Muzzle rise is lessened at the cost of greater recoil. Unfortunately, most consider muzzle rise and recoil one in the same.I have a M40-A1 and I bought it because of people going on and on about the recoil being like or better than a 9MM and like stvan said, "recoil is negligible". While I like the gun, I find both claims to be false. I have a 9mm and have shot it for years and love it. It has seen many USPSA matches. My 40 shoots nothing like my 9mm. My husband shoots a .45 and while I have no issues shooting it, I have never liked the recoil. After putting a 500-1000 rounds through my M40 and then shooting the husbands .45 with home defense rounds in it, I will take the .45. I found it easier to shoot and the recoil did not bother me. My right arm is generally tender up to a week after a put 100-300 rounds through the M40-A1. I am generally shooting WWB 155 grain bullets or the 165 grain stuff they have at the indoor range. So don't trust folks who say it has no recoil. Everything has recoil. It is up to you to see if the recoil bothers you.
I did not say it had no recoil I said it was negligible (or insigificant if you will). In the March 2011 Volume 32 number 2 issue of Combat Handguns Rob Garrett reviewed the M40-A1 and S40-A1 and stated "The grip angle seemed to tame the sharp recoil of the service ammo and made the pistol very pleasant to shoot". Now maybe I should have qualified my opinion stating I am 6'3" and 270 pounds and have very large hands and arms and upper body and can get a strong firm grip on the gun, therefore for me I hardly even notice any recoil on the M40 or any of my pistols, (a J-frame 357 mag being the exception until I got rid of it). Now I did switch out the 40 cal barrel for a 357 Sig barrel on my Glock 22. I shoot the 357 Sig better than the 40S&W in that gun and will probably get a 9mm barrel next, just because I can.I have a M40-A1 and I bought it because of people going on and on about the recoil being like or better than a 9MM and like stvan said, "recoil is negligible". While I like the gun, I find both claims to be false. I have a 9mm and have shot it for years and love it. It has seen many USPSA matches. My 40 shoots nothing like my 9mm. My husband shoots a .45 and while I have no issues shooting it, I have never liked the recoil. After putting a 500-1000 rounds through my M40 and then shooting the husbands .45 with home defense rounds in it, I will take the .45. I found it easier to shoot and the recoil did not bother me. My right arm is generally tender up to a week after a put 100-300 rounds through the M40-A1. I am generally shooting WWB 155 grain bullets or the 165 grain stuff they have at the indoor range. So don't trust folks who say it has no recoil. Everything has recoil. It is up to you to see if the recoil bothers you.
Thank you drturi for helping me make my point.I have a Glock 19C, I must say my M40-A1 has less felt recoil and get back on target faster then my compensated Glock 19.