct.

[firedup]

Regarding the stronger recoil springs, I have found that a stronger recoil spring results in less felt recoil.  On my LCP, I changed out the recoil spring to the strongest one that Wolff offered, and it lowered the felt recoil in my hand.  I actually tried this because other LCP owners had done the same thing in order to reduce felt recoil.  Not trying to confuse things, but just trying to share some experience and information.

[redhawk4]

I guess the stronger recoil spring should be,  "stronger than needed", there is a balance. If your LCP springs where weak so the slide was going back until it impacts the stops then you will feel more recoil. New springs that prevent this will reduce the felt recoil. If, as an extreme, you put in a spring so strong the slide could not even move when the gun fired you would feel more recoil than a correctly sprung set up because no recoil would be absorbed by the slide moving back - so there is a balance to be achieved.

[cedarview kid]

Springs should be set to allow recoil to move the slide and insert a new round effectively. You change the strength of the spring and you're likely to get jams.