In SR5 combat, recoil now carries over from IP to IP, so there is good reason to add recoil to even SA pistols. Yes, IP to IP. So if you accrue 3 [ts recoil in one IP and then fire three more shots the next IP, you have a total penalty of -6(before comp). That penalty resets as soon as you spent an IP NOT firing the weapon. SS weapons, btw, don't suffer this cumulative penalty but can't ever fire a burst like SA weapons can.
You get recoil comp = 1/3 your STR added to weapon recoil comp, so unless you are firing bursts you can usually go a couple of rounds before you have a problem.