recoil

recoil
v.
To jerk backward, as a gun upon firing: rebound. To draw away involuntarily, usually out of fear or disgust: blench, cringe, flinch, quail, shrink, shy, start, wince.
n.
An act of drawing back in an involuntary or instinctive fashion, in alarm or horror:cringe, flinch, shrink, wince.
Also n.
The backward action of a firearm upon firing.

In most small arms, the force of the recoil is absorbed by the body of the shooter.