A 9 mm being the weakest but sharp recoil.
40 S&W will be bigger and "sharper recoil”
45ACP will be more of a push back not sharp at all
You can’t assume that a bigger handgun will soak up the recoil, because the recoil spring may be bigger/small. Also revolvers tend to have a little more recoil. Some guns are better, for the spring reason I stated above. Example the HK USP 45 will have a smaller recoil than the HK USP Compact 45 because of the recoil system in the full size version

Simple recoil is pretty easy to quantify - the weight of the gun versus its power. See Newton's Laws of Motion and all that.

But many things can change a shooter's perception of recoil. For example:

- A high-pressure round may feel "snappy" or "sharp" compared to a lower-pressure round.

- A pistol with a high bore axis will allow the muzzle to flip up more, making the pistol seem to recoil more.

- A pistol that shifts or moves in the hand under recoil will often be perceived to kick more.

- An inexperienced shooter often places his hands on the pistol incorrectly, giving him a lack of control.

None of the typical pistol calibers - 9mm, .40, .357, .45, 10mm - actually recoil very hard, if you know how to put your hands on the pistol. Some are easier to control than others, and you may even perceive them differently than the guy next to you on the range.

But generally, most people find the 9mm easiest to control, the 10mm the hardest, and the .40, .357, and .45 all pretty similar.

+1 Mike

I have found that #4 is the most common issue when describing percieved recoil. If the proper grip is not established, not only will the shooter be recoil challenged, he will often not hit his point of aim.

I find the 10mm is no more difficult to control or has any more recoil that a hot .45. But larger calibers - .44 mag and up, it's two hands, brace your self and hold on!

A fella once told me when I was a youngster that shooting a Colt M1911 was a lot like riding a bull.
You could hold on tight, make the 8 sec. and get a nice score - or get off anyway you wanted to.