What does it feel like when a big revolver is fired? I haven't described what brand or how big a bullet it shoots, but I want it to have a hearty kick. Does it hurt the wrist at all? Are there any reverberations up the arm? Just want to make sure I get this right, thanks
As someone who has to qualify with a 9mm, I can tell you the bigger the caliber, the higher the kick. A 9mm has a bigger kick then a .22, while a .38 or .40 have more then a 9mm, etc etc. Does it hurt your wrist? Depends on the person, I get mild sprains in my wrists fairly easy, so the .45 and .50 tend to cause me pain. And yes, the reverberations go up your arm. However, depending on how you hold it, it can be minimized. Just remember that you'll have to have a slight bit of flexibility in your arm when shooting, not a lot mind you, to be able to handle the kickback.
Depends on the firearm. Let me explain. A single action "plow-share handled" Ruger .44 Rem Mag will 'roll up' the hand. The overall design comes from Colt, where every shot had to first be thumb cocked, and with the barrel pointed in the air little pieces of primer would fall away from the action. When Colt went to metallic cartridges this was not so critical. Now, the Smith Model 29 and its variants come more straight back. The Casull .454 has the same issue, but it hits a lot harder. The biggest firearms do not cause the most pain. With all of the magnums I've fired over 40 years the most painful firearm I've handled is my current SW360PD. Even with a P.A.S.T. shooting glove it hurts like having the palm of your hand hit with an baseball bat. And that's just a .357 Mag, I hear the 329PD is even worse! But I also reload. You do not have to make "full house" loads. You can vary the weight of the bullet and the size of the charge. There are so many different gunpowders (slow, fast, flake, ball, stick) that the 'burn time' can be individually made. Slow powders kick the hardest. I mix my own linotype for casting bullets. They are cleaner when fired. Below is a picture of target bullets for the .45 ACP cartridge.
Also, the more massive the weapon, the better it will absorb the recoil. A larger caliber, lightweight handgun will jump pretty forcefully in your grip. If your grip isn't tight to begin with, you can feel a pretty hefty jolt in the V between your thumb and palm. If your arm is properly extended, the recoil force will be distributed along your arm up to your shoulder. If your grip is not correct, you can be injured by the recoil. An improper grip can also cause injury with an automatic pistol if part if your hand is struck by the slide. A person to your right can also be hit by shells ejected from an automatic.