Depends a lot on the barrel length, stocking, and certainly

by John K., Tuesday, March 26, 2013, 19:09 (4263 days ago) @ TomC

the load used. The physical characteristics of the shooter count for a lot also - it simply might not fit well, and the result will not be pleasant.

I shoot my Scandium 357 often and it doesn't bother me - but Rob's much larger hands likely factor into the equation.

SOME 454C loads with LIGHT bullets will beat you to death because the gun will be in your face RIGHT NOW. Very fast recoil pulse. And if you don't concentrate, it will bite.... and Chuck will laugh hard enough to make you laugh even while you are bleeding.

My short barreled 500L can do the same if you step on it.

Jimmy P.'s 444 Marlin Contender wasn't bad. My FA 08 single shot in 6.5x55 is soft.

However, without a doubt, the worst handgun I have ever fired was a short barreled 475L - one of John's early guns. It belonged to a friend of mine and early one cold morning I decided to run a few through it. I did not think I would make it through the cylinder. Now, for reference, I have fired something over 10,000 454Cs in my time (and still have the oversized knuckle) but this was obscene. Emptied the gun, went to unload it.... and could not get the cases out. Ended up beating them out with a brass rod. Turns out that ammo came with the gun when my friend bought it; they were not his reloads as I had assumed. Don't remember checking, but it probably "flat-lined" the cylinder.

Rifles -

Again, some people dislike the heavy shove of a 12ga, and some can't stand the fast jab of a light magnum.

An original Trapdoor carbine with a Lyman 457125 (520gr government bullet) over a compressed load of black WILL turn your shoulder purple in about ten or twenty shots. The first few are fun, however. Every time I shoot it, I think of those smallish cavalrymen of the 1870s.... no wonder they went to a 405gr load for the carbines.

Another ugly one is the Steyr M95 straight pull in 8x56R. Short light, with about a 11" LOP. Nazi milsurp launches a 209gr bullet at 2400+fps and it will get your attention. Then I rebarreled one to 45-70. A 540gr Saeco at 1600fps in the original factory stock will make you wonder why you didn't take up boxing instead.

For me, tho, in the long gun category it would have to be a worn out 12ga Remington Mod 11 shooting high brass shells. It would turn my shoulder purple after a cold late season dove shoot. Next day the right arm would be nearly useless. But I was young and stupid then. Now, nearly 40yrs later, I still like the Defoliators. I guess I haven't learned at thing in all that time.