In any event, the NRA treatment states that "The recoil impulse depends essentially upon the ammunition, and is independent of the weight of the gun." Also, "The free recoil velocity can make it unpleasant to shoot, even if the recoil impulse is not excessive."
So these seem to be contradictory statements? I'm not sure what you view as the wrong trail but I can tell when a gun kicks hard and when it doesn't with or without a formula to quantify it.
I can most definitely tell you that the weight of the gun as a
dependant factor in felt recoil is never as apparent as it is when a full house 357 goes off in my 360PD. I don't know about scientically defined "impusle recoil" but when that 12 oz J frame fires a 357 the impulses permeate most regions of my anatomy with great force and vigor. I wonder how the eggheads would handle that one.