A reduced stroke length telescopic recoil mechanism for a firearm having a barrel and a slide movable rearwardly with respect to the barrel during an initial part of a firing cycle, and forwardly during an ending part of the firing cycle, the recoil mechanism having a base, an axle fixed to the base, a central tube slidably mounted on the axle, an inner spring engaged between the base and the central tube for biasing the central tube forwardly away from the base, an outer tube slidably mounted with respect to the central tube, a central spring engaged between the central tube and the outer tube for biasing the central tube forwardly away from the base, and an outer spring engaged between the slide and the outer tube for biasing the slide forwardly of the base.